WEBSITE:  www.members.aol.com/malmystery

From all the books you have written, do you have a favorite?

FAVORITE BOOK IS STILL MY FIRST ONE PUBLISHED IN 1988 BYMCGRAW-HILL TITLED "IN THE SHADOW OF THE PEACOCK" (RECENTLY RE-ISSUED BY THE HARLEM WRITERS GUILD PRESS AND AVAILABLE AT iUNIVERSE

At what point in time did you decide that writing was the "thing for you"?

AT AGE 7., MANY MOONS AGO

What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a writer?

JOIN A WRITERS GROUP OR A WRITING CLASS AND ALSO READ OTHER WRITERS IN ORDER TO GET A SENSE OF STYLE. OUTLINE YOUR PLOT. IDENTIFY WITH YOUR PROTAGONIST, AND DECIDE WHAT IT IS THAT THE PROTAGONIST WANTS.

What is the name of your favorite mystery movie?

HOPEFULLY MY FAVORITE MOVIE WILL BE THE MALI ANDERSON MYSTERY SERIES WHICH IS SCHED FOR CBS-TV STARRING QUEEN LATIFAH. MEANWHILE I'LL SETTLE FOR A VERY OLD SUSPENSE MOVIE CALLED 'NOTORIOUS' STARRING INGRID BERGMAN AND CARY GRANT.

What other authors do you enjoy reading?

ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND, WALTER MOSELY, VALERIE WILSON WESLEY, JAMES LEE BURKE, BARBARA NEELY, (THESE ARE ALL MYSTERY WRITERS
THE OTHERS ARE BERNICE MCFADDEN, TONI MORRISON, JAMES BALDWIN,WILLIAMFAULKNER. AND THE CLASSICS)


What other types of jobs have you had?

ANYTHING THAT DID NOT TAKE MY MIND OFF MY WRITING.

Is there anyone, in particular, who influenced you?

MY CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSOR AT CITY UNIVERSITY

What led you to write mysteries?

OFFERED A CONTRACT I COULDNT REFUSE

Do you read reviews of your books?

YES. BECAUSE ITS NICE TO SEND A THANK YOU NOTE TO THE REVIEWER

How would you like to be remembered?

AS A WRITER WHO USED HARLEM'S CULTURAL SOCIAL AND POLITICAL HISTORY AS BACKGROUND FOR HER STORIES

What do you believe is the highlight of your career so far?

THE FACT THAT I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO BE PUBLISHED AT ALL

How did you get started in writing?

I HONESTLY CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT INCIDENT INSPIRED ME BECAUSE I'VE BEEN AT THIS SINCE AGE 7

How do you come up with plots?

DREAMS, IMAGINATION, NEWS HEADLINES, OVERHEARD BITS OF CONVERSATION, FROM STRANGERS, FRIENDS, FAMILY

How do you spend your free time?

TEACHING OTHER WRITERS

Do you have a message you would like to give to all your readers out there?

PATRONIZE YOUR LOCAL SMALL BOOK STORES. THEY NEED YOUR HELP IF THEY'RE TO STAY IN BUSINESS AND COMPETE AGAINST THE CHAINSTORES.
IF A PARTICULAR BOOK IS NOT IN STOCK, THEY WILL GLADLY ORDER IT FOR YOU.

THANKS FOR THE CHANCE TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE WRITINGPROCESS

THESE ARE SOME OF THE BOOKS AVAILABLE BY GRACE F. EDWARDS:

Grace F. Edwards was born and raised in Harlem and now lives in Brooklyn.
Do or Die is the fourth novel in the Harlem-based mystery series featuring former cop Mali Anderson. The first book, If I Should Die, was released in 1997 and earned an Anthony Award nomination for Best First Novel. The second book, A Toast Before Dying, won the 1999 Fiction Honor Book award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. No Time to Die, the third novel, was released in 1999. Film and TV rights to the series have have been sold.
Ms. Edwards teaches creative writing, and has been a member of the Harlem Writer's Guild since 1970. Her first novel, In the Shadow of the Peacock, was originally released in 1988, and will be reprinted by Harlem Writers Guild Press.

You can write to Grace at malmystery@aol.com