Alex Erickson is…On the Writing Block!

Sherry Ickes
5 days ago
4 min read

This next author, Alex, has a new book coming out in just a few days, on October 28th! (So you all get a sneak peek preview before it’s even released 😃) But let’s hear from the author first…

Alex Erickson is the author of the “Bookstore Café,” the “Furever Pets,” and the “Cat Yoga Mysteries.” He lives in Ohio and can be found online at AlexEricksonBooks.com or contacted by email at alexericksonbooks@gmail.com.

Do you have a writing schedule, or do you write whenever you can squeeze it in?

I keep a pretty strict schedule. I sit down after breakfast every weekday and write. I prefer structure, so whenever this schedule gets thrown off—due to illness, appointments, or whatever—it bothers me. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is mentally plan out my day, step by step, as I’m getting ready. By the time I’m eating breakfast, I already know what I’m going to do all day, right up until bed. So, yeah, schedule might be a bit of an understatement!

Do you always know who the killer is, or do your characters surprise you in the end?

It varies from book to book. I have an idea of who done it when I start writing. I even have an outline, a ton of notes, and major plot points ready to go. Yet, oftentimes, when the writing starts, things don’t go the way I planned. Usually, when this happens, the killer has done such a good job hiding their involvement, even I can’t solve it until much later in the writing. And what’s interesting, often the same clues that pointed to my original idea of the killer also points to the “new” real killer, as if I’d always planned it that way.

Any advice for other authors?

Be stubborn. Want to write? Then write. Don’t stop, no matter the reason. Don’t listen to the noise. Know that your stuff isn’t going to be for everyone. Nothing is. If you want an agent or a publisher, then take the leap and start from the top. Don’t sell yourself short. Start at the top and work your way down, and don’t settle. If you want to self-publish, don’t let anyone tell you it’s a bad idea if it’s what you want to do. In all cases, do the research. Make sure anyone you send your stuff to is legit. Make sure you’re doing everything you can to help yourself succeed. And if you just want to write for yourself and no one else, you are allowed to do that too.

Do you prefer pen and paper, or computer for writing?

Computer. Always. I’d make it about ten words in with a pen and then wouldn’t be able to read it afterward. My wrist and hand would also hurt from writing in my tiny little mess of a script and that would be that. With how my brain works, the computer is perfect. I can write and scan and type far quicker than I could writing by hand. I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my thoughts if I tried to write it out by hand, and would get frustrated. Efficiency is key, and having everything in front of me, easily searchable, and, more importantly, legible, keeps me moving forward, rather than sitting there staring at a scribble that may or my not be an actual word (trust me, my handwriting is bad.)

What is Death by Java about?

Krissy Hancock is a little nervous leaving her bookstore-café in Pine Hills, Ohio, in someone else’s hands while she visits family in California. But when a killer strikes during her week out west, it’s a good thing she packed her sleuthing skills . . .

When she arrives in her hometown, the owner of Death by Coffee is startled to see a store called Death by Java. She soon realizes the name belongs to a copycat business run by her mean-girl high school rival, Valerie. It may not be grounds for a lawsuit—but when they stop in and witness a bitter argument with a health inspector, the whole scene leaves a bad taste in Krissy’s mouth. Valerie has even imitated Death by Coffee’s resident feline—except this one is a hissing stray who’s more likely to terrorize customers than delight them.

Despite her irritation, Krissy finds herself trying to help the hapless Valerie. But her old classmate needs a different kind of help when the health inspector is found dead on the premises. As Krissy’s boyfriend cozies up to local law enforcement, she collects a carafe of clues, drip by drip . . .