Interview with Jessica Thompson
I had the opportunity to meet up with Jessica last summer in the Texas heat. We had a wonderful visit, looked at some longhorns, and shot targets beneath a July sun. Later in the evening, we watched the bats emerge from their bridge dwellings. BATS! (It was awesome!)
So, I convinced her to do an interview with yours truly. ;)
Jessica, you already have one book published. Yay! Do you have a favorite character (and, if so, which one)?
I think my favorite character is Jake, Violet’s husband. He’s pretty chill and supportive, like my husband, and there’s nothing hotter than a guy that can cook!
Oh, yes, I would have to agree with that sentiment. And one that can clean and do laundry and yard work so I can sit around and read and write ... *clears throat*
What is your favorite activity to do in the summer? Winter?
I like body surfing or boogie boarding at the beach in summer, which I used to do a lot as a teenager, but not as much now that I live in central Texas. But winter is my favorite. I love hot chocolate and Christmas and baking. I even like living in snow! Another thing I don’t get to do much here, and when the snow comes we’re not prepared for it.
We are totally prepared for it up nort'. It does "old" after five months but the upside is the lack of mosquitoes. Lol
What led you to start writing novels?
Right after my second child was born, I discovered my genre, culinary cozy mysteries. It’s a genre that was made for me. But that wasn’t what got me writing.
No.
My first experience with the genre was a book that was soooo bad but soooo popular, that I threw it across the room and said, “If that can get published, then so can I!”
That’s when I started writing.
Ha. I have read a few of those.
I think I know the answer to this, but please tell the readers ... cats or dogs?
Dogs. Both destroy things and leave hair everywhere, but only one loves you.
I happen to have five barn cats that will love you with drooling noses, purring, and a bit of claw most days. My doggo loves me every day, steals my chair, and likes to hold hands.
If you were to be gifted a superpower that you had to use continuously for 8 hours every day, what would it be?
Flying. No matter what the stipulation, it’s always going to be flying. No matter what. If I had to use it that much, then I might take a delivery job or something.
Nice.
Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Wars. I grew up with both, but Star Wars is more fun. I have now dressed up as Star Wars for two Halloweens, and I plan to do it again. Last time, I convinced and helped my extended family to dress up as Star Wars characters with me, so we covered 11 characters in all. It was epic, if I do say so myself.
Phenomenal costumes! How fun!
What is your favorite author/book?
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. I can’t talk about it. Anything I say would be a spoiler. Anything! That’s because it’s all woven together so seamlessly! Even the red herrings are interwoven! Oh man.
The zombie apocalypse will happen in two days. You are fully stocked with food, water, and toilet paper. What is the one thing you will have stocked up on as your guilty pleasure?
Sniper rifle ammo. Or is that included in my supplies? Then probably baking supplies. Especially chocolate chips. I don’t want to live in a world without chocolate chips.
Ammo is totally included. A world without chocolate is one I do not wish to visit.
When is your favorite time to write?
I think my favorite is when I get a super long stretch of time. Like a whole day. When I can start in the morning and write all the way until the evening, that’s my favorite. Writing for an hour at a time is hard!
Where do you draw inspiration? Real-life? Daydreams?
Yes. Both. Real life conversations, TV, movies, books, stories from people, it’s all good food for thought. The other day I was driving through a tiny town in Texas with my friend and we had lunch at this little place famous for their sausage burgers, and it was pure gold. The setting, the dialogue going on around us, the food, all of it. My favorite part was the lady at the cash register yelling, “Behave!” to one of the customers as they walked out the door, and him yelling back, “Why?”
Tell us your favorite "dad joke."
Why did the scarecrow win an award?
Because he was outstanding in his field!
Ha!
Good one!
You have a new book coming out soon!! Tell us about it.
A Caterer’s Guide to Holidays and Homicide
Deck the halls…with a personal chef, a snowed-in lodge, and a sprinkling of murder!
“Watch the knives!”
While acting as personal chef for a friend’s mountain retreat, Violet and her husband, Jake, must set aside their stress over infertility and create a magical and delicious holiday – until tragedy crashes the party.
Being snowed in and unreachable from town, Violet and Jake end up hired for a different kind of job – finding out which of the guests committed murder and why they’re trying to frame their hostess.
Violet must find a balance between following her gut and keeping it all under control until the police can reach them, while still managing the kitchen. But can she sniff out the killer before anyone else bites the big one?
A Caterer’s Guide to Holidays and Homicide will give you a culinary holiday you won’t forget!
More about Jessica!
When Jessica discovered mystery novels with recipes, she knew she had found her niche.
Now Jessica is the author of the Amazon best-selling culinary cozy mystery, "A Caterer's Guide to Love and Murder," and will be publishing her second book of the series, “A Caterer’s Guide to Holidays and Homicide,” on October 19, 2021. She is active in her local writing community and is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and the Storymakers Guild. She received a bachelor's degree in Horticulture from Brigham Young University but has always enjoyed writing and reading mysteries.
As an avid home chef and food science geek, Jessica has won cooking competitions and been featured in the online Taste of Home recipe collection. She also tends to be the go-to source for recipes, taste-testing, and food advice among her peers.
Jessica is originally from California, but now has adopted the Austin, Texas lifestyle. She enjoys living in the suburbs with her husband and young children, but also enjoys helping her parents with their nearby longhorn cattle ranch.
Check out what Jessica is up to at …
https://www.instagram.com/jessicathauthor/
https://www.facebook.com/jessicathauthor
https://twitter.com/jessicathauthor
http://mybook.to/catererholiday
Shine on!