Mysteries and Misdirection: Author Interview with Rosie Genova

You’ve now published several books, but what inspired you to write that first one? How long did it take you to write your first book that was published? How many rewrites did you do on it?

Though I’d already written three women’s fiction novels, my first published book was Murder and Marinara, the first of my cozy series, The Italian Kitchen Mysteries. My agent at the time suggested I write a mystery set in an Italian restaurant; my main character, Victoria Rienzi, is herself a mystery writer who ends up in the middle of some real-life murder investigations. Counting drafts, revisions (3), rewrites, copyediting, and proofreading, the process took about a year.

How do you go about plotting your mystery? Do you pick the victim or the murderer first? What do you think makes for a perfect murder mystery?

I always know who the victim is, but sometimes the murderer switches characters on me as I’m writing! Before I start writing, I create a quick five-act outline of how the murder will be carried out, along with any twists or red herrings I might have planned. For me, an effective murder mystery plays fair with the reader—if they went back and looked, they should be able to find every clue no matter how subtle. I think the best skill an author can bring to a mystery is misdirection; I liken it to holding up a shiny object that seems to be the solution—when the real one is hiding in plain sight.

Your newest cozy mystery is a time travel book. How did you go about doing research for the time era in that story? Was there anything that came up in your research that was a special "aha" moment for you?

I cannot count the rabbit holes I happily burrowed into as I researched Atlantic City in the 1950s. I read books and articles, online interviews, perused images of 1950s fashion, dug into The Press of Atlantic City newspaper archives, and picked the brains of a Facebook group who shared memories and valuable insights into vintage Atlantic City. I even submitted questions to a classic car enthusiast who described the engine and transmission of a 1947 Buick Roadmaster—the car that Tess drives when she’s back in time. There were several “aha” moments for me, one being how progressive Atlantic City was in the area of civil rights, at least for 1955, in which the book is set. Also, I’d long had the idea of a suspected Nazi hiding out in South Jersey before I learned there actually were Nazis in my home state in the years following WW2.

 What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?

I once threw away a short story that my husband fished out of the trash and made me submit for publication right before the midnight deadline. He drove me to the mailbox so it would go out on time! It was not only published, but it took first prize in the anthology. Since then, I have believed every word he’s said about my work…

Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produced more sales rather than just clicks?

 There is no secret sauce here, believe me. Discoverability is the single biggest issue for authors, particularly those who publish independently. I’ve had modest success with promo stacking, running low-priced or free specials in several reader newsletters on the same day. Recently, I was lucky enough to get a Featured Deal in BookBub’s daily newsletter, which brought promising results.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?

 How much of my own marketing and publicity I’d have to do. And how it cuts into my writing time.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?

 This might sound weird, but the best advice I’ve gotten about writing is actually about … fishing.  In Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, the main character muses about whether he is unlucky, but ultimately decides he would rather be “exact” in his fishing skills, explaining, “Then when the luck comes, you are ready.” I spent years honing my craft, trying to be “exact” in my work and learning about every facet of publishing. Luck is fickle. It comes and goes. But your skill set is always with you—and best of all, you can add to it.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?

Learn everything you can. Write and revise and revise some more. Learn to take criticism. Grow a great big callous where your skin used to be. And be ready for the luck when it comes!

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?

This summer, I am planning to release a much darker, standalone suspense story, Seeing Things, in which a down-on-her-luck boardwalk psychic finds her childhood visions returning—and herself in the middle of a dangerous scheme—when she takes on a troubled and mysterious elderly client.

That's all for today's interview. I hope you will check out her links below to learn more details about her writing. I just finished reading her latest book, MURDER ON THE STEEL PIER and highly recommend it!

Website: www.rosiegenova.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RosieGenova 
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rosie-genova 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6462450.Rosie_Genova 

And here's a bonus for my readers... Leave a comment on this post and we'll pick one reader who'll receive a copy of one of Rosie's eBooks. So do that now. It can be as simple as I want to be in the giveaway. We'll chose a winner after Easter.