Meow, today my guest is author Chris Wenger!
ABOUT CHRIS:
I have worked in the criminal justice field for more years than I care to remember! It seems like I was forever going to school while I was working full time, but in the end, I received a dual master's degree in Probation and Parole Studies and Sociology from Fordham University.
Unfortunately, the knowledge gained from way too many years in night school, didn’t prepare me for what I love to do the most – writing romances for Harlequin and cozy mysteries for Penguin books.
LOVE THOSE COZY MYSTERIES!!
The year 2013 began my series of “comfort food” cozies that are set in a small-town 1950’s diner: the Silver Bullet (open 24 hours, air conditioned). The Silver Bullet sits on the shore of Lake Ontario and many colorful characters, including the owner of the diner, Trixie Matkowski, live in Sandy Harbor or are just visiting.
The first book, DO OR DINER, from Penguin/Obsidian books was released in August, 2013. A SECOND HELPING OF MURDER came out in April, 2014. My third cozy mystery DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DEATH came out in January, 2015 followed by MACARONI AND FREEZE (July, 2015). Watch for IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE in February of 2016).
I’d like to continue with this series for as long as readers
keep reading about sleuthing Trixie Matkowski’s way.
JUST FOR FUN
I enjoy watching professional bull riding and rodeo with my favorite cowboy, my husband Jim. We put on our cowboy regalia (I look horrible in a cowboy hat!) and have traveled to events in Las Vegas, Florida, Connecticut, and other states.
Of course I have to do research for my comfort food diner series. That takes me to diners all over the U.S. and Canada. It’s a tough job, but I just have to do it!
Best wishes to you, and I hope
you smile when you read my books!
And now, I interview Chris!!!!
Chris will give away an
autographed book of any of her books (you pick it!) to not one, not two but
THREE lucky commenters! Just tell Chris
what your favorite diner experience has been.
Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you. Contest
closes midnight, October 31. Good luck!
- Welcome
Chris! Tell us a little about your background
I have worked in the criminal justice field forever and love
writing mysteries and romances.
Currently I write for Penguin (Obsidian) and Harlequin.
- Tell
us a bit about your latest book
MACARONI AND FREEZE takes place in small town Sandy Harbor in the
middle of a fundraiser for a new library
roof. Trixie Matkowski, the owner of the
Silver Bullet Diner, is elected as the chairperson and decides to hold a
macaroni and cheese cookoff.
Unfortunately, the celebrity judge turns up frozen in a snowbank.
- How
do you “get to know” your characters before and while you’re writing the
books?
MACARONI AND FREEZE is the fourth book of my “comfort food”
series. I got to know my characters
before I wrote the first book (DO OR DINER).
- How
do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by the seat
of your pants”?
I work from a synopsis for the basic plot, but then I fly.
- Which
do you consider more important, plot or character?
Character. If readers don’t
care about the characters and what happens to them, then why read the book?
- What
is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you
and keeps you motivated?
The biggest challenge is sitting down to write. I’d rather be playing with my dog or working
around the house or shopping! What keeps
me motivated is my readers-they keep asking for the next book!
- Do
you have an “How I got my agent” story you want to share?
I “stalked” my agent at a conference, and asked to submit to
her. We got along wonderfully, and had a
great time. Eventually, after more
stalking, she signed me!
·
What are you working on now and what are your future writing
plans?
I would love to do more “comfort food” cozy mysteries for Penguin
Obsidian and continue to write romances for Special Edition (Harlequin). I love doing both!
- What
is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you
devote to writing?
I’d love to say that I work on a regular schedule, but just
like homework, I procrastinate and then race to the finish!
·
What advice do you have to offer to an aspiring author?
Keep
writing! And keep honing your
craft! It took me TWELVE LOOONG YEARS to
get published (THE COW BOY WAY, Harlequin), and I gave up 3.4 million times. But soon after those 3.4 million times, I
kept writing and kept trying and kept going to conferences, etc. Never, ever, ever give up.
- What’s
the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Probably going on home visits alone, without backup, and without
the adequate tools to do my job. It’s
lucky that I have a big mouth.
- What’s
one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about you?
That I was a probation officer and a
supervisor for the county probation department for many years and that I have a
dual Masters Degree in sociology and probation and parole studies from Fordham
University.
- What
question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)
QUESTION: “So, Chris
Wenger, what would you like to happen next for your wonderful comfort food
series?”
ANSWER: “Oh, excellent
question! I would love for my wonderful
comfort food series to be made into movies for the Hallmark Channel’s Movies
and Mysteries TV show. My cozy mystery
series would be just perfect for what Hallmark is doing.” (pause for effect) “And if any readers here have a connection to
Hallmark, please contact me!”
- Where can we learn more about you and
your books?
They
say that writers should write what they know, and I know about food and diners
and small town life!
