Meet M. S. Spencer | Author of Mystery & Romantic Suspense

We had the good fortune of connecting with M. S. Spencer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi M. S., how has your work-life balance changed over time?
For writers, balancing social life and your vocation usually engenders guilt trips. During Covid many jokes focused on authors either rejoicing in a legitimate excuse to stay holed up in front of their laptops—or not noticing any difference in life style. As for me, I would bisect my life between a wide variety of life experiences up until my first book was published, and a second half drawing on those life experiences from the comfort of my own study. Before 2009 I was a librarian, an anthropologist, a research assistant, a US Senate committee aide, a speechwriter, a nonprofit director, and a parent. I’ve worked for professors, a magazine, the Senate, the Department of the Interior, and Arlington County schools. I’ve lived or traveled in five of the seven continents and hold degrees in Anthropology, Middle East Studies, and Library Science. Since 2009 I’ve published sixteen novels with one more on the way. I haven’t been to a preserve or museum or in a kayak in weeks. So no, I’m not good at balancing life and work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Starting at the age of four, I have lived or traveled in five continents. I’ve flown the length of the Colorado River to visit dams and ridden a stallion under the nose of the Sphinx. I sailed across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary, and watched the sunset color the Amazon River in fiery reds and purples.

After too many years in academia, I finally settled down to work and marriage. Besides several political or library jobs, I had positions at the Friends of the Torpedo Factory Art Center and the Vassar Book Sale (a vast used book sale that routinely netted $100,000 for scholarships). My first attempt at a novel garnered me an agent, but as I noted was unfortunately tossed by mistake. I wrote a second, which was rejected but returned with editorial notes that allowed me to re-edit and sell it in 2009. I haven’t slowed since. I have published sixteen murder mystery or romantic suspense novels, with one due out May 27. They are of the genre called “cozy mystery” but they do not feature chubby women bakers or cute dogs, but rather are puzzles solved by amateur sleuths—people caught up in a mystery not of their choosing. Each one is stand-alone, with a different setting and cast of characters, the style a casual, lighthearted, and humorous. My upcoming release is In the Crosshairs: The Body on Leffis Key: Someone is killing people with a crossbow, but what connects the murders is a mystery, and only a birder and the aide to a dead Senator can find the answers.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Florida—contrary to its image—is chockful of micro-environments and historical sites, as well as acres of cattle ranches and citrus groves. We’d start with a stroll on St. Armand’s Circle, built and decorated by John Ringling of circus fame, a delightful area of shops and restaurants. We’d pop into the Crab and Fin for oysters and tripletail. Then across the Ringling bridge to Sarasota, to visit the Ringling Museums of Art and the Circus, and Ca d’Zan (Ringling’s house) (are you sensing a theme here?). If there’s time, we’d cross the road to the Classic Car Museum, to gape at Jackie Gleason’s Cadillac and John Lennon’s Morris Minor.

The next day we’d hit the road to Ybor City in Tampa, an hour north, to watch cigars hand-rolled by the descendants of Cuban immigrants. We’d sample a Cuban sandwich, which, by the way, was invented in Ybor City, not in Miami. A little farther is Tarpon Springs, home to a large Greek community, where they still dive for sponges. We’d stop for a bit of mezze—taramasalata, olives, grilled halloumi cheese, perhaps a stuffed grape leaf or two.

Another day we’d go south to Everglades City for an airboat ride through the river of grass and later walk very, very cautiously down trails canopied with Spanish moss, hoping to sight the rare American crocodile. Back to Sarasota and Celery Fields, an amazing bird magnet originally farmed by Bertha Palmer (widow of Chicago developer Potter Palmer), followed by a carbohydrate-rich Amish dinner at Yoder’s. Our last day we’d take Bahn Mi sandwiches from Harry’s Deli and spend it on Longboat Key’s beach. It’s not as wide as, say, Clearwater, but its powdery white sand is empty of people, full of birds, and boasts a nice, warm, user-friendly Gulf of Mexico in which to swim.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My late husband Gary, who threw out my first manuscript, thus requiring me to still the visceral urge to write I inherited from my father by spewing more (sixteen novels so far, with a new release scheduled for May). I’d also give a shout out to my editor, Eilidh MacKenzie. Eilidh has been with me from the beginning, always gracefully nudging me to do better.

Website: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencermysteries

Other: GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/ Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/msspencer1 Shepherd: https://shepherd.com/best-books/treasure-hunts Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B002ZOEUC8

Image Credits
Book covers Tiny Lynn Stout.