We recently connected with Cathi Stoler and have shared our conversation below.
Cathi, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
I’ve always believed it is better to be optimistic than pessimistic. For me, optimism is a springboard that can take you to new places and new experiences. This viewpoint has become stronger as I’ve gotten older, It’s the kind of outlook that has allowed me to put away niggling fears of failure that might have held me back and allowed me to take on something I’ve always wanted to do. For me, that was switching careers from an advertising creative director copywriter to an author of mystery suspense novels.
Being optimistic helped me to find the resilience to move forward. It was true when I decided to write my first novel and it’s still true today. Of course, like anyone taking on anything new, I was nervous when I began writing but found the confidence that I would succeed. So far, I’ve written three mystery suspense series and multiple short stories, and I have several new projects in the works.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As a novelist, there’s nothing better to me than creating characters for my mysteries and bringing them to life. As I write my stories, I visualize their lives within my book. What they look like, where they live, who their friends are, and of course the mystery or crime they are involved in. I love figuring out all the connections and the plot points that will take my readers through the story until that ‘ah ha’ moment.
My first series featured two protagonists, Helen McCorkendale a P.I., and Laurel Imperiole, a magazine editor who work together to solve several crimes, including a suspicious disappearance on 9/11.. My second series, The Nick Donnahue Adventures revolves around Nick Donahue, a professional Blackjack player whose adventures take him from Prague to Monaco, where he’s caught in a whole new game with all the wrong people as he prepares to make the wager of a lifetime. My other series, The Murder On The Rocks Mysteries, takes place at The Corner Lounge on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where owner Jude Dillane uncorks mystery with her wine and almost loses her life.
At the moment, I’m working on the third book in the Nick Donahue Aventures and a stand-alone thriller. I’m also very involved with the NY/Tri-State Sisters In Crime. It’s part of a national organization that was founded to helps foster the career of women writers.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Persistence, determination, and friendship are three qualities that have impacted my journey. When I began my career as a crime fiction writer, I was aware it wouldn’t be easy. The transition from writing a :30-second TV spot to writing a full-length novel was difficult, but finding an agent and a publisher was even harder. It’s a process that puts your talent and self-esteem on the line. My feeling was that I had to persist if I really wanted this. And, I did, on both counts. If you’re determined to succeed, I believe you should never give up and never give in to your doubts. You may not immediately think of friendship as a quality that impacts your journey, but it’s just as important as persistence and determination. If you offer true friendship to others, they will respond in kind and offer their support. This is something I have come to value in my writing journey.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
For me, it was better to go all in on the strengths I had, which actually helped me improve. My many years of advertising copywriting gave me a firm base on conceptual writing. When I transitioned to crime writing it helped me recognize where I was lacking and could improve. I’m working on writing a thriller right now, which is a different genre from my mysteries. Using what I’ve learned from writing those mysteries has let me incorporate what I already know to build a story, which I hope will have all the elements to can engage my readers. Of course, that will be decided once I finish the book and it’s published.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cathistoler.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathistolerauthor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CathiStolerAuthor/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathi-stoler-2806803/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathistoler
- Other: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4807990.Cathi_Stoler
Image Credits
Oskar Martinez, Shawn Reilly Simmons
