Interview with Elise Sax, Author of Die Noon @theelisesax

Elise Sax writes hilarious happy endings. She worked as a journalist, mostly in Paris, France for many years but always wanted to write fiction. Finally, she decided to go for her dream and write a novel. She was thrilled when An Affair to Dismember, the first in the Matchmaker Mysteries series, was sold at auction.

Elise is an overwhelmed single mother of two boys in Southern California. She's an avid traveler, a swing dancer, an occasional piano player, and an online shopping junkie. 

Her latest book is the cozy mystery/humorous romantic mystery, Die Noon (Book 1 in the Goodnight Mysteries series).

Friend her on Facebook: facebook.com/ei.sax.9
Send her an email: elisesax@gmail.com
You can also visit her website: elisesax.com
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Welcome Elise! You are a traveler, swing dancer, piano player and an online shopping junkie. Did any of these pastimes play a part in your book, Die Noon?

Elise: Die Noon, Book 1 of the Goodnight Mysteries takes place in Goodnight, New Mexico. I made the town up, and it's nothing like Santa Fe, but...the series was definitely inspired by my travels to Santa Fe. Santa Fe is one of my favorite places in the world. Of course, I couldn't have a perfect, artistic town like Santa Fe in my books. So, I had to make up a wacky, quirky town that's in driving distance to my favorite place. I was lucky to go to Santa Fe and interview many people in preparation for the series, too. I did a drive along with the Sheriff's department, for example.

How hard for you was it to sit down and start writing your novel? Did you have all these ideas swirling around your head or did it take some time before you were actually ready to sit down and begin?

Elise: Usually, I have a character in mind for a long time before I start writing her story. And it always starts with the character. This time it was Matilda Dare, a woman who had a bad husband (to say the least) and is starting anew in a new job, house, and town, and she has major trust issues.

Writers are often associated with loner tendencies. Is there any truth to that?

Elise: The vast majority of writers write alone in a room, but I am in constant contact with other women writers because they are my support system, and I couldn't do this without them.

What makes writing cozy mysteries so special to you?

Elise: I love settling into a character's town, really walking around in an idyllic place (except for the murders!). I've always been a fan of cozies, by the way, since I picked up my first Agatha Christie a million years ago.

I am so excited about your novel, Die Moon. Can you tell us a little bit about the main characters?

Elise: Besides Matilda Dare, there are two love interests (Amos and Boone). Her new best friends are Adele (the say-it-as-it-is) diner owner, Faye (the handyman and wife of the UFOs shop owner), and Nora (bank teller and laid back mother of 13 children). There's a million other quirky characters, including the town, which is a living breathing character, itself.

They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point when the reader just can’t put the book down. What is one of the pivotal points in Die Moon?

Elise: In this series, each book will have one murder mystery, which will be solved by the end of the book. But there will also be an overarching mystery that will run through the series and won't be solved until the end. I think in Die Noon, you might be hooked when Matilda first sees a troubled mysterious barefoot girl in the forest. Or...You might be hooked during the man boob scene in chapter 1!

What’s next for you?

Elise: I'm working on a humorous women's fiction book, "The Second Chances Club: Delivery Happiness" and then it's on to the second book in the Goodnight Mysteries, A Doom with a View. I can't wait to start it!