Why do you write the genre that you write?
I write in the mystery genre because that’s what I love to read. I enjoy all mysteries but I specifically enjoy reading amateur sleuth mysteries because they are about ordinary people. Like many other crime writers, I grew up reading Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew. And I enjoy writing amateur sleuths because I love exploring their “super powers.” I believe that we all have super powers (though we may not think of them like that) and that if we develop them, they are exactly what make us good at what we do. Maybe it’s something as simple as an attention to detail, or the ability to research a topic, or strike up a conversation with a stranger. Or maybe it’s organizing data or engineering solutions or perhaps interviewing. What ever that “super power” is can also be the key to solving a crime.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Wow, what a great question. In the Pampered Pets mysteries, we have several quirky characters from Betty who wear lipstick on her eyebrows to April Mae June who not only has a quirky name but a penchant for drama and collecting interesting friends. In the Sugar & Spice mysteries it would be Sugar’s next-door neighbor, Mrs. Pickett who is bothered by – well, most everything. But for the quirkiest, I’d have to pick Honey Flynn who is the main character in Temporarily Dead, the book I’m currently working on. Honey has a commitment phobia and she simply cannot commit to anything. She’s working on it but in the meantime, she’s living in a short-term rental and working temp jobs. Which as you might imagine puts her in an interesting situation when I dead body turns up in her workplace.

How did you come up with your pseudonym?
For the Sparkle Abbey pseudonym, which I co-write with a friend, the name is a combination of the names of our rescue pets. Sparkle (my cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog.) For the Mary Lee Ashford pseudonym, Mary Lee is my given name and Ashford was simply a brainstorm of names that worked well – not too long, not too short – with my first name. And kept me in the neighborhood of Sparkle Abbey.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I started writing because I loved books so much. People often ask me about hobbies and I can truthfully say I’ve never had any. If I have any spare time, I’m always reading and that’s been true since I first discovered books. I grew up in Madison County (Iowa) in a very small town (150 people) and there wasn’t a lot to do. The weekly trip to the nearest public library was a godsend and all that reading sparked ideas for stories of my own.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I’ve recently retired but working in local government for over 30 years. In that arena, I’ve been a customer service guru, management analyst, business analyst, lobbying coordinator, liaison to the mayor, and the last ten years I worked in information technology. Lastly as the Deputy Chief Information Officer.

Where do you write?
Over the years I’ve written many places in the house. I’m not a write at the local coffeeshop writer though I wish that I were. Now, I have a dedicated office that affords me a sit-to-stand desk, lots of bookshelves, and a window for my feline coworker (Zoey) who believes she’s the brains of this operation.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
My favorite deadline snack is mostly coffee and whatever else doesn’t require cooking. But most of the time that’s nuts – almonds, cashews, pecans, etc.

Who is an author you admire?
This is such a hard question because I admire so many authors. I’d have to say Nora Roberts comes to mind first. I admire her work ethic and her discipline. Also, there’s always a spot in each of her books where she just nails a character or a description and I stop and go, “Wow, I wish I wrote like that.” In the suspense genre, I’d pick Mary Higgins Clark because her spot-on timing with tension in her stories truly defines suspense for me. And in the non-fiction realm I so admire Anne Lamott because of her honesty. She pulls no punches when she writes and that’s incredibly difficult to do.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
For me it’s mystery. I enjoy classic mysteries, golden age mysteries, amateur sleuth mysteries and detective fiction; as well as suspense and romantic suspense. I also love women’s fiction such as Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Higgins, Marian Keyes, and Jeanne Ray. I think both genres are about people figuring things out and I find people endlessly fascinating.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Kerry Greenwood’s Earthly Delights.

What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
I find I’m having to end coffee earlier in the day than I used to so I end the day with a very boring big glass of water.

What is next for you?
As I mentioned I am working on Temporarily Dead at the moment. It’s the book that won first place in the Daphne du Maurier Kiss of Death mainstream category years ago and never sold. (But with characters that I still love.) That’s under the Mary Lee Ashford name. And then Anita and I are working on a new series set in a retirement community, Shady Palms. First up in that series is, Death of a Cheater.

Where can we find you?
I love to connect with readers, writers, and other authors on social media and through my website here: MaryLeeAshford.com and on social media Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Pinterest – BookBub

Now to have some fun . . .

Chocolate or vanilla
Chocolate always.

Cake or ice cream
Cake

Fruits or vegetables
Vegetables

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Breakfast, and breakfast out is my most favorite.

Dining in or dining out
Dining out.

City life or country living
City life.

Beach or mountain
Beach. A book, a book, and an umbrella drink and I’m in paradise.

Summer or winter
Summer if I have to pick but I don’t love either. I’m an autumn girl.

Short story or full-length novel
Full-length novel

Extrovert or introvert
Definite introvert. I love people but…mostly one at a time.

Early bird or night owl
Night owl.

And even more fun . . .

What is your favorite movie?
Force 10 from Navarone (Bet you didn’t see that one coming. I love that movie!)

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Only three, huh? Well, certainly a notebook, a pencil, and… sunscreen.

My bio:
Mary Lee Ashford is the “Sparkle” half of the mystery writer Sparkle Abbey, author of the Pampered Pet mysteries from Belle Bridge Books. She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death, the RWA Mystery Suspense chapter, Sisters in Crime, and the SinC internet group Guppies. Prior to publishing the Pampered Pet Mystery series with Bell Bridge Books, Mary Lee won first place in the Daphne du Maurier contest, sponsored by the Kiss of Death chapter of RWA, and was a finalist in Murder in the Grove’s mystery contest, as well as Killer Nashville’s Claymore Dagger contest. Mary Lee is an avid reader and supporter of public libraries. She lives in Central Iowa with her husband, Tim, and Sparkle the rescue cat namesake of Sparkle Abbey. Any spare time she spends reading and enjoying her sons and daughters-in-law, and six grandchildren.