Barbara Venkataraman

I loved to read so much as a kid I once brought a book to a sleepover! I was six. I'm not sure I was invited to many sleepovers after that.

Although we didn't have a library, we did have a traveling bookmobile where I would've happily lived, stopping only to buy ice cream from a passing Good Humor man.

Besides reading, I liked to write silly poems and story ideas that never went anywhere. One day, I was so bored at a seminar I started writing a story for my two young sons who loved to play video games. In The Fight for Magicallus, two brothers are sucked into their video game and must work with the characters to find a way home. Ultimately, they must read a book to solve the puzzle, Mom's subtle message. Oh, and there's a poem in it too. My sons loved being the heroes and insisted I finish it, which I did.

After that, I wrote several books of essays before plunging into my Jamie Quinn cozy mystery series that features a protagonist who finds trouble even when she's minding her own business. Jamie is a family law attorney who becomes embroiled in murder cases she must solve with the help of her family and friends.

My favorite books at the moment are: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan; Less, by Andrew Sean Greer; and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce. If I had to describe what they had in common besides excellent writing, I'd say humor, fun, friendship, love--and a happy ending.

I'd say I promise I'll do my best to give you a chuckle or two and introduce you to characters who will become your friends. One of the best compliments I received was from a stranger reviewing my Quirky Essay Collection. He wrote: This book really cheered me up when I was feeling down.

Who could ask for more than that? Not I.

I love all my characters. Asking me to pick a favorite is like asking me which of my children is my favorite. I'll admit the character who surprises me most and makes me laugh is Duke, aka Marmaduke Broussard III. I honestly never know what he'll say next--but I know it will be memorable and probably inappropriate.

I plan to write more Jamie Quinn Cozy Mysteries because I really miss those guys. I have other projects in the works as well: A YA story about 5 teenage girls whose lives are changed by a fortune-telling machine; a sequel to The Fight for Magicallus; and a farce about a failed writer who finds a manuscript that brings him fame but then sends him on the run from a greedy ex-wife, a man who claims the manuscript was stolen, and a Mob boss who says the story insults the memory of his dead father.