Brush Up On Murder: An Aurora Anderson Mystery by Sybil Johnson | Author Interview

Thanks for being a part of my blog tour!

Tell us a little about yourself.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing mysteries in my 40s. My first book, Fatal Brushstroke, was published about 15 years later. I’ve also written some short stories. Most of them have been published in online magazines.

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

No. I never thought I’d be a writer, especially of mysteries, which I always thought would be too difficult. Sure, I’d written stories in grade school and junior high, but I didn’t expect that to be something I would do in the future. Instead, I spent 20 years in the computer industry programming and managing projects and programmers. Then, in my forties, I woke up with a vision of a young woman discovering the body of her painting teacher in her garden. I thought that would be an interesting story to write so I learned how to write a mystery. It took a lot of years, but I’ve now written 6 books.

Cozy mysteries are my favorite mysteries to read so I decided that’s what I wanted to write.

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

Cozies are my favorite mysteries to read, but I read all kinds of books including thrillers, private eye, paranormal and non-fiction.

I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction lately. “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” by Antonia Fraser is the latest. On the fiction end, I’m currently reading “The Alchemist of Riddle and Ruin” by Gigi Pandian, part of the Accidental Alchemist series, one of my favorites. Mine too! (Christy)

Do you have a favorite place to write?

Not really. I write first drafts long-hand so I travel around the house most often sitting on the couch in the living room. Once I’ve typed in the first draft, I’m in the office where my computer is.

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

At the moment, my desk is a bit of a mess. Lots of papers, I’m afraid.

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

I vividly remember in Kindergarten seeing “The Three Little Pigs” book and so wanting to read it. This was when you didn’t learn the alphabet until Kindergarten and you learned to read in 1st grade. Seems to be different now. Anyway, I knew those squiggles on the page were letters and that they meant something, that they told a story. I think wanting to know what was being said encouraged me to learn to read quickly. 

I checked a lot of books out of the library. I don’t know if I could pick just one. The Encyclopedia Brown stories were my entry into reading mysteries.

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

I like them all. I feel they all have their pluses and minuses. I probably like physical books the best. There is something about holding a book in your hands and turning the pages that is special. E-books are nice, though, for travel and when my eyes are tired and could use an increase in font size. Or if a book is particularly large and difficult to hold. I’ve just recently begun to listen to audiobooks, which I am enjoying. There are a lot of great narrators out there. I typically listen to them when I’m working on a painting project.

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?

I’ve always thought it would be interesting to live in England. Not sure what part of the country. Or Sweden.

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

Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Peters.

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

I’ve found the mystery writing community to be a very welcoming one. Through memberships in Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America plus going to conferences like Malice Domestic, I’ve met a lot of authors who have been extremely supportive over the years.

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

I’m just starting to figure out a historical mystery set in San Francisco in 1850. This is my first time attempting to write a historical so it should be interesting!

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

You’re welcome! Thank you for having me.