INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR/BOOK BLOGGER DRU ANN LOVE ABOUT HER DEBUT AUTHOR STORY
Posted Oct 17 2023
Hi, Readers!
I am so happy to feature Dru Ann Love on my blog, and to chat with her about her first foray into writing – her story “Ticket to Ride” which appears in the anthology Happiness is a Warm Gun. Dru Ann has been a gracious and hardworking supporter of mystery writers for years, and has featured my books on her blog and social media. Get a copy of this Beatles-inspired book at one of these outlets: HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN
More about Dru Ann:
DRU ANN LOVE is the proprietor of “Dru’s Book Musings,” which includes not only reviews of crime fiction but also the popular “A Day in My Life,” “Get to Know You,” and “A Word With the Author” features. She has been a Fan Guest of Honor at the Malice Domestic, Left Coast Crime, and Bouchercon conferences, and a two-time finalist for Bouchercon’s Anthony Award. In 2017, the Mystery Writers of America honored her with its Raven Award for outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing. “Ticket to Ride” is her first venture inside the realm of creative writing. Find her online at drusbookmusing.com
And now, for our chat:
DIANE: You’re a voracious reader and such a wonderful promoter of other authors via your Dru’s Book Musings Blog and social media. Have you always wanted to be a writer, too, or is this a new aspiration for you?
DRU ANN: No, I had no desire to be a writer, but then again, I do write poetry, so given this opportunity, I thought I would try.
DIANE: How did this story collaboration come about?
DRU ANN: Josh Pachter, editor of the anthology, approached me and Kristopher Zgorski to try our hand at collaborating on a short story. After a few thoughts, we decided to go for it.
DIANE: What was your writing process like? Did you outline the story or just let it flow as you went along? Did you type on your computer or handwrite the first draft?
DRU ANN: We had an outline for each “section” we needed to write. All was typed on our computer. I would write a scene and pass it on to Kristopher and he would fine tune the editing. He would write a scene and pass it on to me and I would fine tune the editing and that was our process.
DIANE: What did you find the most difficult about the writing process? What did you find the most fun or rewarding?
DRU ANN: It was fun thinking of the scene and putting it on paper and then agreeing on what parts to keep and take out. We started out with a page count for our story, and we stayed true to the count as we were writing each scene. Then when we submitted it to the editor, he told us it was too long, so the difficult part was deciding which scenes to delete. Another minor issue was we wrote the story in third-person form and the editor told us to switch it all to first person. And another difficult portion was adding more depth to each character and again, we had to decide how much to add to make the character come alive.
DIANE: Are you a Beatles fan?
DRU ANN: I like the Beatles.
DIANE: How did it feel to cross the line from fan/blogger to writer?
DRU ANN: I have a better understanding of what authors who write go through. The writing process, the editing process, the page count process and finally the approval process when the work is complete and ready for publication.
DIANE: What surprising things did you learn during the writing process for this story?
DRU ANN: That I could write.
DIANE: How many books do you read a year?
DRU ANN: At least 200. Right now, I’m at 175.
DIANE: Have you been a book lover since childhood? How were you introduced to books and reading?
DRU ANN: Yes, I’ve been a book lover since I was in the womb. My mom read to us and at the age of 4, I got my first library card.
DIANE: Do you plan to write more stories? If so, will they be collaborations or solo works?
DRU ANN: I have no immediate plans, but you never know. And if I do, it would be collaborative. I can’t see myself writing a book on my own.
Thanks to Dru Ann Love for this great interview! Get a copy of the book today, and enjoy her debut story. Buy links at: HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN
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Diane KellyHaha! Our terrier mix and shepherd mix are certainly selective, too. They hear "treat" without fail, but "down" or "no!" don't always register. Raggs is such a cute name!
Molly WestonReggie certainly looks happy! My own dog, Raggs, has "selective" hearing--and he's not well trained. But. Our dogs are family and we do love them.
Diane KellyThanks, Barbara! I wish I could write faster, too! My ideas are backing up in my head. : ) I wish my brain had a USB port where I could automatically download the stories from my mind to the page. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book! I'm hard at work on the second one, A Trip with Trouble.
BarbaraI LOVED getaway with Murder. The second book can't be published soon enough. Can you write any faster? ;-)