BOOK GROUPIE: Fantasize and laugh with Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich)

From Colorado Springs The Gazette --

BOOK GROUPIE: Fantasize and laugh with Stephanie Plum --

February 27, 2009 - 6:58 PM --
ANITA MILLER, COLUMNIST --

If I ask you "Ranger or Morelli?" and you have a ready answer, you're already a Janet Evanovich fan. You know the author is best known for her Stephanie Plum mystery series featuring a screwball bounty hunter heroine. And you, like Evanovich's heroine, have probably pondered the merits of silent, mysterious Ranger and loyal, hunky Morelli.

If you aren't an Evanovich fan and you appreciate fast and fun reads, I encourage you to give the author a shot. Book clubs are also sure to enjoy a round with Evanovich. Many of her books offer discussion questions at the end, and her Web site includes a list of frequently asked questions.

Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series starts with "One for the Money" and blazes through to the most recently published book in the series, "Fearless Fourteen." And Evanovich is continuing with the series. The book she is currently working on is "Finger Lickin' Fifteen." I learned this during an e-mail interview with Evanovich.

I found her as entertaining an interviewee as she is an author. You can read much of the interview here. For the whole shebang, please visit my blog (address below), where the interview is posted.

Question: When you wrote "One for the Money" nearly 15 years ago, did you ever in your wildest dreams think the series would be so successful?

Answer: I never thought very far ahead in terms of success. I just wanted people to like my book and I hoped I could make enough money to buy new bathroom towels.

Q: Once you knew you had a successful series, was there anything you wished you could go back to the first books and change?

A: My name! Janet Evanovich is too long to write when there are 2,000 people waiting to get books signed.

Q: If you could go shopping with a character from any of your books, who would he/she be and where would you go?

A: It would be a liquor store with Ranger.

Q: There have been many times while reading your books that I have laughed out loud. Is there a scene or a chapter in any of your books that particularly cracked you up while you were writing it?

A: I liked when Grandma shot the roast chicken in the gumpy in book one.

Q: If Stephanie Plum were required to bake her way out of a dangerous situation, could she do it?

A: Only if it involved peanut butter.

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CONTACT THE WRITER: Anita Miller welcomes your book suggestions. Participate in her blog at anitalaydonmiller.blogspot.com or e-mail anita.l.miller@worldnet.att.net.