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

Why do you write the genre that you write?
I’m a history buff and a mystery buff, so historical mysteries are what I love to read and write. And being fascinated with English history and the Regency era makes the research and the writing of my new series even better! Even my Ancestry Detective cozy mysteries (written as S.C. Perkins) have a history angle in that my main character is a genealogist. I think I’ll always write some history in my mysteries!

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
To some, Lady Petra taking her tea straight-up, without any milk or sugar, is considered pretty quirky! (I know this from experience!)

How did you come up with your pseudonym?
I use my middle name – Celeste – and a family name – Connally. It was important to me to use my own name, and a surname I could borrow from my own family background.

Tell us how you got into writing?
Like many authors, I’ve been a writer my whole life. I studied journalism from high school onwards, it was my major in college, and I was a writer and editor for many years before I began writing novels. The urge to write was something that was always there, something that I always knew I would do, and when the right time came for me to start writing novels, I went for it! And thirteen years later, I won the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Novel Contest and got my first publishing contract!

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I was a writer and editor for many years, generally on a freelance basis, including editing scientific journals, and writing and editing for an educational publishing house. I also worked for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, where I had a really fun job helping to organize the three-day The World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Competition, which kicks off the Rodeo itself.

How many books do you have published?
I have just published my fourth book, with the fifth to be published in fall 2024!

Where do you write?
I write in my little office, and outside when I can. I also write quite a bit while walking on my treadmill.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
I’m on deadline right now and I’ve been combining my love of sweet and salty by making little chocolate-peanut-butter-pretzel sandwiches. I spoon melted dark chocolate in little puddles onto parchment paper and put them in the freezer to harden. Then I mix peanut butter with some powdered sugar to give it consistency and put a small dollop on each chocolate base. I top it with a mini pretzel twist and drizzle more chocolate on top. Finally, I put them in a container in the freezer to grab whenever I want one (after a couple of minutes to let it thaw first). I’m kind of addicted now!

Who is an author you admire?
Jane Austen. Over two hundred years later, her brilliant books are still loved, re-read over and over, translated everywhere, and adapted. And her themes and observations remain timely to this day. She’s absolutely an inspiration.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
Besides mystery, it’s definitely romance and rom-coms.

What are you reading now?
Once I meet my deadline, I’m very much looking forward to reading The Antique Hunter’s Guide To Murder by C.L. Miller, which was published on Feb. 6th.

What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
I love an Old Fashioned.

What is next for you?
I’m excited to say that book two in my Regency-set Lady Petra Inquires series comes out this fall. It’s titled All’s Fair In Love And Treachery, and is available for pre-order!

Where can we find you?
On my website at celesteconnally.com and @celesteconnallyauthor – Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Threads. I’m most active on Instagram.

Now to have some fun . . .

Chocolate, vanilla, or another flavor
Chocolate

Ice cream or cake
Ice cream

Fruits or vegetables
Both

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Lunch

Dining in or dining out
Dining out (but I also love to cook)

City life or country living
City life (but time in the country is always wonderful)

Beach or mountain
Beach

Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter
Spring

Extrovert or introvert
Extroverted introvert – which apparently is a real thing!

Early bird or night owl
Early bird, without a doubt

And even more fun . . .

What is your favorite movie?
I could name one in every genre, but Sabrina, starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, is one of my all time favorites.

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Tea, books, and a horse to ride all over the island

My bio:
Celeste Connally is an Agatha Award nominee, and a former freelance writer and editor. A lifelong devotee of historical novels and adaptations fueled by her passion for history—plus weekly doses of PBS Masterpiece—Celeste loves reading and writing about women from the past who didn’t always do as they were told.