ROCCO interviews author Jessie Chandler!
Award-winning
author Jessie Chandler lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her wife and two
mutts, Fozzy Bear and Ollie. In the fall and winter, Jessie writes, and spends
her summers selling T-shirts and other assorted trinkets to unsuspecting
conference and festival goers. Learn more at www.jessiechandler.com.
- Welcome Jessie! Tell us a
little about your background
Thanks ROCCO! I come from a small town of about 900 in Northwest
Wisconsin. Circumstances led me to a suburb of Minneapolis, where I went
through school. I started writing in 2003 after I read a book series my JM
Redmann. At the time there were only four books in the series and I fell in
love with the characters. When I closed the cover on that fourth book, you
would have thought my best friends had died. I decided that if I wrote my own
book, I could keep it going as long as I wanted to play with my characters. So
I found National Novel Writing Month, and here we are many years later with two
series and the first novel of a third due to my publisher July 1.
- Tell us a bit about your latest
Shay O’Hanlon book
Blood Money Murder is the 5th book in my Shay O’Hanlon
Caper series. I’m incredibly excited about this book. The story involves Shay’s
mother figure, Eddy Quartermaine, who has a secret that’s she’s hidden for the
last twenty-five years. Now the secret is being uncovered with deadly results.
- How do you “get to know” your
characters before and while you’re writing the books?
Initially I made incredibly detailed character dossiers, including
faces I’d clipped out of magazines, character interviews, that kind of stuff.
As I moved from one book to the next and one series to another, I realized I’d
detailed myself into one of many holes. I found I was trying to fit the
character’s backstory into the main body of the book but it just didn’t work.
Now I begin with the basics of a character, like what they look like, what they
like to wear, general personality, job, and a quirk of some kind, and leave
most of the rest open to be molded as the character develops.
- What question do you wish
interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)
What my favorite snack food to eat while writing! That would be
ripple chips and Top the Tater!
- Where can we learn more about you and
your books?
I have a freshly revamped website, and you can find out lots
there: www.jessiechandler.com! There are trailers for the books, a snippet of
audio from each book so you can get a taste of it, a list of my events, and you
can also order autographed copies as well as sign up for my not-very-frequent
newsletter!
- What’s your favorite thing to
have for lunch?
The buffet at The India House in Maple Grove! YUM!
- Do you collect anything?
I used to avidly collect hockey cards. Then my wife Betty got
hooked on Beanie Babies. And all along it’s been books. I LOVE books. Too many
books LOL
- What was your favorite book as
a child?
Can I have two? Encyclopedia Brown and The Three Investigators.
- What’s something you’re always
running out of?
Time! Hands down.
- What is your go-to comfort
food?
Aside from the afore mentioned chips and dip, dark chocolate. Or
my mom’s stroganoff. Or Betty’s Puerto Rican Rice and Beans. Or my cherished
Pasta’s Red Velvet Cake. Yum. I love food!
- If you entered the witness
protection program and had to start over, what job would you want to do?
An artist. Or a helicopter pilot.
- What is your most annoying
habit
My procrastination problem. I always swear I’m not going to do it
again, and then I procrastinate until I’m up against the deadline or due date.
- What would you love to have a
never ending supply of?
Pillows and puppy snuggles.
- Whats the last tv show that
made you laugh?
It was a movie: Bad Moms! I don’t have kids but I died laughing
anyway!
- What store could you browse in
for hours?
A bookstore, of course. Once Upon a Crime in Minneapolis or
Powell’s Books in Portland or…
- Who is your favorite band?
How about singer? Will singers work? Melissa Etheridge, Sarah
McLachlan, Pink, Adele, Sia Avicii, Bond, Rihanna, Beyonce, Coldplay, Shinedown
- How do you rate in the kitchen?
If you don’t want to die, you probably better cook!
- What is always in your
refrigerator?
Chocolate milk, whole green olives, maraschino cherries, and cheese.
Lots and lots of cheese. What can I say? I’m from Wisconsin!
She is a lovely person and a wonderful writer. I have gone through some of her books and I liked here story line. Thanks for sharing her interview.
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