Last month I introduced two authors, Kay and Debbie.

Today we are honored to have Kay DiBianca with us to tell us more about her writing and her books.

Kay DiBianca is an award-winning author who loves to create literary puzzles in the mystery genre for thoughtful readers to solve. Her characters come to life as they struggle to solve murders and create relationships amidst the ongoing themes of faith and family.

An avid runner, Kay can often be found at a nearby track, on the treadmill, or at a large park near her home. You can usually find one of her characters training or racing through her stories.

Kay’s background in software development fuels her fascination with mysteries, and her dedication to running helps supply the endurance and energy to write them.

Kay and her husband, Frank, live, run, and write in Memphis, Tennessee.

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Welcome, Kay. Thanks for joining us today and telling us about your writing.

How would you describe the type of mysteries you write?

I write cozy mysteries. Cozies obey certain rules of writing. There’s no explicit violence, although there’s usually a murder or a possible murder that takes place off-stage. Also, there’s no explicit sexual content, although the author can allude to things that are happening, but not give a graphic description. 

Some cozies deal with paranormal content like ghosts or spirits, but my books are grounded squarely in reality. The underlying theme is always the search for truth. 

Since I want my books to be described as “clean mysteries,” I don’t include any profanity. 

What life events led to your interest in writing?

I’ve always been interested in writing, but life events led me in another direction. My professional career was in software development, and it left little time to take on the major task of writing a novel. But after I retired, I became more and more interested in writing stories that had been floating around in my mind for a long time. It was while I was out running one day and listening to an audiobook mystery that I decided I could write a mystery as good as the one I was listening to. Maybe that’s why the first chapter of my first novel describes a young woman running a five-miler in a park. 

I noticed that the theme of time and time-keeping devices runs through your stories. Is there a reason for this?

I don’t remember why I included the watch as a central part of the first book in my series. But once I had decided on it, I got very interested in the subject of time. Watches and clocks remind me that we should use our time wisely while we’re on this earth. 

Why did you set your series in close proximity to a college campus?

My husband was a college professor before he retired, and we’ve spent much of our long marriage in and around college campuses, so it was natural for me to include characters and settings that reflect our experiences. Whenever we travel to cities that have a university, we’ll spend some time just walking the campus. It’s like a small universe in itself. 

What projects are you currently working on?

Since my third book, Time After Tyme, was recently released, I’ve spent much of my time in December working on posts to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get the word out. And I expect to spend time in January with a launch group to highlight the book. I also write bi-weekly blog posts for the Kill Zone Blog. 

What projects do you have planned for the future?

I hope to publish a couple of short stories early in 2022, and maybe start the fourth book in the Watch series.  

Where do you hang out on social media or blogs? Or where can readers find you to ask questions or interact with you?

I love to hear from readers. They can contact me through my website at kaydibianca.com.  

My website blog is devoted to monthly interviews with authors discussing the craft of writing. This year’s interviews are with mystery, suspense and thriller authors. As you know, you will be my interview guest in February, and I’m looking forward to hearing about your writing journey. 

Here are some of my other links: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kdibianca 

Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/kay.dibianca/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kdibianca/ 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kay-dibianca 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18490743.Kay_Dibianca 

Where can people sign up for your newsletter?

They can sign up on my website at kaydibianca.com. 

Do you have any current deals or discounts on your books?

I put books on sale occasionally, so folks can watch for those. The audio of my second book, Dead Man’s Watch, is on sale at chirpbooks.com now through January 22 for 99 cents. 

What else should we know about you and your writing?

I’d like people to know how grateful I am to have the time and means to write books. My goal is to write excellent novels that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. That’s a high hurdle to jump over, but I’ve always loved a challenge. I look forward to connecting with you and your readers in the future.

Thanks, Kay, for joining us today and telling us about your books and writing. This has been very interesting.

Thank you, Steve, for giving me this opportunity. 

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