Why do you write the genre that you write?
I write cozy mysteries, but they are more traditional. No crafting, cooking recipes, and only an occasional pet. My main character in my Endurance mysteries, Grace Kimball, is a TERRIBLE cook. I am more serious than cute cozy, and I like to have characters people can identify with, small-town settings, and an ending that puts the world back together again. That isn’t too much to ask, is it?

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Grace’s sister-in-law, Lettie, is a huge believer in horoscopes and the tabloids at the supermarket. Her reading of those often results in quirky theories.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I wrote a memoir about my teaching years called The Education of a Teacher (Including Dirty Books and Pointed Looks.) It had such an amazing response that I thought I’d continue writing after I retired, but mysteries. I’ve always loved reading mysteries, and I wanted to write some I’d like to read myself.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I taught in high school and college for 44 years, and before that, the most unique job I had was a summer internship at a mental hospital when I was in college. I always felt it was a good experience for my teaching years.

Where do you write?
I usually write in my home office.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Chocolate.

Who is an author you admire?
I’ve always admired Michael Connelly because he’s taken his day job and converted it to writing about a wonderful character named Bosch. He also didn’t compromise when it came to turning it into a television series because he retained the rights to produce it. I have to admire that.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love reading mysteries and historical fiction.

What are you reading now?
Stacey Abrams’ Rogue Justice.

What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
A cup of hot, decaffeinated Constant Comment tea.

What is next for you?
I’m awaiting the launch of Death in a Bygone Hue in early June from Level Best Books and I’m starting a fifth Endurance mystery.

Where can we find you?
I have a website at susanvankirk.com; I’m on Facebook as Susan VanKirk Author; and on Instagram.

Now to have some fun . . .

Chocolate or vanilla
Chocolate

Cake or ice cream
Ice Cream

Fruits or vegetables
Fruits

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Breakfast

Dining in or dining out
Dining out

City life or country living
Country living

Beach or mountain
Mountain

Summer or winter
Summer

Short story or full-length novel
Full-length novel

Extrovert or introvert
Extrovert

Early bird or night owl
Night owl

And even more fun . . .

What’s your favorite movie?
Favorite Movie. This is a hard question. I have too many. Every July 4, I watch Yankee Doodle Dandy with James Cagney. It was filmed before I was born, but since I grew up at my family’s drive-in theater, I’m a bit nostalgic for those old films.

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
A life-time supply of chocolate, good cell/internet service, and a very tall TBR pile

My bio:
Susan Van Kirk is a mystery writer and the current president of the online chapter of Sisters in Crime–a national mystery-writing organization. A native of the Midwest, she has lived in Monmouth, Illinois since 1968. She taught thirty-four years at Monmouth High School and another ten years at Monmouth College. Van Kirk has written the Endurance Mysteries (four novels and a novella), and A Death at Tippitt Pond. Level Best Books has published the first of her Art Center Mysteries, Death in a Pale Hue, and the second, Death in a Bygone Hue, will be out June 6, 2023. Beyond her professional life, she’s raised three children who are now grown, and has eleven grandchildren, including two sets of twins.