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Getting ready before a Lit Group comes into a bookshop to hear about my Crunch of the Nutcracker novella.
Today I had the pleasure of talking in front of a Literary Group of friends and had a lovely discussion in regards to both of my cozy mystery series. And also what my Christmas novella is about: Nutcrackers!
This afternoon's event got me thinking about the questions I have been asked over the years by various readers and podcasters. Then, I pondered...(like I sometimes do) and thought about assembling a couple of questions together in a blog post, along with links to the respective podcasts, videos, or websites they came from. So here goes!
Out on a Limb with Gabby Allan (Sheryl Ickes Pulls Up a Branch) 2021
Question: Where you writing while you were cake decorating?
Answer: The short answer is yes. I had always held an interest in writing from a young age, attempting to surpass the minimum requirements of my English class assignments in order to see where all I could go. Cake decorating was something I self-taught myself by starting out with a book proclaiming how to decorate as easily as 1...2...3 and it took off from there. That is one of the aspects that gives my Slice of Life mystery series an authentic feel to Alex's business, drawing from my past experiences.
To hear more from this episode of Author Gabby Allan's podcast, aka Misty Simon, be sure to check out the YouTube video and to subscribe to her channel!
And don't forget to take a stroll on over to Misty's website to see what new mysteries are being brewed in her different series.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Book Club Podcast 2021
(Death of a Dispatcher by Sheryl Ickes)
Question: How many years were you a long haul truck driving and what drew you to write mysteries?
Answer: My dad was a local driver, meaning that his travels remained in Pennsylvania or any other state touching the border, and I would go along with him whenever I could. He taught me how to drive a rig, aka a tractor trailer, and I was a driver for about six years in total. I started out on local runs and then moved into long haul. As for writing mysteries, I had always enjoyed reading them and thought that trucking lent itself to being the material for great stories. You have some great characters out there, driving truck, interesting adventures out on the road, and I can take Becky and Rufus to different places so that I am not killing off half of the population in the same town.
If you are looking for a podcast to help support, you can become a patron of The Dark and Stormy Book Club by visiting their website and scrolling to the bottom of the page to find the 'Tip Jar.'
To listen to all of their over 200 episodes, you can find their podcast channel on Apple Podcast through ITunes.
Good Day, PA! by ABC27 News (Author Spotlight: Sheryl Ickes) 2021
Question: Let's talk about Becky and Rufus from the Cross Country series. Who are they and what are they up to?
Answer: I like to draw from my past experiences and Becky and Rufus are just that. They are a married couple, who drive cross county and enjoys their job. And they come across various sorts of crime that they have to solve. So they get to see the country and it is a really great job to have.
To watch the rest of the interview, you can locate it on their website and while you are there, feel free to take some time in order to peruse my fellow authors and their books shared each day. There are more writers from our area than you may realize!
The Cozy Mystery Book Club (Meetup with Sheryl Ickes) 2023
Question: What made you want to write a book?
Well, one of the books I was reading a number of years back, was not written the best, along with a few other issues, and I thought to myself "hey, I can do better than this." And while that may have been the first step I took, it sure involved a lot more steps to get to where I am now, and to where I plan to go. When you try to get published through the traditional methods, it takes a long time to get someone even interested in your manuscript, let alone to get a signed contract and for a publishing house to print the book. I tried for a few years without much return. Then, along came self-publishing and a new way for people to be able to get their stories out to readers. But that is a discussion for another time, as there is so much to dive into when it comes to the world of publishing.
To find out what other authors will be dropping by on their virtual meet ups, check out the link to their Meet Up Group with over 400 members across the country. The conversation there was so much fun! And you can follow them on Instagram @acozydeath or stop by their website to check up on their latest reads, online shop, and a few book reviews.
That is all for now, folks! I encourage y'all to check out the links I have in this post to see what all you have been missing out on in the book world of mysteries. And none of these links are sponsored in any way. See ya in the next posting!
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