The Socialite’s Guide to Death and Dating (A Pinnacle Hotel Mystery) by S. K. Golden | Author Interview

Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Sarah. I publish under SK Golden. I’m a thirty five year old mother of five. My son is our oldest, followed by four girls, with the last two are identical twins.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing when I was about ten. Nothing to brag about there, it was Pokemon fan fiction, but I look back on those days fondly. I still remember a couple of the story beats.

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

For a long time, I thought I was going to be a psychologist. And then I got to the class in college where you actually have to talk to people as a psychologist while your professor grades you and I was absolutely terrible at it. Just, in a hurry to lead people to what I saw was the obvious problem and therefor the obvious solution. Not great for a therapist. I had my first child as I graduated from school, and I was able to stay at home with him. I wrote a little in my free time, but it was always short stories or the start of novels. I didn’t finish a full, original book until after my youngest, the twins, were born. They’re almost seven now. Once I had that book done, I thought, you know, I should pursue this. I was lucky in that I did get an agent from that book and a while later, sold The Socialite’s Guide to Murder to Crooked Lane.

I didn’t know what cozy mysteries were until I had written a book. The first book I wrote was a crime caper, and so I was looking into mystery conventions, and I went to one that they used to hold in Key West. I met my friend Nancy Cohen there and learned what a cozy mystery was: amateur sleuth, no violence, sex, or swearing on the page. And it was like a lightbulb went off. You mean like Psych? Like Father Brown? Where has this been all my life? I picked up Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie and haven’t looked back.

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

I love cozy mysteries because they always feel like a warm hug. Especially ones set around Christmas time. I loved Twelve Slays of Christmas last year and I can’t wait to read the others in Jacqueline Frost’s series this winter. I read historical mysteries as well. Some personal favorites are the Marion Lane books by TA Willberg and the Lady’s Guide books by Dianne Freeman. But I read widely. I never go more than a few months without picking up a crime novel by Donald Westlake. I love sci-fi and fantasy and have been working my way through all the Discworld novels. And I have a kindle just so I can keep up with the latest Cassie Mint romance novella. I’m currently reading Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher. On the top of by TBR right now is Murder is A Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns.

Do you have a favorite place to write?

I mostly write at on my iMac at my desk, but I do keep my laptop hooked up to iCloud just in case I have one of those days where I don’t want to get out of my bed. Sometimes it’s easier to write when you’re lying down.

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

So many bullet journals. I use one for just about everything – daily plans, writing, reading, future books, even holiday planning. I also have a Lord of the Rings keyboard that’s green and beautiful and confuses my brother when he comes over because it’s in Elvish.

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

I have a very clear memory of my mother reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe to me. On my own though? I remember finishing Patricia C. Wrede’s Dealing With Dragons, realizing it was a series, and then begging my parents to buy me the others. Another I have is picking up a Nancy Drew book from the library and getting to a scary part (in my memory she catches someone looking through a window at night) and throwing the book across the room in terror. I made sure to keep my curtains closed every night forward from that point on and I still don’t like to look out windows once the sun has set.

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

Physical for sure, because I like that whole experience of having it in my hands. The smell of paper – not in a weird way! Maybe a little bit weird. But there’s a time and place for all types of books and I use all versions for different reasons. Sometimes you don’t want to own a physical copy or, you know, Cassie Mint novellas only cost 99 cents right to your kindle. Sometimes you want to listen to Cults by Max Cutler while you’re folding laundry.

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?

Gosh, I don’t know how this is gonna sound, but I’d probably pick the Pinnacle Hotel. You don’t have to cook or clean, your dog is welcome to join you, and sure, maybe there’s a murder every few weeks, but the owner’s daughter has got it handled. And did I mention you don’t have to cook or clean?

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

This is a great question! I don’t know if I can nail down one specific influence, but I will say that the first time I read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams was the first time I realized that words could be fun. That you could have fun telling stories and people could put your book down and walk away thinking, gee, that was a great time. That’s my goal when I write. I want to provide people with a welcome escape. I’m not sure I’ve always hit that goal, but that’s what I’m striving for.

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

Yes and yes! I have several writing friends that I made at the start of my writing journey. And I am a member of Sisters In Crime, as well as of the SinC Central Florida chapter, called Citrus Crime Writers. Look us up on facebook! Our meetings are all on zoom, so anyone is welcome to join, no matter the location!

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

I am currently working on Evelyn 3, which has a hopeful publication date of Spring 2025. Also, that crime caper I mentioned earlier? It’s about a retired con artist who has to come out of retirement to save her son. It should be releasing in the next year. I’ll announce it on my website (skgoldenwrites.com) and on my socials as soon as I can!

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions! Anytime! Thanks for having me on!