Interview with Debra Sennefelder

 by Bethany Maines

Bethany Maines

Debra Sennefelder

Part of being a collective blog group is that we have many fantastic members that I've never met in person and aside from the sparkling repartee on group email threads (trust me we're brilliant), we often don't get a chance to interact with each other.  So this month, I'm taking the opportunity to get to know one of my Stiletto Gang members - Debra Sennefelder. Debra has nicely agreed to sit down and answer a few questions to let us into her writing bubble. I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I have.

Q: What do you write?

I write cozy mysteries. I have two series, The Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series both published by Kensington Publishers.

Q: Plotter or Pantser?

I’m a plotter. I like to have a detailed outline completed when I sit down to write the first draft. My working outline (it’s not as pretty as the one I send to my editor) can include snippets of dialogue, a little description, links for research. While it may be long (sometimes thirty plus pages), it’s not carved in stone, so changes can happen while I’m writing the manuscript. Sometimes I find that a scene falls flat and doesn’t move the story forward, sometimes inspiration sparks and I add or rework scenes, sometimes I add a new character.

Q: What is your go-to relaxation read?

My go-to relaxation read is a fashion magazine. Always has been.

Q: Favorite authors or your most favorite recent read?

I have way too many favorite authors to list. So, let me tell you what I just finished reading. It was Three Single Wives by Gina LaManna.

Q: And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't ask... what are your favorite shoes?

I bought a pair of Sam Edelman black leather pumps a couple of years ago and I love them. They’re a classic that pairs perfectly with jeans or a dress.

Connect with Debra!

• Website:  http://bit.ly/2lQwSNi
• Newsletter sign-up: http://bit.ly/2jBx9oV
• Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/2DpMPE8
• Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2mkLpnz

Connect with Bethany!

• Website: https://www.bethanymaines.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBethanyMaines
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorbethanymaines/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BethanyMaines
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002FYCS40
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3044976.Bethany_Maines
• BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/bethany-maines

BETHANY NEWS UPDATE:

The Deveraux Legacy Series will be on sale Sept. 10 - 17.  Grab Books 1 & 2 and preorder Book 3, The Hardest Hit, for .99 cents! The Hardest Hit will return to full price 24 hours after release day. 
The Deveraux Legacy Series: The Deveraux Family is wealthy, powerful and in a lot of trouble.  Senator Eleanor Deveraux lost her children in a plane crash, but she has a second chance to get her family right with her four grandchildren – Evan, Jackson, Aiden and Dominique. But second chances are hard to seize when politics, mercenaries, and the dark legacy of the Deveraux family keep getting in the way.

https://books2read.com/The-Second-Shot - all stores
https://books2read.com/Cinderella-Secret - all stores
https://books2read.com/Hardest-Hit - all stores

Amazon Series Page: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GK7CK8M?ref_=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_tkin&binding=kindle_edition

***

Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of the Carrie Mae Mysteries, San Juan Islands Mysteries, Shark Santoyo Crime Series, and numerous short stories. When she's not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some serious butt with her black belt in karate, she can be found chasing her daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel. You can also catch up with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.

Clicking Our Heels - Summer Vacation Preferences

CLICKING OUR HEELS – SUMMER VACATION PREFERENCES

Can you believe summer is almost over? Three more days and no more white shoes or white pants! Before summer ends, the Stiletto Gang members thought we’d share our favorite summer vacations – indoors/outdoors, beach/mountains, or staycation.

Debra H. Goldstein:  The Beach! Something about the white capped swirling water and glistening sand is my nirvana.

Anita Carter: Definitely outdoors. One of my favorite vacations was when my husband and I traveled to Hawaii for 10 days. We island hopped. We had the best time at the beach and hiking through the mountains and around the volcanos. I’d love to go again.

T.K. Thorne: I have to see the ocean regularly or something inside doesn’t get fed. Also, I live on a mountain, so I get my tree and fresh air fix every day.

Debra Sennefelder: Staycation. I really don’t like summer weather. I much prefer air conditioning.

