Edith here, delighted to welcome debut cozy mystery author Joyce Tremel to the blog. Take a look at this bio!
Joyce Tremel was a police secretary for ten years and more than once envisioned the demise of certain co-workers, but settled on writing as a way to keep herself out of jail. Her flash fiction has appeared in Mysterical-e, and her non-fiction has been published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Magazine. Her debut novel To Brew or Not to Brew is nominated for a 2015 Reviewers’ Choice Award for best amateur sleuth by Romantic Times. The second book in the series, tentatively titled Tangled up in Brew, will release late next year.
She’s going to give away a signed copy of To Brew or Not to Brew to one lucky commenter, too. Take it away, Joyce.
First, I’d like to thank Edith for inviting me to write a guest post (and Julie who asked me after Edith did!). This is one of my favorite blogs and I really appreciate the chance to be here—especially today. You see, tomorrow is my BIG DAY—the release of my first novel, To Brew or Not to Brew!
Just like how you Wickeds stick together, I belong to a great support group of my own—the Pittsburgh chapter of Sisters in Crime. When I first joined way back in 2001 or 2002, I was a new writer. I’d dabbled with writing for years and finally decided it was time to take it more seriously. We didn’t have many published authors back then. Most of us were newbies. I was completely in awe of our president, Nancy Martin, who had numerous published novels (and now I’m on panels with her!). In the years since then, many of us have crossed the threshold into published authordom (I may have just made up that word!).
We’ve talked each other off the ledge after getting the umpteenth rejection from an agent, we’ve rejoiced for each other when short stories were published, and we’ve just about sung the Hallelujah Chorus when books were accepted for publication. I actually cried I was so happy when my good friend, Annette Dashofy told me her first book was going to be published. And I’m pretty sure I heard her scream from the next county when I emailed her that mine sold!
When I started writing this post, I had no idea what it was going to be about, but I kind of like where it’s gone. The writing community—especially the mystery community—is like one big family. Maybe it’s because we writers all experience the same highs and lows. We know exactly what it feels like to get that fiftieth rejection letter or when someone tells us they love something we’ve written. And readers are our extended family. Maybe they’re even the patriarchs and matriarchs. After all, what good is a writer without a reader?
I guess this is a pretty long way to say thanks to all my writer friends—Wickeds included. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Readers: Who is your extended family? Have you ever met a brewmaster? Ask Joyce a question about her debut experience! Remember, she’s giving away a copy of the book!