Featured Interview With Kelly Rey
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in New Jersey, which provides a fertile garden from which to pluck the eccentric characters in my books. Along with the famed and charming Jersey accent (“Can I have a glass of wooder, please?”) I developed an abiding love for animals and have shared my life with cats, dogs, birds, fish, a guinea pig and even a turtle. Happily, at least one of them always seems to want to spend the day in the office with me, although they don’t add much in the way of editorial input.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved to read my entire life, and still do. In fact, I’ve usually got two going at the same time, one in paperback or hardcover, and another on my Kindle. I remember my most prized possession was my library card; growing up, I spent a lot of time browsing the stacks. Side note, donate those unwanted books to your local library! I started writing in second grade, and had the incredible good fortune of having an encouraging, wonderful teacher who cemented my love for the craft. Thank you, Mrs. Gray.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have two loves when it comes to favorite genres: medical thrillers and cozy mysteries. I have quite a few favorite authors, because there are so many really gifted writers. They all inspire me in different ways, whether in their plotting skills, or their facility with description or dialogue, or just plain old storytelling prowess. Among them, Sue Grafton, Ed McBain, Robert B. Parker, Tess Gerritsen, Robin Cook, Laura Levine, Leslie Meier, Jana DeLeon, Mary Kay Andrews, Janet Evanovich, Lisa Lutz, Lisa Scottoline, Freida McFadden.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Death by Diamonds is the sixth installment in the Jamie Winters Mysteries. This time, the confidence-challenged Jamie and her sidekick, the fiercely independent, no-filter teenaged Maizy are trying to solve the murder of Jamie’s landlord/sort-of boyfriend’s college girlfriend who shows up dead on his patio. The title went through a few iterations, and the manuscript went through quite a few more. Truth be told, it kicked like a mule pretty much the whole time I was writing it, which took about seventeen years longer than my average book. Sometimes your characters just don’t want to do what you want them to, and they tell you so in no uncertain terms.
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