The Write Spot: Peggy Blair

I'm delighted to welcome Peggy Blair, author of the Inspector Ramirez mystery series, as my guest for this twenty-second edition of The Write Spot. Set in Cuba with intriguing Canadian connections, this series has become one of my favourites. (Here's my review of book three, Hungry Ghosts.) Watch for book four in the series, Umbrella Man, coming June 7th from Simon and Schuster.

Peggy Blair was a lawyer for more than thirty years. A recognized expert in Aboriginal law, she also worked as a criminal defence lawyer and Crown prosecutor.

She spent a Christmas in Old Havana where she watched the bored young policemen lean on light posts on the street corners along the Malecon, visited most of Hemingway’s favourite bars, and learned to make the perfect mojito. A former member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, she is named in Canadian Who’s Who. She currently lives in Ottawa.

Welcome to The Write Spot, Peggy, a bi-weekly author series spotlighting the many and varied places where writers write. Please tell us a bit about your personal Write Spot.

I write at the lake. I have no Internet, television or landline out there, although I can pick up email messages on my Blackberry smartphone, so no interruptions. I'm not a disciplined writer; I write like a fiend when I'm working on something, starting early in the morning and ending when it's time to go to bed. 

I love the fact that at my cottage, I can stop and go kayaking or take a dip when I need a break, whereas at home, I just keep going and going, like the Energizer Bunny. But the lake is such a nice spot to write that I've even managed to convince my freelance editor, Alex Schultz, to visit.

I can see why you love your lake, Peggy - what a beautiful spot! 

Other than your computer or laptop, what's the one thing you couldn't be without in your Write Spot?

My dog, Scout, nothing like having your best pal's support to keep you grounded and remind you when it's time to take a walk. 

I could do without Phoebe, the cat, sometimes (LOL) when I'm trying to work at home: she loves to climb on the keyboard and leave me editing notes like this one: pffffffffffffttttttttttttt

Poor Phoebe. She's just reminding you about priorities: you should be stroking her, not the keyboard. ;-) 

What are you working on now?

Nothing! I have just finished (if you can ever finish) an historical fiction manuscript called The PeaceWoman's Daughter, set in 1687, that I am shopping around. I plan on taking a little break now after five books in five years plus one massive non-fiction work (Lament for a First Nation) and work on my other business, the one that pays the bills: real estate.

Enjoy your break, Peggy, but I think I speak for all your fans when I say, don't make it too long. We want more Ramirez and Pike!

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

The link to my website is peggyblair.wordpress.com (While you're there, be sure to check out the exclusive audio short story, The Angel's Share – An Inspector Ramirez Podcast, free to listen.)

You'll also find me on Facebook and Twitter.

Umbrella Man is the fourth book in the gripping Inspector Ramirez series by bestselling author Peggy Blair.

When Mama Loa, a witch doctor, tells Inspector Ramirez that people in the sky are going to die, he thinks she’s crazy. After all, there hasn't been a violent death in Havana in months.

But things quickly change when a Russian is murdered, execution-style, on the Malecon and three flight crew members die in suspicious circumstances. When Russian intelligence officer Slava Kadun arrives in Havana warning that a CIA hitman has plans to assassinate Raul Castro, Ramirez starts to wonder if the deaths are connected. With the political future of Cuba at stake, he has only hours to stop a cold-blooded killer.

Order Umbrella Man by Peggy Blair:

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Chapters-Indigo

Click-to-Tweet this post!

Permalink: The Write Spot: Peggy Blair

Many thanks to Patricia Anderson for the use of her wonderful Havana photo, the perfect background for this week's invitation to #TheWriteSpot.

About The Write Spot:
I've always been fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes. Whether it's backstage photos from my favourite play, a peek into the kitchen where a chef is working her culinary magic, or simply a glimpse through an uncurtained window into a stranger's private world, there's an undeniable thrill of discovery, a sense of secrets shared. It's no surprise, then, that I'm immensely curious about where other writers do their work. I've blogged about it before in this post about my own 'write spot' and so enjoyed the comments, I was inspired to launch a regular feature here at stillpoint. Watch for The Write Spot every other Wednesday and join me as I discover the many and varied places where writers write.

stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington