The Marvelous Mitzi Kelly
Author Mitzi Kelly loves mysteries of all types and that’s the genre she’s having the most fun with. However, she began by writing romance – which is her second love. She was halfway through a romance manuscript when she got the idea for her Silver Sleuths Mystery Series. She had to stop the romance because her heroine and hero kept getting involved in the mystery plot rambling around in Mitzi’s brilliantly imaginative mind. Now she’s writing both mystery and romance, and she has learned to keep the two separate!Mitzi is a fun and vivacious person, and it shines through in her writing. In addition to being a talented storyteller, she is also a very supportive friend. I’m a huge fan of both Mitzi the Woman and Mitzi the Author!
We’re having a little tête-à-tête here at Novel Reads today. Eavesdrop on our chinwag and get to know Mitzi better!
Sofia: Mitzi, since our conversation is taking place on the blog floor, tell me what you’ve published so far.
Mitzi: The first two books in my Silver Sleuths Mystery Series, “Classic Revenge” and “Deadly Policy”, have been published by Avalon Books. The series started in 2010 with “Classic Revenge” and “Deadly Policy” has just been released.
Sofia: Congratulations! I can’t wait to read “Deadly Policy”! You’ve been an officially published author for quite some time now. But how do you deal with rejection from agents and publishers?
Mitzi: I’ve been very fortunate to not let it bother me. I honestly don’t take it personally, knowing that there are so many books out there. I’ve never gotten one of those “you write like crap” letters so I just keep plugging along. I do not take rejection as rejection.
Sofia: That’s an excellent attitude! Now, what about book covers and titles? How important do you think they are, and did you have a say in yours?
Mitzi: I think they are extremely important. Regardless of how the books are displayed, it’s the first thing that is going to capture a reader’s attention. I chose the titles for my first two books which Avalon accepted, but I don’t have a say in the book covers. Fortunately, Avalon uses very talented artists who develop the covers based on the premise of each book.
Sofia: Speaking of the premise of a book… do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Mitzi: When I first started writing, I developed detailed outlines, chapter by chapter. But when I found my characters starting to take over and change the original plot, I came up with a happy medium. I do a basic outline of the whole book and then do a more detailed one for only the chapter I’m working on. Saves a ton of paper!
Sofia: So what are you working on while simultaneously saving paper (and the planet) at the moment?
Mitzi: I’m working on the third installment of the series – title to be determined. I’m also working on the first book in a romance trilogy. Almost done!
Sofia: For me the words “almost done” are a little tinged with apprehension when used in context to my writing because it means something I’ve written will soon be heading off to an editor. How does it make you feel when you hand your work over to an editor?
Mitzi: A great sense of relief! Then I battle the ‘anxiously awaiting’ for a response by immediately starting to work on something else. Time can go by so slow when you’re waiting for an opinion from your editor!
Sofia: Oh yes! Time moves at a snail’s languid pace when I’m waiting to hear from an editor. But that’s enough about editing (I’m getting nervous tremors just thinking about the editing process and my current project isn’t even near the editing stage). Tell me what you think the future holds for you as a writer, Mitzi.
Mitzi: I’m going to combine what I think and what I hope together. In the near future, I plan to be writing full time with the ongoing Silver Sleuths series, romance novels and a family saga. They say positive thinking always works, don’t they?
Sofia: They certainly do, which reminds me I have to keep that in mind. I’m sort of a hope for the best but prepare for the worst kind of person when it comes to my writing. Anyway, out of pure selfishness, I won’t keep you any longer – I need you to get cracking on those future brilliant books of yours so I’ll have something fantastic to read when I’m done with “Deadly Policy”. I just have one last question; what is your favorite quote?
Mitzi: I’ve got an old favorite – “The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.”
Sofia: That’s one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard!