Interview with Yvonne Rediger

Welcome, today we are talking with Yvonne Rediger! I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy writing schedule to answer a few questions. First, let’s delve into who you are. Some of the questions may be untraditional but you’d be surprised at what readers connect to, and sometimes the simplest ‘I can relate to that’ grabs their interest where nothing else can.

Can you share a little something about yourself that’s not mentioned in your bio on your website?

Lots! Just kidding. Specifically, something most people don’t know is that I film, edit, and run my husband’s DIY YouTube Channel, Pallet Cabin.

We have an off-grid property and building projects with pallet wood kept us all sane during the past lockdown. Keith built the cabin out of pallets from our local Co-op with some help from his brother and a tiny bit from me. The goal for the channel is to do things as much on the cheap as possible. Reuse, recycle, and repurpose materials.

For me, putting the videos together is another type of storytelling and I sincerely enjoy it. My husband is a true renaissance man. There isn’t anything he can’t turn his hand to. He is also one of my most trusted resources when developing a story. If I need to know about anything from vehicles to blacksmithing, he’s my source.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I was a teenager. Fan fiction and things like that. I read lots of romances my older sister gave me and added romantic elements to my stories too. I entered Mills and Boon’s So You Think You Can Write contest in 2015. The aim was to write in the romance genre. My first novel, The Shape of Us was a paranormal romance and finished 55 out of 2800 entries. I took that result as a good sign. After which, I wrote two more in the VIC Shapeshifter series, Hell Cat and Trusting the Wolf.

Then I realized that I like writing mystery as well as romance so combined the two elements in the first Musgrave Landing Mystery, Death and Cupcakes which is a second chance at romance and cozy mystery combined.

What have you found most challenging about it?

There are several things thought-provoking with regard to writing novels. However, I’d say the most challenging issue is keeping the next book idea from swamping me while I finish my current work in progress. I have to write the ideas down so my brain will give me a break. Sometimes my characters will have full conversations, and if I don’t capture them, I’ll forget some killer lines.

What does writing do for you? Is it fun, cathartic, do you get emotional?

When I’m on a roll, writing for me is exactly like when you have a great book to read. I want to see what will happen next. I do care a lot about my writing. I want to get the subject matter ‘right’. I have to know all about a subject before I can write about it, so sometimes there is detailed research to do before I can get to the fun part of putting down the words.

Describe what your writing routine looks like. Are you disciplined with a strict schedule or do you have to be in the mood?

I am an IT analyst by trade so, yes, I have a methodical process. There are two whiteboards in my office. One for capturing the main ideas for each book. The other is my ‘murder board’ so I get the timeline right and sequence of events. Sometimes, for a series, I’ll start a journal and enter things like character attributes. I like to write in the morning and usually stick to a Monday to Friday schedule, keeping the weekends for family. Usually, I like to capture a thousand words each day. Although it isn’t unknown for me to get over two thousand in a morning.

Did you go into writing thinking that it would be a hobby or a job?

Writing is something I love. Telling a story to entertain others, is fun for me. I never actually considered writing as a job. That said, I know I have an audience in Canada and the United States. I’m thrilled I have book sales in Brazil, Italy, Germany, and increasingly in the UK.

What inspires you?

Walking the hiking trails of our property, being in nature is one way I receive inspiration. Driving to a destination, helps me think through plot issues. I let my mind wander and can usually solve a story problem that way. No music, merely thinking.

I love to travel, and find wonderful ideas pop into my head when we do. This past New Years we spent it with our kids in Costa Rica. Our daughter arranged the whole thing and called it Operation Sloth Watch, (we are a military family). So many ideas occurred to me while we were there, I had to begin a new journal to capture them all.

Let’s move on and give readers some insight into your personal life.

What are your pet peeves?

People who do not listen to others. You can usually learn something from everyone, we need to sometimes take a breath and give someone else a chance to speak. A different perspective or life experience can be truly revealing and inspiring.

 Who is your hero?

I have three heroes for various reasons. The first obvious choice is my husband. He is the love of my life, and one of my chief supporters.

Then of course, my son, who as a single parent is doing an amazing job of raising his boys, and also doing his own job while running his household, and a home repair side business, his strength is amazing.

My chief beta reader is my daughter, who is always taking on new challenges at work and at home. She loves adversity like her dad and the sky is the limit. Great sense of humour in some of the most stressful situations is something we all need to master.

I try to write these qualities into my hero characters.

Give us one thing on your bucket list.

One thing I’d love to do is travel more. I’ve been to England and Scotland, but I want to see the rest of the UK. I’d like to visit the places my great grandparents came from. See Egypt, Italy, Greece, and a host of other places.

What would readers find surprising about you?

I’m a bit of a clean freak. I do the minimum while writing the first draft of a novel, and once the revisions are done and the book is off to the first beta reader, I’ll muck out my house. I live in fear of company coming to stay in November, when I am usually half-way though the process. It hasn’t happened yet, so fingers crossed.

If you could go to heaven, who would you visit?

My Dad. We lost him over twenty years ago and I think about him every day.

Now that our readers know who Yvonne Rediger is let’s get down to the business of your book, The Right Road.

Please tell us a little bit about The Right Road.

Digging up the past can be murder.

Just returned from an assignment abroad, Adam Norcross is interrupted by his boss for a new task. Find RCMP Sergeant Bethany Leith. Adam also wants to know how Beth’s career has gone so off the rails she is suspended.

When Norcross tracks Beth to her parent’s farm in Saskatchewan they are drawn into a suspicious death investigation on her family’s land.

Norcross knows it’s murder. The victim is someone Nick Leith, Beth’s father, has a troubled history with. What about the archaeologist team digging on the same property, are they involved?

Norcross will use every tool at his disposal to solve the murder and help Bethany Leith. Including navigating his way through the political intrigue surrounding the case against her.

What was your hardest challenge writing this book?

The politics surrounding Leith’s suspension. I wanted to make the politician responsible for her troubles unlikeable, and unfortunately, I had a lot of material to choose from. How far would this individual go? Who is supporting him and why? How close to the actual truth should the narrative take the reader?

What kind of research did you have to do?

I did a fair amount of archeological research local to the setting of the book. I knew a bit, but found out so much more.

With the purchase of our rural property, we found out that if artefacts are found on the land, various official offices should be contacted. This is what gave me the idea to use archeology for this book and highlight our local museum. The museum and Saskatchewan Archeology Society was an amazing source for information and contacts, so much so I thanked them in the dedication.

What in your opinion makes good chemistry between your leading characters?

I think friendship is important in any romance. If you don’t like the person, you will never take the time to get to know them, and trust them. In addition to friendship, people need to be themselves. No fakeness, speak your mind, this also builds trust.

The characters will not agree on everything. That’s part of the attraction, I love good dialogue which shows both are intelligent and want to do the right thing. However, they may go about the same result by different routes. This will show they each have different attributes which compliment each other and can be a good team. This is the essence of the low burn romance between Beth and Adam.

Any other works in progress?

I am in the revising stage of the fourth book in the Musgrave Landing Series, Storm Stayed. After that, I have a solid idea for a standalone romantic suspense for which I’ve sketched a basic outline. Then on to the third book in the Adam Norcross series, which has some interesting dialogue already in the file.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Begin with an idea, grow the idea into a couple of pages, then a short story. If there is still more to say, try for a novella. If there is still more which needs to be added, then look at developing the work into a novel. As they say, you have to walk before you can run. This all takes time, so pace yourself.

Final words?

Some of my work is available now in audio book form from Apple Books.

Find it here: https://books2read.com/TheRightRoad

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