Author Interview with Kim Janine Ligon

Please join me in welcoming Kim Janine Ligon, author of Polly’s List. I’m always happy to share a new cozy mystery, but learning about the inspiration behind the story is a bonus. My characters have definitely kept me awake at night. But I’m wondering how common it is for characters to appear in authors’ dreams.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Title: Polly’s List

Author: Kim Janine Ligon

Genre: Cozy Mystery/ Romance

BLURB:

CJ Reynolds couldn’t wait to escape his hometown. He’s loving his bachelor life as a software developer in California. So much so that he hasn’t been back in years to see the grandmother who raised him.

Mikal Benson believes her small town is perfect for raising her son, Will, alone. When Mikal finds her neighbor, Polly Rogers, sprawled on the floor in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life, she calls Polly’s grandson—CJ Reynolds—and insists he must come home. Now!

From her coma, Polly whispers three words that change everything. Did she fall or was she pushed? CJ, Mikal, and Will form an unlikely team coming together to discover the truth as danger engulfs them and love transforms them into a family.

INTERVIEW:

What was the inspiration behind your latest release? 

Shortly after I retired, I got a spinning wheel and taught myself to spin. I spent hours sitting at the wheel creating beautiful yarn from the fiber I’d purchased. I had the shutters open so I could look out on the yard and the cul de sac beyond it. It was my catbird seat where I could observe the world outside virtually unnoticed. My ideas started turning and I began creating Polly’s story; a woman looking out the window while spinning who sees something she shouldn’t and it makes her a target for a murderer. 

Where do you get your ideas? 

I am an observer. I’m always watching people in restaurants or out in public and creating their back stories. My husband says my stories about them are probably more interesting than the people really are. Frequently, I’ll have observed something and then later a character will appear in my dreams reminding me that they have a story to tell. At first, I ignored the dream appearances, but my creations have been endowed with my gift of persistence and they don’t just make one appearance. Eventually, I realized that they knew what they were talking about. I’ve even changed a character’s name based on their dream protests about their inappropriate moniker.

Do ideas for plot or characters come first?

I’d say they usually arrive almost simultaneously. While I thought of the plot for this book while spinning, I’d had a character’s name, Mikal Benson, in mind for a long time wanting her to be a major part of one of my books.

How many hours do you dedicate each day towards writing?

I guess, I’m supposed to say I have a schedule and I never miss a day of writing something. I don’t. I am most productive in the morning after the necessary stretching exercises to keep the arthritis in my back at bay. But I have lots of creative pursuits that vie for my attention. I create buildings for my husband’s model railroad layout. I spin, weave, knit, crochet, and read lots of books from classics to other Wild Rose authors. I tend to be a little streaky. If I’m on a roll with a story, I’ll write instead of anything else. If I’m finishing Christmas gifts I may be weaving and spinning exclusively. I find that my other pursuits help me think through character development and plot points. Then when I sit down to write everything flows more easily.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Hah! See my last answer. I need more hours in the day. I guess I’m a little greedy. I want it all. I want to be a published author and still be able to create unique things for the people I love. Thank goodness I don’t also have to juggle my day job any longer. My other challenge to being an author is figuring out the marketing side of the business, but I don’t appear to be alone in that.

What project are you currently working on? 

I just finished my second novel. Another cozy mystery set in Lansdale, Wisconsin. “Landing On Her Feet” will be out 7/3/2023. I’m very excited that “Polly’s List” will have a book sibling. I have multiple other books in progress and am trying to decide which one to focus on next. And I still have over twenty building kits to paint and construct for my patient, sweet husband’s railroad layout. And I have six tubs of fiber waiting for someone to spin it into something exquisite. I have plenty of projects to keep me off the streets and out of trouble!   

AUTHOR BIO:

Kim Ligon has been writing stories for most of her life—some on paper and some only in her head. She has lots of source material growing up as the oldest child in a large family in a small town in Wisconsin. Her father was a veterinarian so there were not only lots of children around, but all manner of house pets and farm animals too. Her love of reading comes from her mother who was seldom seen sitting down without a book in her hand. After a demanding career in healthcare information technology, she is now getting to do all the creative things she loves which includes writing her stories to share with you. She lives with her chief encourager and personal romantic hero, her husband of almost forever, in Alabama. Please follow her further adventures at www.spinningromance.com

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Website

Amazon

Goodreads

BookBub

Email: KimJanine@spinningromance.com

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble