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Kristin Heintz: Ashley, I have got to tell you a really funny story about the book of our guest today.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Tell me.
Kristin Heintz: Well We're wrapping up his audiobook. We wrapped it up yesterday. with my audio rocks and his narrator, and the engineer, Alyssa, both kept gushing about how good this book was and how they were just so into it and they couldn't stop listening to it, and they both
Ashley Quinto Powell: They listen to stories all day long.
Kristin Heintz: I know, and listen, they were both getting so lost in the story, they were forgetting to do their work. Like Alyssa was forgetting to edit,
Ashley Quinto Powell: that's such a great compliment.
Kristin Heintz: and Bill was like, I'm no longer narrating, I'm reading the story, right? So he totally I gave him such a hard time for distracting our team. So, and then it was at this point, and this tickled Roger so much. Alyssa blurted out about this story. I don't know who to trust. I know.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Such a good problem to have. What great writing.
Kristin Heintz: Great writing.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Welcome back to Authors Aloud, the podcast where we discuss all things books and storytelling. I'm Ashley Quinto Powell.
Kristin Heintz: And I'm Kristen Heinz. We are so excited to welcome Roger Scripzak to the show to talk about Emma's demise, which is the latest in his Columbia County Murder Mystery Series. Roger writes stories about ordinary people who find themselves caught in extraordinary circumstances. There's courtroom dramas. Small town secrets, memorable characters, and plenty of twists that keep readers guessing.
Ashley Quinto Powell: For listeners who may be meeting you for the first time, tell us a little about yourself and how you came to writing mysteries.
Roger Skrypczak: Okay, well I I've married for fifty seven years. We have two wonderful children and four
Kristin Heintz: By the way, that deserves applause. Fifty seven years
Ashley Quinto Powell: Yes, congratulations.
Kristin Heintz: of marriage. Whew.
Roger Skrypczak: and we have four awesome grandchildren. And you're right. And
Kristin Heintz: great kids but awesome grandchildren. I get it. Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: we're very fortunate to have them all nearby. So we're you know, it's great that we can see quite often. As far as my writing career, I actually wrote a number of articles for a sporting magazine about fifteen years ago and it was more based on human interest versus how to type of thing. And
Kristin Heintz: Mm. Mm-hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: then I I didn't write for a while and I s except for a few short stories that I was writing for my own benefit I guess and and then when COVID hit I was working from home. we weren't going out anywhere out to dinner or anything going anywhere. So
Kristin Heintz: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: I had a lot of extra time on my hands and I s I started writing a few more short stories and a friend of mine read one of and he told me, wow, this is this is a book he said, Why don't you
Kristin Heintz: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: take it further? Because there's a lot of material here. So I did and that that came out to be Tatum's Alibi, my first book. and then you know, one thing leads to another and I wrote another one
Kristin Heintz: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: and th w which was Never Doubt Nadine and of course
Kristin Heintz: Mm-hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: which followed up with Emma's demise.
Kristin Heintz: Yeah. Wow. I can't believe you just started writing novels during COVID. That's amazing.
Roger Skrypczak: What else you could I do?
Ashley Quinto Powell: Title? Well, I mean, I also survived the pandemic and I did not write any mysteries.
Kristin Heintz: Did not write a novel. No, no, me either.
Roger Skrypczak: Okay.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Roger, the title immediately grabs attention. Emma's demise makes readers ask questions before they even open the cover or start the audiobook. How did you land on that title? And without giving away too much, what's this story about?
Roger Skrypczak: Hm. Yeah, Emma's d w demise, first of all it it kinda takes that, you know, she is actually brought to justice. But justice comes in different forms.
Kristin Heintz: Hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: And in Emma's case I think the readers will be somewhat surprised at how her demise comes about.
Kristin Heintz: Interesting. So fans of your previous books are gonna be familiar with Mike Jorgensen, right? And several other familiar faces. What has kept you returning to these characters?
Roger Skrypczak: Well, I I think a lot of it has to do with the interaction between the characters.
Kristin Heintz: Mm-hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: and as we read about them in subsequent books, we learn a little bit more about each one of
Kristin Heintz: Mm-hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: And I think what really got me is that, you know, just in my own life I've you know, the things that that end up being I end up having a relationship with that person as a friend
Kristin Heintz: Mm-hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: or in case of my wife of romance. And and and also I see that with other people and that's why I I wanted to make sure that there was a continuity with with
Kristin Heintz: Mm.
Roger Skrypczak: those characters so that when the reader reads about them and they get to know them, they can really relate to them with their own lives.
Kristin Heintz: yeah, that makes sense. That makes sense.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Roger, would you recommend readers begin with Emma's Demise or should they read earlier Columbia County Mysteries first?
Roger Skrypczak: You know, that's a good question. I get that often, when I'm doing book signings. And I but I think each each of the books could be read separately or on their
Kristin Heintz: Hm.
Roger Skrypczak: own. But they're gonna miss out on the relationship building part of it. And also
Kristin Heintz: Hm, yeah.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Mm-hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: they're they'll they'll miss out on some of the aha moments because there's there's some
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clues early on in in the earlier books that will tell us more about those characters. So I think it's important that they start from the beginning and then finish with Emma's demise.
