AUTHOR INTERVIEW--KELLY BRAKENHOFF

Today we sit down for a chat with cozy mystery author Kelly Brakenhoff who writes the Cassandra Sato Academic Mysteries. Kelly is also the author of a children’s picture book series illustrated by her sister. She says you should see her answer below about her childhood because the universe has an awesome sense of humor. Learn more about Kelly and her books at her website. 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

I don't remember not loving to read, and then writing followed soon afterwards. In elementary school, my younger sister and I made homemade comic books featuring dogs and cats. I wrote the words, and she did the illustrations. Think Garfield meets Snoopy. They were pretty bad. 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

This question makes me laugh and choke up at the same time. Forty years, if you count from those homemade comic book days in elementary school. Thirty years, if you count how long ago I graduated from college with my freshly embossed English degree in hand, ready to conquer the literary world. Twenty-six years, from when my first son was born, and I embraced my part-time career as an American Sign Language Interpreter and full-time motherhood. In between naps and trips to the children’s museum, I wrote newsletters, articles, and anything for whatever club or group asked me. Five years, since my first NaNoWriMo November after the kids had grown up and I finally had a break from PTO bake sales and bleacher butt from watching thousands of youth baseball games. I loved the challenge of writing 50K words in 30 days and seeing if I could really do what I’d always dreamed. Fourteen months, since I made the choice to stop querying traditionally and learn about indie publishing. 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

Both of my series are indie published. I established my own imprint and hired experts for cover design and editing. My next dream is to use my publishing company to publish Deaf or Hard of Hearing authors who might not get opportunities from traditional publishers. Readers are interested in knowing what it’s like to live in the world as a person who hears differently or not at all, and who communicates through signed language instead of spoken languages. 

Where do you write?

Usually in my home office as far from the cookie jar as possible, but sometimes at the kitchen table for a change of scenery. I’m an extrovert so if I’m feeling lonely, I go to a local coffee shop to write, drink tea, and people watch.

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

Before Dead Week, I could take music or leave it. And strictly instrumental movie or piano scores. This storyline included very feisty characters and dramatic moments. It was the first project I’ve written where I made a Spotify playlist filled with Girl Power songs and anthems that pushed me to take the characters further. The Dead Week playlist is public if you want to check it out! 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

Years ago, I met one of my best friends while my husband and I lived in Hawai’i. I’ve often wished she lived closer to me in Nebraska so we could hang out together in person. Of course, who in their right mind trades the sunny skies and sandy beaches of paradise for miles and miles of cornfields? Right, no one. 

When I began writing my novel in November of 2014, it was my chance to finally bring my wishes to life. So, I invented Cassandra Sato (who is only a little like my real-life friend) and moved her to fictional Carson, Nebraska, to see how she’d handle the face-freezing winters and ethnically homogenous people. 

Most days you’ll find me in a college classroom interpreting for deaf students attending their undergraduate classes. Many of the funny situations and dialogue are things I’ve seen or overheard on campus. One thing readers mentioned after my first book, Death by Dissertation, was how much they enjoyed learning about what life is like for deaf college students on campus. I thought Dead Week was a perfect opportunity to help people understand the world from their viewpoint a little more.  

For Dead Week, my Stuff I Want in this Book list included researching more about adoption, text-based emergency management systems, and Vietnam War protests. I threw in my day-job expertise as an ASL Interpreter and years of interacting with the Deaf Community to make people more aware of the important issue of equal access to public information in ASL and other languages. 

After mashing all of those elements together, I came up with a creative way to murder someone while checking off everything on my list. Easy peasy, right? 

Describe your process for naming your character?

Before writing one word, I asked my friend’s permission to “borrow” her career field and the moving to Nebraska premise for my books. Then I asked her if she could have any other name in the world besides her real name, what would it be? And she said Cassandra. Since the character is from a Japanese American family who migrated to Hawai’i, Sato seemed like a perfect last name.

Real settings or fictional towns?

Carson, Nebraska is a fictional town, but is surrounded by real town names. I used real locally famous names for the college and buildings. 

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?

Professor Bergstrom, Cassandra’s mentor, is a philosophy professor who teaches a wildly popular Philosophy of Batman course and rattles off wise quotes to Cassandra during various situations. She tries to guess who belongs to the famous quote and she’s often wrong.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

Part of being fluent in American Sign Language is that the grammar and stress of your sentences are shown through facial expressions. My family and friends tease me that my eyebrows and face are very expressive. I’m a lousy poker player.

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?

Any of the Erma Bombeck books, like If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What am I Doing in the Pits? She nailed the ups and downs of motherhood in all its emotional messiness. Although I could never be as funny as she was. She’s my idol.

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?

It’s not like my life has been all perfectly rosy, but do-overs are something I consciously avoid dwelling on. Every step on my path made me who I am today, and I don’t know if going back would be better.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Online stores that charge for shipping.

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. A nice pillow. A hat. (My skin burns pretty easily.)

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

Envelope stuffer for an advertiser mailing business before email became available. I am not cut out for repetitive jobs.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

Aaack! That’s like asking which child is my favorite. Let’s say the Harry Potter series, because every time I read them, I notice something else.

Ocean or mountains?

Ocean!

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

Mid-sized city

What’s on the horizon for you?

Currently I’m working on the next Cassandra Sato book, Dead of Winter Break, coming summer of 2020. Also, I’m finalizing the text for the next Duke the Deaf Dog book, Farts Make Noise, so I can hand it off to my sister for illustrations. 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

Like I mentioned before, I’m an extrovert. And I’m shameless about wanting to talk to readers. I’d love it if you followed me on Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub, Amazon or wherever you like to hang out and talk about books. Because I love talking about books and not only mine. 

Dead Week

A Cassandra Sato Acdemic Mystery, Book 2

Will Dead Week kill Cassandra’s career?

VP of Student Affairs Cassndra Sato has a desk full of problems and it’s not even Thanksgiving break.

Cassandra’s new boss talks to her dead husband. Cassandra’s mentor thinks he’s a superhero in a senior citizen’s body. And Cassandra, recently moved from Hawai’I, can’t crack the code of what to wear during November in Nebraska.

Cassandra faces end of semester pranks, stray dogs, winter storms, and viral news stories in her fight for justice for a group of student activists. But that’s nothing compared to the wrath of a Helicopter Mom!

Buy Links

paperback 

ebook