Siri Mitchell

Siri Mitchell is the author of over a dozen novels, among them the critically acclaimed Christy Award finalists Chateau of Echoes, The Cubicle Next Door, and She Walks in Beauty (Against All Expectations Collection Book 3). A graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in business, she has worked in many different levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived in places as varied as Tokyo and Paris. Siri also writes general market historicals under the pseudonym Iris Anthony.

Q: When you are writing, what treat do you like to keep you going?

Siri: I’m not really a snacker but a I love coffee – straight up, no milk or sugar. Between noon and 2:00 every day I make myself a shot. (Starbuck’s French Roast)

Q: Tell me about why and how you chose the genre you write in and what about it appeals to you?

Siri: My first five books were contemporaries. The market preferred them to historicals. But my passion has always been history, so when the market shifted in that direction, I went with it. I grew up on the East Coast in the 70s, during the bicentennial, so history has always seemed alive to me. And with historicals, I feel like I can address contemporary issues in a less in-your-face sort of way.

Q: What do you do to get into “the zone” when you are writing? Describe the process.

Siri: My brain doesn’t really wake up until about 10:00 am. Before that, I work out or do any errands or tasks that need to get done. As 10:00 am approaches, I open up my manuscript so that when I’m done with all the distractions and finally sit down at my desk, my story will be waiting for me. If I feel like I need some extra inducement, I’ll make myself a cup of decaf to bring with me.

Q: One fun fact about yourself that readers may not know.

Siri: I spent most of my high school years in Canada (New Brunswick and NW Ontario). My family moved back to the States during the second half of my senior year.