Author Interview with Maggie Toussaint

The blog studio curtain opens and Carol Ann walks on stage. "Good morning!" The audience applauds and yells "Good morning!"

CAROL ANN:  I'm so thrilled to have a wonderful author with me today. Author Maggie Toussaint is published in mystery and romance. Her recent release, MUDDY WATERS, is a romantic suspense where danger stalks friends turned lovers as they search for hidden treasure. Her debut release, HOUSE OF LIES, won Best Romantic Suspense in the 2007 National Readers Choice Awards. Her other titles include SEEING RED, NO SECOND CHANCE, and IN FOR A PENNY. Two mysteries are contracted: ON THE NICKEL (March 2011) and DEATH, ISLAND STYLE (2012). Maggie’s an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. Visit her at www.maggietoussaint.com,  http://mudpiesandmagnolias.blogspot.com/, and www.facebook.com/maggietoussaint/ 

The band begins playing Jimmy Buffet's song, "Cheeseburger in Paradise".

CAROL ANN: (Yelling above the music) Please welcome Maggie Toussaint!!

The curtain opens and Maggie dances onstage singing.

CAROL ANN:  (Laughing) Maggie, why is the band playing that particular song?

MAGGIE: I'm on a diet and on this diet, I don't get much red meat, and I could really use a burger right now.

CAROL ANN: It's still morning, but now you've made me crave a juicy cheeseburger, too! Have a seat. I'm so thrilled to have you here today.

MAGGIE: I'm happy to be hear, too. I hear it's going to snow later today.

CAROL ANN: Yes, AGAIN. I'm not relishing the next few months of winter here in mid-Ohio. I love to look at it, but I sure do hate shoveling. But, enough about me. I want the audience to know more about you. Besides books, do you have any collections?

MAGGIE: I collect angels, a practice I started years ago. I am drawn to cherub-styled angels, the ones that have a child-like form with the wisdom of ages stamped across their faces. Living far from home for twenty-some-odd years, I began my collection to honor relatives who passed away. I come from a large family, and through time, my angels spilled into every room of our house. They are a source of comfort and represent (to me at least) a timeless connection with family members.

CAROL ANN: Maggie, I have to confess I learned about this collection several years ago when we did an interview. The way you started this collection to honor relatives who passed away became a part of the book I'm now writing.  Just goes to prove that writers never know when they are going to pick up a bit of information that will later appear in a book. Okay, now  pretend that you are in a restaurant having lunch, when a reporter shoves a microphone at you and you have one minute to tell the world something very important. What would you say?

MAGGIE:  Omigosh! After wasting ten seconds on being stunned and asking if it was a joke, I’d waste another ten sorting through the Ten Commandments and other truths I’ve lived by. Then I’d talk very fast.

“Life is a journey with new delights and challenges around every bend. Treat others as you would like to be treated and live each day to the fullest. Work hard but play too. And while you’re relaxing consider reading for the sheer fun of it. My books ensure a happily ever after while challenging you to solve the who-dun-it before the end of the story. Check out my books at maggietoussaint.com.”



CAROL ANN:  (Laughing) Now that's some fast talking! I hope your writing comes as easily and flows as quickly. Have you ever experienced writer’s block?


MAGGIE: I sure hope I don’t jinx myself, but so far, I haven’t gotten blocked. I’ve had times where I wrote myself in a corner, and I had to backtrack to pick up a viable story thread. Those times were disappointing but have become less frequent as I better understand the finer points of story events and pacing. If I have a slow day where my word count doesn’t meet my daily goal, I push through it and keep writing even if it seems like drivel. I’m always amazed at how editing can lift something mediocre into prose that soars.

CAROL ANN: Who can make you laugh?

MAGGIE:  Growing up and in early adulthood, my favorite commedian was Bill Cosby. I love the way he thinks. I’ve since enjoyed listening to other commedian, but my sense of humor is slightly offbeat. Sometimes a phrase or a person’s expression or an outfit strikes me as funny, and I can’t stop laughing. My husband much prefers watching movies at home where I can laugh at will. He understands me, most of the time, God bless him.

CAROL ANN: 6. Are you an introvert or an extravert? How does that play into your writing life?


MAGGIE:  Definitely an introvert but I can fake the other for short periods of time. I’m assertive and confident when speaking in public, so that part is good. What folks don’t see is that for an hour’s workshop I give, I put in tons of time up front to prep (as everyone would do) but then I need several hours by myself to be human again. I’m a miserable puppy if I don’t get that solo recharge time.

Being an introvert helps with writing. I don’t mind the long hours alone – they energize me. Many people need the chaos of a coffeeshop to compose, but I need a quiet place where my imagination can take flight. The other stuff is a distraction to me, like static on a radio frequency.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’ve got the inside track to writing nirvana. I’m just fortunate enough to know myself and to optimize my writing experience.

CAROL ANN: That's a wonderful thing. Each writer must learn what works for them and then make that a daily practice. Thanks for sharing that with us. Now for a more serious question. If you knew you only had 30 days to live, what would you do with the remaining days?


MAGGIE: I’d visit friends and family members and spend meaningful time with them. I’d search online for the perfect angel and gift individual angels to each loved one.

CAROL ANN: Wow, that's beautiful. Many people would think of all the things they hadn't done and want to cram them in, but family is so important and life sometimes keeps us from spending quality time with loved ones. Right audience?

