Edited Out (Seffi Wardwell Mysteries) by Rebecca Douglass
About Edited Out
.
Edited Out (Seffi Wardwell Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher : Independently published
Publication date : August 25, 2025
Print length : 263 pages
Paperback ISBN-13 : 979-8291865569
ASIN : B0FLVKH7GT
Digital ASIN : B0FLB4MDN2
Who erased the writer?
Winter in Maine is long, dark, and cold, and California transplant Seffi Wardwell is combating the winter blues with a full calendar. Tending the plants at the local bed-and-breakfast, writing reports for the library, and generally keeping an eye on events in Smelt Point barely leaves time for pastry and gossip at Sweet Dreams, the local bakery and heart of the village.
When the participants at an artistic retreat held at the bed-and-breakfast grow combative, Seffi is there to smooth things over, stiffen the spine of the innkeeper, and keep things going. But when a writer turns up dead, Seffi’s called on to wield a different kind of expertise. Then someone lets slip there was poison in a coffee bought at Sweet Dreams, and it looks like Seffi’s favorite source of treats is in real trouble. Can her knowledge of plants save the inn—and the local bakery—before the killer strikes again and tears the heart out of Smelt Point?
About Rebecca Douglass
Rebecca M. Douglass has lived, worked, and hiked around the American West for more years than she’ll admit, while raising two children to adulthood and dreaming up interesting ways to bump people off. Thanks to good friends in Maine, she has also fallen in love with that mysterious coast. Since retiring from work at the library, the author has moved to Seattle, where she is writing the Seffi Wardwell Mysteries. In addition to her Ninja Librarian series for younger readers and the Pismawallops PTA mystery series, she has had short stories published in a magazines and anthologies. When she isn't writing, Ms. Douglass likes to go hiking and backpacking, or travels to discover new places or revisit old favorites, including the Sierra Nevada mountains, the desert Southwest, and of course Maine, where so many of the best cozy mysteries are found.
INTERVIEW
1.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
I
wanted to be a writer from the get-go—I was planning my writing career while my
age was still in the single digits!
2.
How long does it take
you to write a book?
After
thinking about it and planning for a couple of months, once I start writing I usuallyget
a draft in 5-6 weeks. It takes at least six months for the revisions and edits,
though, not including the “resting” period, so each book comes out about two
years after it was first begun.
3.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing?
When
I’m not traveling, I try to work most mornings for 2-4 hours. I don’t always succeed,
but I try. When I’m drafting a book, I can usually hit my word-count in 2-3
hours, and that’s really all I can do—it’s exhausting.
4.
What would you say is
your interesting writing quirk?
I’m
not sure I have any really interesting quirks. I’ve learned over the years to
write whenever and wherever I have the chance, and will do it longhand or on
the computer, though I prefer the latter—my handwriting is both awkward and not
so legible. I think the key to my becoming a writer for real was getting over
the idea that I had to have perfect conditions to write.
5.
How do books get
published?
I self-publish, which means my books go through my own process of
self-editing, beta readers, critique partner, more self-editing, and finally
are sent to a proof-reader before I publish. I work with a real live human
artist to produce my covers, since that’s well beyond my skills and artists
need support as much as writers do.
6.
Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books?
Ideas
come when and from whence they please—I can seldom put a finger on a particular
source for an idea. I research whatever needs more info, from how poisons work
to the tides on the coast of Maine, mostly on line (I have an interesting
browser history…).
7.
When did you write your
first book and how old were you?
I
think I was 10… then there was a novella when I was in high school, a SF sort
of thing I co-wrote with a friend. But the first serious novel I began in my mid
20s, and finished up about 10 years later, in time to recognize that it was
hopeless and put it aside. I finally published my first book in 2011.
8.
What do you like to do
when you're not writing?
I
enjoy reading, gardening (in moderation), handyman projects, and above all
hiking, backpacking, and travel. Those last often contribute to it taking over
a year to finish a book—I’ve been prioritizing my active pursuits while I can.
9.
What does your family
think of your writing?
My
family is hugely supportive, especially my mom and my middle brother. They read
them all, and Tim even leaves reviews. My late husband was another great
supporter; he loved telling people I was a writer and talking to them about my
books. I’m not quite sure what my kids think of it all, but my daughter is also
a writer (of non-fiction, primarily) so something rubbed off!
10.
How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite?
I
have written 8 cozy mysteries, with a 9th coming this fall (Seffi
Wardwell #4, Logged Off). In addition, I’ve written 4 middle grade
novels and a picture book. My favorite is usually the one that just came out,
though I will always have a soft spot for my goofy middle-grade fantasy, Halitor
the Hero.
11.
Do you have any
suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Write.
A lot. Long form, short form (writing short is a great way to learn not to use
too many words), whatever. And read. Read the genre(s) you want to write, but
also everything else. Pay attention to good writing, and to good and bad
plotting, stories, and anything else to do with your craft. Read for pleasure,
but at least sometimes stop to ask yourself why a story is or is not working
for you.
12.
Do you hear from your
readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I
don’t get tons of feedback, but when I do, it’s usually the sort that can
really make your day—like when my neighbor called through the hedge to say how
much she was loving my books!
13.
Do you like to create
books for adults?
I
like creating books—at whatever level. I have mostly stopped writing for kids,
becausesince my own kids grew up I feel too out of touch with the literature
and the age group.
14.
What do you think makes
a good story?
Engaging
characters, first off. I have to care about the main character, and I have to
like them, though not everyone feels the same way. That character needs to have
something significant at stake, and some obstacles to getting it. That’s kind
of generic advice, but it’s true. I want an interesting story line, but if I
don’t care about the characters, it’s not enough.
15.
As a child, what did you
want do when you grew up?
I
wanted to be a writer! From a very young age, that was my favorite dream. So
now I’m living my dream, though I don’t live on the proceeds of writing (just
to be clear).
16.
What would you like my
readers to know?
I love writing the Seffi Wardwell books, and I think you will enjoy reading them.
Author LinksJuly 8 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
July 8 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 9 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 9 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – SPOTLIGHT
July 10 – Sarah Can't Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
July 11 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
July 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
July 12 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 13 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 13 – Jemima Pett Author – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 14 – Ascroft, eh? AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 15 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – Sarandipity's – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 16 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
July 17 – Christy's Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – Boys' Mom Reads! – REVIEW
July 19 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
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