Anne: One of my favorite "jobs" is interviewing authors, finding out what makes them tick. Today, D.A. Featherling, author of It Adds Up to Murder, will help us solve the mystery of who Ms. Featherling really is. To read a review of It Adds Up, click HERE.
Good morning, D.A. How did you come up with the idea for It Adds Up to Murder?
D.A.: I wanted to present something fresh, plot-wise, that hadn't been done before. One day the thought popped into my mind...'I've never read a book
where the protagonist was a temporary worker." That led to what could happen if the worker encountered murder every time she changed jobs. I wanted another quirk...so I decided, for each book in the series, to have an office machine or an office procedure be the murder weapon or the reason for the murder. Thus the series title It's Murder at the Office." This is Book 1 in that series.
Anne: How long did it take you to write it and get it ready for publication?
D.A.: Mmmm...it probably took about three or four months to write, then another couple to re-write/finalize. Getting it ready for publication was the fastest part. Since it was my first book, it took about three weeks. I think the first time is always slowest.
Anne: Wow--I'm sitting here with my mouth hanging open. Only three or four months to write a book--that's amazing! What was the easiest part to write?
D.A.: Probably the middle and the end. Once I got the opening the way it needed to be, the rest flowed fairly easily.
Anne: And what was the hardest?
D.A.: The opening was tough, because I had originally put the murder in the fifth
chapter--way too late according to my critiquers--so I had to re-write several times to move the murder closer to the beginning, yet still be able to include certain other information in those initial pages.
Anne: Did you ever experience writer's block? How did you get past it?
D.A.: So far, I can't say I've really had writer's block. Sometimes my other commitments and just life have kept me from writing as steadily as I'd like. If I seem to be stuck on where to go in the story, I sit down and think (and pray) and try to mentally plot out where the story needs to go, then start writing. So far, that's worked.
Anne: Why do you write?
D.A.: You know, the original reason I started writing was because reading has served as a temporary escape throughout the problems and crises in my life. I believe if I can write a book enjoyed by a reader to give them a respite from their life issues, and, when they close the cover of the book, they're smiling, I'll have done a very good thing.
Anne: Would you like to tell us about your next book?
D.A.: My 'next book' actually came out just a few weeks ago. It's a romantic comedy called Sauce for the Goose about a single mom who goes to extraordinary lengths to save her son from a disastrous relationship. Of course there will be a Book 2 in the It's Murder at the Office series, but since I write in multiple genres, the publication order of my novels isn't following a rigid pattern. I have five others written. I just need to do some editing, then publish.
Anne: Where can people find your books and in what media?
D.A.: Both my books are available from Amazon.com in Kindle and Softcover editions; and of course, you can order them through a bookstore. My website, www.dafeatherling.com has links to Amazon and also gives more information about me and my writing journey.
Anne: Well, thank you for coming by today and sharing your life with us. I wish you huge success with all your books, and God bless!
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