Now it’s time to learn more about the authors we read. . .

Why do you write the genre that you write?
I guess the short answer is because mysteries are what I like to read. The longer answer is that I defaulted to cozies because I’m not romantic so can’t write romantic suspense. I’m kinda lazy so I don’t want to do all the research for police procedurals or PIs. In my Mystery Writer’s series, I have a character everyone teases for writing “milders” instead of thrillers, but that’s pulled directly from my life. Cozies have the right amount of humor, quirks, and plot for me. Plus, I love writing those over-the-top secondary characters.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
It’s not a quirk exactly, but Quinn Carr in my Crossword Puzzle mysteries is suddenly thrown by her diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It is baggage for her and can be quite debilitating, but she’s a trouper and sees the humor in some of the things she does.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I started out writing funny personal essays like Erma Bombeck during naptime when my kids were little in an attempt to keep my brain from turning to mush. I sold the very first one I submitted to a magazine. That was so exciting! But for novels, my son threw down a gauntlet and I picked it up. He was an avid reader who loved historical fiction and I took him to the library one day, but he’d read everything on the shelf. He said, “Why don’t you just write one, Mom?” So I did. It was for middle grade, set during the Civil War. I wrote middle grade and YA for a while, but then it got harder. The money for school visits dried up. The gatekeepers made it harder to sell books. And I realized that little kids don’t have wallets! I transitioned to cozies for adults at that point, which wasn’t a huge leap from the funny mysteries I was writing for kids.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
My first real job out of college was investigating liability claims which was often fascinating. (But just as often tedious and frustrating.) I didn’t know it at the time, but it was excellent training for writing mysteries. Finding the clues, trying to decide who was lying and who was telling the truth, putting it all together. And sometimes there was even courtroom action!

How many books do you have published?
15

Where do you write?
On a mini-trampoline at my stand-up desk looking out over two neighbors’ back yards. I’m often lucky enough to watch five adorable dogs romp and play … one of which is a white German shepherd like Twist in my Sugar Mill Marketplace mysteries.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Deadlines? Snacks? I don’t put much stock into either.

Who is an author you admire?
Carl Hiaasen. His books for kids and adults are equally delightful and I hear he’s quite a stellar human being.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
I read all kinds of crime fiction, but I’m a big fan of memoir and humor as well.

What are you reading now?
Alexander McCall Smith’s THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN. I just love his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books. They’re so gentle and droll.

What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
I’ve been known to sip a glass of red wine or a gin-and-tonic now and again. But mainly I guzzle water here in dry Colorado.

What is next for you?
I’m working on book #4 in the Sugar Mill Marketplace series. The first trilogy is out, those are the three books set around Dena and her bookstore. These next three will be set around Kober and her bakery.

Where can we find you?
Either at my desk working on a book, or my kitchen table working on a crossword or jigsaw puzzle, or in front of the TV watching my murder shows. Online you can find me at BeckyClarkBooks.com (sign up on my list and get a bunch of freebies, including series starters); on Facebook at Becky’s Book Buddies (be sure to answer the security questions that open the magic door) and the Cozy Mystery Crew; and at ChicksOnTheCase.com.

Now to have some fun . . .

Chocolate, vanilla, or another flavor
Chocolate

Ice cream or cake
Cake—German chocolate, if we’re being specific. So delish! Except when I’m craving ice cream.

Fruits or vegetables
Fruit

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Yes, please.

Dining in or dining out
Out, definitely. Food is always more delicious when someone else prepares it. And no calories! Pretty sure I read that on the interwebs so you know it’s true.

City life or country living
Six months in one, six months in the other

Beach or mountain
Beach. But think rugged Oregon coast, not southern California suntanning

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall
They all have their charms, but I’ll say winter is my least favorite

Extrovert or introvert
Extrovert! *gives exuberant hugs and high fives, much to the chagrin of her introvert pals*

Early bird or night owl
Early bird. I love the quiet of 5am. That’s when I get to read for fun.

And even more fun . . .

What’s your favorite movie?
I have a million of ‘em. I was just thinking about “Moonrise Kingdom” the other day and will rewatch it soon. (If you haven’t seen it, run, don’t walk to get your hands on it!) Anything with Ryan Reynolds, Paul Rudd, Melissa McCarthy, Jennifer Coolidge, Ryan Gosling, Amy Poehler, Anna Kendrick, Olivia Colman … well, I’ll stop. I love “6 Underground” and rewatch it constantly.

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Electricity, indoor plumbing, and an airplane that can fly itself.

My bio:
Award-winning fiction and nonfiction author Becky Clark is seventh of eight kids, which explains both her insatiable need for attention and her atrocious table manners. She likes to read funny books so it felt natural to write them. She surrounds herself with quirky people and pets who end up as characters in her novels. She writes the Mystery Writer’s Mysteries, the Sugar Mill Marketplace Mysteries, the Crossword Puzzle Mysteries, and “Eight Weeks to a Complete Novel—Write Faster, Write Better, Be More Organized.” Visit BeckyClarkBooks.com for free book #1 in Mystery Writer’s series, prequel novella in Sugar Mill Marketplace series, and short stories.