What is your name (the one you write under) and what genre/s do you write?
Terri Maue. I write traditional mystery. I describe it as edgy cozy, because there's not a lot of blood and gore, but my characters do swear mildly and have sex, two no-no's for a cozy.
How long have you been writing for and how did you begin your writing journey?
I’ve been writing all my life. I still recall my wonderful parents and grandparents listening to my ‘poetry’ when I was in grade school. I began my serious writing journey in high school, when I wrote teenage fantasy romances, starring myself and my friends.
Which of your characters is your favorite to write and why?
Oh, I can’t pick just one of my children! I will say that Shelby was the biggest surprise. She wasn’t even going to be in Knife Edge, but she had other ideas. And she now has an even bigger part in book two of the Zee & Rico series! Go figure.
Which of your books or series was your favorite to create and write?
Wow, that’s a hard one, too. Only Knife Edge is published so far, so I’ll have to give the award to it.
What do you do when a new idea pops up and you're still in the middle of your current book, do you chase that squirrel or complete your current project first?
I scribble down the idea in a Word doc and save it for future use. That usually works, although recently I’ve had a couple of ideas that would not let me go, but kept bothering me until I gave in and worked on them.
What do you enjoy the most about writing in your genre/s?
I enjoy creating interesting characters who struggle in pursuit of justice. I also enjoy devising a good puzzle and giving readers enough information to solve it along with the sleuth.
Tell readers something unique or fun about yourself or your writing process.
I love the dance between conscious and subconscious. I have learned to stop writing when I feel like I’m pushing. I do something else, housework, exercise, etc. In nearly every instance, at some point, an idea presents itself that moves the story forward. That’s fun.
Is there something readers can take away from your writing or characters?
I’d love to think I’m broadening my readers’ worlds. Zee, my protagonist, writes a column in which she points out bureaucratic and corporate idiocy and hypocrisy. I use her column to provide information on a topic readers might not be familiar with. Zee’s best friend is highly intuitive, and I use her character to introduce practices such as dream interpretation.
What do you know now about writing/publishing that you wish you knew when you published your first book?
Since I have published only one book so far, I’ll just say that I’m glad to know how much help a good editor is!
What advice would you give to those thinking about writing their first book?
Just write it. Give yourself permission to write terrible stuff. You can’t edit what isn’t on the page, so get the story down first, then you can revise it, strengthen it, bring it to fruition.