Today we have an interview with Janel Gradowski and she will be sharing with us how she began her writing career and about her new book series, The Culinary Competition Mystery Series. The first book, "Pies & Peril" was published on July 8th. Please comment below to this post on why you would like to read it, to be entered to win a free eBook copy! Be sure to include your email address so you can receive the book if you win!! You can post your comments until Monday, 7/20/14 at 6pm and the winner will be announced on next weeks blog with a review of the book. Definitely one you will want to put on your "To Read" List!
1) How long have you been writing and what other books/articles have you written?
I decided I wanted to be a writer when I was in the fifth grade. I wrote a story about a talking car and my classmates asked the teacher to read it twice. I was hooked! While I have written in various forms throughout my life, from press releases for a racetrack when I was college to beadwork patterns after my children were born, I didn’t seriously start writing fiction again until 2010. Then I began with flash fiction, stories that are 1,000 words or less. I have had many of those stories published since then. I have also self-published four books in two series over the last few years. Pies & Peril is the first full-length book I have written.
2) What lead you to writing a culinary series?
I love to cook. Many years ago I started reading Diane Mott Davidson’s culinary mystery books. I was instantly hooked on the genre. Now I have a bookcase full of culinary mysteries by various authors. I also have another bookcase full of general culinary fiction books from authors like Barbara O’Neal and Judi Hendricks. It’s a dream come true to write and publish books in my favorite genre.
3) How many books do you have planned for the Culinary Competition Mystery Series?
I am working on the second book right now. There will also be a short story for the series published in a holiday anthology this fall. Beyond that, who knows how far the series will go!
4) How do you develop your characters come from?
Sometimes a character seems to develop out of thin air, but I know it’s just the writer in me pulling characteristics from people that I’ve seen on TV or met in real life. I need a t-shirt that warns people I’m a writer and that the fictional version of themselves may end up in one of my books. Common advice for writers is to write what you know. Little aspects of my life creep into my characters, like the love of cooking or a coffee obsession. It’s easier to vividly describe things when you have experienced them yourself.
5) Will you be including recipes with your books?
Yes. That is one of the things that first attracted me to culinary mysteries. After reading about delicious foods in the text, you can then make some of the dishes yourself. Soon I will also be publishing more recipes from Pies & Peril on my website.
6) Are you a GoodReads author?
Yes, I am! You can find me here: https://www.goodreads.com/JanelGradowski
7) How long did it take you to write Pies & Perils?
I didn’t really keep track of how long it took, but I’d say the first draft took about 2 months to write.
8) How can people buy your book?
This page on my website lists all of the places where it can be ordered:
http://www.janelgradowski.com/culinary-competition-mysteries/1347-2/
Janel Gradowski lives in a land that looks like a cold weather fashion accessory, the mitten-shaped state of Michigan. She is a wife and mom to two kids and one Golden Retriever. Her journey to becoming an author is littered with odd jobs like renting apartments to college students and programming commercials for an AM radio station. Somewhere along the way she also became a beadwork designer and teacher. She enjoys cooking recipes found in her formidable cookbook and culinary fiction collection. Searching for unique treasures at art fairs, flea markets and thrift stores is also a favorite pastime. Coffee is an essential part of her life. She writes the Culinary Competition Mystery Series, along with The Bartonville Series (women’s fiction) and the 6:1 Series (flash fiction). She has also had many short stories published in both online and print publications.
Website: http://www.janelgradowski.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanelGr
Page with book purchase links in case you would like those: http://www.janelgradowski.com/culinary-competition-mysteries/1347-2/
Don't forget to add your comments below so you will be entered to win the free eBook of Janel Gradowski's "Pies & Peril".
Don't forget to add your comments below so you will be entered to win the free eBook of Janel Gradowski's "Pies & Peril".
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