Kathryn Lane: My husband and I spend the summers in the mountains of northern New Mexico near Taos, where we enjoy outdoor adventures as well as watching wildlife drift by from our cabin deck.

Dru Ann Love: I like sightseeing various locations, so outdoors. Staycations are good as well.

Kathleen Kaska:  It’s the beach for me – anytime.

Robin Hillyer-Miles: Beach or staycation!

Lois Winston: I much prefer a warm getaway in the winter, but I’m not a beach person. I love exploring museums, ancient sites, and foreign cities.

Linda Rodriguez: Anymore, I’m a stay-at-home person most of the time, thanks to health issues. In summer, you’ll find me inside in the air conditioning or sitting on my spacious porch, spinning or knitting and chatting with my neighbors.

Shari Randall: I’m a culture vulture, so I’d love to somewhere with great museums and theater. I live near a beach, so I’ll admit it, I’m spoiled.

Mary Lee Ashford: My summer vacation preference would be outdoors with a beach and a book! Staycations are fun but since I’ve been working from home since March 2020, I am more than ready to see some walls that aren’t my own.

Gay Yellen: Mountains. Hiking in a cool mountain forest is the best break from summer in the city.

Lynn McPherson: I love the beach and the mountains. I'm home most of the time so when vacation time rolls around I'm ready to go explore new places.

Cathy Perkins: What is a vacation these days? When I can travel again, definitely the beach!

My Favorite Corn Muffin Recipe

By Debra Sennefelder

As I'm writing this post, I am in the second draft of the fifth Food Blogger mystery manuscript. It's during this phase of the writing process that I make the final decision on which recipes will be included with the book. This means, my mind is thinking about food. A lot. Which means, I'm struggling not to be distracted because I want to get into the kitchen and whip up something. But I have to be a good writer and stay BICHOK (butt in chair, hands on keyboard).

Well, I managed to sneak out of the study. :)

I had a craving for a muffin and since it's summer, I baked a batch of corn muffins. I know, corn muffins are seasonless but there's something about these muffins that makes me think of summer. A Longenberger basket, overflowing with muffins, set out on the patio table with sweet butter or strawberry preserves is how I love to start a morning. Especially a Sunday morning. Now writing this, it seems like my corn muffins have a lot of rules around them. Oh, well.

I thought today I'd share my recipe with you. It's easy and they are tasty. So I hope you enjoy if you decide to bake your own batch. 

Since I've shared what is one of my favorite muffins, I'm curious to know what yours is.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup low-fat milk

1/2 cup salted butter, melted

Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Combine the eggs and milk and mix lightly.

Pour the melted butter and milk mixture into the dry ingredients at the same time and mix until just blended.

Spray a 12-cup pan with cooking spray and evenly distribute the batter among the cups.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.

Let cool, then serve.

Enjoy!

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series. She lives and writes in Connecticut. When she’s not writing, she enjoys baking, exercising and taking long walks with her Shih-Tzu, Connie. You can keep in touch with Debra through her website, on Facebook and Instagram.

My Shih-Tzu Doesn't Care About My To-Do List

By Debra Sennefelder

The struggle is real people. Little Connie (who turns a year old this month) doesn’t give two-licks about my to-do list. Just look at her. Does she look like she’s concerned about any of my deadlines?

The correct answer is “no”.

I had copy edits due. I have an outline to write as well as a manuscript. I have social media posts to write. Oh, and a two releases coming up soon.

I try to explain this to her but all I get in return is pure silliness.

And I couldn’t be happier!

Since she came home last October, she's been a great reminder to stop and take a breath. Or, in her case a long walk. There’s also a mid-day game of tossing the ball around or paying tug o’ war with a stretchy toy. My little pup is a ball of energy.

i get through my to-do list and meet my deadlines thanks to organizing and prioritizing my work. I rely heavily on a paper planner to track all my due dates and assigning specific tasks throughout the day. My system isn’t perfect. I’m still looking to tweak it more so that my time spent working is more productive which will give me more time for silliness with my pup. I admit, I can’t resist that face!