Kristin Heintz: Makes sense, yeah. So d well let's talk about Wisconsin a little bit, right?
Ashley Quinto Powell: love walk talking about Wisconsin. It's my in my top three favorite things to talk about.
Kristin Heintz: Well, these are all set in rural Wisconsin and the setting almost becomes like another character, right? And so tell me about small town communities, what makes them such a a rich territory for your mystery novels and and this series in particular.
Roger Skrypczak: Okay. I think that probably comes from the fact that I grew up in a small town.
Kristin Heintz: Okay.
Roger Skrypczak: And every town, whether it's a large city or a small town, has its own persona, if you will.
Kristin Heintz: Hm. Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: it and it it but it doesn't always show its you know, its hidden virtues or or lack of virtues. in the you know, in the veneer. so I think just like people, you know, it's it's sometimes hard to to really figure out until you really get into it. And that's what I
Kristin Heintz: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: find interesting about all towns and especially small towns. and so in i in in in themselves they make interesting stories.
Kristin Heintz: So where in Wisconsin did you grow up?
Roger Skrypczak: in Bayfield County in little town called Mason.
Kristin Heintz: wow. And you're still in rural Wisconsin now?
Roger Skrypczak: no, I live in Appleton, which is yeah. It's part of the Fox
Kristin Heintz: Okay. Okay.
Roger Skrypczak: Valley. It's kind of a metropolitan area, so
Kristin Heintz: Got it, got it, got it. So how much research, like let's let's get into the nitty-gritty of you writing, right? How much research are you putting into every novel? What does that look like? Do you find yourself like studying, you know, criminal procedures or or legal cases or police investigations? Do you know people in these industries? Like, talk to us a little bit about that.
Roger Skrypczak: Well, unless you unless you consider binging on law and order, re resear research.
Kristin Heintz: I do. I consider that research.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: you know, you have to remember this is fiction. And
Kristin Heintz: Sure.
Roger Skrypczak: and so there's not a lot of research I that that a person needs to go into. I do have a couple of attorney friends that
Kristin Heintz: Mm.
Roger Skrypczak: kinda keep me from going off the rail. But but
Kristin Heintz: They're no, no, no, that's not a thing. Right? Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: in general, as long as it it's reasonable, the situations are reasonable and and believable, I think people can relate to it. And so yeah, to be perfectly honest, I don't do a lot of research.
Kristin Heintz: Yeah. So I I mean it sounds like I could be a master mystery novelist if that's all we're doing with the true crime I
watch. I'd be like,
Roger Skrypczak: Yeah.
Kristin Heintz: I'm always telling my husband, my husband'll say something about like some crime and I'm like, No, no, no, no, let me tell you something. You know, like, no, that's not how that's gonna happen. Nope. Mm mm.
Roger Skrypczak: Well, y you need to put it on paper. That's what you need to do.
Ashley Quinto Powell: I do think that's true
Kristin Heintz: That's great.
Ashley Quinto Powell: that Kristen is probably five minutes worth of effort into becoming a true crime writer because of all of that research. it is worth mentioning,
Kristin Heintz: True, true. That's right.
Roger Skrypczak: Ha ha ha.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Roger, that the My Audio Rex headquarters is in Dane County, Wisconsin. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: really? In medicine?
Kristin Heintz: Yeah, yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: okay, cool.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: in fact, where all three of the books are centered in Columbia County, which is just north of Dane County.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Yeah.
Kristin Heintz: Mm. That's awesome.
Ashley Quinto Powell: I mean this is this is just a beautiful part of the country. tell me, every author has one character who was simply fun to write. Did anyone in Emma's demise surprise you by becoming a favorite?
Kristin Heintz: Hmm. Who?
Roger Skrypczak: Yes. And I can s I can say that without you know, without any reservations. And it is Lenny, the lesbian police officer who eventually becomes the sheriff of Columbia County. and the reason I like her is is she she earned her chops in as a sniper in Afghanistan.
Kristin Heintz: Wow.
Roger Skrypczak: And she became a police officer and but she's tough as nails, she's independent, but she is she'll kill you if you are threatening her loved ones or her friends without reservation. And I that's what I like about her. She's just she's caring, and yet really hard nosed when it comes to the law.
Kristin Heintz: Yeah, that's exciting. I love characters like that. I love strong female characters that are just kind of no nonsense. Yeah, I really love those characters. Yeah, very fierce, very fierce.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Fierce. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Kristin Heintz: And then I end up having like a crush on them. And I'm like,
Roger Skrypczak: I mean.
Kristin Heintz: So I have a couple of questions. You just recently finished your audiobook. Like literally yesterday we wrapped up your
Roger Skrypczak: Uh-huh.
Kristin Heintz: audiobook. What was it like hearing your book and hearing all these characters come to life?
