Author Interview – Paula Boyd

 

What else do you do to make money, other than write? It is rare today for writers to be full time… I am one of the rarities. I think the statistics are that 1 in 100,000 authors makes a living writing. My guess is the number is probably even bigger given that there were over a quarter million indie books published last year. I am probably a bit unique in that I have fiction and nonfiction books—four currently in print and two in the words. I have additional things related to nonfiction book. I do private life and relationship coaching, workshops and motivational speaking. Still, I fit the definition of a full-time writer.

Who designed the cover? The covers for Hot Enough to Kill and Dead Man Falls, the second book in the series, were done by my daughter when she was fifteen. I’d paid two different “pros” to do the first edition covers and I hated them. So, I gave her some general ideas and she came up with the covers you see today. I’ve considered updating them—and may at some point—but they have an identifiable theme, which I like and I’m kind of emotionally attached as well. She did Turkey Ranch Road Rage in 2010, but now that she’s a hot shot designer and developer for a company in Denver, she doesn’t have time for my little projects. Yes, I could go all Lucille on her and see how she liked some motherly guilt, but she seems immune to that sort of thing. So, I guess I better come up with a better plan for getting a cover for Killer Moves.

What would you love to produce in your life? Well, I don’t actually want to produce it, but I would love to have the Jolene books turned into movies. Although, I have to say, we need to do a much better job than One for the Money. I loved the Janet Evanovich novel, and Katherine Heigl is great, but that movie did not do justice to the characters, the book or the talent. My characters are over the top and the Texas setting adds a different flavor—one reviewer called it Carl Hiaasen Does Texasville, which is pretty cool since my little Holliday and Larry McMurtry’s Archer City were big rivals back in the day. Yep, a movie would be fabulous, and it has to be fun and funny and good!

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax? After two years of full-time writing—and by full time I mean 12-16 hours a day—I was ready to combust. So, I decided to spend December in Florida at the beach. Oh, it was glorious! Of course, I didn’t totally play while I was there, I worked most every day and even held a 3-day personal development workshop for women while I was at it. Okay, it may not sound like relaxing, but for me it was! Sometimes after I’ve been writing all day, I’ll go sit in front of the TV and watch a movie or something before bed. Since it is almost midnight as I finish this interview, I’ll probably hop in the tub and do a math puzzle to decompress—or perhaps totally confuse—my brain. I am going out of town this weekend for a break too, so that’s good. And, I love getting out on the lake whenever possible too. Oh, the ocean and the beach are still calling me!

 

Book 1–The 1st Jolene Jackson Mystery
REVISED EDITION–July 19, 2012

Kickapoo, Texas, is the last place Jolene Jackson wants to be, but with her 72-year-old mother’s boyfriend murdered and Mother Dearest locked up because of it, she’s got little choice but to head south and deal with it.

Bullets are flying, chicken’s frying and there’s a lunatic on the loose in the mesquites with a shotgun who’s Hot Enough to Kill.
An excerpt is included in The University of Texas Press’ title, Lone Star Sleuths–An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction

REVIEWS

“Don’t Mess with Texas! You’ll laugh your way from Kickapoo to Redwater Falls and back.” — Linda Huntley Wills, Redbook

“This is a wild ride with thrills, chills and laughs galore. Highly Recommended.” — Editor, I *Love* a Mystery

“…makes for fast, fun summer reading.” — Nancy Cook-Senn, Shawnee Escort
“Anyone who enjoys the works of Janet Evanovich or Joan Hess is going to love Ms. Boyd.” — Toby Bromberg, Romantic Times

“…a terrific mystery, sharply drawn, cleverly plotted, dynamically presented, and pure sleuthing entertainment from first page to last.” — Wisconsin Bookwatch

“The mystery genre has witnessed an abundance of female sleuths, but none quite like Jolene Jackson and her mother, Lucille.” — Argus Observer

5 Stars and 5+ Laughs! Has to be film adapted. Would make a delightful audiobook. ” …a hoot and a half of rollicking good mystery! The best dang novel I’ve read all year!” — Leann Arndt, The Midwest Book Review

“Carl Hiaasen meets Texasville! …a must read for your Sherlock funny bone.” — Judi Clark, Mostly Fiction

“… comedic characters you’ll just love. …a humor you can’t resist. I can’t remember the last time that I read a book as light and refreshing as this.” — Pamela Stone, My Shelf

“This first entry of an apparent series will leave readers loudly laughing at the antics of Jolene and her mother. Hot Enough to Kill is a tongue-in-cheek look at relationships and amatuer sleuthing. Still, the mystery has a character of its own that adds to a wonderful plot. If this tale is any example, Paula Boyd has a long running series that will provide much pleasure to fans.” — Harriet Klausner

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery & Thriller / Women Sleuth

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Paula Boyd on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://paulaboyd.com/