Author Interview—Christine DeSmet

This week my hubby and I took a drive to the Sacramento River Delta, where a series of rivers and sloughs create a complicated, interconnected artwork of water. We walked Main Street in Isleton, population 800, taking in the historic buildings, some of which begged to be adopted. Seeing all of that water reminded me of growing up with all the lakes in northern Minnesota, including Lake Superior.Lake Superior plays a role in author Christine DeSmet’s mystery novels, as you will see in this week’s interview. Christine has written numerous books, including her latest published book, Undercover Fudge, and her soon-to-be-published Holly Jolly Fudge Folly. Enjoy the interview!

About the Author

Christine DeSmet is an award-winning author, scriptwriter, and writing coach and past Distinguished Faculty Associate of writing at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She writes the Fudge Shop Mystery series and the Mischief in Moonstone novella series. She is a member of Blackbird Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Writers Guild of America East, Wisconsin Writers Association, and Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.

Interview

Who or what inspires you to write?

I’m inspired by nature as well as writers that I work with. For my own books, the rugged beauty of northern Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Superior and across the state to the east—Door County, Wisconsin—always seem to tell me about characters and plots for my books and novellas. My books focus on humor and kind relationships, and that comes from the many nice people I’ve met in the geographic areas of my books.

I think nature is inspiring for many writers, and some of my best writing has come from nature. What is the best thing that has happened because of your writing?

Meeting readers and other writers and traveling! The human connection is fun and it has inspired my traveling, which maybe I wouldn’t have done so extensively if I weren’t a writer. The great new relationships have happened in many conferences and contests sponsored by organizations across the country. I’ve also visited places coast to coast because of my writing, including cities and wonderful places on the Gulf of Mexico and those around Lakes Michigan and Superior.

Travel expands our minds, hearts, and worlds, and I think that shows in our writing. What is the most difficult thing you have experienced about writing or publishing?

The most difficult thing is not being distracted by all the expectations an agent or editor might have for you. A writer can spend too much money and waste a lot of time on things that have little or no value or return. I tell writers to even question whether they need bookmarks, which often end up in the trash after a conference is done.

It’s so easy to get distracted with the demands on our time and money, of which there are many. Was there anything you didn’t do during your writing or publishing journey that you wish you had?

I wish I’d known more about social media when I started writing my two series. The Fudge Shop Mystery Series is celebrating 10 years this month (September 2023 with First-Degree Fudge). When I was first with Penguin Random House, they helped us sign up for blogs by maybe 15 or 20 people such as yourself, but the help ended there for the most part. To their credit, PRH instituted a lot more education for writers in the intervening 10 years, which is wonderful for us writers working with them. A lot has changed with social media in 10 years, but writers are now more than ever in charge of their marketing and those expenses.

Ah yes, social media, the broker of many authors’ love-hate relationships. You mentioned you have a publisher, do you also have an agent?

I have two publishers and now two agents. Penguin Random House still sells my first three Fudge Shop Mystery books, and Writers Exchange E-Publishing published my most recent three as ebooks and paperbacks, including the forthcoming Holly Jolly Fudge Folly. Agent John Talbot has been mighty fun to work with in selling the Fudge Shop Mystery Series. For a new series that is quite different and yet under wraps, I’ve hired Carol Woien of Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

How wonderful! Many writers struggle to get just one of those, and you have four! In which genre(s) do you like to write, and why?

I like mystery and suspense, and that includes light/humorous romantic suspense. I love puzzles. Sometimes while writing a book I have no idea who the perpetrator is until I get to the climax. It’s fun to write puzzles. I also focus on humor, and the mystery and suspense genres allow me to do wacky fun things at times, but everything I write is based on events or people I’ve heard about or witnessed over the years or researched. My books focus a lot on the local cultures of the geographic locations, so readers can become “armchair travelers” when reading my novels. If they travel to my locations they can experience real places as well; I always tuck in real villages, real markets, true history, and geographic elements on my pages.

Your books sound like a lot of fun. Do you outline them before you start writing?

I do a rudimentary outline using the classic five plot points of any novel or screenplay. Those are: Inciting Incident, Plot Point 1 (first big decision), Midpoint Crisis, Plot Point 2 (big decision to take on the climax), Climax/Resolution.

It’s interesting the different ways authors use outlines, which can all be successful. How do you define success as a writer?

Success is being happy for your characters and doing right by them and your readers. That requires writing the best adventure you possibly can and getting beta-test readers to weed out as many mistakes and over-used words you possibly can before publication. Success means doing your very best with each book.

That’s a great definition, and something every author can determine for themselves, without outside measurements. If you could have lunch with any author, who would it be?

I would have loved to meet Pulitzer-winner Larry McMurtry for lunch. He’s gone now, but his winning book Lonesome Dove changed something in me years ago. That book has everything in it—touches of every genre in the tale about the last, great cattle drive in our country. Recently I’ve been reading the wonderful nonfiction autobiographical/memoir books by Marc Hamer, How to Catch a Mole, and Seed to Dust, and recently—Spring Rain. They are very short books and beautifully written about this man who became a gardener-for-hire in Wales. He writes with eloquence about what nature has taught him about humans and himself. He had a tough childhood and his books show how you can triumph even if you’re a kid sleeping under a bush at night. I highly recommend his books for memoir writers as well as novelists.

Lonesome Dove is an incredible book, and I don’t usually like western books like that. It’s a wonderful adventure. Tell us about a great adventure you’ve had.

One of my greatest adventures was going to see the Grand Canyon by walking out on the glass skywalk on the Hualapai Reservation in Arizona. You look through the glass beneath your feet—and one mile down is the bottom of the canyon. Some people freeze with terror in the middle of this glass walk and have to be helped back to land. I managed to walk around the oval-shaped perimeter. I’ll never forget the feeling of suspension, of almost flying over the canyon, and the unique fear running through my body, as well as the triumph of doing something that daring. The skywalk is 120 miles east of Las Vegas and worth the trip.

That is something I would love to experience some day. I’ve had some fantastic experiences at the Grand Canyon—including getting married there—but the glass skywalk is still on my bucket list. Christine, thank you so much for sharing some of your experiences with us!

Readers, you can find out more about Christine and her books at her website, www.christinedesmet.com.

Undercover FudgeCandy shop owner Ava Oosterling has her hands full when her best friend, Pauline Mertens, takes a summer job as a wedding coordinator for a wedding happening in the back yard of Ava’s Blue Heron Inn. Then the sheriff informs Ava a band of thieves may have targeted this wedding—and Pauline’s mother is associated with the thieves.

Forthcoming Holly Jolly Fudge Folly

Ava Oosterling has more troubles than a sleigh full of toys this holiday season after Grandpa steals a snowplow and buries a car with snow on Main Street—a car that holds a dead man inside. Ava has her hands full defending Grandpa before he’s to play Santa Claus in the big holiday parade. When vandals strike the historic candy shop and someone leaves Ava for dead in the snow, it may take the magical help of Santa’s elves to solve the holiday folly.

Readers, are you craving fudge after reading this interview? I am!