Dead Amid the Dogwoods (Adina Donati, Accidental Sleuth) by Cassidy Salem | Author Interview

Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!

Tell us a little about yourself.

Like most authors, I love to read. But, without a doubt, my life wouldn’t be complete without music. In my spare time, I sing in a choir and go folk dancing twice a week with my husband. I also suffer from wanderlust – I have travelled throughout the United States, Europe, Israel, and Scandinavia. Sadly, the pandemic has curbed my travels somewhat, however you can find a selection of my favorite travel photos on my blog.

How long have you been writing?

Writing has been part of my life forever. As a student I always preferred writing papers to memorizing stuff for exams. Then a career in technical writing had me, well, writing – just not the fun kind of stuff. My first foray into fiction was about seven years ago when I wrote Think Murder, the first book in the Adina Donati, Accidental Sleuth Mystery Series.

Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?

Not really. It just happened. After writing a zillion dry and technical user manuals, entirely in simple present tense, I decided to challenge myself and try to write a mystery. I enjoy cozy mysteries and had been reading a lot of them, so the genre felt like a good fit for me.

Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?

I enjoy cozies and traditional mystery, and the occasional thriller. I also read light romance and historical fiction. I especially enjoy books that make me laugh. I just started reading an ARC of Trust Me a standalone mystery by Kelly Irvin.

Do you have a favorite place to write?

More often than not, you’ll find me curled up on the sofa with my laptop in the middle of the night. Why not during the day? Well, sometimes that works. And sometimes I find myself tossing and turning and thinking about plot and such instead of sleeping, so I get up and write in the middle of the night. Drives my husband crazy.

What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?

I don’t recall a specific book. As a young (and nerdy) bookworm I devoured Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon, and other teen sleuth series, but I also read a fair amount of fantasy, for example, Lord of the Rings. One of my favorite books was A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.

Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?

I am definitely an e-book fan. I like that I can change the lighting and the font size/style. Besides that, buying books can get expensive and e-book editions aren’t as hard on this bookworm’s budget.

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

A quaint village in southern Italy. I am half-Italian so it would provide the perfect excuse to visit and learn more about the region. Maybe I could come up with a mystery set against a historical backdrop. I’m sure it would be fun to try – if only I could speak Italian.

Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?

In addition to being a member of Sisters in Crime, I participate in several writers groups. I have found my fellow writers to be a supportive bunch, egging each other on. The writer who has given me the most support and encouragement would be Christa Nardi. And I’ll let you in on a secret – Christa is my older sister and the one who got me hooked on mysteries.

Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?

To be honest, I am mulling over a multitude of ideas for a new series. So let’s keep it a mystery for now.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!