Straight from the Library: Straight Chatting from the Library: Kirsten Weiss

This post is part of a virtual book tour orgnaized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kirsten Weiss will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

READ THE INTERVIEW

What is your reading comfort zone?

I love cozy mystery novels and the supernatural—particularly gothics. I don’t like gross-outs or gore. And I’m not a fan of horror, which typically ends on a bad note. There’s enough of that in the world! I want to read hopeful endings (which is why I write cozy mysteries, where the villain is always brought to justice).

How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

I love Stephen King’s writing, so he’s my one exception to my “no horror” rule. That man just knows how to write, and I learn so much from reading him—about how to draw out suspense, about plotting structures, and about character.

How often do you agree with critics about a book?

Lately, not much! A lot of book critics seem to be post-modernists, and I just don’t enjoy post-modernist writing. It seems to have a lot of awful characters in big cities doing awful things, because “it’s more realistic.” Well, maybe it is more realistic. But I can read about those people in the online news, and they are not who I aspire to be. It’s a fallen world, but I want to read about honorable characters fighting for good things – or at least about people who are trying to be honorable.

How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I’m careful with it. I try to give honest reviews, and to be objective. This means letting people know what reading experience they’ll get from the book without giving anything away, and recognizing that the elements I don’t like, other people may love.

If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?

Right now I’m working through Osweald Beara by Colin Gorrie. It teaches you to read old English in the form of a story. In each chapter, the vocabulary and language gets progressively more challenging. Reading it is like decoding a puzzle, which as a cozy mystery writer (and reader) I love.

Here’s how it works. The author suggests you first read the chapter and just try to get a sense of it. Then study the vocabulary list at the back of the chapter and re-read it until you’re comfortable before continuing on. And then, when you get to the point you’re about to give up, go back to the beginning and read it all to inspire yourself with how far you’ve come. It’s a fun and fascinating way to learn a language. So the answer is old English!

Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Adaptations are tough. You inevitably have to leave things out, and the page doesn’t always translate to the screen. But Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings was remarkable. He and the actors obviously loved and respected the material. They did a wonderful job. I’ve heard they’re talking about doing a remake, and I can’t understand why. It’s perfect.

> What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Hm. This is a good question, but I don’t have an easy answer. I do DNF books. In fact, recently I DNF’d a highly acclaimed bestselling urban fantasy novel, because it was one of those “everyone is awful and doing awful things” books. I didn’t care what happened to the so-called heroine. Also, the activities described in the book were ugly, and I didn’t want them in my head.

Supposedly, when you read something or see it on film, the subconscious doesn’t recognize that it’s fiction. If this is true—and I think it is—then it’s critical to curate one’s reading. I’ve got enough issues, without adding horrors to my subconscious that aren’t even real!

What do you think? Does our subconscious know the difference between fiction and reality? What does it mean for our media diet?

READ THE BLURB
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A killer stalks her sister.
A mysterious painting holds the key.
Can Maddie unravel the mystery before Melanie meets a deadly fate?

When Maddie and Herb attend a curation class at the upscale Domus Vinea museum, the mood turns darker than a gothic portrait after Maddie’s opera-singing sister, Melanie, discovers the museum director’s body. Now, with a cunning killer targeting Melanie next, Maddie must act fast.

Racing against time, Maddie and friends investigate a gallery of suspects, including a dashing vintner with a haunted painting that may hide a deadly secret. If Maddie can’t crack the case, and fast, her sister’s life could end in one fatal stroke.

A Deathly Display, the latest in the Paranormal Museum series, blends quirky sleuthing, small-town chills, and paranormal thrills with a dash of humor. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries!

Grab A Deathly Display and start reading this hilarious whodunit!

For readers who crave a cozy mystery about a woman finding belonging through small-town wine-country sleuthing and the gentle absurdity of everyday hauntings. Perfect if you like breezy pacing, light supernatural quirks, and warm humor over gritty tension—think vintage charm, quirky neighbors, and just-enough chills to keep pages turning without losing sleep. Book 11 in the series.

READ AN EXCERPT

Stuffing the brochure into the pocket of my navy hoodie, I walked to the window. The gentle blues of twilight streamed through it, making a trapezoid on the museum’s wooden floor.

A narrow, carved piece of wood stuck out beneath the sill. There appeared to be two wooden hinges at its base. It was another door. Curious, I pried the top open.

The slender strip of wood popped off the wall. I caught it before it could hit the floor and froze, squatting, door cradled in both hands. Horrified, I gaped at the piece of carved wood.

“You broke it,” Herb hissed. “You broke the house on our first visit!”

“I didn’t break it. It fell off.” Frantically, I tried to work the door back into the hinge.

“What are you doing?” Bran asked from behind me.

Heart pounding, I spun to face him and hid the slim little door behind my back.

“Are you hiding something behind your back?” Bran cocked an eyebrow. Now, he looked like an angry Roman general, the trimmed stubble on his jaw more threatening. Not even his jeans and blue button-up eased the effect.

I blinked, sweating. He’d caught me like a kid elbow-deep in a cookie jar.

MEET THE AUTHOR