Interview with Victoria Hamilton

Here's an interview for all those mystery lovers out there, seeing as my interviewee kills people for a living. On paper, that is. Please welcome fabulous author Victoria Hamilton.

Hello, Victoria. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a passionate fan of cozy and not-so-cozy mysteries, and have been since I was very young. I love to cook, I collect vintage kitchenware, I crochet occasionally, cross stitch more often, and play with the kids... er... cats. I like chocolate and tea, wine and cookies (not all together) and have been known to sing in grocery stores to muzak.

Awesome mini bio. How long have you been writing?

A long time! I've been a romance author for years, but have been pining away to write my true love, murder mysteries! I'm fortunate enough to have been given a three book contract for Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, and am just finishing up Book One.

Congratulations! Tell us about the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series.

This is so much fun!! Book One introduces Jaymie Leighton, a vintage kitchenware collector (Wonder how I came up with that idea! LOL). At an estate auction, Jaymie sees and bids on the most gorgeous Hoosier cabinet she's ever seen. (Wondering what a Hoosier cabinet is? You'll know when the first book of my series comes out). After taking it - and all of her other purchases - to her Queensville, Michigan home, she is awoken in the middle of the night by horrible screaming and her little three-legged Yorkie-Poo Hoppy's insistent barking.


She rushes downstairs to find a murdered man on her summer porch, by the Hoosier, with some of the stuff from the other boxes of auction goodies spilled all around him. Why did the well-dressed fellow break into her home? Was he after something she bought at the auction? In the following days Jaymie tries to find out not only who the victim is, but also why he was murdered. She and her home become the target of another break-in and attack; is she getting a little too close to the truth?

Okay, not fair to stop there. Now I'll have to get the book to find out what happens. What attracts you to writing mysteries?

I love writing characters, interweaving their lives, giving them something to figure out. People are fascinating, and why people do what they do - from committing crimes to strange but everyday stuff - is incredibly interesting to write about. Also, I watch a lot of true crime shows - The First 48, American Justice, etc. - and it's interesting to watch detectives at work.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Staying organized! I am terrible at the organizational side, which leads to confusion in something that requires ruthless attention to detail, like a murder mystery.

Any tips you’ve learned about writing mysteries you’d like to share?

For writing tips I would refer hopeful writers to Gillian Roberts' and Carolyn Hart's websites. But my own tip? What I have found is that staying open to the possibilities in your own plot is important. Sometimes you really think you know where something is going, and then it twists away from you, but that's good! It means your subconscious is taking the story and working with it.

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

A window to stare out of. No, seriously! A good deal of a writer's time is spent staring out of windows. I keep trying to convince people I'm working when I do that, but I'm not sure they believe me.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Mind reading, for sure. Selectively, though. Haven't you ever seen somebody do something, and wondered, 'Now, why the heck did they do that?' If you could read their mind, you'd know. Maybe.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: consequences, poodle, and lemonade.

If Lizzie had known the consequences of feeding a poodle lemonade, she wouldn't have to purchase a piddle-proof carpet.

Hehehe, fair enough. Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

Yay! Love 'shout outs'. Shout out to Jessica Faust of Bookends Literary; she is awesome, best agent ever! And Michelle Vega at Berkley Prime Crime; talking to her was the highlight of my year, truly. And my two cats, Bad and Worse, (just kidding) for being good sports about the lack of lap time lately. Redecorating your house while the holidays are coming and you have a November 30th deadline equals insanity.

And finally, where can people find you online?

I don't have my dot com up yet, but I will eventually be blogging at vintagekitchenmysteries.blogspot.com, and I am on twitter @MysteryVictoria, and I'm on Facebook.

Victoria, thank you so much for talking with us. Your books sound fantastic, I wish you the best of luck with them.