Jessie Chandler is the Vice President of the Twin Cities chapter of Sisters in Crime, and member of Mystery Writer’s of America. Her second book Hide and Snake Murder was just released last week!

Next week she’ll be celebrating the release of her book at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 21 at Magers & Quinn (3038 Hennepin Ave South, Minneapolis, MN). The event with Catherine Lundoff (who answered our questions last year) is also serving as a Kick-Off for Pride Weekend. You can ask Jessie questions then, in the meantime you can read her answers to our questions.

What book(s) are you currently reading?
I tend to find myself in the middle of six or seven books at a time. I don’t mean to… here’s some of the latest:
XO by Jeffrey Deaver – great suspense and fast moving fun. Writes of Spring is an anthology edited by Once Upon a Crime Mystery Bookstore owners Gary Schulze and Pat Frovarp celebrating the 10th anniversary of Write of Spring, the annual regional mystery writers signing. . . aside from the fact I have a short story in this fab anthology, it’s a fun compendium of mayhem and murder. What else? I’m working through Steve Jobs bio, and have just started a great mystery/thriller by Amanda Kyle Williams called The Stranger You Seek. Great protagonist!

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who?
I would have to say my big crush would be JM Redmann’s private eye heroine Micky Knight. She kicks butt, knocks ’em back, and has a huge heart.

If your favorite author came to Minnesota, who would it be and what bar would you take him/her to?
One of my all-time favorite authors is Clive Cussler. I think I’d take him to Murray’s Steakhouse Cocktail Lounge and listen to him relate stories of his maritime finds for the real-life National Underwater Marine Agency. The Confederate submarine Henley is just one of the sunken vessels he and his group have successfully hunted and found.

What was your first favorite book?
My first favorite book would have to be a series. . . The Three Investigators. I think their headquarters, a trailer house in a salvage yard wired with electricity — was hands down the coolest thing ever.

Let’s say Fahrenheit 451 comes to life, which book would you become in order to save it from annihilation?
It would have to be Julie Ann Peters novel Keeping You a Secret. It’s about coming out, being kicked out, families of blood and of love, courage and strength. A must read for any questioning teen.

What is one book you haven’t read but want to read before you die?
Oh man, that’s hard. I think I’d have to say every book on my rather voluminous bookshelves. All the books I really want to read but never can find the time to. It’s how I rationalize my book-buying ways. . . oh yeah, one day I’ll get to this. In the meantime, I have to have it NOW!