Denise, welcome to TMR! Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in rural Illinois in a small town very much like my fictional town of Scumble River. My father was a farmer and my mom a homemaker until I went to college at which time she got a job as a police dispatcher at the local police department. I'm an only child. I couldn't wait to get away from small town life and hit the big city. Unfortunately, the big city hit back. I got my undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. A few months after finishing college I got married. My husband and I have known each other since second grade. He is a chemical/computer engineer. For the first three years we were married I attended graduate school and worked midnights as a police dispatcher. I've been a school psychologist for 17 years and have worked in every type of school setting from slum to suburban.

My husband and I love to travel and participate in community theater. Bridge, crossword puzzles, and chocolate are my vices. We are cat people who are not currently owned by a cat. Purrcie, our nineteen-year-old Russian Blue died last January and we have been unable to replace him.

Are you coming to mystery writing from another job?

I've been a school psychologist for seventeen years and still work part-time for a junior high school. In my past life, I have also been a police, fire, and emergency dispatcher, a pharmacist assistant, and a travel agent.

What led you to write mysteries?

I've been reading mysteries for about 15 years. I had tried writing several different types of books and finally realized mystery was the natural one for me.

Tell us about your road to publication.

I finished my first book about five years ago--just in time to attend the Sisters in Crime conference in Houston. I met many wonderful people that weekend, but two first-time published authors made the biggest impression on me. Earlene Fowler and Harlan Coben. They were both very encouraging and just plain nice.

I also met an agent that was very interested in my work. Unfortunately, after keeping my manuscript for nine months she asked for a rewrite, kept it for another nine months and turned me down. Although I lost more than a year with that agent at least, I got a revision out of it.

Next I met a lovely lady name Lynn Bradley on-line who encouraged me to enter the Houston Writers League contest. Finalist got to meet with editors and agents. I made the finals, but due to my grandmother's death did not get to travel to Houston to have my agent/editor appointment.

Still, I was encouraged and used the judges comments to polish my manuscript again. Then I went to the Harriet Austin Conference in Athens, GA. My manuscript was critiqued by Sara Ann Freed, executive editor of Mysterious Press. She said it was "cozy writing at its best" and allowed me to use her quote to query agents. Using this it in my query letter I obtained an agent within a 4 to 6 weeks of that conference. I finaled in one other contest before my agent sold my book.

I've been a part of a writers' critique group for about 5 years and participated for two years on an on-line critique group. Sisters in Crime have been helpful, but Mystery Writers of America was not. They only showed interest after I had sold my book. I don't believe they are an appropriate organization for aspiring authors.

What kind of research was involved for your first book?

I did very little research since my sleuth and I share a profession. I looked into the workings of a small-town coroner and how to put on a festival, but that's it.

What does your family think of having a mystery author in their midst?

This has been one of the neatest part of selling my book--seeing the reaction of my family. Everyone is really excited. They fall into two categories--those who want to be in the book and those who are afraid they are in the book.

Tell us about plans for future books.

Book 2 is complete except for the title. It is currently in the hands of a copy editor and is due out April of 2001. I am writing book three, currently called MURDER OF A SLEEPING BEAUTY and it is due out January 2002. I am also writing a short story using these characters and setting for an anthology my publisher is putting out Summer of 2001.

How can readers get in touch with you?

http://www.DeniseSwanson.com

Denise, thank you for joining us, and best of luck. Readers, we have a review of on our Cozy Page.

August 22, 2000