Why do you write in the genre you write in?
It has to do with a lot of the television shows I watched in my youth. I love the TV anthology shows. I watched Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Amazing Stories, Tales From the Crypt, Tales from the Darkside. You name it, I was watching it. I think that I liked that every week it was a new story that involved a new set of characters. It’s a way to explore and see how different walks of life experience so many different scenarios or circumstances. What would I do if my doll could talk back? What would I do if a bag of money dropped in my lap? The short story form gives the audience or reader a time and place to find out.

Tell us how you got into writing?
Primarily because I read a lot as a kid, and those television shows I talked about earlier. I had a lot of inspiration, so I think writing my own stories was just the natural progression.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I have done mostly office administrative work. I currently work as an assistant property manager for a commercial real estate company.

Where do you write?
I write at home, very early in the mornings before work and on the weekends. But I have written in coffee shops, and I love writing in libraries.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
It’s not a snack for me, but a beverage. I love lemon black tea with honey. I drink a lot of it to keep me going.

Who is an author you admire?
Too many to name. Ha!

What’s your favorite genre to read?
I read mostly crime, mystery, suspense thrillers, and mostly short story collections and anthologies. But I will also wander in the speculative fiction realm, with a few rom-coms.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading, When a Stranger Comes to Town, an anthology published by Mystery Writers of America.

What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
Hmm, I don’t usually have a drink to end the day.

What is next for you?
I am working on a couple of short stories for some submission calls. I also have a couple of author appearances in January and February of 2023.

Where can we find you?
I can be found at FranceliaBelton.com. But also on Instagram, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Now to have some fun . . .

Chocolate or vanilla
Chocolate if by itself, but vanilla only with cake or pie.

Cake or ice cream
Always cake first!

Fruit or vegetables
Fruit.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Dinner.

Dining in or dining out
Dining out.

City life or country living
City girl through and through.

Beach or mountain
I was a born a California girl, so I would have to say the beach. But I’ve spent the last 30+ years in Denver, so I’m surrounded by mountains. But I miss the beach.

Summer or winter
Summer: pedicure season and sandals.

Short story or full-length novel
Always the short story. Lol.

Extrovert or introvert
I’ve been an introvert all my life, but as I have gotten older, I’m more extrovert.

Early bird or night owl
In my youth, I was a night owl, but now I’m an early bird.

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Books, TV with unlimited cable and streaming, and tons of notebooks and pens.

My bio:
Francelia Belton’s love of short stories came from watching old Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents television shows in her youth. She published a collection titled, Crime & Passion: Three Short Stories, and her fiction has appeared in various publications, including “Dreaming of Ella” in Denver Noir and “Black Easter” in Festive Mayhem 3.

Her short story, “Knife Girl,” was a finalist in the 2020-2021 ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story Competition and a semi-finalist in the 2021 Outstanding Screenplays Shorts Competition. Her short story, “The Brotherhood of Tricks and Tricks” was a quarterfinalist in the 2022 ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story Competition.

She is an active member of Sisters in Crime and has served as President (2019-2021) and Vice President (2015-2018) for the Colorado chapter. She is also an active member of Mystery Writers of America and Crime Writers of Color.