Interview with Joan Havelange
Author of Wayward Shot
Whodunnit author/ cozy mystery. Golfer, trailer storyteller
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How would you describe Wayward Shot to a new reader?
- Humour and mystery. Golfers don’t kill golfers, or do they? Mabel and Violet plunge headlong into a mystery. And not every investigation goes as planned.
What was the inspiration behind Wayward Shot?
- I was watching an old Agatha Cristie movie and thought, what if my protagonist wasn’t as genteel or as clever as Miss Marple. But still manages to solve the mystery.
Which authors do you admire? How have they influenced your writing style?
- Agatha Cristie, Linwood Barclay, a great Canadian storyteller. And Rhys Bowen is also a favourite of mine.
Can you tell us a little about the locations in your book?
- Wayward Shot begins on a golf course in the fictional town of Glenhaven, Saskatchewan, Canada.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Writing is fun, editing is not, but edit, edit and edit again.
What's your writing process?
- I create a plot and weave the story around my heroines. I have an outline of what will happen, when and where. But I must confess that my carefully laid out plot can change when a good or bad character becomes fun to write.
Which character in Wayward Shot has had the greatest impact on readers?
- I have two protagonists; Mabel and Violet. Their personalities are the opposite of each other, which lends to the humour in the stories.
If Wayward Shot were to be adapted for TV or film, who would you see in the lead role? Who did you have in your mind’s eye when you wrote him/her?
- Jane Eastwood
How have readers responded to Wayward Shot?
- Very well. They love the humour and the unexpected
Where next? What are you working on now?
- Wayward Shot was my first mystery published in 2019. Since then, I have written three more ‘Death and Denial,’ an adventure in Egypt. ‘The trouble with Funerals’ Mabel has to solve a murder, her mother could be the next victim. And ‘The Suspects,’ my ladies take a bus tour and end up in Moscow, and Mabel is the prime suspect. I am working on ‘Murder Exit Stage Right.’ Murder is a hard act to follow. All the drama does not take place on stage. This whodunit is scheduled to be published in September.
