Why do you write the genre that you write?
When I was a litigator and then a judge, I traveled quite a bit. I found that cozy mysteries and biographies were the two types of books that relaxed me, and that I could read quickly on airplanes. Because a good cozy mystery with a tight whodunit was fun for me, that is what I wanted to write for readers to enjoy.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Every character has some kind of quirk, but I like the “older” couple’s quirks: George and his bow ties and Maybelle with her ability to smile sweetly as she says, “Bless your heart.” Of course, some readers think Sarah Blair’s fear of the kitchen is quirky, but I understand where she is coming from, so I discount that as being the quirkiest quirk.

Tell us how you got into writing?
For me, writing is a passion that I had to fulfill. From childhood, I loved books and couldn’t wait (though I dragged my feet for several years) to write.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I graduated college early and went to New York two days later with two goals: obtain a job in publishing and get on Jeopardy. In case things didn’t work out, I typed law school applications at night. Within the eight months I gave myself, I achieved my goals, but decided I didn’t want to be at the bottom of the publishing world, so I went to law school. After I graduated, I worked as a corporate international tax attorney. Discovering that I hated the job and preferred working with and for people, I switched to labor litigation with the Department of Labor. Because of the success of an equal pay higher education case of first impression, I was able to become one of the youngest federal Administrative Law Judges in the country. Just before my second book was published, I realized I had to choose between my passion for writing and my lifetime appointment. I chose to be an author.

Where do you write?
Until we downsized two years ago, each book was written in a different room in my house. That was because I originally wrote in my personal office on a desktop computer. When I switched to using a laptop, I used different chairs and rooms in the house with different Broadway songs playing in the background. In this house, I always write in an oversized club chair that my mother had made for my father for their first anniversary. It is a chair with big arms that my sister and I played on as children and which my dad sat in to read to himself or with us on his lap.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Pizza followed closely by ice cream. Both are comfort foods.

What is next for you?
I have three short stories coming out this year and am working on some additional ones. I also am working on a new book that is not a Sarah Blair mystery.

What are you reading now?
This week I read Luanne Brown’s Once in a Pink Moon, Lois Winston’s upcoming Guilty as Framed, Dianne Freeman’s A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder, and plan to start Victoria Weisfeld’s new Architect of Courage.

Where can we find you?
On the following social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter at @debrahgoldstein, Instagram at @debrahgoldstein, BookBub, and my website at debrahgoldstein.com.

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
Chocolate!

Ice cream or cake
Ice cream

Broccoli or squash
Squash

Pizza, burgers, or pasta
Pizza

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Breakfast for dinner

Mountain or beach
Beach

City or country
City

Introvert or extrovert
Introvert

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
(1) Books (it wouldn’t hurt to have the ability, even if I couldn’t
reach out to the world, to some how have wi-fi to download books)
(2) Food
(3) Fire to keep warm if it gets cold and to signal for help if I
see any boat or plane in the distance

My bio:
Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (Five Belles Too Many, Four Cuts Too Many, Three Treats Too Many, Two Bites Too Many, and One Taste Too Many). Her novels and short stories received an IPPY award and have been named Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, and Silver Falchion finalists. Debra served on the national boards of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and was president of the Guppy and SEMWA chapters. Find out more about Debra at DebraHGoldstein.com.