5 Questions with Jan Dunlap

At the Minnesota River Arts Fair recently, I shared a literary tent with a bunch of other authors, and had a chance to interview them briefly. I asked each of them the same five questions. Here's what mystery author Jan Dunlap had to say!

1 – What’s your latest book about?

A Murder of Crows, book #5 in my Birder Murder Mystery Series. In it, high school guidance counselor and avid birder Bob White finds the dead body of a friend of his. This leads to a mystery involving the creation of a wind farm.

2 – Who’s your favorite author and/or what’s your favorite book?

Vince Flynn and Janet Evanovich

3 – What’s your favorite aspect of writing?

Research and character development

4 – Any good anecdotes about being a writer?

I used to write a humor column in the Shakopee Valley News and the Chaska Villager called Trust Me. My picture accompanied the column, so one day while in a grocery store, a woman recognized me, came up to me and said, “I would never trust you.”

5 – What was the most helpful writing advice you've ever received?

The advice given to me was to copy a bestseller word for word. While I didn't do that, I did outline Steve Berry’s novel The Amber Room. It taught me how to structure a novel for suspense.