Since I've surrendered to all that cuteness, I've also learned to be more flexible with my work day schedule to allow for breaks and I've brushed off an old time management tool - the Pomodoro Method. It's where I work for 20 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. The first week I started using the Pomodoro Method, I hit my goal of 10,000 new words. Week 2, I got the same result. Prior to using the method, I was struggling to hit half that number, and that wasn't working for my deadline.

I think what the method gave me was the ability to look at all the work I had to do as 20 minute chunks. Rather than think "I have 2,000 words to write today", I could simply sit down for 20 minutes and write. A few sessions later, I had my word count, my emails answered, Connie tuckered out and laundry done. 

I' d love to know what is your biggest distraction during your day and how have you handled it.

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series. She lives and writes in Connecticut. When she’s not writing, she enjoys baking, exercising and taking long walks with her Shih-Tzu, Connie. You can keep in touch with Debra through her website, on Facebook and Instagram.

My Novella Has A Cover

By Debra Sennefelder

Last month I shared how I came to create Kelly Quinn, the main character in my Resale Boutique Mystery series. At the time I was reading the proof pages of Kelly's upcoming novella, WHAT TO WEAR TO A GRAVEYARD and this month I have the cover!

How the cover comes to be is team effort between me and my editor. I provide him with my ideas for the cover. For my Food Blogger Mystery series we tend to depict a scene from the book on the cover. For the Resale Boutique Mystery series, we usually select an outfit as the primary focus of the cover and the cover of the novella is a combination of both types of covers. It shows the scene where Kelly finds the pup and the boots that were definitely a hindrance to her walking around the graveyard. 

This Resale Boutique mystery is set at Halloween and Kelly Quinn finds herself drawn into a dognapping turned murder while she's scouting a location for a photo shoot to boost her boutique's online presence. There she discovers the missing pup, who has a hefty reward thanks to his socialite owner.

Kelly’s looking forward to collecting the check—until she makes a gruesome discovery in an abandoned farmhouse: The dog’s owner, stabbed through the heart.

Kelly learns that hidden in the dead woman’s past is a secret that could be the motive for the murder. And as a Halloween party gets started, even a menacing clown and a threatening bearded lady can’t keep Kelly from trick or treating for the truth—even if it means her last dance . . .

The novella, which will be released only in ebook format at this time, is available for preorder and will be released on Sept.8, 2020 (retails sites say 9/15 because they haven't been updated with the new date).

Writing this story combined so many of the things I love - fashion, Halloween, autumn and a pup named Billy. I decided to base the dog in the story on my beloved Billy, who passed away last September at 14. But he'll live forever in our hearts and in this story. Love how he's peeking out from behind the gravestone.


I admit, I'm a sucker for a cover and I've made many, many purchases based solely on the cover. What about you? Will an amazing cover get you to make an impulse buy?

The Making of Kelly Quinn

 By Debra Sennefelder

 I've just finished reading the proof pages of my upcoming novella in my Resale Boutique series, WHAT NOT TO WEAR TO A GRAVEYARD, which meant I got to spend a little more time with fashionista-turned-amateur sleuth Kelly Quinn. She’s a hoot to write and I’m so grateful that somehow, someway the nugget of her character graced me one day allowing me to create (in my opinion) a fun, multi-dimensional, strong female character.

 One question I get a lot is how stories and characters come to me. Sometimes a story idea hits me as a character goes looking for a missing dog and then finds the dog’s owner dead –murdered. Sometimes a character idea hits me like I want to write about a food blogger. Whatever the first spark of an idea, I think about all the what if’s and build a plot and populating the story with characters.

 For the Resale Boutique Mystery series, Kelly came to me several years ago when I wrote a short-story on a snowy weekend. Back then Kelly had a different name and was tracking down a missing dog only to discover the dog’s owner dead – murdered. Five-thousand words later I typed THE END and sent it off to my critique partner. My plan was to submit the short story to an anthology. After polishing the manuscript, I emailed it off and waited. And I waited some more. Then the email came and I kind of wished I was still waiting. It was a very polite rejection.

