Q & A with Author Louise Gaylord

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this Interview, free of charge, from the author,via JKS Communications, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

We'll be reviewing Sutton Place later today, but first a quick Q&A with the author:

What will fans of “Julia Fairchild” like about your newest book, “Sutton Place?”

“Sutton Place” is the prequel to “Julia Fairchild”. The reader learns in detail about the incidents that drove Julia from New York to New Mexico.

Three months serving on a grand jury panel inspired your Allie Armington mystery series. How  

did you come up with Julia’s character?

Julia just “grew like Topsy” in my mind. She’s a composite of all the strong women I have known.

Lies, family secrets, obsessions – will Julia ever catch a break?

She catches her break in “Julia Fairchild”.

Your mystery novels are known for having very unexpected twists and surprise endings. How do 

you keep readers on their toes?

I don’t outline so sometimes I even surprise myself! I really write to amuse myself. One of my 

writing instructors said I should have fun when writing. I have a friend who writes a chapter here and 

then a chapter there. I can’t do that. I have to write in a linear fashion.

As a successful, award-winning mystery writer, you stepped out of the genre to work on a few 

other books, including Recipes from Camp Trillium. What’s your favorite dish to stir up in the 

kitchen?

Grandma Betsy’s Chicken. My mother put Lawry’s seasoning and Worchester sauce on everything. This made a nice, simple one-dish meal to serve all. To make it, you just need chicken, Worcestershire sauce and Lawry’s® Seasoned Salt. Then add any vegetable of your choice. Cut up potatoes, mushrooms, onions or red bell peppers, carrots, almost anything except greens. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Quarter the chicken or cut it into single-serving pieces. Place the chicken skin side up in an aluminum foil-lined pan. Throw the vegetables all around it. Douse it with Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake that for 25 to 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear.

You studied art history in college after your grade-school teachers encouraged you to do something with your painting skills. How has painting helped you write?

I’m a very visual person. So I can imagine a scene as if I’m painting it and portray that in words 

on page. A lot of people who write also paint. I noticed though that I never had a problem dropping the 

paintbrush to go play tennis or golf. But once I started writing I couldn’t leave my computer.

You’re churning out books left and right. What are you working on now?

An Allie Armington Mystery. The working title is: “A Cruise to Die For.” Stay tuned!

Thanks Louise for stopping by! Stay tuned later today for our review of Sutton Place!

About the Author

Louise Gaylord is an acclaimed national award-winning author who established herself with her very 

first book, a suspenseful murder mystery centering on a young, sharp female assistant district attorney. 

This was the cornerstone of what has become her popular Allie Armington mystery series, the idea for

it sparked when Louise herself spent three months on a grand jury panel.Louise lives in Houston, Texas, though she might be found writing almost anywhere in the world.. For more, check out the author's Website, Twitter and  Facebook pages