This week, we sat down with Mrs. Frugalicious Shopping Mystery author Linda Joffe Hull, whose latest Black Thursday, was just released.
Midnight Ink: How long have you been writing?
Linda Joffe Hull: I dabbled from the day I got out
of college (cough) years ago, but didn’t start writing seriously until my boys
started school in 2001. They are both in college now.
MI: What influence have other authors
had on your writing?
LJH: My mom claims she found me hiding
under the covers with a flashlight and a book on a regular basis starting at
three years old. I have been influenced by everything from the Nancy Drew
series to David Sedaris.
MI: If you weren’t a writer, what
would you be doing?
LJH: I often say that at this point I
would be a stripper at a nursing home, but I would probably be in sales and
advertising, which I did in a former life.
MI: If you have a job outside of
writing, what is it?
LJH: I do freelance editing and
ghostwriting and work on everything from self-help and memoirs to fiction
projects.
MI: What is/are your favorite thing/s
to do when you’re not writing or working?
LJH: My boys are collegiate divers, so
I love travelling to watch them compete. Go Hoosiers and Hawkeyes!
MI: Who is your favorite mystery
sleuth and why?
LJH: I change my mind every time I
read a new mystery, but the first favorite that came to mind was Precious
Ramotswe.
MI: Do you have a favorite murder
case from a book (either yours or another author’s)?
LJH: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
really sticks with me.
MI: What was your inspiration for the
Mrs. Frugalicious Mysteries?
LJH: I was flipping through the
channels one night and found myself watching Extreme Couponing. I realized,
almost immediately, that anyone with the math brain and the ability to think on
the fly the way couponers do, would make a crack amateur sleuth. Mrs.
Fruglicious was born soon after.
MI: How does the Mrs. Frugalicious Mystery
series compare to your past works?
LJH: I like to write about the
suburbs—specifically, the unexpected dangers and pitfalls of suburban
existence. I describe my first novel, The Big Bang, as a suburban
satire/pregnancy whodunit. The Mrs. Frugalicious mysteries are far lighter and
have a lot less, shall we say, dark blue subject matter.
MI: Tell us about Maddie Michaels.
LJH: Maddie Michaels is the wife of
local TV financial guru Frank Finance
Michaels. When he loses all their money in a ponzi scheme, she reinvents herself
as bargain shopper and coupon clipper Mrs. Frugalicious to (surreptitiously)
save the family from financial ruin. I enjoy writing her because she is plucky
and is endlessly able to look at the increasingly dire situations she faces
with humor and a sense of optimism that some people (I’m looking in the mirror
here) can’t always summon up.
MI: Tell us your top 3 couponing
tips.
LJH:
- Always, always go through your
Sunday paper and clip coupons for things you will buy anyway. There’s no reason
not to save money every time you shop.
- When you use coupons, grocery
and discount stores recognize you as a coupon clipper and give you additional
discounts and savings offers in the form of Catalinas, those printed coupons
that come with your receipt.
- Never ever go shopping without
going online to check for coupons or specials. Practically every national
retailer offers discounts and/or specials simply by going to their website.
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| Linda and Hazel |
MI: Do you have a pet? Tell us about
him/her.
LJH: I have two pets, Andi the gecko
who currently resides in my oldest son’s room. She was named Andrew (after him)
until we discovered she is a girl. As my second son, Evan was headed off to
college we adopted Hazel. She is a four-month-old Lab/Blue Heeler mix. Adorable
only begins to describe her. Coincidentally, her kennel name was Eliza, which
happens to be my daughter’s name. Clearly, she was meant to be in my brood.
MI: If you don’t have a pet, do you
have a favorite animal?
LJH: I love exotic animals, many of whom are unsuitable for
domestic life. Luckily we have Andi and Hazel.
MI: What food could you live off of
for the rest of your life?
LJH: Homemade chocolate chip cookies.
MI: Do you have a favorite recipe?
LJH: I’m not the best cook, but I do
make an easy, incredible grilled salmon marinated in soy sauce, lemon wedges,
sugar and garlic.
MI: What is your favorite part about being an Inker?
LJH: Aside from working with the amazing Terri Bischoff? I guess I’d have to say the camaraderie amongst the authors who write for Midnight Ink. I’ve made and continue to make very close friends. What a great group of people!
Black Thursday, the second Mrs. Frugalicious Shopping Mystery, is now available in bookstores and online!
