Welcome Back Booklovers!! I'm back with my first author interview of the year. I've read her Caribbean Kitchen Mystery Series which I've reviewed on here. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries and haven't picked that up yet, definitely check it out! But she was also featured in some recent anthologies alongside some other great authors.
How did your upbringing shape your identity as a writer? When did you start reading crime fiction?
And why did you decide to write cozy mysteries?
Cozy mysteries are low stakes in the violence department, with high rewards in the justice department. That suited my needs as a reader. As a writer, I wanted to make sure people like me (Latinx, multi-cultural, bi-lingual) were represented in the genre I loved.
Since cozy mysteries tend to follow a specific formula, how do you deal with writing things readers aren't always used to seeing? For example, Miriam is a married woman with a child while many cozy protagonists are single.
Miriam having a family is not too far from the norm for a cozy. Although the romance and family usually come much later in the series, maybe around book six or seven. I started the series with a ready-made family because I knew finding romance wasn't Miriam's story arc. Her challenges and tests were going to be from navigating her husband's passive-aggressive xenophobic mother. It was also vital to me that Miriam be inspirational. She is a Latina with a Ph.D.
With such an array of dishes to choose from, how do you decide which Caribbean recipes to include in your books?
The story drives those choices. For example, the Jamaican dish, Ackee and Saltfish, that Patricia Campbell shows Miriam how to make in Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking. I knew I needed to go into detail about this dish in the story because I wasn't going to put it in the recipes in the back of the book. There is an ackee tree in my neighborhood, and most grocery stores in my area carry saltfish/bacalao. But not all of The Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series' readership live in metropolitan cities with large Caribbean populations. Ackee can be found canned, but it is not always easy to find. I try to make sure the ingredients for the recipes I included can be sourced at large chain groceries or ordered online. I also consider the prep time and skills needed to prepare the dishes. Miriam is a career woman with a young family. If my readers are anything like her, they'll want easy and flavor meals in their repertoire, not a twenty-step recipe that requires CIA (Culinary Institute of America) level skills to execute. I often give a hack to speed up the prep if you read the recipes.
Since you also include Spanish words and phrases in your books, how do you decide when to use context clues vs when to give an outright translation?
I get this question and similar questions a lot. There is no formula. It is instinctual. I've grown up with two languages in my head. It is literally how I think and live my daily life. It is how millions of other people live their lives, too. If I use a word that is very specific to a culture or crucial to the plot, I will usually translate it but rarely directly. If I translated it verbatim, the narration would feel more like an academic lecture than a pleasure read. Everything else is left to context clues. I know French, Japanese, and Italian words, not because I've studied or speak those languages. It is because I guessed what they were and then confirmed it later. That is one of the ways we acquire languages and knowledge through immersion.
Do you know the plot entirely before you start writing?
No, I'm a discovery writer, aka a plantser. That's a plotter-pantser ( by the seat of your pants) hybrid. I know the beginning, the end, and a few key scenes when I start writing. Then I let the story lead me to the rest.
You're also a part of Crime Writers of Color. How did you get involved in that community?
I got a DM from Kellye Garrett. We had a few mutuals and knew of each other but had never met. I remember the first wave of members was small. We were about 30 people in the summer of 2018. Now, at the start of 2023, we are edging toward 400! Crime Writers of Color is a much-needed safe space for BIPOC writers. It has also been an advocate for more visibility in the publishing world. Much of the thanks goes to Kellye. She is tireless in her stewardship.
When you're in a creative slump what helps you get inspired again?
I write a short story. Novels are a long haul. At about 30,000 words, I feel like I will never reach the end. That is the perfect time to write a short story. It is so satisfying to start and finish a story in just a few days of writing. I also love to read short stories for the same reason. They are the perfect one-sitting morsel.
What are some of your favorite spots to eat in Miami?
Miami is a food town. The Food Network hosts the South Beach Food & Wine Festival. We have plenty of celebrity chef restaurants. We have delicious tropical produce and fresh seafood at our fingertips. But my favorite spots are usually the local joints that are unpretentious and chill. There is a roti place near me run by a Guyanese family. It is a hole in the wall, but their curry goat is mouthwatering. Any Haitian place with a painted mural/sign by Serge is usually great. Any Cuban place with a line by their Cafecito window will have good eats, too.
Are there any upcoming projects you would like to talk about?
Calypso, Corpse, and Cooking is out, and I am still promoting it. Second books in a series don't always get the love they deserve. Later in the year, the third book in the series will be published. It is set in Puerto Rico. I love the island and lived there for a while. I am excited to share it with my readers.
Paranoia Blues, an anthology of crime fiction short stories inspired by Paul Simon's songs, came out in late 2022. I'm proud of my story in it. It is titled The Vampires. Check it out. The anthology has many wonderful authors, including Cheryl Head and E.A. Aymar, to name a few.
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