Meet Joanna Campbell Slan @JoannaSlan Author of Tuesday Trash and Trouble #RLFblog #CozyMystery

Set in 1986, Joanna Campbell Slan’s latest cozy mystery Tuesday Trash and Trouble–features a down-on-her-luck divorcée whose passion for solving crimes lands her in the arms of a secretive cowboy–and the cross-hairs of a vengeful killer.

Joanna, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about your book.

Tuesday Trash and Trouble: Book #3 in the Friday Night Mystery Club Series by Joanna Campbell Slan

Genre: Cozy mystery

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG

The year is 1986, the place is…pitiful. It’s Decatur, Illinois, known for high unemployment, striking unions, the pervasive stink of soybean processing, and seven railroad crossings at one intersection. A wrong turn along life’s marital highway has left Catherine “Cragan” Collins stuck in Decatur. With a mountain of post-divorce bills to pay, Cragan takes a job selling high-priced newspaper advertising. If she’s lucky, her commissions will cover the cost of her grandmother’s stay in a nearby retirement home.

After the divorce, Cragan swears off men, but she’s a sucker for a guy in a nice suit. She falls hard for a man who publicly snubs her. On the rebound, she accepts an invitation from Ross Gentry, a quiet hunk who favors pearl snaps and cowboy boots. Cragan reasons that her heart is safe, because she and Ross come from two different worlds. But one night in his arms might be enough to prove her wrong. Without warning, everything blows up in Cragan’s face. Her boss threatens to take away her accounts, a friend’s little sister is kidnapped, and an overnight guest is shot. Cragan’s best friend, Pru, is accused of attempted murder. After all, Pru’s gun was used in the crime.

Cragan calls an emergency meeting of the Friday Night Mystery Club. These mystery-loving career women are a group of smart cookies. Can they combine talents to prove that Pru is innocent? And will they find an answer in time to save Cragan from the wrath of a vengeful shooter?

It takes a club to solve a mystery!

Tell us about yourself as a person.

What makes you different from other people?

I am weird. I love anything creative, and I am totally crafty. Last week, a friend returning from Ethiopia brought me a bag of coffee inside a fabric sack. The coffee is nice, but I’m over-the-moon about the sack, as it is a woven material that’s unique. I’ve turned it into a dress for a doll I made. Today, someone sent us a gift from Harry & David. I don’t care about the fruit, but I’m wild about the gold foil that a pear was wrapped in. I can’t wait to use it in a craft!

What is your personality type?

My astrology sign is Cancer, and my Myers Briggs personality is INFJ, which is the rarest type. Put that together and you get someone who would rather be alone than socialize, who wants to inspire, who is quiet and and idealistic. That’s me to a “T.”

What was your favorite childhood game?

I loved making fairy houses in the roots of a nearby maple tree. I made beds and dishes and all sorts of furniture. (Notice I was playing alone! An early indicator of the future me.)

What is your favorite subject to talk about?

Either my dog, Jax, or Steinway pianos. My husband has sold Steinway pianos for more than 40 years, and I love the romantic lore surrounding the brand. Jax is a purebred Havanese, and he’s my best friend. Everybody loves Jax! He’s always cheerful, smart, and great company.

What is your favorite book?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I love it so much that I wrote a series as a sequel, and the first book (Death of a Schoolgirl) won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Literary Excellence.

Tell us about yourself as a writer.

What made you want to be a writer?

I grew up in a chaotic home with two alcoholic parents. Early on, I learned to live in my head. Books were the only way to escape, and they offered me a roadmap for living a better life than what I was exposed to. (Yes, I ended a sentence with a preposition.)

What are your favorite books for writing advice?

William Zinsser’s Writing to Learn was a game-changer for me. Zinsser explains that writing is a method of exploring an idea. Rather than thinking you have to know everything before you sit down to write, he suggests you start and allow yourself to ask questions along the way. Writing is a process, not a product. Once you accept that, you’ll never have writer’s block. You’ll always approach a blank page with a sense of excitement and wonder.

What’s your best advice for a new writer?

Keep writing, even when you don’t feel like it. I write almost every day. (Usually I take one day off on the weekends.) The best marketing tool you’ll ever have is your next book. The best learning tool will be your next book. The more you write, the better you’ll get. (Okay, some people might NOT get better. LOL) If you listen to your critics, and study your craft, you’re bound to improve.

What are your writing goals for the next year or so?

If I keep on pace, I’ll write six books this year, just as I did last year. I think I can do the same next year. This year, I was blessed with my first grandchild, and he’s been a happy interruption and priority for me. Next year, I might tackle some of the books I’ve been contemplating that aren’t part of the various series I’m currently fleshing out.

Where to buy Tuesday, Trash and Trouble: Book #3 in the Friday Night Mystery Club Series

Publisher Spot On Publishing

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9T64ZNY/

Joanna Campbell Slan Social Media

New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author Joanna Campbell Slan has written more than 70 books, both fiction and non-fiction. A firm believer that it’s never too late to have a happy childhood, she lives on a nearly deserted island off the coast of Florida. Her motto is borrowed from Emily Dickinson, “Dwell in Possibilities.” After all, who would guess you could make a living by telling stories that aren’t true?
Website https://joannacampbellslan.com/
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Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Joanna-Campbell-Slan/e/B001IR3DK8
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