Hi there, guys and dolls! Here we go again, the end of another month. I do hope you had a pleasant Easter. Yours truly certainly did. I never miss a chance to parade around in a new pastel frock and bonnet, or pass by anything chocolate. Plus those egg hunts provide such an excellent opportunity to catch a new spring beau as well! Anyhoo, that’s enough about me. Let’s talk about one of my talented writer friends, J.T. Toman. She’s the author of one of my favorite Cozy Cat Press books, PICKING LEMONS, the first in her C.J. Whitmore Mysteries series. Friends, why don’t you take a few moments out of your busy day and get to know J.T. a little better? She has some great news. Read along to find out her latest scoop.

1. So tell me a little about your series and main characters.

My mystery series is about an economics professor named C.J. Whitmore.

C.J.  is a brassy, sassy Texan, who wears hot pink cowboy boots. She works at Eaton University, a prestigious college on the east coast. Her colleagues are almost all male, often old, and extremely egotistical. What I love most about C.J. is that she says all the things I would love to say, but don’t have the self-confidence to utter.

The first book in the series is PICKING LEMONS, and the second book, OCCAM’S MURDER, is coming out soon.

2. What is your writing process like? Do you thrive on routine or work spontaneously as the whim takes you?

In my mind, I always plan to write for two hours a day, writing a minimum of 1000 words each time. However, the great thing about plans is that they can be flexible! I find that home life sometimes gets busy, and I won’t write for weeks at a time. And then things slow down and I find myself writing for hours every day.

3.What exciting moment or moments have made you realize that you were really an “author”?

I don’t think I have fully grasped that realization yet. When people ask me “what do you do?” I still fumble for an answer. Generally it is my husband who pipes up and says “my wife is an author.”

4.What do you do to spark up your creativity when you feel the well of inspiration is running dry?

When I am feeling not-so-creative, I often go to a local coffee shop and eavesdrop! It sounds so terrible when I write it down, but people say the most outrageous and surprising things. By the time I am halfway through my latte, I am surreptitiously writing notes and itching to get back to my computer to write.

5.Who are some of your favorite authors and how do you feel they have influenced your desire to write?

I have always enjoyed Agatha Christie. Her plots of her books are so clever and I love the distinctive characters of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. I also really enjoy reading Jane Austen and L.M. Montgomery. Both of those authors remind me that astute observations of everyday life has be both humorous and humbling.

My girls love those authors, too. Such great news about your second book coming out, J.T. A toast of the bubbly to you. And fellow mystery lovers, be sure to check out PICKING LEMONS on your Kindle if you haven’t already done so. You’ve probably got just enough time before OCCAM’S MURDER is ready for your voracious reading appetites.

Toodles,

Babara Jean