PEPPER HAYES AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi! I'm Pepper Hayes. I like to think of myself as a mom who writes. Cozy Mysteries are a new venture for me. I'm a converted romance writer. I've written over thirty romance novels under another name, but found that I'd grown tired of the angst and was craving something light and fun.
I'm a mother of four. I live in beautiful Washington state, minutes from the Canadian border. When I'm not writing, I can be found multitasking. I'm what you might consider a champion in that regard. I can do laundry, clean a kitchen, tend to the children, and binge-watch Netflix while simultaneously burning dinner.
Was there a certain time in your life you knew you wanted to write?
When I was young, my family moved quite a bit. I think I went to at least a dozen different schools before middle school. Books were my friends. Somewhere around the third of fourth grade, I decided I'd one day write. Back then, my dream was to be a journalist like my mother, but that dream changed after I spent many years sitting behind a desk in the business office of a major city newspaper.
What are you currently working on?
I'm currently writing the next book in my The Young & Breathless mysteries about lifelong friends who unwittingly became amateur sleuths while training for their first 5k race.
Of the books you’ve written, which one is your favorite and why?
My favorite was the first book I ever wrote. It's kind of a funny story. My marriage had come to an end and I was out of sorts. Rather than wallow in my pain, I took pen to paper and wrote a book about a woman in my predicament. That book has never been published. I'm not sure that it ever will be, but it's my most personal project. I wrote it in 18 days. It was very cathartic for me. Perhaps one day I'll be brave enough to pull it out of a drawer and read it.
What books have most influenced you as a writer?
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I just love that book. It took me to another world. I read it once a year.
What do you find to be the most challenging part of writing? And the most rewarding?
The most challenging thing is finding time to write. Because I have kids at home and a household to run, there's never enough time.
The most rewarding thing is typing The End. What an accomplishment that is!
What book is on your nightstand?
Currently, I'm reading writing craft books.
What can we look forward to seeing from you in the future?
More books! I hope to publish three new novels in my series in the coming year.
Is there anything you’d like to share with your readers?
Thank you for taking the time to get to know me. I can't wait to share my books with you!
AUTHOR LINKS
Facebook (author page): https://www.facebook.com/Pepper-Hayes-353535498327031
AUTHOR BIO
Pepper Hayes is a native of Western Nebraska but now makes her home just south of the Canadian border in Washington state, where she spends her days honing her skills as a super mom and a someday marathon runner and spends her nights writing cozy mysteries. On the rare occasions when she's not tending to her all male flock, she can be found sitting in her favorite chair, binge-watching Netflix.
