Why do you write the genre that you write?
I write traditional mysteries, because on a fundamental level they deal with justice. The resolution of a criminal investigation provides the kind of satisfying conclusion that often isn’t available to us in real life and is one of the pleasures of fiction. The protagonists of my books are amateur sleuths, which gives me the opportunity to put an ordinary person into extraordinary circumstances, but it also challenges me to make that pursuit believable. My goal is to write stories that take place on multiple levels. One is quite concrete; the protagonist has to unmask a killer. The other is theoretical; her investigation takes her a personal journey that gives her the self-knowledge and strength to deal with the less dramatic, but equally compelling everyday problems she faces. On a more mundane level, I love all kinds of puzzles, and writing mysteries enables me to create and solve complicated problems. Having said that, I’m flexible about how I construct the plot. Sometimes the characters take me down unexpected paths, but that’s just another opportunity to engage in problem-solving.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I wrote my first book in grade school. It was a sequel to 101 Dalmatians, which I creatively titled 102 Dalmatians. About twenty years ago, Disney had a similar idea, but was far more successful in the marketing of it! We all have interesting and compelling stories in our lives that knock at our unconscious minds asking to be written, and like many avid readers, I’d often finish a book and think to myself I’d like to do that too. When my personal life finally gave me the time to focus on writing, I took the scraps of stories, character sketches, and plot ideas I’d penned over many years and wrote my first novel.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you’ve became a writer?
My first career was as a dancer. I worked with a number of modern and ballet companies, including Ballet Hispanico and The Saint Louis Concert Ballet. I also did some commercial work as a dancer and ended up using all of the above in my On Pointe Mystery Series, which is set in a professional ballet company. My second career was as a high school English teacher, and again, I used those experiences in my writing. The protagonist of the first book in my Master Class Mystery Series, Lesson Plan for Murder, features an English teacher who solves crimes using clues from her favorite books. As of January, I’ll be a full-time writer, so perhaps my next murder mystery will take place at a writing conference!

Where do you write?
I’m lucky enough to have a den filled with books, windows, and a desk I’ve decorated with dozens of peeling post-it notes.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Black coffee, no sugar. When things get really backed up, I add coffee ice cream.

What is next for you?
The second On Pointe Mystery, Murder in Second Position released on November 23rd, and the third is due out next year. Lesson Plan for Murder, which is now the first book in a planned three-book series, will re-release in June, 2022. I’ve also got a few short story ideas in the queue, including a modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes, which features two young women taking the place of the iconic Watson/Holmes partnership.

What are you reading now?
I’m nearly always reading books by my fellow Level Best authors and have recently finished a terrific book, Hush, Hush, by Gabriel Valjan, which will release in January. On the more literary side, I’m looking forward to nerding out over my annual rereading of A.S. Byatt’s Possession. I’ve also recently begun reading Christopher Fowles’s Peculiar Crime Unit series, which is wonderful.

Where can we find you?
I’m at lorirobbinsmysteries and lorirobbins.com

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
Vanilla ice cream. Chocolate everything else.

Pizza or burgers
Definitely pizza!

Broccoli or squash
Tough call. But I think I have to go with broccoli. It’s got a better survival rate
when I’ve decided not to cook for a week or more.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Dinner is my favorite meal. Especially when breakfast food is on the menu.

Mountain or beach
I’m going to opt for the beach, because you’re closer to ice cream cones
and farther away from snakes, bugs, and bears.

Introvert or Extrovert
I’ve recently learned I’m a closet introvert. Or the other way around. I love being
around people, but I definitely need to recharge with some alone-time.

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
A library, unlimited coffee, and a pen and paper. Which I realize is
technically four must-haves. But I majored in English, not math.

My bio:
Lori Robbins began dancing at age 16 and launched her professional career three years later. She studied modern dance at the Martha Graham School and ballet at the New York Conservatory of Dance. Robbins performed with a number of modern and ballet companies, including Ballet Hispanico and the St. Louis Concert Ballet. Her first On Pointe Mystery, Murder in First Position, won first place in the Indie Book Awards for Best Mystery, was a finalist for a Silver Falchion, and is on the short list for a Mystery and Mayhem Book Award. The next work in that series, Murder in Second Position was published on November 23rd. Her debut novel, Lesson Plan for Murder, won the Silver Falchion Award and was a finalist in the Readers’ Choice and Indie Book Awards. It will be re-released by Level Best Books in June, 2022. Short stories include “Accidents Happen” in the anthology Murder Most Diabolical and “Leading Ladies” in Justice for All. She is an expert in the homicidal impulses everyday life inspires.