Roger Skrypczak: Wow, that's a great question because I I heard it so many times. I went through it. I I was thinking
Kristin Heintz: Yeah. Let's go with the first time.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: That is that's really cool. you know,
Kristin Heintz: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: and I just I and you know, when I read it to myself and I read it out loud, I
Kristin Heintz: Mm-hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: hear myself, but I
don't hear somebody else telling the story. And that's
Kristin Heintz: Right. Yeah.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Mm-hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: that's what was so cool about the whole thing, that somebody else was telling that story and
Kristin Heintz: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: and I really could get into it. And I found myself really interested in it.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Ha ha.
Roger Skrypczak: Can you imagine that?
Kristin Heintz: What's what's gonna happen? Right. I love that.
Roger Skrypczak: Ha ha.
Ashley Quinto Powell: This is this was also fairly unusual for us because we have many authors who want to voice their own audiobook and and I understand that your ne the narrator that you picked was just
Kristin Heintz: Mm-hmm.
Ashley Quinto Powell: outstanding.
Kristin Heintz: He's wonderful. He's wonderful. Yeah. Bill
Roger Skrypczak: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely.
Kristin Heintz: Bill Rogers, we'll give him a call out. he did a great job. And I'm so glad to hear that. We actually, Roger, I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you this really quick quickly. We have an author we've worked with a few times. Her name's Julie Moffat, and we had her on this show as well. And I've been narrating a voice for her for many, many years. She has never listened to one. of the audiobooks that I have done because it freaks her out to hear the voices in her head talking to her. So she has other people listen to them and go through them and make sure all of the edits are correct. But I find that hilarious. I you know, authors are quirky people and I totally get it. But I love that you enjoyed it. I love that you were into it. That's really, really great. Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: I did. Yeah, I was really delighted with it, so
Kristin Heintz: So when when someone listens to the, you know, the the closing chapter of your book or or reads that last page. What do you want to stay with them about Emma's demise specifically?
Roger Skrypczak: another good question.
Kristin Heintz: I'm full of them.
Roger Skrypczak: Yeah, I think the biggest thing that I that they need I think people should realize that most people are not all bad or all good
Kristin Heintz: Mm-hmm.
Roger Skrypczak: and that people that are bad are not necessarily I don't know how to put this. I should say there sh there should be some sort of understanding of how they got there. And I try to do that with all
Kristin Heintz: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: of my villains, if you will, is to give a background where well, as an example, we have Emma who was born and raised in in You know, she had everything she wanted, she was privileged, her brothers always protected her, made excuses for her all the time and so she had everything she wanted, but she always wanted more. And
Kristin Heintz: Mm.
Roger Skrypczak: because of that she she had no moral compass and she ended up the way she was.
Kristin Heintz: It's interesting. I I think I heard an actor say it one time, and I think this is what you're correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is what you're getting to the heart of. I heard an actor, I can't remember who it was, talking about playing you know, villains or bad guys, that kind of thing. And they said that no matter what they're playing, they have to find the humanity in that role, right?
Roger Skrypczak: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Heintz: And those are my favorite kinds of stories where The good people have bad things about them that
Ashley Quinto Powell: Mm.
Kristin Heintz: they're struggling with and the the bad people have humanity to them, you know? 'Cause you're right. Nobody's completely one or the other. You know. Yeah. Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: Right. Exactly. That's that's that's exactly it.
Kristin Heintz: Yeah. That's great.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Roger, can readers expect another Columbia County mystery, or are you working on something entirely different?
Roger Skrypczak: No, we're working on w another the the fourth in the series and it's narrated by my favorite character. yeah, the sheriff.
Kristin Heintz: the sheriff Uh-huh.
Roger Skrypczak: And it's a totally different romance with her with her wife, Liz. and it's a totally different murder mystery and And there's lot of twists and turns, a lot of things and I I'm hoping that when the when they finish reading that they're also gonna say, I didn't see that coming
Kristin Heintz: Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. Well,
Ashley Quinto Powell: I'm so excited.
Kristin Heintz: I am too. We like to do a little fun thing where we just give you some kind of rapid fire questions. they're not very many and they're not hard. So you're good. You're safe with us, Roger. You're safe with us. I'm
Ashley Quinto Powell: Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: I like AZ. I like Easy. Okay.
Kristin Heintz: gonna a I'll start first and Ashley can pick up second. Okay, Coke or Pepsi. Yeah.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Do you write in the morning or at night?
Roger Skrypczak: night.
Ashley Quinto Powell: one word that readers have used to describe your books that made you smile.
Roger Skrypczak: Shot.
Kristin Heintz: Good. That's awesome.
Ashley Quinto Powell: I love it.
Kristin Heintz: I love it. Roger, thank you so much for being with us.
Roger Skrypczak: it's been delightful, really. I enjoyed this very much.
Ashley Quinto Powell: Yeah, thank you so much for joining us, Roger, and truly congratulations on some major, major feats. This is really incredible. Yeah.
Roger Skrypczak: Thank you. Yeah, I appreciate that.
Kristin Heintz: If you'd like to learn more about Roger ScripZach and pick up a copy of Emma's Demise, be sure to check out the links in today's show notes.
Ashley Quinto Powell: And if you enjoyed today's conversation, subscribe to Authors Aloud, leave us a review, and share the episode with another reader who loves a great mystery. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next time.
Kristin Heintz: Bye.