Thank you for joining me in welcoming… K.B. Owen!!
I initially came in contact with Kathy through Twitter where I found a link to her amazing blog--a humorous mix of fascinating history, fun quizzes, and writerly observations. We quickly connected and am I glad we did! She is such a generous, friendly author. Kathy writes mysteries, and I can't wait until the day I can pick up one of her books!
Let's get to it!
1. Beverage of choice?
All year ‘round, it’s iced tea, unsweetened (I know, I’m odd that way) with lemon. It’s funny, though: expecting access to iced tea no matter what the season must be a southern thing, because once I tried to order it in Massachusetts in March, and the waitress shook her head, gave me a strange look, and said: “You’re not from ahrahnd here, are you?”
2. Any pets?
We have a lot of allergies, so we only have a guinea pig and a gerbil (different cages, promise!). They each had companions who died a while back. The guinea pig wheeks at us as if we starve him, and the gerbil runs on her wheel as if she’s terrified of getting fat thighs. (It’s the guinea pig who could use the wheel. He’s a bit hefty.) But they are both adorable. We recently acquired a beta fish who isn’t nearly as interesting. He just floats around.
3. Dream vacation?
There are so many (I don’t get out much). Pick one? Hmm…
I’ve always wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise. Alaska seems to me to be one of those places where we don’t always get things our own way, and can’t quite conquer nature. I’d like to see that.
4. What are you listening to right now?
If I’m writing when you post this, it will probably be my favorite artist, Andres Segovia, who plays classical guitar: the works of Bach, Purcell, and Handel, among others.
5. What's for dinner?
In the summer, I’m the queen of the grill around our house. Hubby was never interested, and as an only child, my dad taught me all his grilling tricks. Probably a thick, juicy steak, corn on the cob, and a salad. Maybe I’ll have some tomatoes ripened by then!
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Kathy, you're right about year-round iced tea being a southern thing. I've worked at restaurants in Michigan, and we only brewed it in the summer. Our family has a guinea pig too. Maybe he could have a playdate with yours and they could hijack the gerbil's wheel? Ours is a chunky monkey! And a squeaker. I've never listened to Andres Segovia, but his music sounds inspiring--I'm adding him to my list of artists to check out!
I can't believe you teased us with your grilling tricks and didn't share any! I grill often, but my tricks are limited to: getting the grill to light, occasionally burning our food, and handing the tongs to my husband. Thanks so much for being my guest today, Kathy!
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Historical mystery writer K.B. Owen fell in love with the Hartford region during her years at The University of Connecticut. She was inspired to begin a mystery series set at a nineteenth-century women’s college in Hartford, a vivid period world of plucky heroines, quirky and beguiling characters, and mischief mixed with murder.
K.B. Owen holds a doctorate in 19th century British literature and taught college literature and writing courses for more than a decade. Her delightful and varied experiences with students served as inspiration for the classroom interactions of her novel’s protagonist, Professor Concordia Wells. Thankfully, unlike her main character, she did not have to lecture in a bustle and full skirts. She is working on her second novel in the series, blogs about mystery and history (with a pop culture slant) at kbowenmysteries.com, and tweets as @kbowenwriter.
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It's county fair season around here. Are you attending a local fair this year?
Have a magnificent Wednesday!
