ROCCO welcomes Alexia Gordon!

Meow, my guest today is author Alexia Gordon!

A writer since childhood, Alexia Gordon won her first writing prize in the 6th grade. She continued writing through college but put literary endeavors on hold to finish medical school and Family Medicine residency training. She established her medical career then returned to writing fiction. Raised in the southeast, schooled in the northeast, she relocated to the west where she completed Southern Methodist University's Writer's Path program. She admits Texas brisket is as good as Carolina pulled pork. She practices medicine in El Paso. She enjoys the symphony, art collecting, embroidery, and ghost stories.

Hello Alexia. Tell us a bit about yourself.

--Thanks ROCCO! I've written fiction since I was a child. I grew up reading mysteries and science fiction and entertained myself by making up stories inspired by what I read. After college, I put creative writing aside in favor of more "practical" pursuits, like medical school. Eventually, I reached a point in my medical career where I had time to return to creative writing. I enrolled in a formal creative writing program, The Writer's Path at Southern Methodist University, with an eye to publication.

Tell us about your Gethsemane Brown series.

--The Gethsemane Brown series started out as a daydream I had about a musician stranded in Ireland. Early in my creative writing program, one of the class assignments was to come up with a plot for a story. The old daydream popped into my head. I added a ghost and a murder. The idea developed into Murder in G Major over the course of the program.

Do you believe in the paranormal?

--I've never had a paranormal experience. Family members have. As for belief in the paranormal, I'm in the "maybe" camp.

Do you have an “How I got  my agent” story you want to share?

--I sold my story before I got my agent. I attended the DFW Writers' Conference and pitched to Kendel Lynn of Henery Press. They accept submissions directly from authors. No agent required. After Henery Press offered me a contract, I networked contacts I'd made through The Writer's Path. The unsigned contract was the tool I used to land an agent, Paula Munier of Talcott Notch.

What’s a ‘must have’ for you during the writing process?

--My only must-haves are a pen and paper (I write my first drafts by hand), a laptop, and Internet access. Sometimes I write in silence, sometimes a little "white noise" in the background helps.

If a movie were to be made of one of your books, who would you want to play the lead?

--I only have two books out, Murder in G Major and Death in D Minor, and they're both in the same series. I'd pick Thandie Newton to play Gethsemane Brown.

What are some things your readers would be surprised to know about you?

--I've won ribbons in state fairs for weaving, knitting, and a duct tape project (a tray)

--I moved to Alaska for a few years.

What do you hope readers take away from your books?

--I hope readers come away from my books able to envision African American characters in a wide variety of fictional roles.

What are you working on now?

--I'm working on edits to Gethsemane Brown book 3, A Killing in C Sharp.

Plotter or pantser?

--I'm a plantser. I create outlines but don't always stick to them.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

--My advice to beginning writers is finish your manuscript. That's the first, and key, step to the rest of the process. A finished manuscript is much easier to sell than an unfinished one. And finished doesn't mean "perfect".

JUST FOR FUN

DAY OR NIGHT?

--Night.

CATS OR DOGS?

--Either. I love dogs and cats. I've had dogs in the past and a cat (a Havana Brown) now.

BEACH OR POOL?

--Neither. I'm not much for the beach or the pool. I do enjoy sailing. I also enjoy visiting lighthouses.

FAVORITE BOOK?

--Alice in Wonderland is my favorite book. I don't have a favorite movie. I've seen so many I've loved, I can't narrow the list to just one favorite. I don't have a favorite actor/tress or a favorite TV series. I "cut the cord" and got rid of cable so I don't follow any series on a regular basis. I subscribe to a few streaming services and tend to binge watch. My queue is filled with British mystery series, documentaries, and science fiction and horror movies

IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE IT WOULD BE…

.

--If I could meet anyone in the world it would be Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I heard him speak live once. He seems like an incredibly intelligent, kind, funny person dedicated to promoting peace.

IF YOU HAD ONE WISH IT WOULD BE…..

--If I had just one wish it would be to live contentedly.

WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO TRADE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY?

--I can't think of anyone I want to trade places with

Readers can find me at:

www.missdemeanors.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlexiaGordon_writer

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/Alexia_Gordon

Twitter: twitter.com/alexiagordon

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/alexia_gordon

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drlex1995

Google+: plus.google.com/u/0/100944751118225764344

Website: alexiagordon.net

Alexa will give away a signed copy of Death in D Minor to one lucky commenter!  Just leave your comment and email address in our comments section!  US only please! Contest ends midnight, Aug 29!

Alexia Gordon

Author of the Gethsemane Brown Mysteries from Henery Press

Winner of the 2017 Lefty Award for Best Debut Novel (Murder in G Major)

2016 Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel (Murder in G Major)

Book 1, Murder in G Major, available now in paperback, hardcover, and audio

Book 2, Death in D Minor, available 11 July 2017