When did you know that you wanted to be an author?  What things, if any, influenced that decision?

In the second grade, I wrote a short story about an event at my church.  I called it Bobby Bobo Got Baptized At The Big Bone Baptist Church. I got an A+, and the teacher called my mother, telling her, “Don’t be surprised if your girl grows up to be a writer.” The praise got me hooked but good, but it would take years to reach my goal of being a professional author. Life has many turns and twists. It is never a straight line, but I finally achieved my dream. Later, I rewrote that two-page story with the aim of crafting an autobiographical collection of short stories.

I write the Josiah Reynolds Mysteries and the 1930s Mona Moon Mysteries, in addition, the Wall of Doom Fantasy Series and the Last Chance For Love Sweet Romance Series. I am working on my 51st novel.

With so many mysteries being written today, what makes your books stand out from the crowd?

The Josiah Reynolds Mysteries are somewhat dark cozies. My protagonist is a middle-aged female who doesn’t like children, is not particularly nice, and has serious health issues. Each book is a stand-alone murder mystery woven into this woman’s life, which threads throughout the entire series. There are also five recurring characters who interweave in and out of Josiah’s story.

The Josiah Reynolds Mysteries take place in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, which is a glamorous world of Thoroughbreds, oak-cured bourbon, and antebellum mansions. I put actual locations and history into each book, adding a bit of spice and authenticity to the stories.        

Death By Trauma, my twenty-first Josiah Reynolds Mystery, will be released on February 17th, 2025. I think the success of the Josiah Reynolds Mysteries relies on the reader’s ability to identify with Josiah.

The 1930s Mona Moon Mysteries are historical mysteries where I intertwine real people and events into the story. I love writing about that era. My fourteenth Mona Moon Mystery, Murder Under A Mystic Moon, will be released in June 2025.

Do you work from an outline or plot, or do you just see where the characters take you?

I have never used an outline or a formula. I begin with a vague notion of a plot and then start tapping on the keyboard. I let the characters go where they will, and believe me, they take divergent paths. Many times, I end up with a totally different book than I thought I was going to write. I guess if I used an outline, I could write faster, but what fun would there be in that? I love it when my characters spring to life on the page. I’m all about the journey. I want to have fun, and I want the reader to have fun along with me.

Do you read your reviews?  Do you respond to them, good or bad?  Do you do anything special to get those reviews?

Yes, I read the reviews. I mostly receive very good reviews, but I have had my share of vicious ones, especially with the first Josiah Reynolds novel—Death By A HoneyBee. However, I had enough positive reviews that readers took a chance on the next mystery—Death By Drowning—and they kept reading the series. 

Reviews should be constructive. The worst thing a reviewer can do is to undermine the confidence of a writer, especially young writers. After all, Hemingway wasn’t Hemingway at the beginning. He had to learn his craft and grow. So do all writers.  

I never respond to good or bad reviews. I do ask for reviews in the back of my books and on Facebook. I am truly very grateful for my readers.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Get negative people out of your life fast.  Cultivate people who have your back.

Do you think the cover plays an important part in someone buying your book(s)?  Who designs your book covers?

The cover is everything. Once the cover entices the reader to take a chance and pony up with some cash, then the writer has to deliver the goods. I have two designers—Karin Claesson, who does wonderful fantasy work, and Cricket Press, who does the Josiah Reynolds covers. My husband designs the Mona Moon covers.

A writer must have a branded look. Readers will forget the author or the name of the series, but they will recognize the covers. 

Please give us an insight into your main characters.  What do you think makes them special?

Josiah is a beekeeper who has a powerful connection to both her bees and her friends. There are strong emotional threads twisting throughout all the books with the main characters. I’ve tried to make Josiah’s friends quirky, funny, and absolutely human with all sorts of flaws and foibles. They give the books a rich emotive dimension, and I think a haunting quality to the books.

I’m a beekeeper myself and made my living from selling honey at a local farmers’ market for many years, just like my heroine, Josiah.

Mona is younger, glamorous, and plucky. She is my fantasy girl.  The heroine women would like to be.

I would say that I write about women for women.

What have you learned about yourselves since becoming an author?

Don’t tell me things you don’t want to end up in a novel. There is no situation or conversation sub-rosa with me. If it’s witty, naughty, or just plain strange, I’ll write about it—changing the names involved, of course. And the newspaper is full of delicious misbehavior by the locals. Most readers would be astounded to know how many conversations and events in my novels actually occurred.  

Do you write full-time or part-time?

It’s how I make my living. 

What do your plans for future projects include?

Two Josiah Reynolds mysteries and two Mona Moon mysteries this year.  Also, I am thinking of starting a new series.

What do you think the hardest part of writing is?  What is the easiest?

The hardest part of writing is the isolation. I sometimes force myself to leave the house and interact with other people. It’s very easy for a writer to get caught up in their work. The easiest part is the writing itself. 

What type of books do you like to read?  Who are some of your favorite authors?

I read everything—biographies, history, poetry, short stories, newspapers, and magazines. I’m a big fan of Sue Grafton, who was very kind to me when I started writing. My favorite writers are Allan Eckert, James M. Cain, Dominick Dunne, Wendell Berry, Willa Cather, Agatha Christie, Bobbie Ann Mason, Anne Rice, Eudora Welty, Raymond Feist, Janny Wurts, and Harper Lee. There are so many others I can’t list them all. A writer should read outside their own genre. Otherwise, he/she is limiting their world.

What is the one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

I do my best to write an entertaining story for the readers, and I hope they pick up a little knowledge about honeybees and history along the way. 

Do you have anything specific you would like to say to your readers?

I’ve created a very specific world that is unique to the Bluegrass area of Kentucky. I write about a woman who is a beekeeper with limited resources but with fortitude and intelligence and always manages to land on her feet. It is my hope these mysteries entertain with a little humor, a little history, and a whole lot of fun. Josiah is someone whom I would want to be my friend. I think most readers would want her to be their friend, too. 

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Website https://www.abigailkeam.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/author.abigailkeam/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abigailkeamauthor/

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/abigailkeam/

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/stores/Abigail-Keam/author/B0045PEGUQ

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=abigail+keam&qid=8fG4Xtuv2k

Abigail Keam has won numerous awards: the 2010 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By A HoneyBee: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery; 2011 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Drowning: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery; 2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By Drowning: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery; 2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By A HoneyBee: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery; 2017 Finalist from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Design: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery; 2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery; 2019 Murder Under A Blue Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery voted top ten mystery reads by “Kings River Life Magazine;” 2020 Finalist from Readers’ Favorite for Murder Under A Blue Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery
2020 Imadjinn Award for Best Mystery for Death By Stalking; 2022 Finalist in Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Historical Category—Murder Under A Full Moon; 2022 Finalist for the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Category–Murder Under A New Moon; 2022 Death By Chance: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Cozy Mystery