Author Interview with Marc Jedel

Q. What got you interested in writing?

Like most authors, I’ve always loved to read. As a child, I had a special notebook for my stories. When I was young, I even got in trouble for my writing. I carved my name into a wood side-table. I tried to pin the blame on my sister, who clearly had tried to get me in trouble AGAIN. This felt like a winning argument until my mother pointed out that my sister couldn’t write yet.

Q. What genres do you write in?

My first book, Uncle and Ants, is a cozy mystery. My second book, Chutes and Ladder (coming soon), is also a cozy. By process of elimination, I’ve concluded I’m a cozy mystery writer.

Q. What drew you to writing in these specific genres?

On a vacation, I picked up my wife’s copy of a Janet Evanovich novel. She got mad when I didn’t return it until I’d finished. My wife that is, not Janet. Janet would be happy that I’ve purchased a number of her other books and even consulted her How I Write book when I started writing.

Q. How did you break into the field?

I feel like my entire professional life in marketing has been about writing fiction. We just called them ads and emails. After wanting to write a book for many years, I finally focused on it. Lots of work, walks with the wife and dog, and drafts have led me to having my first novel published.

Q. What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

I want them to laugh and enjoy spending time with my characters. There may be some deep, meaningful themes incorporated in my stories, but they got there by accident. It’s a fun, light story about a good guy, who thinks he wants his sister safe and his firecracker, eye-rolling nieces out of his apartment so he can get back to normal. He doesn’t realize it, but he really wants more out of life — more ties to family, more friends, and perhaps a new relationship.

Q. What do you find most rewarding about writing?

Hearing crazy stories from readers about their own dogs, cats, dads, uncles, siblings, etc. I love that readers find something in my stories that makes them laugh, or remember something, and then share that with me.

Q. Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?

I like to think I’m endlessly fascinating. However, normal people might enjoy learning that the ice cream truck story that finishes chapter two is completely true. The rest is only loosely based on reality except where I’ve exaggerated, made it up or falsified memories to fit the story.

Q. Any last comments?

Now’s a great time to read Uncle and Ants (available on Amazon and free via Kindle Unlimited) because Chutes and Ladder, book 2 in the Silicon Valley Mystery series, will be released soon. Read the first chapter of either book free, learn more about the author or books, and find out about special offers at www.marcjedel.com.