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| An interview with Cathy Gallagher By Susan McBride Cathy Gallagher loves mysteries. She's a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Reader International, DorothyL and MurderMustAdvertise, among other groups fixated on whodunits. As if that is not enough, she's the site guide for About.com Mysteries. If you're a mystery reader and you want to know what's new, check out Cathy's informative and up-to-date lists and reviews. If you're an author and want to see your name in lights - well, at least in boldface - Cathy will gladly add you to her Author Directory and possibly even interview you, if your book catches her fancy. She mingles with the mystery set at Left Coast Crime and Malice Domestic, chats with favorites on-line and receives advanced copies of the latest thrillers well before the average reader can take a peek. Indeed, she's so popular with mystery authors and fans alike that I've dubbed her The Prom Queen of the Mystery Scene. Though I believe her tiara is set with bloodstones, not diamonds. I wanted to find out what had driven this young mother of three to murder -writing about it, not committing it - so I asked her directly, and found that Nancy Drew had nothing to do with it. SUSAN McBRIDE - Cathy, where did your love for mysteries begin? Were you a Nancy Drew fan like so many of us? CATHY GALLAGHER - Actually - well, don't tell anyone, but I never really liked Nancy Drew. I know, I know. How can anyone passionate about mysteries not like Nancy Drew? I actually didn't read many mysteries in my childhood. My mystery fix came in the form of Scooby-Doo (pre-Scrappy). I did form a passion for suspense books - Lois Duncan being my favorite - when I was in junior high. Then, during a bout of pneumonia, I discovered Agatha Christie. I read my way through the entire collection from my small town library. How did you become involved with About.com as a site guide for mysteries? Had you been involved in other sites before? I originally started with About.com (then, The Mining Company) as their guide to Book Collecting. With two children under the age of two (and a third in school), I was searching for a way to make a living writing from home while taking care of my kids. For a little more than a year, I had been running what I called my hobby business, (which basically means I was doing it more for fun than profit), The Reader's Retreat. As much as I enjoyed that as an expression of my passion for books, I needed to buy diapers! After looking into The Mining Company and participating in a two week training program, I was thrilled to find that my site had been selected to become a part of the network. After about 18 months as the Book Collecting guide, I began to look around for a topic area that better fit my interests. The Mysteries site was already being run by a good guide so I approached her about writing periodic articles for her site. After a few months, she notified me that she was moving on, and I rushed to contact her editor. I started back from scratch, working my way through the training program once again. In November of 1999, my all-new Mysteries site went live - and I was swept away into the wonderful, and sometimes wacky, world of mysteries. What does your job entail? Do you spend much time searching the web for info on mystery topics? Technically, I'm an independent contractor for About.com. That means I have a minimum requirement, but the content decisions are up to me - to an extent. I try to provide content that is entertaining and valuable to readers. Due to a recent poll taken on my site, I discovered that the main thing my readers looked for on my site was book reviews. With this discovery, I've moved more of my time into processing and posting reviews from myself and a team of mystery fans. When I first began the site, I spent a great deal of time searching out the best sites on the Internet for mystery buffs - and had a great time doing it, too! Now, mere months later, I receive so much input from my readers and from those running the sites, that I no longer need to go in search of sites - they come to me. What's your favorite part of being the Mysteries site guide? My first reaction was to say - the books! But truthfully, my favorite part is getting to know various authors and readers who share my same passion for mysteries. It's fulfilling and exciting to realize how many people in the world feel the same way about books and reader that I do. I hear you've got a mystery plot spinning around in your head. Have you always wanted to write? Mystery plots are constantly spinning through my head. I've actually begun to keep a notebook where I work out these ideas just so I won't go crazy from them haunting me. Every news story becomes a plot. Seemingly insignificant comments become a launching pad for scenes in a story. At times, it's like being possessed! So, yes, I've always wanted to write. My mom even wrote in my baby book about how, before I could write, I used to take notebooks and scribble through each of the lines for page after page. My mom even published a book of my stories when I was seven. It has always been more than a dream for me - it is truly my destiny. What types of mysteries do you enjoy reading most? Any favorite authors that always keep you coming back? Any new discoveries you're most excited about? I love suspenseful stories. I used to mistakenly believe that they only came in the form of police procedurals or psychological thrillers. I now know that a well-crafted cozy offers suspense. One of the things I truly love about the mystery genre is how broad a form of entertainment it really is. When I begin to see James Patterson's serial killers peeking in my windows at night, I know it's time to read some of Meg Chittenden's Charlie Plato mysteries or dig into Dianne Mott Davidson's Goldie Schultz culinary delights. When my nerves become less frazzled, I head back to Michael Connelly and Faye Kellerman. As for exciting discoveries, I could write all night! It is amazing how limited my reading was before I began this site. There are so many talented mystery authors who are not as well-known and/or not published by the big-wig publishers. This discovery added fuel to my fire in working on the About.com Mysteries site - I'm dedicated to helping mystery readers find the talented authors they may be missing. To name a few of my favorite recent discoveries: Kris Neri and Jerrilyn Farmer write very entertaining amateur sleuths. Dale Furutani and Annette Meyers made me like historical mysteries (which I had thought was not possible). Chris Rogers and C.J. Songer provide female sleuths with a sharper edge. How can authors and readers get in touch with you? The easiest way is to contact me via email at mysterybooks.guide@about.com. Or, if they'll be attending any of the major mystery conventions, seek me out! |
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