Good Morning, Booklovers!
It’s a cold morning in the Midwest—21 degrees. I’m sitting by the fireplace chatting with cozy mystery author Marie Anders. Won’t you join us!
Welcome, Marie! What may I get you to drink?
MA: I do not drink coffee. My preferred drink is hot chocolate.
Ally: A tasty choice in this cold weather. While my magic pot fixes your drink, please introduce yourself to readers.
Marie Anders was born in Kirchdorf an der Krems, in Upper Austria. She grew up multilingual in an international environment and has lived, studied, and worked in the United States, Serbia, Russia, France and Germany. She has recently returned to live and work in Austria.
Something unique/unusual that isn’t in your regular bio:
- I am a polyglot and love to travel and meet people around the world. It is always fun to talk to people in their native language and see their reaction.
- My favourite time to write is in the middle of the night when everything is quiet, and everyone around me is fast asleep.
- Teatime is my favourite time of the day. I take a break and relax for about half an hour. Only I rarely drink tea – I prefer hot chocolate.
You can reach Marie via:
Twitter: @MarieAnders5020 (https://twitter.com/MarieAnders5020 )
Instagram: @5020marieanders (https://www.instagram.com/5020marieanders/ )
Facebook: Marie Anders – Autorenseite (https://www.facebook.com/marieandersautorenseite/)
Website: www.marieanders.at
Ally: Who or what inspired your featured book?
MA: When you walk through the world with an open mind and open eyes, you see and hear the most exciting stories. Stories that you can eventually work into a book. Ideas always come from everywhere. Minor inconspicuous incidents often give rise to whole stories. I observe my surroundings very closely and am a good listener.
The idea for DEATH BY TRUFFLES came from a classical concert that unfortunately didn’t touch me at all. During the interval, among other delicacies, chocolates were offered and to cheer myself up, I treated myself to one.
Ally: What is the hardest part of writing for you?
MA: As a writer you must stay focused and very disciplined and that can be very challenging especially if you must meet publishing deadlines. The hardest part of writing is the permanent “fear” of not meeting one’s own standards and possibly disappointing the reader.
Ally: Do you write from an outline?
MA: No, I don’t write from an outline. I have a basic plot on my mind and then the story develops while writing. Sometimes even I am surprised by some turns the stories take. I usually know the victims from the beginning but not the culprits.
Ally: Tell us about your reading habits. Current favorites?
MA: I do not have a preferred genre. I read everything. My current favorites are Biographies and Romances.
Ally: Do you read reviews of your books? Do you respond to them? Are you affected by them?
MA: Yes, I do. It is always great to get feedback. Positive or negative, that is. I respond to reviews/questions either on Facebook or on my website. Readers are always welcome to send me a message. Sometimes I am affected if reviews are very negative and not related to the book – when I know or sense the reader has not read the book.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
MA: For spring/summer 2022, I plan to publish a family saga/romance. Also, by then, the 3rd and 4th books in the Neuner series should be translated into English and the 5th one should be available to purchase in German.
Ally: Which of the trivia question did you choose to answer?
MA:
- book you’re currently reading: Greek Fire: The story of Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis by Nicholas Gage in English and Glennkill by Leonie Swann in German
- ebook or print? Print – I love the sound of paper
- favorite comfort food: Baked potatoes
- pie or cake? What kind? Sachertorte – a traditional Austrian chocolate cake
- favorite holiday song: Driving Home for Christmas Chris Rea (in winter) and Mambo Italiano Dean Martin (in summer)
Ally: It has been a pleasure chatting with you, Marie. Before we finish this session, please show us the two books in your series that are currently translated into English.
The Inspector Neuner series
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Austrian Crime Novels
DEATH BY TRUFFLES (book one):
Near the Salzach river, in the beautiful city of Salzburg, Marc Bergmann, the town’s womanizer, is found dead on a park bench. Marc Bergmann, the shady lawyer, was married, had a fiancée and various lovers and connections to the mob. Soon it is clear that poisoned chocolate truffles sealed Marc’s faith. The more Quentin Neuner and his team delve into the case, the stranger things get. When Neuner’s childhood sweetheart turns up, the case takes a sudden unexpected turn.
THE FINNISH SOCK (book two):
During an International Medical Congress in Salzburg, a well-known surgeon and scientist, Doctor Thomas Steinmetz, is mysteriously killed. When Inspector Quentin Neuner examines the corpse, he notices something he has never seen before. The victim’s right foot had been dressed in a colourful hand-knitted sock, and his shoe nicely draped next to the body. Was this a sign? Or the signature of the killer? If so, what is the killer trying to flag up? In the course of the first interrogations, the killer strikes again in broad daylight and right under Quentin Neuner’s nose. The investigators quickly discover similarities between the two victims. Was it their research that sealed their fate?
https://www.amazon.com/DEATH-TRUFFLES-INSPECTOR-NEUNERS-FIRST-ebook/dp/B095J6ZTHR
https://www.amazon.com/FINNISH-SOCK-NEUNERS-SECOND-CASE-ebook/dp/B095K88G8D