Author Interview: JEN PITTS

I'm pleased to welcome a mystery writer to the blog today to discuss her journey to publication! 

Check it out... 

​Jen Pitts is a lifelong mystery reader who turned her obsession into writing cozy mysteries of her own. When she isn’t plotting fictional murder and mayhem, she’s chugging coffee, traveling, reading, and enjoying life with her children and husband in the Pacific Northwest.

Follow Jen here! 

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​Samantha thought following a mysterious diary around the French Quarter of New Orleans would be a harmless way to learn about her new hometown until it became about murder. 

Discover the places and people that make New Orleans unique through the eyes of newcomer, Samantha Richardson, in the first book in the French Quarter Mystery Series, The Key to Murder. 

Looking for a fresh start as well as clues to her past, Samantha is thrilled with her furnished apartment even with its strange diary and key left on the living room bookshelf. Sammy, as her new friends call her, explores the city’s French Quarter by following the riddles in the anonymous diary. It was fun until it led to a body. Now Sammy must find out who wrote the journal before the murderer strikes again. 

Sammy moved to New Orleans for answers and a new life, but is a murderer going to keep her from her future?

​Grab your copy here! 

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The Interview...

Who are you and what do you write?

I'm Jen Pitts and I'm a mystery writer. My first novel, The Key to Murder, a mystery set in the French Quarter of New Orleans, was published in March 2020.


Where and when and how did the writing life begin for you?

In college, I wrote for my school newspaper and majored in English. After college, I entered the corporate retail industry. My writing consisted of advertising copy and corporate communications. I left the industry to raise my children, but it wasn't until my children were in elementary school that I returned to my real love, creative writing.


How has the journey to this point been? Can you give us a basic rundown?

I must admit it was a slow start! I had ideas, but I had a hard time getting focused. After moving to an area which has an incredible artist community, I began to take the time to write. Taking classes and joining a critique group were important steps for me to take my writing career seriously. Once I committed to making writing my career, I started calling myself a writer. I am a writer. I'm even a published writer now.


What's been the hardest part of your writing/publishing experience so far? And the most enjoyable?

The hardest part is knowing when your book is really finished. You can edit and revise your work to death. Letting go is hard, but necessary.

Would you go back and change anything?

I wish I started writing earlier! I always had excuses for not taking the time to write, but there will always be excuses. Even if its just five minutes, writing time is writing time.


Where would you like to be in 5 years time? And 10? Or, what are your plans for the future?

I plan to keep writing! My children will be going out into the world in the upcoming years, so my husband and I hope to travel. I intend to write about more places as we see more of the world.


What's one piece of advice you'd give to new writers just starting out?

Keep at it! You can always edit bad writing, you can't edit nothing.


And most importantly...

Ketchup or Mayo? - Both!
Night or Day? - Day if it's sunny. Night if it's rainy.
Inside or Outside? - Outside, especially if I'm at the beach.
Dogs or Cats? - Cats, but I love dogs, too.
Twitter or Facebook? - Both!
e-book or Paperback? - I love e-books, but I admit I still love a paperback in my hands.
Sun or Rain? - Sun every day!
Keyboard or Pencil & Notebook? - Keyboard, but when I'm stuck, I go back to pen and paper.
Comedy or Drama? - Both!
Chips or Chocolate? - Both! (Can you see a pattern here? Ha!)