BIO:

Peg Herring lives in northern Lower Michigan and writes mysteries, both historical and contemporary. When not reading or writing, Peg loves travel and directing choral music. She and her husband also garden, mostly for the benefit of elk, deer, rabbits, and birds in the area, and work to keep their century-old farmhouse from crumbling around them.

What do you think the next big thing in the industry is?

I hear it’s mermaids, but I can’t see a mermaid solving crimes, so maybe mystery is the wrong genre for that.

Mystery has its fads, like the currently popular crafting mysteries or the amateur sleuth with an unusual job and enough zany friends to keep her life in chaos. Mystery will always have a more literary side, though: well-written stories with sympathetic characters who show us what life is all about as they try to find some kind of justice.

What genres do you think are up and coming or waning?

Honestly, I hope vampires are waning. They’ve never interested me much. It might sound odd for a writer whose series includes dead people, but I’m not into the supernatural as such. I don’t want chills down my spine, thank you very much. I want an interesting story, no matter who the protagonist is.

I think romance will always be popular. We’re endlessly intrigued by how people meet, fall in love, lose their way, and (sometimes) find the way together. Combining romance with mystery/suspense is a way to add excitement to the will-they-end-up-together question a romance poses.

What do you think of the e-book pricing wars?

E-books are great, but I dislike the idea of selling my work for a dollar. I believe wise readers know that they get what they pay for. My books are professionally edited and formatted, and the cover art is not something I put together myself (being totally artistically challenged). I hope that readers understand that. I recently met an author who declared “I never edit. I just put it out there.” And she probably charges ninety-nine cents. Good luck with that one, readers!

If you use a pen name, how did you choose it?

I use my real name, only shortened to Peg, because there is another author named Peggy Herring and I hoped to avoid confusion. Not totally successful with that, but I didn’t think I could remember to respond to another name.

How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?

As a kid, I wrote for my own and my friends’ entertainment. As a teacher, I often wrote things for my students, like skits, poems, and plays. When one of my plays got published, I became interested in writing a novel. I finished my first one in 2002. It took two years to find an agent, two more years for her to find a publisher, and two years for them to get the book out. No way publishing is the place to make a quick buck!

How long does it take you to write a book?

That’s a sore point right now, since I am behind the schedule I set for myself for book two of the Dead Detective series! I need a year. I write in layers, and I can’t seem to hurry the process. Once I get draft #1 finished, I read it several times, finding lots of places that need improvement. I had hoped I would get faster as time went on, but it doesn’t look like that’s happening.

I need to write the story first, and my characters have a lot to say about how long that takes. Then I have to let it sit for a while. When I go back, I add detail: setting, character development, foreshadowing, and sensory cues. Time is, for me, the best way to improve my stories. I guess they need to be aged, like wine.

Do you write one book/story at a time or multiples?

I make myself stick to one book at a time. I have at times shelved a story that isn’t moving along well and turned to something else, but I never work on two at once. It’s hard enough with a mystery to get all the clues and details right without mixing my Tudor-era characters up with my dead ones!

What genres do you write?

My first book was categorized as a romance, but it had elements of mystery. Everything since then is pure mystery, my favorite thing to read and to write.

Are there any genres you'd like to try but haven't?

Someday maybe a literary novel, but I’m not ready for that yet, and I’m too busy keeping two series going to even try it.

Are there any genres you'd never consider writing in?

I can’t write sex and/or gore. Probably my conservative ‘60s upbringing.

What's your writing process?

I’m a pantser, no question. I’ve tried to outline, but the story keeps going off on its own anyway. My attempts at organization tend to be charts made in progress, so I can straighten out what day it is and how many days since the murder.

I write solely on the computer. I’ve tried dictating with voice software recently. Not sure if I like that or not, but it does relieve the carpel tunnel symptoms. People probably would not believe how many times I read my books before I let anyone else read them. Many, many times—at least once aloud, because hearing it is so much better than reading it. I print it off multiple times, too, because reading on screen doesn’t seem to catch the mistakes. The English teacher in me wants to read with pen in hand, so that’s my main editing process.

What are the strangest conditions you've written under? The strangest place and/or time you've written something?

When my first book was being edited, we had just had a family crisis. I was forced to spend five months in Richmond, Virginia, with very little notice and under very stressful conditions. The Internet was not what it is now, and it was certainly not as accessible.

I did the best I could, but I realized how pitiful that was when the same editor got my second book more than a year later. She asked me, very politely, if this time I could please follow the style/format guide my publishers supply. “I had to do quite a bit of fixing on that last book,” she said. “I don’t mind, but it took a lot of time.”

Bless her, she never once complained! I explained to her that I hadn’t even known there WAS such a thing as a guide. It was home on my Michigan computer, and I’d totally missed it in the confusion.

