Author Interview: Cyndia Depre

I would like to thank Cyndia Depre, author of romantic mysteries Oblivious and Adam's Rib, for taking the time to answer a few questions.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I've always want to write, but became an accountant instead. It seemed safest, and was. Now that I'm retired I can finally indulge the dream!

Could you tell us about Oblivious?

Olivia Chatham has lived a charmed life. Her saving grace is that she recognizes her good fortune and tries to spread it around. When someone in her small town is murdered, she decides the police will need her help solving the crime. She comes to the same conclusions the authorities do, but from a completely different direction. It was fun thinking up ways for her to be right, but for reasons only Olivia would think of.

Were there any lessons you learned from your experience writing Amanda's Rib that you were able to use when writing Oblivious?

I learned more than I can say writing Amanda's Rib. Self-editing is one of the biggest. There are a great many rules in creative writing, and I'm still learning those. I don't think that ever ends. If I ever think I know it all, I'll put my pencil down.

What do you find inspires you most with regards to your writing?

A cause of some kind inspires me. Seeing something I disagree with, and wanting to get another point of view across. In real life we deal mostly with gray. But more and more people seem to see things as black or white. In both Amanda's Rib and Oblivious I try to show the gray. We never really know how we'd deal with a tragedy until we face one. That's the point of Amanda's Rib. With Oblivious the basic theme is tolerance. We're not all alike, thank goodness! Accept each other, flaws and all.

What are you working on now?

Olivia and Amanda, from the previous books, are convinced a missing woman has been murdered. Everyone else thinks she's just off on vacation. Although characters from the first books are in the one I'm writing now, it has new protagonists so it can stand alone.

When you're not writing, what do you enjoy doing?

I love puzzles. Logic problems are my favorite. I also love cooking and fishing and, of course, reading!

To what genres, as a reader, are you most drawn?

Mysteries and suspense are my favorite. A nice romance thrown in is always great. I like character-driven novels. Books are about people, and I'd rather read deep protagonists than an action novel.

What book(s) are you reading right now?

I just started The Brass Verdict, Michael Connelly's newest. He's super!

Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

Readers share a strong bond. We can talk for hours about books and authors, what we like and what we don't. I think readers are the most special people I know and I want to thank every one of you. Even those who don't read my books!

For more information about Cyndia and her books, visit her website.

Buy Oblivious on Amazon.

Buy Adam's Rib on Amazon.