Yes, the rejection was disappointing, but I was busy with work and writing a romantic suspense novel so I dusted myself off and moved on. The short story remained in a file on my computer and in the summer of 2017 I pulled out the short story and revamped it for a proposal to send to my editor at Kensington for a new cozy series.

Kelly got her new name and a new career and then the devastating news her beloved grandmother had died. She then found out she inherited the tired, old consignment shop she spent so much time in as a child before leaving Lucky Cove to attend fashion school in New York City. I continued plotting the story and filling Lucky Cove with its residents.

First up is Pepper Donovan. She’s been the only employee at the Lucky Cove Consignment shop for over twenty years. She worked side-by-side with Kelly’s grandmother and they became the closest of friends. Pepper is having a hard time understanding why Kelly wants to change things in the store.
There’s Kelly’s uncle, Ralph Blake. He was named the executor of the estate by his mother. Ralph expected to inherit the shop, which sits on prime real estate in Lucky Cove and would sell for a very nice sum. Lucky Cove is a quaint Long Island town that’s not as flashy as the Hamptons but still draws very wealthy and successful Manhattanites during the summer months.

We also meet Ralph’s most-recent wife, Summer. She’s a model-turned-Pilates studio owner and can’t understand why her adopted hometown needs a thrift store.

Luckily Kelly has her best friend, Liv Moretti, to lean on when things get out-of-control when Kelly is dragged into a murder investigation which begins with a psychic claiming one garment in the shop was worn during a murder. Word spreads quickly in Lucky Cove and business, which wasn’t good to begin with, plunges.

Writing Kelly was a fun departure from writing Hope Early, the protagonist in my Food Blogger Mystery series. She’s in her mid-twenties, whereas Hope is in her thirties. She doesn’t have the comforting support of her family like Hope has and returning to her hometown was the last thing she ever thought she would do whereas Hope always knew she’d be back in the place where she started. What they share is having their careers derailed, humiliating firings and a deep-seated need to seek justice for those who can’t. Oh, and one more thing, they each have a very cute guy that they heart.


I'm happy to share that the short story that had been rejected turned into the novella that is releasing in September. I guess things do happen for a reason. :)

Thank you for spending a few minutes with me today. I truly appreciate it!

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series. She lives and writes in Connecticut. When she’s not writing, she enjoys baking, exercising and taking long walks with her Shih-Tzu, Connie. You can keep in touch with Debra through her website, on Facebook and Instagram.

The Joy of Waiting

By Debra Sennefelder

I've done self-care unconsciously for a long time but I never really knew it was self-care. They were things I enjoyed doing and they had a bonus of helping clear my head and lowering my stress level. The activities I found most beneficial were workouts, my skincare rituals and making time to bake/and or read. I'm realizing now that it's important to intentionally make time for self-care rather than let it find you. 

Engaging in self-care activities can sometimes be challenging because we're all on tight schedules. We're juggling work, family, volunteering and probably a side hustle. So finding the time to give ourselves a much-needed break and recharge our batteries is almost impossible. I know. I felt the same way in January.

I had three crushing deadlines and a puppy who still needed close observation (it's amazing how much trouble she could get into) when I finally gave myself permission for a break. The opportunity to meet a friend for lunch presented itself and I accepted. I told myself going out to lunch would be a nice change from whipping up a protein shake and also a good thing for our puppy because she needed to get used to being home alone.

But since I wanted to be as efficient as possible, I ran a couple of errands before lunch and got the restaurant ten minutes early. I ordered a coffee and pulled out my phone to read. It had been weeks since I had the chance to read for pleasure so those ten minutes were greatly welcomed. I checked my watch and saw it was one o'clock and my friend wasn't there yet. I continued drinking my coffee and enjoying my book. Ten minutes later she showed up. Turns out, her medical appointment ran late and she apologized.

I told her she had nothing to be apologize for and I meant it. I got twenty minutes of quiet time where I didn't have to think or write or play tug of war. No, I was able to read. Not only did I get to read, but I also got to decompress and let my racing thoughts (I find that when I'm writing a book my mind is constantly churning over ideas and dialogue snippets) settle.  It was magical. 

