Welcome Gayle Trent!

This month I have the pleasure to present Gayle Trent, the mystery author.

Enjoy her interview!

Interview with Gayle Trent, the author of Murder Takes the Cake

Tell us about yourself first.

When did you start writing?

I've been writing since I was in high school. I've always loved storytelling.

What genres have you written?

Cozy mystery, romantic suspense and romantic comedy.

Is Murder Takes the Cake your current book?

Tell us about it. What is it about?

When Daphne Martin turned 40, she reevaluated her life and decided she wanted a do-over. She left her job in Tennessee and moved back home to Virginia to pursue a career as a cake decorator. Unfortunately, she finds her first client dead. Daphne then has to find out what happened to the client and clear herself--and her baking--of any wrongdoing.

What inspired you to write this book?

The cake decorating aspect came from my daughter and me taking a cake decorating class together. We had so much fun! The turning 40 part is, I suppose, an aspect of my own do-over. Although I started earlier than 40 when my children were in preschool, I decided to leave my full-time job and write from home so I could be home for them. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took about six months to write.

Who is the publisher of your book?

Bell Bridge Books, a subsidiary of Belle Books. The book has also been accepted for publication in large print by both Thorndike and BBC Audiobooks.

Where is it on sale?

Here's an Amazon link, complete with reader reviews. :-)

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Takes-Cake-Gayle-Trent/dp/0980245362/gaysblo-20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248194425&sr=8-1

Tell us about your other books/work.

The sequel to Murder Takes the Cake, called Dead Pan, is due to be released in November, 2009. I'm also working on an embroidery mystery series for NAL/Penguin under the pseudonym Amanda Lee.

What are the major challenges that you have faced in your career?

Major challenges right now are writing mysteries in two different locations with two very different characters. I recently found myself getting the town names confused between books. "No, wait, this character is in Brea Ridge, not Tallulah Falls." :-)

Has the Internet helped you in your writing career?

Definitely!

How?

For one thing, it makes it easier to reach more people. Blog tours are the best!

Plus, it makes researching so much handier. Instead of having to stop what I'm doing, I can click from my Word program into the Internet, find what I'm looking for and go right back into the story with minimal interruption. For example, while working on Dead Pan, I needed to know if there was a recipe "out there" for guinea pig cookies (for guinea pigs, not made from!). I clicked over to my browser window, typed "guinea pig cookies" into the search bar and within seconds had a recipe for cavy biscuits. Who knew?! Which is another thing that makes the Internet so much fun.

What do you advise new writers to do?

Read the genre they're interested in writing. For instance, when my agent pitched my first three chapters of the embroidery mystery to the editor, the editor said she liked it but didn't love it. I needed to revise it to make her love it in order for her to buy the book. I asked my agent who the editor had published recently. With two names in hand, I went to the bookstore and bought two books. I read them and found they were more descriptive than my own books. I went back, added more description and gave the heroine a bit more spunk, and the book sold. Sometimes you have to be flexible.

Thank you!

Thank you, Liana. It's a pleasure to visit you on your blog!