Hello everyone! I’m excited to have an interview with Ava Mallory for you today. Ava is the author of a number of series including the Mercy Mares cozy mysteries, the Missy Rae paranormal cozy mysteries, and the Beatrice Montoya mysteries. In addition, she does a lot to support the cozy mystery author and reader communities through organizing cross-author promos and running author and reader Facebook groups.
So sit back, grab a beverage and a delicious snack and fine out what Ava has to say about writing, cookies, and penguins.
Interview with Ava Mallory
1 – What inspired you to write your books?
I wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl. I wrote and told stories all the time. I still do. I didn’t get the courage to publish until my life fell apart in 2014. I found myself alone with 4 kids, after years of following my then-husband around the globe for his career and family, and decided I was done with ignoring my dreams, so I polished one of the dozens of handwritten manuscripts I’d written over the years and hit publish a short time later.
2 – What’s your favorite thing about cozy mysteries?
My childhood home was a mecca for all things mystery. My mother bought every mystery she could find. I grew up on a diet of Georgette Heyer and Agatha Christie. It was inevitable I’d one day write cozies. I love the settings and the quirky characters. Cozies feel like home.
3 – Do you have any writing rituals?
Yes! I must be alone. Totally, completely, utterly alone. Silence! I can only write (well) in my home office and only after I meditate to quiet the extra noise in my head. Early morning and late night writing sessions are king for me. In other words, little chance of the children needing something during those hours.
4 – What’s more important – character or plot?
I love the characters. Of course the plot must be great, but I fall in love with characters and want to see them grow.
5 – What do you like best about being an author? What do you like the least?
I love writing. It’s the hardest thing in the world to do sometimes, but I’m addicted.
Marketing is my Achilles heal. I’m a horrible marketer.
6 – What’s your favorite cookie? If you don’t like cookies, what’s wrong with you? Oops, sorry, scratch that. My follow-up question was meant to be far more polite – “Why don’t you like cookies?”
Chocolate chip cookies! Is there any other kind? 🙂
7 – A penguin walks through your front door wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why did he come visit you?
My gut reaction would be to blame my mother. I should explain. My mother always threatens to put a curse on me (and my siblings and everyone she meets). She’s not a witch. She doesn’t practice witchcraft. She thinks it’s funny.
I imagine he’d come with a message from my mother. If I had to put money on it, I’d say she would send him to tell me I’m doing something wrong.
8 – What else would you like us to know about you?
I am a multi-genre, multi-pen name author who really isn’t online all the time. It only looks that way, I swear.
Ava Mallory’s Books
Grab Mercy & Mayhem—the first book in the Mercy Mares cozy mystery series—for FREE! Click HERE to download your copy.
Thrush to Judgement, the latest Mercy Mares release is now available HERE.
About Ava Mallory
AVA MALLORY has been a grade schoolteacher, a psychiatric technician, a dementia unit nurse manager, and a hospice nurse. She has embarrassed herself in front of handsome celebrities, won vocal contests much to the chagrin of her children, survived a major earthquake, and nearly drowned when she mistakenly thought a YMCA lifeguard asked her to dive into the deep end on her first day of swim lessons. She and her eternally annoyed children share their home with a massive collection of books and a never-ending supply of new book ideas.
If you’d like to sign up for Ava’s email newsletter and be the first to learn about new releases, sales, exclusive newsletter reads, and other fun things, copy and paste this link into your browser and sign up here: http://eepurl.com/cLOoK9
Editor’s Note: Thanks so much for the interview, Ava! You’ve definitely made the right cookie selection. 🙂 I hadn’t heard of Georgette Heyer before – definitely going to check out her books.
Great to meet you, Ava. Awesome that you started writing during a bad period of your lfe.
Hi Ava, thank you for the first book in the series. I love reading and writing cozies. Your eBook is now waiting for me on my Kindle and I signed up for your newsletter. I love your bio–so many jobs, so much fodder for stories. Continued success in your writing career.
JQ Rose
Your mother sounds like such a fun person! Congrats on the release, and thanks for the book.