An Interview with Yvonne Ventresca

The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!

Hi Yvonne,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

In this #MeToo-centered story, I wanted to explore how the ideas of truth and justice could potentially be at odds with each other.

If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

I would always be carrying a good book.

Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?

No, but when we were younger, my brother and I prevented a neighbor’s house from being robbed by spotting the intruder. The person ran away and was never caught.

How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?

I use real settings as inspiration, even if some details are fictionalized. Using an actual place helps ground the story for me as a writer. The setting for Justice for Jaynie is the suburban New Jersey town where I live.

What do you aim to give your readers?

I love to lose myself in a good story, and I hope to provide the same escape for other readers.

What are you working on now? 

Promoting my novels, Pandemic (written pre-COVID) and Black Flowers, White Lies (a psychological thriller), as well as revising my current project, a novel told in verse.

Where can we find you online?

At yvonneventresca.com, where I blog about productivity and writing, and on social
media @YvonneVentresca. 

https://www.facebook.com/YvonneVentrescaAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/yvonneventresca/

https://www.pinterest.com/yvonneventresca/

https://twitter.com/YvonneVentresca

Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!