Author Steve Shrott.......Joyce Oroz

           
It's always fun to introduce another CCP mystery writer and in this case fun should be underscored. Steve Shrott writes with tons of wit and humor. He writes about Joshua Mclintock, a wanna-be actor who works as a phone salesman on the side. Believe me, it's hilarious. Now let's see how Steve answers my questions.

Steve, who or what influenced your 
decision to be a writer, and in 
particular, a cozy mystery writer?

I guess it began at school.  I used to get laughs with
 some of the things I said, so one 
day I thought that, maybe, 
I could write funny material. 
I started

  

sending off jokes to numerous 
comedy performers, and began 
selling them. 
Then, I moved onto writing funny short stories.  There wasn’t much of a market for those, and I was reading a 
lot of mystery at the time, so I decided to combine them together.  I ended up selling numerous mystery short stories, some funny, some more serious.  When I decided to try writing a mystery novel, I thought the easiest way for me to write a book, was to make it a humorous one.  I didn’t really think to myself, whether it was a cozy, or what category it fit into.  I just thought it would be an experiment to see if I could do it. 

I love the progression of your writing. Are there things you like to write other than mysteries?

I’ve been writing humor for many years.  Novel writing is more recent.   I do like to write lots of different kinds of material.  I think it makes whatever else, you’re writing, better.  I like humor, of course, but I also enjoy writing more serious stories in various genres—sci-fi, romance etc.  I’m planning on trying to write a thriller novel, at some point.

        Steve, are you a little bit or a lot like your protagonist?

    I guess everyone who writes has a little of their protagonist inside themselves.  My protagonist, Joshua, is a fanatic about acting and I suppose I’m a bit of a fanatic about writing and other things I want to accomplish.  In my mind, you almost have to be a fanatic, if you want to get anything done.  But, unlike my character, I have never been under arrest for a murder I didn’t commit!

      

Please tell us about your style or method of writing, and what is your typical day like?

My typical style is really to get the first draft written as quickly as possible.  A lot of times, I use my short stories as a basis for my novels.  But, of course, they still require a lot of additional plotting.  I’m basically a pantster, (meaning, yes, I write while wearing pants, but also I tend to just write, not think about it.)  I do try, however, to figure out a little of what’s going to happen in my next chapter.  I have to say, I’m usually surprised at what my brain comes up with. I think my brain might be surprised too.  A typical day is just getting up and writing for as long as I can.  If I’m working on a novel, I’ll usually start with that and intertwine other projects throughout the day.

 Where do you live and why?

I live in Canada.  While, it’s a 
great country, lately with the freezing cold temperatures, I’ve been questioning, why, myself.  It’s hard to write with gloves 
and a ski mask.  I lived in Southern California for a while and loved the weather.  So, at some point, I may consider moving to a place where you 
don’t have to chisel through a block of ice to get into your car.

What activities, hobbies, etc. do you do when you are not writing?

I like to do things that get me around people since writing is such a solitary act.  I sometimes speak to groups about various topics (with a heavy dose of humor.)  I also perform as a magician, as well as create magical effects that are sold around the world.  Of course, I read a lot of mysteries and other types of fiction.  I am always interested in reading books about unusual subject matter, both fiction and non-fiction. 

I would love to hear one of your funny speeches! How can we find your works?  Website, blog, Amazon?

my books at amazon

        My website is steveshrottwriter.weebly.com.  I have my blog there, as well as any events that I have going on.  My book, “Audition For Death,” is up at Amazonat http://amzn.to/1b4LJVX   website

Thank you, Steve for sitting on the hot seat--taking the time to share your work and your life with us today.