APPLAUSE FOLLOWS

CAROL ANN:  Do you have any phobias? Afraid of heights, spiders?


MAGGIE: I share a certain phobia with Indiana Jones. Snakes bug the heck out of me. One of my favorite shows on TV is “Survivor,” and they are forever showing snakes slinking around. **shudder** I know snakes hold a valuable niche in our ecosystem, but I don’t need to see them.

Another odd thing about me is my vertigo. I wasn’t thinking about spatial disorientation when we crammed a kazillion people in the elevator of the Eiffel Tower (and I’m a tad claustrophobic too), but when we stepped outside, I could not go near the edge. I felt like the world was jumping and wavy and if I stepped near the edge I would be sucked into the void and plummet to my death. I caught the next elevator back down. Fortunately, there was a crepe stand nearby, and I immediately felt better.

CAROL ANN:  Thank goodness for food! Which goes along with your choice of a theme song for the day. (BOTH LAUGH ALONG WITH THE AUDIENCE)

CAROL ANN:  We’ve all had one of those “embarrassing moments.” Would you share one of yours with us?


MAGGIE:  Gosh, I tend to block that stuff from memory. But in the spirit of the interview, I will reveal one faux pas.

Long ago in a land far away, I joined my husband for an upscale Christmas party. It was a big deal because this was the first time I would be meeting his new boss. I shopped for weeks to find an outfit that fit into our tight budget that didn’t scream “unsophisticated idiot,” I made an effort with makeup and hair, and I believe I was even wearing jewelry and nail polish – any one of these things would ordinarily be a Big Deal for me. My kids were little, and I bathed them ahead of time, fixed their dinner, picked up the babysitter, rented a movie – well, you get the picture. By the time we arrived at the Christmas party, I was running on fumes.

It was cold that night and of course my sophisticated outfit wasn’t warm. I hurried over to the fireplace, where as luck would have it, stood my husband’s new boss. I think he had high blood pressure or something, because his face was bright red. He had very dark features and dark clothing and was about two inches shorter than me.

Before I even knew who he was, I said the first thing that popped into my head, “You look just like a little devil.”

Yikes! I avoided that man for the duration of my husband’s career with that company, and I also learned to filter my thoughts through my head instead of my tongue.

AUDIENCE LAUGHTER

CAROL ANN: Have your phobias, collections, or embarrassing moments come to play in any of your books?


MAGGIE:  Absolutely. What good’s a strong emotion if you don’t extrapolate it? In Muddy Waters, my most recent release, Roxie’s aunt has an angel collection. Roxie also has a moment where she is alone at night and finds her house unlocked. I translated my irrational fear of snakes into that moment of terrorified flight.

CAROL ANN:  One last question.  Do you have a tattoo?


MAGGIE:  I flirted with the idea of a tattoo, but ultimately I decided against it. Needles are involved, and needles are not my friends. If they could make the tattooing process so that it was as painless as getting your hair colored at the beauty shop, I’d be a candidate. Maybe I’d select a cherub or a heart, something tiny and in a discrete place. Until then, I’m content to be a tattoo virgin.

CAROL ANN:  Maggie, our time is up, but I want to leave our audience with the information on your books and also where they can learn more about you. Thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to join me here in the Blog Studio. Audience you can learn more about Maggie by visiting her at http://www.maggietoussaint.com/, http://mudpiesandmagnolias.blogspot.com/, and www.facebook.com/maggietoussaint/



MAGGIE:  My pleasure, Carol Ann! Also, I would like to give away two advance reader's copies of my upcoming book "On the Nickle" to commenters on this blog. Here's a bit about the book.

Blurb:

Mama’s strange behavior jolts accountant Cleopatra Jones from her whirl of late summer activities with her daughters, her pregnant Saint Bernard, and her new boyfriend. When Cleo overhears the heated argument between Mama and her church-lady rival, Erica Hodges, she realizes Mama is out of control. The police report Erica files about Mama’s threats add to Cleo’s growing unease.


Two days later, Erica is dead, the victim of a hit and run. Though Erica’s reputation of arrogance, bossiness, and rudeness is well-deserved, she is descended from the town’s founder and the mayor pressures the police to obtain justice for the town’s leading citizen.

To Cleo’s horror, there’s a person-sized dent in Mama’s gray Olds. Mama denies killing Erica but refuses to account for her whereabouts that night. Mama’s secrets are maddening, but are they deadly?

CAROL ANN:  That is so nice of you! Okay, people, here is your chance to get a copy of that book before it can be purchased in the stores! All you need to do is leave a comment and Maggie will pick two lucky commenters! And, below is some info about her another of Maggie's wonderful books which you can purchase through her publisher or through Amazon.

A blurb for Muddy Waters:


Roxie Whitaker is struggling to make her grandmother’s real estate business a success. When her coastal home is burglarized, her rosy worldview dims. Altanta security expert Sloan Harding distracts her from her torubles, but is Mossy Bog’s former bad boy serious about her?

Never one to shy away from muddy waters, Sloan is determined to find his alleged missing inheritance. Sparks fly as he enters into a business arrangement with Roxie to oversee the restoration of his childhood home. With her help, Sloan resurrects old secrets while a dangerous predator stalks them.

When passion meets danger, will love win the day?

Buy Muddy Waters as print or ebook: Kindle and Wild Rose Press and Amazon.