Little tidbits of my life are frequently scattered throughout my
books. Beware!
Just for
Fun:
Night or
Day? .Night
Dog or
Cat? (answer carefully) I’ love
cats! I go to the SPCA to the cat rooms
and snuggle them, but I have a golden retriever, age 4, by the name of Blondie
(she’s on all of my covers!)
Beach
or Pool? Both! And a lake, too.
Steak or
salad? Steak. I am a carnivore!
Favorite
Drink? Lime green Kool-Aid or ice tea
(sweetened)
Favorite
Book? A historical western romance
Favorite
TV Series? Castle
Favorite
Movie? Romancing the Stone
Favorite
Actor: Nathan Fillion
Favorite
Actress: Melissa McCarthy
Dirty
Martini or Pina Colada? Pina Colada
(with an umbrella)
Hawaii
or Alaska? Hawaii (because I’ve never
visited there)
Finish
this sentence: If I could meet anyone in
the world, past or present, it would be WALT DISNEY
If I had
just one wish, it would be: to make the
NY Times Top Ten List!
If I
could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be Nora Roberts because
she’s such a prolific writer and very
generous.
Thank you for a wonderful interview, Chris! You can find her at:
Regular mail: PO Box
1823, Cicero, NY 13039-1823
Website: www.christinewenger.com
Email:
chris@christinewenger.com
My favorite Diner experience was when I was in the Navy in California. I went into a diner in Visalia around 10 PM and ordered two breakfasts. The waitress gave me a funny look and asked if I was waiting for another party (I only ordered one coffee). I told her no, I was alone and proceeded to eat both breakfasts. (I only weighed about 118 lbs at the time.) j.presler@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteWhen vacationing with my grandparents, we went for lunch to a diner in downtown Boise. They had the best, greasy, cheesy, gooey, hamburgers...crispest fries...fresh blueberry milkshake...Elvis music! It was great! I've been to restaurants that mimic the diner decor and 50s style and enjoyed it, too! kat8762@aol.com
ReplyDeleteMy favorite diner experiences were late at night/early morning after a night of clubbing. I lived in Chicago so there was always a large selection of 24 hour diners.
ReplyDeletegibsonbk at hiwaay dot net
We had a diner in my hometown and for $0.55 on Friday you could get a lobster roll and french fries when I was a senior in high school...nothing better! grammyd01@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteMy favorite diner experience is when my parents would load up our family car with my two brothers and me and we would take a road trip to a little town in the next state. The diner we ate at there was an old silver train car that had booths and a counter, seating around 25 people. Our favorite item on the menu was their roast turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and vegetable of the day. It was like having Thanksgiving any time of the year.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteI like to cook for our large family of 8 so I'm usually cooking or planning our dinners. However my sweet family like to surprise me sometimes and cook for me. I've taught 5 of our 6 children to cook as well as my hubby. My sweetest dining experiences have been at home either when my family has cooked for me or my mother in law cooks for us ;)
Lori
Oops I forgot my email lorih824@yahoo.com
DeleteWe have a local diner we go to for breakfast. The waitress brings our juice and coffee as soon as we sit down.
ReplyDeletesgiden at verizon(.)net
We were fortunate enough to be part of a "Pay it Forward" meal once at a restaurant we used to frequent during the holidays. It was awesome. My husband and I try to do this for a military family each year during the holidays when we can.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance. lady (.) janel at Hotmail (.) com
I would love Diners and Macaroni and Freeze! My favorite diner is in my surf town, it's fabulous home style food with a friendly local staff and beach decor. The menu and food is amazing. It called Santa Cruz Diner if your ever in the area. seascapelife (at) gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI would love Diners and Macaroni and Freeze! My favorite diner is in my surf town, it's fabulous home style food with a friendly local staff and beach decor. The menu and food is amazing. It called Santa Cruz Diner if your ever in the area. seascapelife (at) gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteWhile on a trip to the east coast, my friends and I stopped at the Lincoln Diner in Gettysburg. We'd already done the ghost tour thing, and spent the day looking over battlefield sights, so we thought the diner would complete the day. When we pulled into the parking lot the first thing we saw was a sigh that said the wall was dangerous, so we should park at our own risk. It made for a entertaining conversation while we enjoyed the food. frybbe@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteFavorite diner story? I was a teenager traveling from NJ to Cleveland with my parents. We stopped at a diner for dinner and I couldn't decide whether to get chili or steak. My parents said to order both. They served me one but not the other. When we asked why, we were told they didn't believe I really wanted both and could eat them.
ReplyDeleteOnce they brought them out, I finished them both and saw people looking out from the kitchen, checking.
Don't challenge my hunger!
libbydodd at comcast dot net
My favorite diner experience was working as a waitress in a diner one summer during my college years. I met so many interesting people---especially during the late night shifts when we weren't too busy.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com