Welcome, Wendy. I can’t wait to get started.

Do you start a new story with the plot or characters first?

I start with the characters. My stories come from the characters, their personalities, lives, backgrounds, dreams, flaws, strengths, and what they want. Each character is the hero of their own story. I love to develop the characters, and then see how they grow. Then the plot. It’s the characters who always drive the plot and shape the story. Sometimes I expect a character to act a certain way, but then I learn from them how they must proceed, and that’s how I must write the scene.

Is your writing style planned or freestyle?

I’m a hybrid author, and I love it. All of it is so creative. First come the characters. Then an outline of the plot. Followed by a timeline that visually shows me what is happening and what characters are involved, scene by scene. Then I write the scenes. As I write, things change, and I go with those changes happily because it’s all so creative. I belong to a wonderful critique group who give me helpful feedback as I go through the process. After the first draft comes the editing. Lots of editing. And then the beta readers tell me what they think, followed by more editing. It’s all exciting for me.

If you use music while writing, name your favorite types.

I love listening to music, especially when I’m writing. When I’m working on a story I prefer instrumentals, lyrics sung while I’m writing are a big distraction. My favorite music is Kevin Eubanks cd’s. I also enjoy all kinds of jazz music. It’s such a creative style, it really creates an atmosphere that inspire my imagination. When one of my sons was in high school he played in a jazz band. He taught me so much about the music, that’s when my appreciation for it really grew.

Have you traveled to any locations that appear in your books?

Sort of. Katherine Watson, purse designer and amateur sleuth opens her own purse museum that shows women’s history through the decades with purse exhibits. My research for my cozy mystery included a trip to the Esse Purse Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. It’s owned by a sensational woman named Anita Davis who started it with her own collection and it’s grown incredibly since then. This is one of four purse museums in the world. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit, learned so much from the exhibits, and also from the very nice and helpful staff. If you want to learn more about my visit, please visit my blog – A Passion For Purses

In what genre do you read?

I love a story! I’ve been an avid reader all my life. My favorites have always been mysteries, all kinds of mysteries. My favorite cozy mystery author, is Laura Childs. No reason to stop at one genre though. When it comes to reading I can’t get too much of that good thing. I haven’t found a genre I don’t like from classics to contemporaries. I’m a big reader of Shakespeare too – now that’s amazing plotting and characters. I love sharing my reading recommendations too. If you’re looking for your next read, you might want to take a look at my column Recommended Reads. I also recommend books for kids in my column Kids Are Bookin’ It.

Are you a pet person? If so, what do you have?

I am a pet person. Over the years my family have enjoyed a bit of an assortment. Parakeets, lizzards including geckos, cats, and dogs. Pets are such a sweet joy in life. In Kat Out of the Bag Katherine Watson has adopted a stray cat. Katherine names her Purrada and what a pampered pet she beomes. Jason Holmes is a cop in my mystery, his K-9 partner is Hobbs. I researched police dogs for my book. What amazing, smart animals. I have such great respect for all service animals. When police dogs are off duty, they’re wonderful pets. My research included a ride along with a K-9 patrol. What an experience! I’ve included so much from this adventure in my novel. If you’d like to know more about the ride along, you can hear about it on my YouTube podcast Kendall and Cooper Talk Mysteries.

BLURB

Celebrated international purse designer Katherine Watson hosts a gala for her Purse-onality Museum, she never expected the next day’s headline to read: Murder at the Gala Premiere. Working to solve the murder, Katherine matches wits with local cop Jason Holmes and his K-9 partner Hobbs. Although Holmes and Watson disagree often, they discover an undeniable attraction building between them. But they’ll have to put their feelings on hold and focus on solving the murder, before Katherine becomes the killer’s next knock off.

BUY LINKS

Amazon

Barnes & Noble,   Google Play,   Kobo

EXCERPT

Someone had their arm around her, and she couldn’t scream because they were tightly holding a big white handkerchief over and in her mouth. It was also over her nose and she could feel that it was wet and sweet all at the same time, like a chemical. She struggled, kicking back with her feet and trying to get her arms free, but those were tightly held down. Katherine was in a panic and all her muscles seemed to seize up as she fought. Her last conscious thought was of a huge, black, furry growling beast jumping up at her shoulder height, knocking the person holding her away, as she fell hard on the ground.

A review

“Inside every handbag are artifacts – pieces of personality, glimpses of the past and often the deepest secrets. Vintage purses have a story to tell and for Kendall’s mystery, these stories unveil more than just purse-sonal history; they’re the clues to catch a killer.” – ESSE PURSE MUSEUM, Little Rock, Arkansas

Wendy Kendall has a passion for purses and stories of the women through history who carried them. Her cozy mystery Kat Out of the Bag is the first book of the In Purse-Suit Mystery Series, introducing Katherine Watson an international purse designer/sleuth. Wendy is a blogger, editor, speaker, project manager, and syndicated columnist. Catch exciting author interviews on her YouTube Podcast—A Novel Talk, and the debut of her podcast – Wendy Kendall In Purse-Suit of Fashion. She loves her two sons, Alex and Brad and her Purrada cat.

WEB CONTACTS

wendywritesbooks.com

Facebook – Wendy Kendall, Mystery Author

Twitter – @wendywrites1

Instagram – wendyekendall

Goodreads