CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Beatrice Coleman from Shear Trouble

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)  

I’m Beatrice Coleman, a retired art museum curator.  I used to live in Atlanta, Georgia, but recently moved to the tiny town of Dappled Hills, North Carolina, to be near my daughter.  I’m trying to adjust to retirement but I’m having a tough time figuring out how to relax.

What do you like to do in your spare time?  

I’m learning how to quilt.  Although I was an expert on folk art at the museum, I never considered myself a creative person, myself.  With help from others in my quilting guild, I’m becoming a half-decent quilter.  Now if I can just find a good book to read.

What is your favorite color and why? 

I love vibrant yellows.  It’s a cheerful color that not only brightens up a room, but can brighten up a mood.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?  

My favorite food is any food that I don’t have to cook myself! I fell out of the habit of cooking when I was working (and living alone), and it’s a tough thing to pick up again.

What would you say is your biggest quirk?  

Is it quirky that murders seem to always happen in my vicinity?  That’s what’s my biggest quirk, then…spawning murders.

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? 

My antagonists change from book to book, but one thing they always have in common that drives me up a wall—the fact they’re determined to escape detection and throw up obstacles for me as I’m investigating.

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?  

My grown daughter, Piper, means the world to me, rivaled only by my affection for my new friend, Wyatt.  I’d do anything to protect the two of them.

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?  

Although I’m new to Dappled Hills, I care a lot about the people here.  The more time I spend in this town, the more it feels as if it’s always been home.  Even though I sometimes find the move from a big city to a small town challenging, I love the slower pace and the kindness and openness of the residents here.

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?  

I’d like to spend more time with my friend Wyatt, please, and develop our burgeoning relationship.  Could you stop throwing work his way?

Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.   

Here’s a question for you, Kathryn.  Who do you enjoy reading now, and have your preferences changed over the years?

Who do I enjoy reading now? Hmmm. A great question but one that isn't easily answered. I just finished Let it Go by Chris Williams. This is a memoir about a father who loses his wife and two children to a car accident precipitated by a teenage drunk driver. Before that I read: Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. This is the story of a young boy who went to heaven and returned to tell his family about it. 

I guess you could say I like reading non-fiction with a twist of inspiration more than a particular author, though I need to tell you that C.S. Lewis and Og Mandino have always been on my list of favorite authors. When I was a teen I enjoyed Nancy Drew Mysteries; that's probably why I enjoy writing mysteries today.

Thanks for asking!

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To learn more about Beatrice and her writer visit: 

Website: http://elizabethspanncraig.com/

Amazon: Shear Trouble (August 5) 

Elizabeth Craig’s Amazon author page.

Twitter: @elizabethscraig