The Val & Kit Mystery Series

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Listen In: Roz Has a Word with Patty

I have known Patty for over forty years. During that time we've discussed everything, even though in the early years some of it was fueled by her famous rum slushes. But time goes by, and stuff needs to be updated. So, when looking for a candidate to interview, I could think of no better person (plus my landscaper doesn't speak English, and the cat won't sit still . . . )

Here come six burning questions:

What advice would you give today to the 20-year-old Patty?
Was she ever really that young? Well, as a matter of fact, she was married already and only a year away from becoming a mother. And since she proceeded to see all her dreams come true, I probably wouldn’t bother trying to advise her. But if you put a gun to my head (which in our genre is not that unlikely), I’d tell her to own who she is and not worry what others think of her. Well—very well—into her 60s, she seems to have finally learned that.

If you had to get out of your house permanently and in a hurry, what one item would you take with you?
My computer, because it holds most of my pictures and writings. And although I back it up regularly, most of the backup is in my office with my computer! (Really must explore that Cloud one day . . . )

If you could interview one living person, who would it be and why?
Well, after YOU—which is next month’s blog post—I would say my 94-year-old mother, a veritable fount of wisdom and family history. But I already interviewed her and need only transcribe the tapes from our decade-ago drive from Palm Desert to San Francisco. SO, I guess I would choose to interview Herman Wouk, my favorite living author. I know he has a thing or two he could teach me.

Betty Phelps Obermeier also taught her daughter, Patty, to crochet.

If you could live anywhere, and take your loved ones with you, where would it be?
Hmmm . . . that’s a tough one because there are so many places I love, none more so than where I live right now. So I might as well make it easy on myself and have all of them move to Door County, Wisconsin! (That means you’d have to start packing, too, Rozzie!)

We both know what the joy of writing is, but what's the most frustrating thing about it?
Definitely finding mistakes after multiple proofreadings. This explains why I love our beta readers and proofreaders so much. It takes many, many eyes. I mean, have you seen the challenges on Facebook where you’re asked to read something with more than half the letters missing? How our eyes see what they are supposed to see? Still, that’s not how we want to present our books to our readers!

What's your favorite book in The Val & Kit Mystery Series, and why?
Ah, the toughest question yet. Truly, it’s whichever book I’m reading at the moment. (And yes, unlike all the actors who say they never watch themselves on the screen, I do read and reread our books. Still looking for missing letters! And still enjoying our girls and their antics J! ) But if you wielded that gun again, I’d probably say Death in Door County. Always, it’s the humor I like best, but also there’s an extra dose of intrigue, and it spans generations of family and friends. What could be better? Oh, and I love the setting J