Why do you write the genre that you write?
I love reading books on the cozy size of the mystery fiction spectrum, so that’s what I wanted to write. My favorite books to both read and write are “fair play” puzzle plot mysteries, where in addition to fun characters, you can also follow the clues that are set up for the reader to be able to solve the mystery.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
When Tempest needs to think, she spins around in a pirouette.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I started writing stories when I was a kid. I was an only child and my parents took me with them on their far-flung research trips, so I often had to entertain myself. I began making up mystery stories like the ones I loved to read and (e.g., The Three Investigators, Encyclopedia Brown, Scooby-Doo), but even as I grew up I never finished anything longer than a story or a short screenplay—until I discovered National Novel Writing Month. With that challenge to write a 50,000-word novel draft in a month, I finally reached “the end” of the draft of a mystery novel. I was so happy to have finished something that I submitted my work in progress to the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant. I was surprised when I got the call that I’d won that year’s grant that fosters the next generation of traditional mystery writers, and that’s when I began to take my writing seriously.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I started off on an academic path, pursuing my PhD, but I wasn’t cut out for academia. I kept feeling myself pulled toward a more creative profession, so I left with my Master’s degree and started going to art school part time, studying design. I currently have a balance of two creative jobs I love: part-time graphic designer and part-time author.

Where do you write?
I used to be a café writer, meeting author friends at cafes to chat for 15 minutes and then get writing. When the pandemic descended, I fixed up a writing nook in a bay window in my house.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Black coffee.

What is next for you?
Right now I’m writing two mystery series, the Accidental Alchemist mysteries and Secret Staircase mysteries, plus trying to find time to fit in three other projects I’m dying to write. The sixth Accidental Alchemist novel, The Alchemist of Riddle and Ruin, just came out, and the next Secret Staircase mystery, The Raven Thief, comes out in early 2023—plus a surprise Christmas short story, “The Christmas Caper,” coming out in October!

What are you reading now?
Deanna Raybourn’s Killers of a Certain Age, which is fantastic.

Where can we find you?
I’ve recently updated my website, gigipandian.com, with lots of fun, from my email newsletter (where you get a free novelette and free mini cookbook when you sign up) to an updated FAQ and recipes page. You can also follow me on BookBub to get new release notifications, find me on Facebook.

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
Dark chocolate

Ice cream or cake
Cheesecake

Broccoli or squash
Anything grown in my backyard vegetable garden

Pizza, burgers, or pasta
Pasta

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Breakfast

Mountain or beach
Mountains

City or country
Countryside that’s close to the city 😉

Introvert or extrovert
An introvert who loves hanging out with people but then needs to recharge with a book

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Oh, do I give a practical answer or a fun answer? I’ll go for fun! My husband, books, and a sunken pirate ship filled with both supplies and materials to build a fully functional tree house apartment like the one in Tempest Raj’s family backyard.

My bio:
Gigi Pandian is a USA Today bestselling and multiple-award-winning author, breast cancer survivor, and accidental almost-vegan. She writes the Secret Staircase mysteries, Accidental Alchemist mysteries, Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, and locked-room mystery short stories. Gigi has won Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Derringer awards, and was a finalist for the Edgar Award. She lives in Northern California with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over the backyard garden. Learn more and sign up for her email newsletter at gigipandian.com.