Penny Goetjen

National award-winning author Penny Goetjen writes murder mysteries where the milieus play as prominent a role as the engaging characters. A self-proclaimed eccentric known for writing late into the night, transfixed by the allure of flickering candlelight, Ms. Goetjen embraces the writing process, unaware what will confront her at the next turn. She rides the journey with her characters, often as surprised as her readers to see how the story unfolds. Fascinated with the paranormal, she usually weaves a subtle, unexpected twist into her stories.

Twitter: @PGoetjen

Instagram: @pennygoetjenmysteryauthor

Is your go to comfort food sweet or savory? Is it something you make yourself? Does food inspire your writing?

My go-to comfort food is unequivocally savory: Italian. I don’t come from an Italian family but—true confessions—years ago when I watched episodes of Cake Boss with my daughter, we shared a secret wish to be a part of their vivacious family. There’s something inherently satisfying about diving into a plate of lasagna, chicken parm, or eggplant parm. It tastes so good the first time around (especially if I go out to eat and someone else makes it) and the portions are usually quite generous, so I have leftovers for days. I love leftovers!

I usually incorporate some sort of food into my novels but on the sweet side of the palate. In my new release The Woman Underwater, the protagonist has a negligible side business that requires her to spend time in the kitchen tending to cupcakes and cookies. In my Precipice Series set on the coast of Maine, the old family inn is famous for its Sunday brunches with the ever-popular orange macadamia nut French toast. My Caribbean Series is less about food and more about exotic tropical drinks. What’s not to love about libations with colorful paper umbrellas perched on the rim?

Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?

While I was writing my first book Murder on the Precipice, I had the incredibly creepy feeling I was writing someone else’s story—not one that had already been written, but a story that someone who had passed needed to have told. I know. Creepy. Right? That feeling stayed with me to the end but I never discerned if there was anything more to it than my imagination. I only hoped I had done it justice if it was someone else’s story. Not really Imposter Syndrome, but certainly close to the proverbial edge.

Also, at the end of the writing process for that book, I ended up changing the name of one of my characters because of something I sensed. Originally, I had named the protagonist’s sweet grandmother after my great grandmother Angelia. I absolutely love the name and how uncommon it is. (I keep a list of names that catch my ear so I can consider them for possible characters in the future.) But throughout writing Murder on the Precipice I had this nagging feeling I shouldn’t use Angelia. So, before I sent if off to my editor, I changed it to Amelia. Once I did, I felt an incredible weight, that I didn’t realize was there, lift from my body.

Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?

I probably hang in there longer than I should and when I do end up abandoning a book, I feel robbed of my time. But really that’s just part of reading. You have to invest time to properly discover a book. Knowing how much of a writer’s heart and soul go into writing and publishing, I feel I owe it to the author to give it a solid try. So, I last a minimum of 50 to 100 pages, sometimes half the book. And if someone close to me has recommended it, I’ll tend to slog through to the end and THEN feel robbed of my time. Usually, I’m pleased I stuck it out.

Do you collect anything? If so, what, why, and for how long?

I’m not much of a collector of things. Never have been. I remember when I was young—maybe ten or so—my mother began encouraging me to start collecting these dolls that “everyone else” was collecting. I didn’t understand the attraction but I heeded her urging and bought one with my allowance. Then another. I got to three dolls and lost interest. I didn’t see the point of putting them on a shelf for the sake of collecting them. (Plus, you had to dust them!) I’m still that way. I keep our house decorated in a minimalistic vibe. Clean lines, no clutter (except for my office which is why I seek out other places to write). I find clutter distracting.

Instead of collecting things I collect experiences and the resulting memories. Now that our kids are grown and have significant others, we’ve dispensed with buying gifts to wrap and put under the Christmas tree. I still stuff stockings with fun, unexpected items and they get a kick out of opening them. But the actual gifts are activities we do together as a family, like a kayaking or sailing excursion, a candle-making class, horseback riding, a food tour, or carriage ride in downtown Charleston. The memories of our time together, absorbed in these activities, lasts much longer than the useful life of any physical things we could give them. The memories are priceless.

What piece of clothing tells the most interesting story about your life?

For me, it’s not a piece of clothing but a piece of jewelry: a gold bracelet that used to belong to my grandmother before she passed away. She was my mother’s mother and I absolutely adored her—so much so she was the inspiration for the protagonist’s endearing grandmother in my Precipice Mystery Series. I describe her as a Mrs. Claus lookalike without the extra weight. It was in my grandmother’s creaky old house where I had my first paranormal experience which terrified me, so I blocked any further interaction until a few years later when I opened up and embraced it fully. I now have paranormal stories to share that involve all the ordinary senses with the exception of taste. I’m so fascinated with the paranormal that I often weave a subtle thread into my stories, including The Woman Underwater. I’ve considered becoming a ghost hunter but my biggest fear is bringing my work home with me!