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Special Guest - Rebecca Olmstead - Author of - Love and Death in Madison, Georgia included in Malice, Matrimony, and Murder: A Limited-Edition Collection of 25 Wedding Cozy Mystery and Crime Fiction Stories #AuthorInterview / #Giveaway

Malice, Matrimony, and Murder: A Limited-Edition Collection of 25 Wedding Cozy Mystery and Crime Fiction Stories by Joslyn Chase, Charlotte Morganti, P.M. Raymond, Paige Sleuth, Teresa Inge, Sally Milliken, Rebecca Olmstead, Nikki Knight, Shari Held, Barbara Howard, Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, KD Sherrinford, Stephen D. Rogers, Elaine Togneri, Lynn Hesse, Margaret S. Hamilton, Stella Oni, Robert Petyo, Pamela Kyel, Karen McCullough, Wil A. Emerson, Jack Bates, J. Aquino, Sharyn Kolberg, Becky Clark

I am happy to welcome Rebecca Olmstead to Escape With Dollycas today!

Hi Rebecca, Please tell us a little bit about yourself. I was born and raised in a small farming town in the Pacific Northwest. My greatest frustration as a child was not being able to read because no one had the time to read to me. But, once that magic door was opened, I was a happy camper. I’ve always loved the art of storytelling. I devoured all genres, but it was mystery that made me want to be a writer. What are three things most people don’t know about you? I am a 14-year cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with a sarcoma in my sacral nerve root in 2009, and was told if I survived, I would be paralyzed on my left side. I am a walking miracle. I spent a year in California when I was 21 pursuing my first dream of being an actress and have performed in many way-off Broadway productions. My fans know I crochet, but what they don’t know is that keeping my hands busy helps me focus, think, and plot. The afghans, hats, and sweaters are an added bonus. What books/authors have most inspired you? My biggest inspirations came in high school literature. Hawthorne, Falkner, O. Henry... But the author who impacted me the most was Ambrose Bierce, with his ability leave the reader wondering what had just happened. That’s what I aspire to in my short stories. My inspiration for mysteries began with Alfred Hitchcock’s Three Investigators and continues to be Agatha Christie and Patricia Wentworth.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? Of course, my favorite research is traveling. I’m not as fond of interviewing people, but I do. For Dreams and Illusions, I traveled to Seattle, toured King County Jail and Police headquarters, and interviewed many law enforcement officers. I was so scared, but most people are very nice and are happy to share what they do. I also looked at apartments, and my personal favorite, trying out restaurants. A lot of my research is done on the good old internet or in books. And I research as I write. That way, I don’t lose my muse. I take as long as I need to make a setting or scene come alive in my mind and not just a cold description. I know if I feel it, my reader will. Do you ever suffer from Writer’s Block? I don’t. I have a very curious mind. My imagination helped me to survive a very hard childhood, and now it just makes life a little more interesting. I do, however, suffer from laziness. Getting the words on the page is a lot of work, but having fans asking when your next book is coming out is a great motivation. What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer? At the end of the day, writers write. I started Dreams and Illusions thirty years before it was published. One reason for the long journey was that I was a busy mom. Too many times I put everything else before my desire to be published. Sometimes this was just watching TV. You have to make time for your dreams. No one will do that for you. Another word of advice is, don’t edit while you’re writing. I don’t know how many years I spent trying to make that first chapter perfect. Newsflash, it’s called a “rough draft” for a reason. Keep moving forward and don’t look back until you type those lovely words, “The End.” I also have to add, don’t overthink the process. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Take one step at a time. Write (and finish) the manuscript, revise, revise, revise, find a great editor, revise, revise, revise … if you look at the journey as a whole, you’ll start to think it’s too much and give up. One step at a time. When you are not writing what do you like to do? I’ve already mentioned crochet. I also love to sew, garden, craft, read, go camping, hiking, and fishing with my family, watch mysteries, do puzzles, and go antiquing (mostly for books). And of course, having coffee with my husband. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go and why? I’ve just recently discovered my ancestry on my father’s side comes from a long line of Scottish royalty. I’d love to go to Scotland and visit some of my ancestral castles—and maybe get into writing some historical sagas. Do you have any special plans for the holidays? I’ve had quite a few surgeries this year, so the holidays will be low-key for us. Cooking, baking, eating too much, doing puzzles and watching cheesy holiday movies in front of the fire with my favorite people. What is next on the horizon for you? I’m currently working on two books. A nonfiction book giving young adults tools to defeat suicide, with plans for a 2024 summer release date. And the second book in my Gabrielle Dorian Mystery Series, Dreams and Deceptions, looking at a release in November 2024. Thank you, Rebecca, for visiting today! It was great to meet you and learn we have some things in common.  Keep reading for information about Malice, Matrimony, and Murder!

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