Why do you write the genre that you write?
Hi, Dru! Thank you so very much for inviting me to participate in this interview. I appreciate the opportunity. There are so many reasons I enjoy the mystery genre. I love the puzzles. I love creating a world in which when good and evil collide, good wins. I love putting ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and forcing them to find their inner hero.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Ha! Marvella “Marvey” Harris, the fish-out-of-water librarian amateur sleuth from my Peach Coast Library Mystery series is obsessed with being precise. For example, if it takes her 9 minutes and 47 seconds to walk to work, she can’t say, “It takes me about 10 minutes to walk to work.” She’ll say, “It takes me 9 minutes and 47 seconds to walk to work.”

How did you come up with your pseudonym?
I started my publishing career in romance, writing as Patricia Sargeant. When I wanted to also write cozy mysteries, my publisher said I needed to use a pseudonym. Olivia is the feminine version of my brother’s middle name. Matthews is my husband’s last name.

Tell us how you got into writing?
When I was 9 years old, I fell in love with Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aitken. When I finished it, I hugged it to my heart and thought, “I want to write a book that makes people feel what I’m feeling right now.” I started writing poems, essays and short stories. I read craft books and articles. The problem was, I didn’t know what I didn’t know about the craft and business of writing, so I joined a professional writers organization. That’s when I finally started to make progress in my writing career.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I was a newspaper reporter, before working in marketing and corporate communications.

Where do you write?
I have a home office that’s in desperate need of cleaning.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
LOL! That’s easy: cafe mocha. LOL!

What is next for you?
Thank you so much for asking. My next release is Murder out of Character: A Peach Coast Library Mystery, Book 2. Five things about Murder out of Character: 1) A fish-out-of-water librarian amateur sleuth; 2) Southernisms; 3) helicopter parents; 4) a serial killer; 5) a gentleman in distress as a twist on a damsel in distress. In January 2023, St. Martin’s Press will release Against the Currant, the first book in my new Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series: Five things about Against the Currant: 1) An insecure baker amateur sleuth; 2) West Indian bakery in Brooklyn, New York; 3) Caribbean folklore; 4) rival baker victim; 5) high school crush.

What are you reading now?
Stalked by Secrets: To Serve and Seduce, Book 4 by Deborah Fletcher Mello.

Where can we find you?
I’m so tempted to respond, “I’m right here!” But I know what you mean. LOL! My website is PatriciaSargeant.com. I invite everyone to sign up for my monthly enewsletter for information on my upcoming releases and events. I have a lot of exciting projects coming up. I’m on Twitter at @BooksByPatricia, and Facebook at @AuthorPatriciaSargeant and @PatriciaSargeant.

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
Chocolate

Ice cream or cake
Cake

Broccoli or squash
Cake

Pizza, burgers, or pasta
All of the above.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Yes, please.

Mountain or beach
Beach

City or country
Beach

Introvert or extrovert
Introvert

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
A bible and a cell phone with a power source so my husband
could track my phone and rescue me. 🙂

My bio:
Patricia Sargeant is a national best-selling author. She writes romance as Patricia Sargeant and Regina Hart, and mysteries as Olivia Matthews. Her work has been featured in national publications such as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Suspense Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal and RT Book Reviews.