What's the strangest thing you've had happen to you at a public appearance? The most disturbing or amusing? (this can be a convention, a meeting, a signing, etc.)

The strangest was probably a man at one of my writing/publishing workshops who took issue with anything I said. Over the course of the first hour, he corrected me several times, informed me that he did not like one of my covers, insisted that Russia is a very small country, and stated flat out that fiction is pretty much useless. After that, he put his ear-buds in and listened to his Ipod for the remainder of the time. Why he did not leave, I couldn’t say.

On the other side, my first “made it” moment came at a conference when I got into the elevator with two older women. As we ascended, I saw one elbow the other. After a moment, she said, “Are you Peg Herring?” When I said I was, she told me, “We’re reading HER HIGHNESS’ FIRST MURDER, and we just love it.”

Wow. Fame at last!

What's the strangest way you've sold a book/story (either to a reader or to a publisher/agent)?

The first book sold after I’d given up on it. The agent who liked it tried for over a year, and finally wrote to say she couldn’t sell it. I went ahead and found another agent for a different book. A year later, the first agent wrote to ask if MACBETH’S NIECE was still available. It became my first sale.

What authors inspire you? Who are your favorite authors?

Laura Lippman, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, James R. Benn, Craig Johnson and Sara Paretsky never disappoint me-good stories with characters I like.

What authors would you most like to meet, past or present? What would you ask them?

I met Margaret George at a conference, and it was a thrill to talk with her about a subject we were both working on at the time, the Tudors.

I’m a real Shakespeare fan, and I’d love to meet him, Charles Dickens, and Emily Dickinson, simply because I’ve read so much of their work that it feels like I know them a little already.

How many books do you read in the average month? e-Book or print or both?

I used to read a lot more, but now I probably read five books/month. Although I buy print books to support local bookstores and to give away when I’ve read them, I’m leaning more and more to e-books because they are so convenient. You don’t have to hold the book open when you read in bed, and you can eat potato chips with the other hand.

What is the funniest or strangest editor/crit request/comment you've encountered?

I once had an editor who must have been quite young. Now, I was an English teacher for thirty years, and I have strong opinions on how to use the language, but I try to let the editors do their job. However, this young man put commas around almost every prepositional phrase, kept repeating “What I want here--”, and informed me that flashbacks MUST be in first person, present tense, and limited to one character throughout the book. I tried to be gentle with him, but I was also firm. It’s my book, so what YOU want is secondary. Flashbacks are what they are. And the most important comma rule is “When in doubt, leave it out.”

What is your ideal location to write a book, if you had the money to live there or sequester yourself there?

Definitely Britain. My Tudor series requires it (at least that’s what I tell my husband!)

If you could have a book signing anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?

My husband and I have always wanted to see Australia and New Zealand. If anyone is reading this from Down Under, send me a check and I’ll be right there!

What would you like to own/have that would make your writing faster or smoother? (Yes, you can name everything from computer programs to a personal maid here.)

A business manager. I hate keeping track of consignments, book orders, promotion, etc., and it cuts into my writing time.

Introvert or extrovert?

I recently took an online test that likened me to James Madison, introverted and scholarly. I’m pretty sure there are lots of people who think I’m an extrovert, since I taught school forever, did dramatic productions, direct several choirs, and appear at all sorts of book events on panels and such. But I prefer the backstage, back-to-the-audience form of publicity when possible.

What's your dream car? Your favorite car you've ever owned?

My husband got a kick out of my request the last time he was considering what car to buy. I told him I don’t want to sink down, like I had to with the Corvette he used to own, and I don’t want to climb up, like I have to with the pickup truck he has. I said I wanted a “butt level” car. So that’s it. I don’t care what brand or color, just let me get in and out of the thing with some kind of grace!

The #1 holiday or birthday gift to purchase for an author is...

A gift certificate for a bookstore, of course.

Your favorite leisure activity or vacation spot?

We like to go somewhere we haven’t been and just look at stuff, mostly scenery.

Have you ever included a real experience of your own in a book? Did anyone who knows you notice it?

It was ironic. I had a character in SHAKESPEARE’S BLOOD get offered a free trip to the British Isles by an elderly neighbor who did not want to go alone. One critic said that sounded like the Victorian age and that it would never happen today. Actually, it did happen!

Have you ever included someone who irritated you in the book? As what, and what comeuppance did he/she get?

Why do you think we write murder mysteries? Of course, mystery writers kill off everyone they dislike in their books. No jail time that way.

Where do you get your character names?

Names come from everywhere. Some of my protagonists start off as students I had in school. Not that they ARE those people, but it helps me to get an image of the type of character I want for the story. Once the action gets started, they immediately become their own persons.

I try to keep from having the same old names, and I try not to have names that are so similar that readers mix the characters up, like a James and a Jacob.

