Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies by Nancy Naigle

When writing a story, what do you like to give the most importance to: the buildup of romance, the witty dialogue, the HEA, the interesting characters, etc? I think readers feel the joy that we had writing them while they read them. We had to do a lot of prework so that when the time came to get down to the art of writing we had a strong structure to work from.

I learned a lot about plotting in general working on those books. She’s kind to the core and makes me laugh. Working with Kelsey on the Seasoned Southern Sleuth Series (aka The Granny Series) was a hoot. What was it like working with Kelsey Browning and what sorts of things did you learn from this collab? I loved the friendship between her and Maeve. It’s hard to lose a spouse-to unbraid yourself from the couple you grew to be, and to step forward without the love of your life. It took a few years before I was strong enough to actually write the story, but those characters and that story was in my heart for years. It came to me following the difficult period after I lost my husband. The Shell Collector is the book of my heart. What did you enjoy most about writing the book 'The Shell Collector'? What are some ways in which you can relate to the main character of this book?

It was the same length story, but I knew the hero and heroine so well since they were the stars of OUT OF FOCUS too…that it was a joy and pleasure to write. I think Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies probably was the shortest write.

With it being my debut novel there were a lot of lessons learned there. Which of the books in the Adams Grove book series took the shortest and longest to write? I didn’t keep count of the number of rewrites, but I’d guess it had to be over twenty. How many times did you have to revise your debut novel before it was finally published? I had no idea it would one day become my career.

My initial goal was to write one book to help one gal through one bad day. When you began writing, did you ever dream of publishing more than 60 books one day? But undaunted by the rejects, I continued to hone my skills and eventually had Sweet Tea and Secrets published in 2011. That’s how I ended up with a drawer full of rejections. The first book I write was horrible, as most first books are. I worded in Corporate America and didn’t decide to write a book until the age of 40. Unlike most writers, I didn’t set out to become one. What was the first thing you ever wrote and was it good? Did you share it with anyone? As a teenager, what were you obsessed with?Ĭheerleading! I was a cheerleader for every sport, and loved the friendships built there. We lived just a block away from the library, so it’s no surprise that I was a voracious reader from the word go! Books and visits to the zoo were my favorite things to do as a kid. Tell us a few things about your early life or childhood.

Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies by Nancy Naigle