Introducing Anna Celeste Burke, 25 Mysteries to Die For co-author...
ANNA CELESTE BURKE AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a retired professor living out in the
California desert not too far from Palm Springs. I took up writing fiction when
I retired several years ago. Before that I had a lot of different life
experiences—good and bad—that have influenced my writing. I was a University
Professor and Associate Dean for Research when I retired. At other times, I
worked as an organizational consultant, a therapist, a chef, a caterer, an Avon
sales person, an assistant in a genetics lab, as well as a variety of odd[er]
jobs. I enjoy hiking, music, and old movies—especially film noir. My life got
off to a bumpy start, so I’m forever grateful for second chances.
Was there a certain time in your life you knew you
wanted to write?
I read like a fiend when I was a child.
Like many children, I made up stories—I especially enjoyed creating alternative
endings for my favorite books. It wasn’t until much later that I discovered
that I had to write. My second or third year of graduate school, on my
way to becoming a professor, I began to feel the pressure to publish. When they
say publish or perish in the academic world, they mean it. It’s hard to get and
keep a job if you don’t write. The “stories” I wrote then were all about using
science to understand mysteries behind poverty, mental illness, or crime.
What are you currently working on?
The 4th novella in the Georgie Shaw Cozy
Mystery Series: A Merry Marvelous Marley
World Wedding for release in December. A Christmas wedding is in the works!
When a bride goes missing, a cast of unusual suspects make it difficult to
figure out whodunit and why. I’m also hoping to finish the 4th book in the
Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery Series, A Dead Mother.
Of the books you’ve written, which one is your
favorite and why?
I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I’m
always delighted when I finish a new book. Right now, that’s the latest book in
my Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Series: A
Merry Marvelous Marley World Wedding. It’s my “new baby” so it’s special.
There will also always be a special place in my heart for the first fiction
book I wrote—book one in the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series, A Dead Husband.
What books have most influenced you as a writer?
A ton of mysteries, most of them what we
now regard as cozy. When I first read Agatha Christie’s books, for example, I
just called them mysteries. I love reading mystery series. I enjoy encountering
the same sleuth confronted by very different mysteries to solve. I’m partial to
women sleuths who are accidental or amateur sleuths. There are so many in
addition to Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple that I could never list them all. I
enjoy books with female sleuths ranging from cozy to hard-boiled.
What do you find to be the most challenging part of writing? And the most rewarding?
The creative part of writing is the most
enjoyable aspect of what I do as an author. Making stuff up is fun. The
research required to write a book is sometimes challenging but also rewarding.
I always learn something new with every book I write.
Character development and plotting are two
components of storytelling that matter a great deal to me. Writing a series is
particularly appealing because it provides a much longer “character arc”—a
longer time frame in which to explore a sleuth’s character and in which it can
grow and change.
Getting the sleuth into trouble and writing
her out of it is another challenging and rewarding element of storytelling. There
are delightful surprises that come about while writing, especially when
characters interact. Editing is far less satisfying than creating that first
draft, but essential, of course. It’s amazing how much you get wrong while
writing. Marketing is probably my least favorite part of the writing process.
Without it, though, no one knows your book exists. So, it’s every bit as
important as the creative process and editing.
What book is on your nightstand?
I have a ton of books on my Kindle. Several
mysteries & thrillers are waiting in the queue to be read. Books by David
Baldacci, James Rollins, and the latest book by Sue Grafton, “X.”
What can we look forward to seeing from you in the
future?
Once I finish the 4th mystery in the
Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series, A Dead Mother, I have the 5th
book in the queue to write: A Dead Cousin. After that, there will be two
Corsario Cove Cozy mystery novellas and another Georgie Shaw mystery that will
take place on a cruise ship. The tentative title is MMW Fantasy at Sea.
Is there anything you’d like to share with your
readers?
I’d just like to say thank you again for
the support from sites like this one that help those of us who enjoy cozy
mysteries find out about new authors and new series. I’d also like to convey
how much I enjoy engaging readers. It’s so interesting to hear others’ take on
the topics that show up in my books or hover in the background as I write. The
energy from that give and take keeps me going when I’m trying to juggle the
demands of writing and publishing.
AUTHOR LINKS
Website link http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
Facebook Link
(author page) https://www.facebook.com/annacelesteburke
Twitter Link https://twitter.com/aburke59
AUTHOR BIO
Anna
Celeste Burke is an award-winning and bestselling author who enjoys snooping into life's mysteries with fun, fiction, &
food—California style! Her books include the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities
Mystery series set in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, the Corsario Cove
Cozy Mystery series set on California’s Central Coast, and The Georgie Shaw
Cozy Mystery series set in Orange County, California--the OC. Coming soon: The Misadventures of Betsy Stark that take
place in the Coachella Valley. Find out more at http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com.
