Argh. So far not starting off on a good start with this trying to blog more. Not only did I miss posting earlier in the week, I’m sorry to say that this post should have been up yesterday and I just realized it! 😦 My sincere apologies to the author, Liz Mugavero, for the lateness of my post.

This post is part of the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Murder, She Meowed by Liz Mugavero. I’m presenting an author interview that Ms. Mugavero was gracious enough to answer my questions for.  Information about the book, including purchase links will be below the interview.

Author Interview with Liz Mugavero

Q1: Do you have a day job in addition to being a writer? If so, what do you do during the day?  Do you enjoy your day job?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: I do have a day job! I work in marketing and communications, and currently lead a strategic communications team at Freddie Mac. I enjoy a lot of what I do.

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Q2: Do you set aside time to write every day or do you write more sporadically? When you write, do you aim to complete a set # of pages or words? How does music/other noise affect your concentration when you’re writing?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: I try to write a thousand words a day, usually as part of my morning routine. Otherwise the day’s distractions pile up and it’s harder to focus after a long day of work.

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Q3: When you’re writing, do your characters seem to “hijack” the story or do you feel like you have the “reins” of the story? Similarly, do you outline your book first or just sit down and write, seeing where it takes you?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: I am in the middle of being a plotter and a pantser. I used to be way more of a pantser, but now I work from an outline and do some plotting. It’s helpful especially with deadlines and day jobs. But I often pivot during the writing, because sometimes the book just needs something different than what I thought when I initially sat down to outline it.

Q4: How did you break into the publishing world? How many rejections did you go through before finding a publisher? Did you ever think about quitting? If so, what did you do to keep yourself hopeful?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: I never wanted to quit. I always knew I wanted to write. It took me 10 years to get published after I started seriously writing mysteries, and then it kind of happened “overnight” when an agent reached out to my chapter of Sisters in Crime and inquired about authors who might want to develop a cozy proposal. I wrote a proposal, sold it, and I was off and running. I will be forever grateful for that experience!

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Q5: In general, how many revisions do you go through before a book is published? Do you have beta readers or is it just your editing team and their suggestions? Do you set your books aside for a period of time and then pick them up and edit them?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: Given my schedule I don’t have the luxury of lingering over a finished book for a long time. I do a lot of revising when I write, and then I rely on one or two beta readers to give me final feedback right before I turn the book in.

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Q6: A good villain is hard to write. How did you get in touch with your inner villain(s) to write this book. Was there a real-life inspiration for him/her/it?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: I didn’t have a real-life inspiration for this villain – it unfolded naturally as I thought about my victim and why he might have ended up dead. I had to get into my killer’s head to think about the why and the justification for taking such a dire path – but that’s part of the fun!

Q7: Do any family members, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, etc. end up showing up in your work or are your characters all truly fictional?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: Oh, a lot of my coworkers show up in my books…often as the dead people! But shhh…don’t tell them 🙂

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Q8: If you could write about anyone fiction/nonfiction, contemporary/historical who would you write about? Why?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: I would love to write about Nellie Bly. Her story and her dedication to her work and the truth inspired me to become a journalist years ago, and I think there could be some great stories there.

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Q9: What are some great books you’ve read recently?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: I really enjoyed Becoming by Michelle Obama. Also Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere. I’m currently reading John Woman by Walter Mosley, and it’s excellent.

Q10: What books have influenced your life the most?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: Starting with when I was a kid – Nancy Drew, of course. And Trixie Belden. Dennis Lehane has been a huge influence on me – I am in awe of his writing. Mystic River is still my favorite book to this day. And Joyce Carol Oates’ We Were the Mulvaneys – a haunting story of a family affected by a tragedy.

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Q11: If you could spend one day with a character from your book who would it be? And what would you do during that day? 

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: I’d love to hang out with Jake McGee at his Irish pub, McSwigg’s. It seems like a fun place to be! And Jake’s pretty cute, so….

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Q12: Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Have you ever learned anything from a bad review and incorporated it into your future work?

Ms. Mugavero’s Answer: I do read them sometimes, and I’ve learned to take the bad ones with a grain of salt. I’m always up for constructive criticism, but if it’s a bad review for the sake of it, I’ve learned to ignore it.

About the Book

Murder, She Meowed (A Pawsitively Organic Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Kensington (January 29, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496717589
ISBN-13: 978-1496717580
Digital ASIN: B07CWDC8G9

Purchase Links: Amazon – B&N – Kobo

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Synopsis

Kristan “Stan” Connor loves concocting tasty organic treats for dogs and cats—and she also loves her fiancé, pub owner Jake McGee. But she’s not so enthusiastic about finding a dead body at her own bachelorette party . . .

Stan and Jake’s wedding will soon take place on the town green in Frog Ledge, Connecticut, followed by a reception at their beloved Irish pub filled with friends, family, and their four favorite canine companions. Stan just has to endure the traditional girls’ night out first. Male strippers jumping out of gigantic cakes aren’t her preferred entertainment. But the hired hottie never gets around to taking it all off . . . because someone takes him out first with one of Stan’s kitchen knives. A heartbroken Stan recognizes the victim as one of the delivery men from the local farm—who must have been moonlighting for some extra cash. Now the guest list has turned into a suspect list—and Stan’s making a vow to find the killer . . .

Includes Gourmet Pet Food Recipes!

Thanks for joining me! My sincere apologies again to the author, Liz Mugavero, for the lateness of the post and my thanks for being willing to answer my questions. If you wish to visit other stops on the tour, please click on the banner below to be taken to the main tour page!