Why do you write the genre that you write?
I find that whodunnits and other mysteries allow readers to engage both their hearts and their minds. There’s the human side (the victim, the forces that drive someone to kill, the motives and conflicts of the sleuth), but there’s an intellectual puzzle, too. I love writing a story that blends both emotion and reason into a compelling conflict.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I started writing for real when I lived in Minneapolis. I changed buses on my way home from work right outside the Loft Literary Center, and one particularly frigid day I went inside to get warm up while I waited. There was a poster up about a writing class that was starting the next week, and it sounded like fun. I went to class and have never looked back.

What’s next for you?
I’m in the midst of a project with author Melissa Bourbon: the Book Magic Mysteries are a series featuring two protagonists on opposite coasts who solve the mysteries of the present and the past with the help of their magical family gift of bibliomancy. I’m hoping to set aside some time this summer, too, to work on a suspense project that I’ve been kicking around for awhile.

What are you reading now?
I’m rereading “Exile” by Denise Mina, one of my favorite authors, while I wait for my husband to finish the first of her new series (“Conviction”) and pass it along to me. She writes gritty Scottish mysteries that are a great blend of raw and funny.

Where can we find you?
I have a website (wendylynwatson.com) and I spend time on Facebook (facebook.com/WendyLynWatsonAuthor). I’m also available by e-mail at wendylynwatson@gmail.com.

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
Ice cream? Vanilla. With hot fudge.

Pizza or burgers
veggie burgers!

Broccoli or squash
broccoli

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
lunch

Mountain or beach
mountain

Introvert or Extrovert
100% introvert

My bio:
Wendy Lyn Watson writes vivid, emotionally-charged mysteries that will engage your heart as well as your mind. She is the author of the upcoming Death at Cape Misery (a Book Magic Mystery), Mysteries a la Mode series, Once Upon a Wallflower, and The Pet Boutique Mysteries (as Annie Knox). When she’s not writing, she teaches law and politics at The University of North Texas, watches far too much TV, and cooks lots of tasty vegetarian food.