The Writing Life with Judge Debra H. Goldstein, Author of 'One Taste Too Many'
Judge Debra H.
Goldstein is the author of One Taste Too
Many, the first of Kensington’s new Sarah Blair cozy mystery series. She
also wrote Should Have Played Poker and 2012 IPPY Award
winning Maze in Blue. Her short
stories, including Anthony and Agatha nominated “The Night They Burned Ms.
Dixie’s Place,” have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies including
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Black
Cat Mystery Magazine, and Mystery
Weekly. Debra is president of Sisters in Crime’s Guppy Chapter, serves on
SinC’s national board, and is president of the Southeast Chapter of Mystery
Writers of America.
Links:
Website: https://www.DebraHGoldstein.com
Books-a-Million:
https://www.booksamillion.com/p/One-Taste-Too-Many/Debra-H-Goldstein/9781496719478
IndieBound:
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781496719478
Hudson
Booksellers: https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/book/9781496719478
INTERVIEW:
What got you into
writing?
When
I was a child, I spoke too quickly to always be understood. As a way of getting
me to slow down, my father and I read poetry aloud every night. During those
evening sessions, I learned to articulate more slowly, but I also came to appreciate
the beauty of the written word. It was then, I decided I wanted to be a writer.
What do you like best
about being an author?
Although
it is exciting to see anything I write in print or in a reader’s hands, the
best thing about being an author are the other writers I am privileged to interact
with. Not only have I had the opportunity to meet and learn from authors I read
and admired for years, but the entire mystery community has been welcoming,
warm, and encouraging to me.
When do you hate it?
The
only time I hate being an author is when the words aren’t flowing.
What is a regular
writing day like for you?
When
I wrote my first two books, I was still a sitting judge. Because the hours of
my day job were demanding, my writing time was limited to weekends and between midnight
and two a.m. Once I followed my passion and gave up my lifetime appointment, I thought
I would spend more hours writing. I don’t. Instead, I tend to check e-mails, exercise,
run errands, handle PR, do volunteer activities or meet friends in the morning
and depending upon the day, write in the late afternoon, evening or early
morning hours – I’m still a night owl when it comes to writing.
Do you think authors
have big egos?
There
are people in every field who have big egos (remember, my prior career was
spent with lawyers), but I have found the authors in the mystery community to
be warm and inviting. Individuals who have earned the right to have big egos
are often the most congenial and helpful.
How do you handle
negative reviews?
When
I receive a negative review, I read it carefully to analyze its credibility and
see if there is anything I can learn or improve from the reviewer’s comments. I
don’t respond or defend myself, even when I want to. Early in my career, I
received a scathing one-star Amazon review of Maze in Blue that accused me of
everything from poor writing to not even being able to properly describe the
way a main road ran. It was very difficult to not take the writer on, but I
didn’t have to. The next reviewer gave the Maze a five-star rating and
explained that she had been on the University of Michigan’s campus during the 70’s
when the book was set. She commended me on getting everything right, including how
the main road before it was diverted six months later when the new dental
school was built. Her review and several others more than countered the one bad
review.
How do you handle
positive reviews?
Positive
reviews are easy handle – I happy dance.
What is the usual
response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?
Generally,
when I tell people I’m an author, the first question is “what do you write?” Often,
the person tries to share with me a great idea for a book that I can write, a
great idea for a book the person wants to write or a great idea that we should
write together. I say, “tries to share,” because I usually cut the person off
mid-sentence explaining I couldn’t possibly take their idea, but they should find
the time to write it because I’m sure it will be wonderful.
To
be honest, in my case, people are usually more interested in why I walked away
from my judgeship. With a skeptic look, they question my sanity giving up a
guaranteed income and community respect for the unsure life of a writer.
What do you do on those
days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?
When
I don’t feel like writing, I don’t force it. I may spend time attending to PR needs
or volunteer responsibilities, or I may simply read a book or catch up on my
recorded TV shows.
Any writing quirks?
The
main quirk I have when I write is that I do it best with show music playing in
the background. There is something about the mix of lyrics and music that
relaxes me, while simultaneously prompting me to type at an accelerated speed.
When my ideas flow and the music is playing, I type at the same pace as the
beat of the music.
What would you do if
people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?
I
think a lot of people didn’t take it seriously in the beginning. I simply
ignored them and kept on plodding along. When my books and stories began to be
published and I gave up my seat on the bench, they realized how serious I was.
Some authors seem to
have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?
I
can’t relate to authors who have a love-hate relationship to writing because to
me, even on a bad day, it is a joy. Some people say they write because they must,
but I’m fortunate to have many interests and to be able to write because I want
to. If it doesn’t work, I can take a day off. When my writing is going well, I
get into an unbelievably peaceful zone during which I lose all track of time,
but which convinces me that writing is the right thing for me.
What’s on the horizon
for you?
2019
looks to be a wonderful writing year. Not only will my Sarah Blair series have
just launched with the publication of One
Taste Too Many, but the second book in the series, Two Bites Too Many will
be out in October. PR for One Taste Too Many
will take me to many cities and give me the ability to meet many people.
I
also write short stories. This year, my short story “The Night They Burned Ms.
Dixie’s Place,” which was published by Alfred
Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (May/June
2017) was named a 2018 finalist for the Agatha and Anthony awards. Although the
year hasn’t begun, I already have contracts for publication of five more
stories in periodicals and anthologies.
Leave us with some words
of wisdom about the writing process or about being a writer.
Read,
learn to love words, and rather than talking about it, make the time to write.
I want to use this opportunity to appreciate Dr Ekpen for the good work that his doing around the world, many of you must have ahead of him and what his doing. The reason why I'm appreciating him on this site is because maybe someone out there is facing the same challenge and he/she don't know what to do next to fix the issue, Dr Ekpen is a great spell caster and friendly also, if you have problem in your relationship you can contact him right way and he will be clad to help you out. Contact him now via email at ekpentemple@gmail.com or on whatsaap +2347050270218.
ReplyDelete