At times I go to online lists to get a name for a particular ethnic group or for something different. Oddly, fans don’t much like certain names. In my first book, MACBETH’S NIECE, a fan objected to Lady Macbeth’s first name, Gruach, because she said she didn’t know how to pronounce it. I can’t help it—that was her name!

Where do you get your inspiration for a book? How do you get your ideas?

Ideas often come on long trips, especially when I’m alone. The whole plot for HER HIGHNESS’ FIRST MURDER came to me on a trip to see my sister in Wisconsin. I keep a tape recorder in the car so I can capture the ideas as they come. Smaller idea, plot twists or the solution to plot problems, come on my daily walks on our property (which in winter become daily skis).

What is the best reader or reviewer comment you've ever received?

I had a fan not only write to tell me that she loved MACBETH’S NIECE, but she also sent emails to all her friends, especially the teachers, because she thought the book would make a great companion novel for high schoolers reading MACBETH. Now that’s a great fan!

What does your family think about your writing? How, if they do, do they support you in your writing endeavors?

My family loves that I’m a writer, and many in my home town do, too. They’re all very supportive, buying books and posting reviews on Amazon, etc. Many tell me that my mother would have loved to live to see my success (not that my dad wouldn’t have, too, but Mom was an English teacher!)

My husband supported me through the can’t-sell-anything years, often saying, “Just keep doing what you’re doing.” Now he schleps books for me, provides expert advice on firearms and such, and waits patiently at whatever book event I attend. He’s even gone to a few banquets, but I notice that he slips away as soon as it’s socially acceptable to do so.

When and where do you do the bulk of your writing?

In my office, in the morning, when my brain is working.

What's your favorite part of being a writer?

I think any writer would say that it’s when someone says something like, “I couldn’t put your book down.” We’re all so happy to be the cause of someone’s sleepless night!

What advice would you give a new writer?

I always give them one word: persist.

What are your writing goals? Where do you want to be in a year? Five years?

I think any writer has to get better, or it isn’t worth doing. I want each book to be better than the last: better written, better plotted, and hopefully better sales, too!

Do you belong to a crit group or other writing group? How helpful do you find it?

I exchange MS with another author, and it’s very helpful. I never thought being in a group would help me, since I’m not big on meetings. But an honest appraisal by someone in the business, who knows what is required, that’s invaluable.

What book, if you have written several books, is your favorite and why?

Whichever one I’m at work on right now!

Which of your own characters would you like to meet in real life, and what would you do?

Definitely Elizabeth Tudor. I’d probably make a pathetic attempt at a curtsey, but then I’d love to just listen to her views on things.

Do you prefer to think of yourself as a hero/heroine or villain/villainess and why?

I’m a good gal. My books have to result in a re-balance of justice in the world. I could never let evil triumph.

If you were the overlord of the world, what would your first decree be?

“Hey, everybody! Stop trying to make everyone else think like you do.”

Give us your backlist... with all publishers...

MACBETH’S NIECE, Five Star (hardcover out of print, e-book only)

GO HOME AND DIE, Red Rose (e-book only)

HER HIGHNESS’ FIRST MURDER (1^st Simon & Elizabeth), Five Star (hardcover & e-book)

THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY (1^st Dead Detective Mystery), LL Publishing (soft cover and e-book)

SHAKESPEARE’S BLOOD MysterEbook (e-book only)

Tell us about releases you expect within the next year...

POISON, YOUR GRACE(2^nd Simon & Elizabeth) Five Star, November 2011

DEAD FOR THE MONEY (2^nd Dead Detective Mystery) LL Publishing, 2012

Tell us about your current release.

SHAKESPEARE’S BLOOD-mystery/suspense, June, 2011

Buy link:

http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeares-Blood-ebook/dp/B0053GCTLE

While touring Britain, Mercedes Maxwell finds a handwritten notebook that claims William Shakespeare had a brother named John who was an agent for James I of England. Captured by outlaws, John died rather than reveal the location of a trove of Spanish gold. When someone is willing to kill for the notebook, Mercedes realizes that the story might be true.

In a reign of terror, those who know about the notebook are murdered and left posed as characters from Shakespearean tragedy. Solving the book’s clues is the only way to stop the killing, but though Mercedes can call on several people for help, she fears none of them can be trusted where treasure is concerned.

The unraveling of the clues becomes even more critical as the killer turns his sights on Mercedes. The message from the man who called himself John Shakespeare leads her across Britain in a terrifying race to find the treasure, to stay alive, and to learn the secrets of Shakespeare’s blood.

Thanks for the hosting, EPIC! Here are some ways readers can contact me.

Website:

http://pegherring.com

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pegs-News/108697482481217

Blog:

http://itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com/

Twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/authorpherring