An Interview with Misty Simon
Misty is nothing if not busy as an author. Her various mystery series include the Sunny Side Up mysteries, the Charmed Inn mysteries, the Horsing Around mysteries, and the Tallie Graver mysteries. Her latest book, Abracadavered, the seventh installment in the Tallie Graver series, releases on October 18 of this year.
As well, she is a longtime member of the Pennwriters group, for which she is the 2027 conference co-chair. She’s also a longtime member of Sisters in Crime, where she regularly hosts an evening write-in group called the Dicers. Misty lives in Mechanicsburg, PA. You can reach her at mistysimon.wordpress.com.
Misty Simon was interviewed by BWG member Dianna Sinovic
Bethlehem Writers Group: In person, you seem to be a natural storyteller. Did you come by that instinctively, or was someone in your family your inspiration?
Misty Simon: I am absolutely surrounded by storytellers! Many of my family can make almost anything intriguing, and I love it. It started with my grandfather, though, and he’s always been a huge inspiration to me.
BWG: How easy was it to transform that oral storytelling talent into writing fiction?
MS: I tend to write like I talk, which makes it easier now, but I didn’t start out that way. At the beginning, I tried hard to follow all the rules people kept telling me. Those earlier books were still really good reads and I love them, but once I truly leaned into my voice, things popped faster and brighter.
BWG: You started out your fiction writing career in romance (because you were reading mostly romance novels). What triggered your eventual move into mystery, in particular, cozy mystery? Do you incorporate elements of romance into your cozies?
MS: I started out wanting to write romance and trying really hard and yet my first book was a mystery! I’ve loved mysteries since I was little. I even wrote one in fifth grade and had it covered and sewn to be a book on its own. But romance was not for me ultimately because I’m just better at killing people, on the page! I do have romance in all of my books, but it’s a framework for the heroine’s journey now instead of the main story.
BWG: As well, your novels have a playful, humorous side. (Your website tag line is a little charm, a little mayhem, a lot of fun.) Why is humor important in your work?
MS: I think humor is the only way to get through life, to be honest. Scary things make me laugh. Times I should be crying, I’m usually snickering at the absurdity of what just happened. My whole family has often looked for the humor, even in the worst situations, and that has made it into my books every time.
BWG: One of your first manuscripts had seven points of view, including that of a dog. Do you still use multiple POVs? How do you decide which (first, second, third) and how many (one, several) POVs to use?
MS: Ah, yes, The Teacher’s Lesson . . . It will never see the light of day! I wrote most of my original romances in third person so that I could have both main characters’ POV in the story. Now, I typically write in first person for my mysteries because I want the reader to know only what the main sleuth knows. Plus, I’m told that if you hear me talking then go read my book, you’ll hear me telling it to you like we’re sitting in a coffee shop. I probably should apologize for that, but I have to tell you that makes my heart so happy!
BWG: Your catalog is extensive, with multiple series that you continue to add to. How do you juggle those various series to keep them all straight? Do you write more than one book at the same time? If not, how do you determine your publishing cadence?
MS: I tend to read the last book I wrote in each series before starting the next one. In that way, I can get a feel for the voice, the characters, and the community I’ve built in that particular series. I do not write more than one book at a time, but I do jot down notes for other series if they come to me while I’m writing in a different series. Cadence completely depends on if I have deadlines for any of the series with publishers. I am trying to be better about making sure that the lag time between series installments is not as wide as it has been recently.
BWG: If that weren’t enough, you also write under the pen name Gabby Allen. How did that come about?
MS: I did write under that name and could possibly in the future, but right now, Gabby is on the shelf. At the time, Kensington had wanted to see what would happen if they put me out as a debut author with a new series. I went along with their decision even though I didn’t think it would make that big of a difference. Sales-wise, to bookstores, they did take a chance on me in a way I hadn’t expected, but then I was outed in a review and the ruse was over. People have often said that the voice was very distinctive and they knew I wasn’t a debut author, but they wondered who it was.
BWG: Do you work with a critique partner or group? If so, how has that helped your writing?
MS: I’ve had the same critique group for twenty years, and I absolutely adore them! I’m a pretty good writer on my own, but those critiquers make the books shine. Having other sets of eyes on the story makes it better and I love that!
BWG: You are also incredibly supportive of other writers, hosting an annual retreat, hosting a write-in for Sisters in Crime, and setting up an Emporium of Positivity. Why is this so important to you?
MS: I think everyone has a certain superpower and mine is encouragement. I adore tricking people into believing they can do everything, because they can. I also will hold space for people who might not be ready to embrace that just yet but will be soon enough. It’s a true pleasure and fills my well on a daily basis if people see something I’ve shared or said and it makes them believe things are possible that they’d thought weren’t. I also believe in paying it forward for the encouragement I received on this twenty-five-year journey!