5 Questions with Author Auralee Wallace

Today I am thrilled to share our  5 question interview with author Auralee Wallace.

 How did you become an author, was it overnight or birth rite? 

I knew at a young age I wanted to write, but I was too scared to show my work to anyone. A lot of the time I was too anxious to even set pen to paper. As a result, I just dreamed about being an author. Then in my mid-thirties, my husband’s job forced us to move, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give it a try. I was pregnant with my third child, so it probably wasn’t the absolute perfect time – I was very tired  - but it did get things going for me. And I’ve come to believe that there is never a perfect time. Or to put it a little more optimistically, maybe it’s always the perfect time!

What or who inspired your writing? 

Books! I loved to read as a kid. Granted there was no Disney Channel when I was young, so there were large swaths of time when there was absolutely nothing on TV. I might not have read as much if there had been. Regardless, I really liked Enid Blyton, Jane Yolen (especially her Dragon’s Blood trilogy) - Oh! - and Robert C. O’Brien’s Mrs. Frisby and The Secrets of NIMH. Now that book had high stakes. I don’t think I was as emotionally invested in another book until The Hunger Games came along. It’s probably a good thing. I don’t think I could take that kind of stress on a regular basis. 

How do you keep track of your ideas?

I once read that Stephen King believes you don’t forget the good ideas, but I doubt he’s ever experienced mommy brain. So, I write down new ideas almost immediately and put them somewhere I can see them. If I really like an idea, I devote an entire notebook to it. I usually jot down my initial thoughts then I pick up one of my many books on writer’s craft and take the idea through some exercises. After that, if I still really like the idea, I will write out scenes on cue cards and put them up on my corkboard - that way I have a visual reminder to stop procrastinating and get writing! 

What is the one thing you need, while writing?

My personal obsession is large (A4) spiral notebooks. They must be spiral, so they rest flat on my desk. They have to be large so that I can leave a few lines empty at the bottom of the page (I don’t like it when the side of my hand falls off the edge of the book onto the table *shudders*). I am also very particular about cover art. The artwork must match the theme of the book I’m writing. You can’t write about witches, for example, if the cover has pastel-coloured balloons. It doesn’t work. I can literally spend hours scrolling the internet for the perfect notebook. Denik and Indigo Paper are my favourites. You know, now that I’m reading this back, I realize I may be a little too invested in notebooks.  

How would you end this sentence, “Every author should own at least one of these things…”

…a reliable laptop, a kettle with an assortment of teas, BIC gel pens, notebooks (see above), and the willingness to learn how to be brave. The last one is probably the most important.

To find out more about Author Auralee Wallace and her cozy mysteries series please visit her website by clicking here. (also side note Skinny Dipping with Murder was the funniest cozy mystery I have ever read and remains one of my favourite go to good feeling cozy series!) 

Thank you Auralee Wallace for joining us today and thank you for stopping by for another 5 Question interview with some of our favourite cozy mystery authors. 

We look forward to sharing more with you again tomorrow.