Lena Gregory in the Hotseat!

Meow my guest this weekend is author Lena Gregory!

Bio: Lena lives in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island with her husband and three children. When she was growing up, she spent many lazy afternoons on the beach, in the yard, anywhere she could find to curl up with a good book. She loves reading as much now as she did then, but she now enjoys the added pleasure of creating her own stories.

• Welcome Lena! Tell us a little about your Bay Island Psychic series!   How did that idea come about?  

Bay Island Psychic Mysteries is my first cozy series. After a string of unfortunate events, Cass Donovan leaves her psychiatric practice in New York City to return to her hometown of Bay Island. She opens a psychic shop on the boardwalk and sets out to enjoy a peaceful, uneventful life. Though she’s not actually psychic, years of psychiatric training allow her to “read” people with a fair degree of accuracy. As the series progresses, a number of unexplained events have Cass questioning her assessment of her abilities.

The initial idea for Death at First Sight came from an ongoing debate in my house over whether or not ghosts are real. My daughter and I firmly believe in ghosts and in some other existence beyond our own. My husband and older son do not. I visited a psychic I found to be remarkably accurate, yet my husband still wasn’t swayed. So, I thought it would be fun to bring that debate to my characters. Stephanie believes very strongly in ghosts and fully believes Cass is psychic. Bee, on the other hand, swears he doesn’t believe in anything otherworldly. Cass doesn’t know what she believes, though she’s forced to examine it more closely as the series progresses. Initially, though, she does not believe she’s psychic. She’s just extremely intuitive, and she enjoys helping people. Working as a psychic allows her to use her talents to help her clients.

·       Have you any interest in the occult yourself?

 I’m actually very interested in the occult. I have had several incidents throughout my life that leave me believing there is something more than most of us can see, hear or touch. I had a psychic reading once from a woman I found to be remarkably accurate, so I also believe some people are able to tap into that energy.

• What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

 My biggest challenge, so far, has been finding time to write! Real life often intrudes on my quiet time, and I find it difficult to write while my house is full of chaos. Readers keep me motivated. I love creating stories, and every time I hear from someone who enjoyed a story I wrote, it really makes my day.

• What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

 Right now, I’m working on the second book in a new cozy series, The All-Day Breakfast Café. The first book in the series, Scone Cold Killer, is due to release in January 2018. I hope to continue writing cozies. I love the characters and the small town settings, and I really enjoy plotting out the twists and turns of a murder mystery.

• What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you devote to writing?

 Once I get my two boys out to school, I go to work for about four hours, then I start working on any manuscripts I have in edits. After that, I try to sit and write for an hour or so before they get home. Usually, I do most of my writing at night, ranging anywhere from a couple of hours a week to as many as thirty or more hours depending on how close I am to my deadline and how much of the book is written.

• Plotter or Pantser?

 I started out as a pantser. I’d just sit down and write whatever came to mind. I loved the twists and turns in the plot and the surprises that would inevitably pop up. The only problem was, I sometimes wrote myself into a corner that way. And forget word count. My first book came in at almost a hundred thousand words! When I was about halfway through Death at First Sight, I had to give in and plot the rest. Although, the killer did come as a surprise at the end. Now, I’d have to say I’m a hybrid. I do still enjoy writing whatever comes to mind, but now I have at least a rough outline of the basic story.

• Do you have any pets of your own?

 Right now, we have three dogs. A Golden Retriever, a Weimaraner, and an Australian Shepherd.

• What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

 I actually can’t think of anything. I tend to be extremely impulsive at times, but I can’t say I’ve ever done anything too crazy.

• What’s one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about you?

 I am an incurable insomniac. I hate sleeping, and I rarely sleep more than a few hours each night.

• What question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)

 How did Beast come to be? I love Beast, a Leonberger puppy who manages to get into all sorts of trouble. I love big dogs, and have had at least one, and as many as three at time, for about thirty years. Beast is a combination of all of those dogs, and some of the mischief he gets into is based on true stories.

What’s your favorite thing to have for lunch?

 A Caesar wrap.

• Do you collect anything?

Dragons. I’m a huge fan of dragons.

• If you entered the witness protection program and had to start over, what job would you want to do?

Either a writer, a dance teacher, or a choreographer.

• What is your most annoying habit?

 I type while I’m looking at and talking to someone. It drives my daughter and husband nuts.

• What would you love to have a never ending supply of?

 Chocolate!

 What store could you browse in for hours?

 Any book store!

 Thank you so much for having me!

Find out more about Lena at:

Website:  http://www.lenagregory.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lena.gregory.986

Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/Lena.Gregory.Author/?fref=ts

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LenaGregory03

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14956514.Lena_Gregory?from_search=true

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/lenagregoryauth/

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Death-First-Island-Psychic-Mystery/dp/0425282740/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474302822&sr=8-1&keywords=lena+gregory

Barnes & Noble:   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-at-first-sight-lena-gregory/1123638763?ean=9780425282748

Kobo:   https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/death-at-first-sight

Penguin Random House:   http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/318716/death-at-first-sight-by-lena-gregory/

Books-a-million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Death-First-Sight/Lena-Gregory/9780425282748?id=6731975742319

Lena will give away a signed copy of the first Bay Island Psychic Mystery, Death at First Sight, to one random commenter who answers the following question. Do you believe in ghosts?
To enter, leave your answer with your email address in our comments section.  Contest ends midnight, April 19.