Wishing all of you a blessed Christmas! Thank you to my friends, my followers, and readers of my books for supporting me so wonderfully this year!
Heidi M. Thomas
Merry Christmas One and All!
Silver Sisters Co-Authors Share
Thanks for joining us for part II of this interview with co-authors and sisters Morgan St. James and Phyllice Bradner who are releasing their second Silver Sisters Mystery, Terror in a Teapot. The first novel was award-winning A Corpse in the Soup.
What are you working on now and when/where do you expect it to be available?
PHYLLICE: We are working on the second edition of the third book in the series, Vanishing Act in Vegas. The Silver Sisters 
Mysteries were published by L&L Dreamspell, but the company went out of business after the tragic death of one of the partners. A Corpse in the Soup, and Terror in a Teapot have now been reissued by Marina Publishing Group with new covers and some minor edits. The same will hold true for Vanishing Act in Vegas, targeted for release in early 2015. The plot revolves around Mara the Magnificent, a beautiful female magician that Godiva’s son is in love with. The twins start their sleuthing when Mara asks them to investigate the demise of a stagehand who fell to his death during her performance, and soon escalates into an investigation of Mara’s death, too. There are lots of wrinkles and turns, and, as in the first two novels, there’s a twist at the end. Morgan is also working on several other writing projects, I’ll let her tell you the rest.
MORGAN: In addition to Vanishing Act in Vegas, Phyllice and I are halfway through writing the next escapade, Diamonds in the Dumpster, I’m working on a new book with Dennis N. Griffin and looking forward to publishing an illustrated children’s book, LaRue the Llama Helps His Mama. I actually wrote it back in the late ’70s to amuse my children, and it will finally be available via Amazon Kids Books quite soon. And, I’m forever writing new short stories. They are my relaxation. My instant gratification, unlike the novels that take so long to write, I am a fast writer. I can write and polish a short story in an evening, and I love that.
Writers, especially new writers, are always looking for tips and helpful information. What is the single most important “tip” you can give to a new writer?
PHYLLICE: Learn to let go of the things you love. When you finish your first draft, get out the machete and whack out all the parts that bog the story down–even if they are your very favorite passages. Take out the run-on descriptions that break your reader’s focus or lend nothing to the natural progression of the plot. I still mourn the loss of some of my best, but superfluous, creations–but I know they had to go.
MORGAN: I have two that I believe are imperative. Number One: Keep an open mind. Listen to what experienced authors, agents, publishers, and editors tell you. Then make an educated decision as to whether you will follow the advice, but don’t stonewall others’ ideas. Number Two: Don’t give up. Phyllice and I kept at it until we made it to publication. As for staying on a project you know has merit, it took me fourteen years to write Betrayed but I didn’t give up. It is fiction inspired by shocking true events that happened in the 1950s when a promising teenage ballerina was kidnapped.
Are you a member of any writer’s organizations? Why? Why not?
PHYLLICE: I’m not much of a “joiner” so I don’t belong to any writer’s groups. Morgan’s a hot pistol when it comes to joining writer’s groups, though.
MORGAN: I’m a joiner and a networker. Whenever I can, I attend meeting of Henderson Writers Group and Las Vegas Writers Group. I’m also on the board of the Writers’ of Southern Nevada, and we have many exciting events coming up in 2015. When I lived in Los Angeles, I also belonged to Sisters in Crime/LA and Greater Los Angeles Writers Group. I still give workshops at conferences for West Coast Writers Conferences.
Do you have any upcoming book signings or appearances? If so, give us all the details.
PHYLLICE: I will be doing a guest appearance on the Writers Tricks of the Trade show on Blog Talk Radio on December 10 at 6:00 pm PST/9:00 EST. The topic is WRITING WITH A PARTNER. The link for information or to listen live when the show is broadcast is http://bit.ly/1stwn5V. It will also be archived for future listening.
MORGAN: I’ll be doing several things in 2015, including giving a workshop or two at “The Big Story” writers conference in Van Nuys CA in February, but the schedule is still firming up. One thing for certain. I can be found on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month hosting or co-hosting the Writers Tricks of the Trade show at Blog Talk Radio. Check http://writerstricksofthetrade.blogspot.com for schedules and also for links to the bi-monthly eZine. All shows and issues of the eZine will be archived. I’m constantly adding new appearances, and try to keep them up-to-date on my personal website, www.morganstjames-author.com and my blog http://morgan-stjames.blogspot.com. For more about the Silver Sisters, visit www.silversistersmysteries.com.
FUN QUESTION: What do you like better, Goodwill or Gucci, and why?
PHYLLICE: I shop at Goodwill all the time. Some of my coolest clothes come from there. Just a few weeks ago I found the neatest cotton sweater with a scene on the front of a black cat looking out a window at a bird and on the back you saw the bird’s view looking in at the cat. I would never, ever, buy anything Gucci…but then Morgan wouldn’t be caught dead wearing my cute cat sweater.
MORGAN: I love clothes! I always try to be in style and love dressing up. I also enjoy sharp casual clothes. Makeup, hair, nails, it’s all important to me. Hmm. I’m starting to sound like Godiva! When I met my husband, I didn’t own a pair of flat shoes, except for a pair of Reeboks. The first time I visited Phyllice in Alaska, she said to bring boots. Okay, I did. They had three inch heels and really didn’t work that well in the snow! But the did work for a scene in Terror in a Teapot. Okay, okay, I’m really not as selfish as Godiva and although I lived two houses outside of Beverly Hills, it wasn’t on a magnificent estate.
What are the addresses of your website(s) and blog(s):
http://www.bradnerartstudio.com
http://silversistersmysteries.wordpress.com
http://www.morganstjames-author.com
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Heidi M. Thomas 