Elaine Macko is the author of the Alex Harris mystery series. The books
are set in Elaine’s native Connecticut, and each book has a bit of a European
flair bringing together Elaine’s love of both places.
They say write what you know and
Elaine’s career working as an office manager, executive assistant and a report
editor gave her the impetus for centering the series around the Always Prepared
temporary employment agency Alex owns along with her sister, Samantha.
Alex is a Winston
Churchill-quoting, M&M’s-addicted woman with a mind of her own who
discovers being an amateur sleuth is her true calling, much to the chagrin of a
certain police detective.
In addition to Alex and Sam, the
books include their parents, a couple of retirees who love playing board games;
a bingo-playing, loan-sharking grandmother and her gang of goofy
eighty-somethings; and Alex’s adorable nephew, Henry, who talks in percentages.
Elaine currently has five books in
the series—Armed, Poisoned, Flossed, Mahjonged, and
Smoked—and is working on the sixth, Pickled.
She says she’s always on the outlook for a cool way to murder someone and
welcomes fun suggestions at elainemackobooks@hotmail.com.
So you write cozies. How did you make the decision to write
them rather than mysteries with a bite?
I’ve enjoyed reading them and I think my personality is
somewhat irreverent and quirky and just lends itself more toward cozies.
How many books have you written? Are they a series? If so,
does the series follow a certain theme (like knitting, painting, etc.) Why did
you choose that theme?
I do write a series and so far five are available. The sixth
one should be out in a couple of months. I set the series in the fictional town
of Indian Cove, Connecticut. I have a protagonist who owns her own office temp
agency. I’ve always worked in an office so it just fit and I grew up in
Connecticut. Only two characters in my series are actually based on real
people: Meme is based on my beloved grandmother who died when I was 14. I gave
Alex, my protagonist, the relationship with Meme that I wish I had with my
grandmother if she had lived. I also base the character of Henry, Alex’s nephew
on my own nephew, Nick.
Has your environment or background affected the genre you
write? How?
Yes, I think it has. I loved growing up in New England and
in a certain time when family and values were important. I instill a love of
family in my character and of course she lives in Connecticut.
How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book
(or in the series)?
My protagonist is definitely like me but I’ve made her a bit
taller and thinner! She’s also more kind, I think. We’re both quite impatient
and we need to work on that.
What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?
Keep at it if this is really what you want. Don’t expect
overnight success, and do everything you can to fine-tune your writing—join a
critique group, have trusted friends read your work, join writers groups. And
most importantly, develop a thick skin. Not everyone is going to love your work
and you will get some bad reviews. I try to really read the bad ones, and a lot
of the time the criticism is spot on so I’ll be aware of that when I go to
write the next one.
We all know how important promoting our work has become. How
do you get the word out to cozy readers both off and online?
I do book signings and I use social media, but I think it’s
very difficult to get the word out when you don’t have a large network. I work
a full-time day job so I’m not on committees, and boards, and I just don’t have
a lot of time. It’s hard. I get such great reviews so I think I have a good
product but now where do I find all the cozy readers?
Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?
I lived in Europe for a long time and because I was on the
board of a charitable organization, I had an interesting life. Plus there was
the time I almost got deported and friends offered to smuggle me across the
border in the trunk of their car! Every time I talk about my adventures in
Europe, people tell me to write a book. I’m working on it, but it’s not quite
right yet. Hopefully in a year it will be out.
Where can folks learn more about your books and events?
(provide links)
They can check out my web site: www.ElaineMackoBooks.com
