Indie Author Friday: Teagan Riordain Geneviene #IndieAuthor #mystery #suspense

On By Teri PolenIn Indie Author Friday

Today I’m hosting one of my favorite guests – Teagan!  She’s so much fun, and a highly creative writer, as evidenced by her book, Three Things Serial.  Who else could make short stories out of random things suggested by blog readers?  It’s Friday, today is Cinco de Mayo, and the penguin in the question below has the right idea.

3-things-cover_3-2016

The Three Things Serial Story

Hi Teri. It’s great to be at your blog again. When I started my blog (Teagan’s Books) at the end of 2012, I did a few posts. By 2013 I wanted a theme — something more than just talking about my novel (Atonement, Tennessee) each week. That’s how the first of my serials began — The Three Things. I expanded on a writing exercise I developed long ago. (I would ask friends to give me three completely random things. Then I would write until I had mentioned all the things.) So I brought that exercise to my blog, but I had the readers send me their things. I let the things drive every detail of a serial story, setting, plot, and characters. The serial took shape and my blog grew with it. Eventually I did four different serials.

Comics Mural Teagan
Image by Chris Graham

Blurb — the Three Things Serial, a Little 1920s Story

Pip, a modern woman — a flapper, begins the first of several adventures. In this story a mysterious white-haired woman is kidnapped. Pip finds a bent key, a scrap from a special quilt, strange tattoos and other “things.” Later, Pip and her friends find themselves on a luxurious yacht where they encounter figures from history and celebrities of the era. The mystery comes to the forefront when they reach the destination, the gilded mansion, Cà d’Zan.

While any of the serials were being created at my blog, people would ask for a book version. So I’ve finally made time to “book-ize” the first serial! Here’s the Kindle version and the paperback. Now I’ve almost finished book-izing the second serial, Murder at the Bijou, Three Ingredients-I. It will be coming your way soon!

Link to novella launch: https://teagansbooks.com/2016/12/02/book-launch-the-three-things-serial-story/

Now for answers to your so very creative questions!

What’s the most constructive criticism you’ve been given in your writing career?

Write what you know. That doesn’t mean that I don’t learn new things in order to write a different story. I’m a research geek. It’s hard to stop myself from jumping onto long research tangents. However, I like some basic element of the story (such as the location) to be something I know well.

If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be?

Don’t listen to your parents — go ahead and write any story you want. Does that sound rebellious? Well, I was in sixth grade and started writing short stories. They got attention from my teachers. My parents didn’t want that, so they told me I’d better stop doing that right now. So I didn’t start writing in earnest until my late thirties.

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

For The Three Things Serial Story, I think that would be one of the less important characters, Flavio Fabro. From the beginning, I thought he was a player.

1920s 4 Look-alike Guys

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

As a writer, I always saw myself as strictly working in the fantasy genre. However, when I decided to use my three things exercise at my blog, I knew that method worked best with mystery stories. So I took a deep breath, and jumped into the mystery arena. It’s still not how I see myself, but I’m comfortable writing that kind of mystery.

What’s your favorite kind of cookie and why?

Shortbread. I’ve always liked shortbread cookies. However, in adulthood I developed a nasty and huge allergy to eggs. It’s hard to find cookies, pastries, or any dessert (heck, anything period!) without eggs hiding in it somewhere. Shortbread cookies usually don’t have eggs.

What’s the last thing you watched on TV/Netflix?

I cut the Comcast cord about three years ago, and I’ve never looked back. For me, television consists of YouTube and Netflix. I’m totally fine with that. That gives me more TV than I could possibly watch. At this writing the last things I watched were a Steven Colbert sketch via YouTube, and on Netflix, an episode of Murdoch Mysteries.

A penguin walks through the door wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

Don’t you wish you could be this cool for Cinco de Mayo? See me in my tuxedo and sombrero? I’m the cat’s pajamas, huh? Thank God Prohibition is over! I’ll have a margarita. Time to get spifflicated.

