Me-ow! My guest today is author Nadine Nettman!
Nadine Nettmann, a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, is always on the lookout for great wines and the stories behind them. She has visited wine regions around the world, but chose Napa as the setting for Decanting a Murder, her debut novel which comes out May 2016 with Midnight Ink. Nadine is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She lives in California with her husband.
- Welcome Nadine! Tell us a little about your background
Hi Rocco, I’ve wanted to be a
writer my entire life and while I’ve had a few different careers, I’m so glad
I’m finally able to combine my two loves – writing and wine. I also have a love
for travel and I’ve been fortunate to visit wine regions around the world including
Chile, South Africa, Spain, Germany, and every region in France.
- Tell us a bit about your new series and the first volume, Decanting
a Murder.
Decanting a Murder is
about Katie Stillwell, a female sommelier who solves mysteries using her
deductive wine skills. A large part of the sommelier certification process is
blind tasting – looking, smelling, and tasting a wine to tell where it’s from,
which grape, the vintage, etc. I thought it would be fun to apply this to a
series in the wine world and Decanting a Murder was born. Every chapter is
paired with a wine.
- You are a certified Sommelier in real life. How exciting is that and what prompted
you to become one?
I’ve always had an
interest in wine, but my actual wine journey started in 2010 when I was covering
a wine and food festival as a travel writer. I was switching seats when Master
Sommelier Fred Dame took my hand and led me on stage. He seated me on the wine
panel next to Master Sommeliers and winemakers and I was terrified. I knew
nothing about wine except that I enjoyed it. I managed to get through the panel
but it sparked a desire to learn more, in fact, as much as I could. I began
studying and passed Level 1, then passed Level 2 and became a Certified
Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2011. I recently saw Fred
at an event and was able to tell him how much he changed my life. It was a very
cool moment.
- How do you “get to know” your characters before and while you’re
writing the books?
I use a character
worksheet but I think it’s safe to say there’s a fair share of myself in Katie
Stillwell. I’ve heard a lot of advice to write what you know and since the most
common comment on my first four books (all shelved for the time being) was that
they didn’t know the main character, I decided to put a lot of myself in Katie,
though she’s still very fictionalized.
- How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by
the seat of your pants”?
I love writing by the
seat of my pants, but I’ve found I spend a lot of time rearranging scenes so
now I’ve switched to outlining.
- Which do you consider more important, plot or character?
I’m a huge fan of
plot.
- What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what
inspires you and keeps you motivated?
Perseverance. There
were so many times when I could have given up but didn’t. It took me ten years to
get here, but I never wanted to let go of my dream of walking into a bookstore
and seeing my name on a book. Which will happen in May. I’m so excited!
- Do you have an “How I got my agent” story you want to share?
Yes! It took me a
very long time to find an agent – ten years and five books – but I found my
agent through the slushpile. I was so used to rejection that when Danielle
Burby at Hannigan Salky Getzler emailed that she wanted to talk, I reread it
three times before I allowed myself to celebrate. A few minutes into our first
phone conversation, I immediately knew she was the agent for me, so much so,
that I forgot to ask her any of the questions I had planned. She’s been amazing
and 100% worth waiting for.
- What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?
I’m currently working
on book #2 in the wine series, tentatively titled Uncorking a Lie, and I’m also
working on a domestic suspense. My future writing plans are to keep writing. I
truly love it.
- What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or
week) do you devote to writing?
Every workday is
different but I try to devote several hours a week to writing. My current goal
is do to a 1,000 words every weekday.
- If you could take only three books with you for a year-long writing
retreat in a gorgeous setting with no library, which three would you take?
That’s a tough one
but I would go with On Writing by Stephen King, Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier,
and J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton. I’ve read each of them several times and
I love them.
- What advice do you have to offer to an aspiring author?
Never give up. Just
keep trying.
- What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Right after we got
married, my husband and I stored 90% of our belongings, quit our jobs, and flew
to Hawaii with two suitcases each. We planned to stay for about a year but we
ended up staying for five years. Looking back, I still can’t believe we did
that but it was such an amazing part of our journey together.
- What’s one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about
you?
I’ve played guitar
for 20 years.
- What question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the
answer?)
This is my first interview so I’m not
sure yet. Can I get back to you? J
- Where can we learn more
about you and your books?
Just for Fun:
Night or Day? Day –
I’m definitely a morning person.
Dog or Cat? (answer carefully) – I’ve had cats all of my life.
Beach or Pool? Beach.
I love the waves and the feel of the sand beneath my feet.
Steak or salad? Salad.
I don’t eat red meat and I also happen to be a huge fan of salad.
Favorite Drink? Can I
just say wine? ;) Okay, I’ll be more
specific. For white wine, I’m a big fan of German riesling and for red wine,
I’m a big fan of cab franc.
Favorite Book? Rebecca
by Daphne DuMaurier. I fell in love with the book from the very first line.
Favorite TV Series? The
BBC One Sherlock series. The writing is brilliant as is the acting by Benedict Cumberbatch
and Martin Freeman.
Favorite Movie? Psycho.
When I watched it, I had no idea that Norman Bates was his mother so I got the
full effect that Hitchcock wanted viewers to get and it completely stunned me. It’s
been at the top of my list ever since.
Favorite Actor: Anthony Hopkins
Favorite Actress: It’s a tie between Rachel McAdams and Meryl
Streep
Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? Pina Colada
Hawaii or Alaska? Since I lived there for five years, I’d
have to vote for Hawaii J
Finish this sentence:
If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be… Nora
Ephron. I love her movies and her views on life.
If I had just one wish, it would be… for health and
happiness for everyone in my life.
If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would
be… no one.