Normally I'm irritated when I have to wait. I make it a point to be on time so when I have to wait for someone I do get a little annoyed. But that January afternoon I found the joy in waiting. I also found that self-care doesn't have to be an hour-long workout or a soak in the tub, it can be sitting quietly in a restaurant focused on a book.

Do you have a favorite self-care routine? What helps recharge your batteries?

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series. She lives and writes in Connecticut. When she’s not writing, she enjoys baking, exercising and taking long walks with her Shih-Tzu, Connie. You can keep in touch with Debra through her website, on Facebook and Instagram.

The Big Planner Shake-Up

By Debra Sennefelder

What happened at the beginning of January was an unprecedented shake-up in how I plan my life. And it all started in the latter part of 2019.

There was a post on Facebook. A fellow author was looking for suggestions for planners. Like us all, she was looking to get a head start on organizing 2020. I commented that I’d been using an Erin Condren Life Planner for two years, but I intended to go back to my six-ring A5 DayRunner.

After careful consideration, I decided to go back to the A5 because I wanted the flexibility of being able to organize the planner how I wanted it. And I wanted more space to write my to-do tasks for each day.

With the decision made, I ordered new inserts for the A5. As soon as the inserts arrived I began noting all my deadlines, birthdays, appointments, etc. Everything was good.

So, I thought.

Something started not to feel right with the A5. My first thought was maybe it was due to the texture of the binder. For some it may not be a big deal, but since I handle my planner multiple times during the day, how it feels in my hands is essential to me. I then thought maybe I was over the black cover. Perhaps a pop of color would be nicer and more visually appealing. The temptation to buy a new A5 was strong, but I held strong. The DayRunner was good enough.

So, I thought.

In early January, I signed up for a free online workshop on how to go paperless. During the class, I learned some tricks on how to go partially paperless (some papers just can’t be scanned and shredded). One of the recommendations was a to-do list app. This was new to me and I decided to give it a try.

With the app downloaded to my phone, I began using it. After a week, I realized the app wouldn’t work for me because once a task was completed, it was deleted from the list. I’m one of those people who need to cross off tasks from a list and be able to see what I’ve accomplished at the end of the day. While the app didn’t work for me, it did introduce me to using my phone as a part of my planning process. Which led me to my Google calendar. Yet again.

I’d tried using the Google calendar before, and it never clicked. Until now.

I planned out the whole month of January. Color-coding the tasks was a nice perk. And I got into the habit of opening up the calendar in the morning right after my morning pages were completed. What I’d been craving in my “planner” was the ability to look at the monthly spread without having to page back and forth all the time in the A5 or EC. Sure, I could have a wall calendar, but then I have to take it down and write in the task, then put it back up, and for me, it becomes visual clutter on the wall. The Google calendar was working for me. Finally.

But there was still a piece of the puzzle missing. While the Google calendar gave me a view of the month, I was missing the daily planning. All the things I need to do from laundry to outlining to walking Connie. Yes, I know there’s a daily view feature in the Google calendar, but I prefer to write these lists down so I can cross of all the completed tasks.

I gave some thought, and I ordered a new planner from Amazon. It’s bigger than a personal size Filofax but smaller than an A5, and it has a page for every day. This gives me plenty of space to write my lists, group my to-do actions into categories if I want to, jot down ideas that pop into my head. Since I don’t use the monthly spread for planning, I use it to track my workouts. It’s awesome.

Finally, between the Google calendar and my new daily planner, I have the perfect planning system for 2020. I know this because I feel calmer when it comes to my to-do’s, and I’m getting things done without feeling scattered or overwhelmed.

Most of the time, a shake-up can be a negative experience, but this time it was a gift. I trusted myself enough to let go of what I’ve clung to for years, and it’s been one of the best things I’ve done so far in 2020.

I’m curious. Do you use a physical planner? A digital planner? Or, a hybrid like me?

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series. She lives and writes in Connecticut. When she’s not writing, she enjoys baking, exercising and taking long walks with her Shih-Tzu, Connie. You can keep in touch with Debra through her website, on Facebook and Instagram.