If you were an animated character, who would you be and why?

I admit that some anime is a guilty pleasure for me. (Just like movies and TV, some of it objectifies women way too much, and even sexualizes young girls. I don’t like those. Others, however are very good.) So I think I would be Kagome from the Inuyasha series. As a young girl I always fantasized about other eras. Kagome goes back to feudal Japan.

Inuyasha vol-1 1997

This was fun, Teri. Thanks for having me over! Hugs.

Buy Links:

Kindle version and the paperback

Teagan on Social Media:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene/e/B00HHDXHVM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/teagangeneviene
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeagansBooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/teagangeneviene/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoM-z7_iH5t2_7aNpy3vG-Q
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teagangeneviene

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80 thoughts on “Indie Author Friday: Teagan Riordain Geneviene #IndieAuthor #mystery #suspense”

  2. Teagan, did I read that correctly about your parents NOT wanting you to write? That’s just…sad. I’m glad you eventually went back to doing it!

    I enjoy some anime (and manga) too, although most of it is old stuff. And I love mysteries 🙂

    Nice to see you here on Teri’s blog.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    2. Hi Mae! Thank you and Teri for those kind and supportive words. Yes, you read it correctly. What can I say… some people are raised by wolves. I was raised by hillbillies. o_O Thanks so much for taking time to visit. Mega hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  8. Hello and I came via Teagan’s link. Lovely to learn new things about Teagan.. She is such a clever writer with such a rich variety of characters, So it was a real pleasure reading Teagans answers to these clever questions..
    Wishing you a lovely weekend
    Regards Sue 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. Great interview, Teri and Teagan. I cracked up when you described not liking Flavio from the beginning since you had the feeling he was a player. Well, yeah, you invented him, or did you? It’s one of the coolest things about writing – that our characters are who they are, and we go through this process of getting to know them, including an instinctual reaction to them. Loved that!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. Really enjoyed this intereview and totally enjoyed learning a little bit more about Teagan’s childhood. Great questions thought it was wonderful, you are right Teagan no eggs in shortbread Will have to make some for you!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  22. Great interview, Teri. I’ve followed several of Teagan’s serials but I’m forever learning new things about her writing methods and likes and dislikes. Thanks and best of luck! (I was lucky enough to win a copy of her serial in paper!)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  24. Teri, I don’t know where to begin. This is an incredible interview of an amazing subject. You and Teagan tap danced through this with flying colours. Enjoyed, shared, because, wow, this needs to be shared. Thanks for a brilliant start to the weekend.
    Hope this weekend treats you all kindly.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  29. Another Murdoch Mysteries fan! Yay! I loved the movies and can’t for Season 10 to be available on Netflix (it’s in my queue but availability is unknown). This was a most delightful interview, Teri and Teagan 🙂 💕

    P.S. I also love shortbread cookies 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  30. Love that writing exercise. I’ve used it in my own writing and given it to others when I teach. That she’s turned it into a novella (which I also love) is awesome. 🙂 On my TBR list.
    Also, big fan of shortbread cookies. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  31. Fascinating, entertaining, and enlightening interview. My parents weren’t thrilled with my young writing either. Basically, they didn’t like it because my characters (or the narrator, who was often me) was not always happy. My dad would write in the corners – “who cares about your little troubles? Keep it happy”). That stopped my writing for a while, until like Teagan I was in my 30s. Stories can be scary for relatives, no doubt about it. They want to see their daughter/niece/wife/aunt, etc. a certain way, and even fiction by the person they ‘thought they knew’ can be frightening to them.
    Fun interview questions and answers. Good job, both of you! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  32. Wonderful to see Teagan here! And great questions you’ve asked of her 🙂 I admire Teagan for stepping out of her comfort zone writing fantasy and starting to go the mystery writing route. Why limit ourselves to one genre, right?!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  34. Pingback: Reading Links 5/9/17 – Where Genres Collide

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