Ritter Ames
South-Central U.S.
What a treat I have for you today, Gentle Readers! One of my favorite authors is with me this morning. I am thrilled and honored to introduce you to the lovely and talented Ritter Ames.
Good morning, Ritter! And welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for art and authors and those who love them. Can you tell us a little about what you've written? have you written?
I have three mystery series: two cozy mystery series, the Organized Mysteries set in southern Vermont and the new Frugal Lissa Mysteries set in Oklahoma around Tulsa; and the Bodies of Art Mysteries, which are globe-trotting traditional mysteries with mostly European locations.
I absolutely LOVE your Bodies of Art Mysteries!!! If there's anyone out there who loves art, adventure, and suspense, with a female James-Bond-like heroine and a knock-out supporting cast, you need to read this series. Netflix, where are you?
What is your favorite genre to write?
I love writing mysteries that allow readers to escape into them. While I’m an eclectic reader, I read more cozies and lighter mysteries each year than anything else, and that’s the same kind of books I enjoy writing. I also love being able to add fans into my novels. And for the new Frugal Lissa Mystery series, my family’s blonde Labrador retriever, Honey, is one of the characters. I love being able add life into my stories.
Favorite food?
Anything with avocado—except guacamole. I want slices of avocado on everything, and my favorite summer sandwich is avocado and tomato slices on mayo with bacon!
Tea or coffee?
I like both, but I drink more tea than I do coffee. And I drink more peach tea than anything else.
Pizza or ice cream?
Ice cream—hands down! Love all flavors, but my favorite is mint chocolate chip.
Wine or beer?
Wine.
Where would you like to visit?
Switzerland has been a country on my bucket list that keeps getting pushed further back on the list because of different things that come up each time we plan a trip there. So, that’s first on my list right now.
Favorite musical artist?
I have a lot of favorites, but if I have to choose just one, I’d say James Taylor. But really, I could list dozens of favorites.
I love James Taylor's music, too. Do you listen to music when you write?
Often, but not always.
What?
I like listening to Enya and classical music at low volumes, so I don’t
try to “sing along” as I type. But for a lot of individual writing projects
I’ve had playlists I ran to keep me motivated and writing to a particular
mood.
What makes you laugh?
Seriously, I laugh a LOT! I laugh when listening to smart comedians, and I laugh just as hard at puns. I really can find something funny in most things.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
Las Meninas by Velazquez—no question. I love all the layers of information about the Spanish court and daily life of the royal family that comes just in studying that one masterpiece.
How old were you when you started writing?
I was making up stories for my friends and stuffed animals before I could even read and write. I can’t remember not spinning stories. But I wrote my first “book” in elementary school—however, it was really just a long short story. And yes, it was a mystery.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
All the above. Depending on the series, I do all necessary research ahead of time. For my Bodies of Art Mysteries, I do very heavy, detailed outlines. For both my cozy series, I do what I call “messy outlines” where I hit the high points I need to do for each book, and lightly map out where chapters will start and stop. Then, because I write my first drafts completely—no going in and making any corrections or revisions until the entire draft is done—once I start writing any novel, I then use notecards and Post-it Notes later to add new info that comes to mind as I write. After the first draft is completed, all these notes will be reviewed, and the info added/revised/removed as needed as I do the second draft.
Describe your perfect evening.
Spending time with a few friends, talking, laughing, and sharing wonderful food.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Inspiration comes from all directions all the time. My job is simply to make it believable and enjoyable to read.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I can get overwhelmed by too many things to do in life, and that can reduce my ability to write at the moment, but that’s more a time management problem rather than any kind of writer’s block. But when challenges around me make writing more difficult, I’ve found pen and paper helps me much more than a laptop keyboard. The tactile rewards of actually writing down words, rather than typing, tends to help any word dam burst, and I find my writing speed increases substantially—until the point where I have to stop and get on my laptop because I’m writing too fast for my handwriting to keep up. Great feeling.
Who is your favorite author?
The late Elizabeth Peters and the late Pat Conroy. I’ve reread both authors’ bodies of work time and again.
Best book you ever read.
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. I remember the first time I read it, I think it took two full weeks, because I kept rereading sections over and again because the words were so perfect.
Last book you read?
Lock 13 by Peter Helton. I love this Chris Honeysett artist/detective series and own every title.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
I’d love to create a foundation to help promote art and history programs for all ages.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My paternal grandmother. She was my primary caregiver the first six years of my life, took me to get my first library card, and cheered me toward every dream. And gave me so much really good info on how to do things in ways that may not be the conventional route, but was always efficient, economical, and good old common sense.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
This is the easiest question of all—Mark Twain. I want to just sit back and listen to him tell me stories. Any stories he wants to tell.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Pay attention to how the books you want to write are marketed, because marketing will be a significant part of your writing day, and you can’t just rely on a social media platform. Yes, we all think we’re going to spend our time writing and creating new worlds and characters, but unfortunately that idea is as fictional as our novels.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
Social media links to all things Ritter Ames—
subscribe to my newsletter -- http://smarturl.it/NewsltrSubcribe
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Then there are the scripts and the actors, not to mention the overall quality of the production -- lucid photography, theme music with echoes of Brideshead Revisited, period clothing, vehicles, etc. The writing is measured, intelligent, no wasted words. Honeysuckle Weeks and Anthony Howell in the supporting roles of Samantha Stewart and Paul Milner are excellent and play off each other well.
Sniff...