A Shot in the 80% Dark (Bean to Bar Mysteries) by Amber Royer | Author Interview

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

Thanks for having me on the blog!

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m the author of the Bean to Bar Mysteries, starring a craft chocolate maker sleuth and the Chocoverse space opera trilogy (which is how I met enough real-world craft chocolate makers to be inspired to write about them). I’m also a creative writing instructor (I’ve been teaching for UT Arlington – Continuing Education since 2008) and author coach. I love to travel (I once did a series of cruise lectures for Royal Caribbean), and I’m land-locked in Dallas, but get to the ocean as often as possible. I’m really into photography, which you can see from my Instagram account amberroyerauthor.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I’m one of those folks with a long writing journey, mainly because I tried to rely on raw talent instead of studying story structure or the psychology behind creating a strong character. But more trunk novels than I care to admit later, I finally learned the principles I needed to became a published author.

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

I decided I was going to be a writer in the fourth grade. I had already developed a love of books (thanks, a good deal, to my local librarians – yay, libraries!!!!!). And I had a teacher praise a story we had to write as a class assignment. By the time I was in high school, I had joined an adult-level writing organization.

I’ve loved mysteries since I was a kid. Thanks in part to From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The first book I attempted to write, back in high school, was a mystery, though you probably couldn’t call it a cozy. The love of mystery elements showed up in my other work. My first published novel, Free Chocolate, is an over-the-top comic space opera novel – but there are parts of it that are nods to the culinary cozy – even if some of the food involved is suited to an alien palate. As I was wrapping up the trilogy, I had a discussion with my agent about what I wanted to do next, and I told her I wanted to jump genres to actually write a cozy, because they’re fun to read, and I set them close to my hometown (I grew up in Southeast Texas, across the ferry from Galveston, which makes a more picturesque setting) because I wanted the opportunity to talk about some of my favorite things I remember from visits to the island growing up. It has also given me a reason to go to the island – yay for the beach!!!! – to do additional research.

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

I read widely across genres. I have been on a cozy mystery kick recently, as I’ve been reading a couple of baking-related titles along with a friend, so we can text about them. I also caught up with the latest in Diane Kelley’s House Flipper series. And now I’m about a chapter into One Taste Too Many by Deborah H. Goldstein. (Which, like Diane’s books, also has an excellent cat character.)

Do you have a favorite place to write?

I’m a have-laptop-will-travel gal, so I like writing at coffee shops. There’s something about being out of the house that allows me to focus on writing without feeling like I should be doing other things. I suppose that has something to do with routine. Sitting with a hot beverage, in the midst of people, tells my brain it’s time to be creative. And if I get stuck for a moment, I can always eavesdrop and people watch, which helps refill the well of inspiration.

What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?

I do sometimes work at my desk at home. On my desk, you will find my Snowball microphone and ring light, a stack of reference resources, a wooden block-sign that says I Love You More Than Chocolate, but Please Don’t Make Me Prove It that my mom gave me when my first book came out. There’s also a decorative sea turtle my husband bought me after the second Bean to Bar Mystery, 70% Dark Intentions, was released (there’s a subplot in it involving endangered sea turtles in Galveston). And a greeting card with a leaping cat that says, “Hugs Incoming!” that I have kept there for years.

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

I read/had read to me a lot of picture books. The first one may have been The Giving Tree. Or maybe Where the Wild Things Are.

The book that I connected with the most as a kid was the first Ramona Quimbly book. (I felt a lot like Ramona did – precocious and a bit awkward, with an older sibling I was always trying to catch up to.) Then I discovered there was a whole world of interconnected books that developed the characters farther. There are ways that early experience still influences my writing.

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

I prefer audiobooks and physical books for pleasure reading.

As a writing instructor, I critique a lot of student writing. So there’s something about holding a physical book in my hands that helps me separate it from my manuscript reading. There’s a lot less temptation to try and edit it than when I am looking at words on a screen.

And audiobooks are great for sharing reading time with my husband. We can live-comment while we’re listening to each other, and make predictions for where the plot is going. I also find audiobooks useful for road trips, or when my hands are busy, such as doing laundry or editing photos, so I can still make time for story in my life.

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?

Hands down, Hawaii. We’re planning a trip back there later this year. I’ve only been once before, so I’m excited to explore a lot of things we didn’t have time to do.

As I said earlier, I love the ocean, and Hawaii has some of the world’s prettiest beaches. There’s also interesting history.

What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?

I’ve been influenced a great deal by film and television. My writing tends to be pithy and visual, while at the same time casual and focused on comic timing. I love fun, comic detective shows like Castle and Psych, and I think something of that comes across in my writing. I also tend to include in-references to things people in my book like to watch and read. (In the third Bean to Bar Mystery, Out of Temper, Felicity even wound up at a costume party where everyone had to go as their favorite fictional detective.

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

I lead the Saturday Night Write craft discussion group, and have friends – some who are writers, some who are exclusively readers – who get excited about my work. My husband is my alpha reader (a lot of the humor you see in the books was first designed to make him laugh). And some of my friends get input on the books, which helps me make sure I’m getting things right, and add new perspectives.

I have been a member of a number of writer’s groups over the years. I am currently a member of Sisters in Crime.

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

I just released the fourth Bean to Bar Mystery. Felicity gets asked to create a giant chocolate sculpture for a museum gala, and she winds up working with a number of local artists. Of course there’s a murder, which closes the museum, and Felicity winds up taking care of the “artist in residence” – a mouthy cockatoo that “paints” by hopping and flapping across the canvas. Felicity soon realizes the bird may well have heard too much! This one involves rig diving – getting beneath the waves of my island setting. And it is unclear whether the motive for the murderer has more to do with the island’s pirate history, or with an artistic ego. Felicity gets to discover that art – sculpted out of chocolate and otherwise – is an important positive aspect of her life.

I continue this exploration of my sleuth’s creative side in Bean to Bar Mysteries 5, A Study in Chocolate, which I am currently outlining. In it, Felicity will have the opportunity to choose a favorite painter. I’ve been looking at a lot of art through my character’s eyes, trying to decide who it should be. Of course, she’ll still get to make chocolate, which she now sees as a creative endeavor too.

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