Mystery Writing for Two: An Interview with Christa Nardi and Cassidy Salem

Today marks the beginning of my holiday-themed blog posts for the next two months. Fi This interview is with two authors who teamed up to write one book. Personally, I don’t know how I could co-write with someone else. Who would get the last word? But enough about me. Let’s get into the holiday spirit with this interview!

How did you come up with the idea of your Thanksgiving themed book?  

We both grew up with Nancy Drew and the Dana Girls books. We wanted to create a mystery with two sisters as the main characters, each with a different voice. 

Could you give me a short synopsis on the story for my readers?

Hannah and Tamar are looking forward to spending the Thanksgiving break with their grandparents. On the long ride to Vermont, the sisters are quick to offer assistance when a fellow passenger – a girl in her late teens – is hassled by a rough-looking young man.

Grateful as she may be for their help, Gwen is in no hurry to make friends, not even as she thrusts a mysterious package into Tamar’s hand and disappears in the Rutland train station. Puzzled by her behavior, Hannah and Tamar set out to locate Gwen and unravel the secret of the mysterious package.

What made you decide to do a Thanksgiving themed book?

We wanted to write a family-friendly mystery. It was a natural to have a family focus around that holiday. 

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

Too much food? Honestly, I think Thanksgiving was the only time we had turkey and the meat stuffing my mother used to make, which is very different from any bread stuffing I've ever had.

What’s next? 

The Mysterious Package is the first in a series.  What's next? Book 5 is a work in progress.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given that you’d like to share?

Don't think it has to be perfect to begin with. The hardest part is getting the ideas down. So write, knowing you will re-write, probably many times before you're done.

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?

All that is involved in marketing and using social media is a definite challenge. We've learned a lot about it along the way, but it changes so quickly it is hard to keep up.

Any last words or tips?

There are a lot of author groups and writing resources - find the ones that work best for you.

That’s it for today’s interview. If you’d like to learn more about this book and the series, here is a link to give you access to a sample of the story http://smarturl.it/MysPkg

I’d love to hear some of your Thanksgiving traditions, just add them below.