From the Booking Desk:

It is nice to be able to use the Composite Sketch profiles to feature people who haven’t previously been on the blog. I have been a fan of Priscilla Royal’s medieval crime novels for years now, but she and I have not yet met. That will change next month when we are both at Left Coast Crime in San Diego. As I was looking for people to highlight for upcoming Composite Sketches, Priscilla was at the top of the list and I was very thankful when she said yes. I have a feeling you all are going to enjoy this one.

NAME: Priscilla Royal
LOCATION: California

This person from my personal life is such an inspiration:

Being over the age of three score and ten, this is difficult. But forced to pick one, I would have to choose my mother. She was a survivor, an amazing but untrained artist, a great story-teller, and incredibly patient. She taught me that laughter was the ultimate survival tool, that never taking anything at face value was wise, and that we die when we stop learning or being curious. As an artist, she taught me to “look” and “see”. Reading for her was the basis of both knowledge and amusement.

One of the people I admire most in the crime fiction community is:

One of the joys of leaving my former 9to5 world to commit fictional murder was discovering how welcoming and helpful the mystery community is. I admire so many of those I have met. It would be impossible to pick one. But the one name I will mention, because she taught me so much over the years, is my former editor, Barbara Peters. When we got together for our annual chat, I was all ears the moment she sat down. My first thought was: “Oh, good! What is Barbara going to say?” Her knowledge of the mystery genre, past and present, is encyclopedic. What she taught me about the craft of writing is invaluable. 

STALKER ALERT! If this fictional character were real, they would likely need to get a restraining order against me:

I am a late comer to the series, but I adore Georges Simenon’s Maigret. Like many of his fictional fans and colleagues, I long to follow him to discover his “method”. What I love about him is his unprejudiced view of humanity and his deep understanding of human nature. Despite years of solving murders, he has never lost joy in daily pleasures such as taking an evening walk with his wife or the appreciation of a good meal. He thinks of himself as a simple man, yet his wisdom and compassion are profound. It is no surprise that even some of those he must sent to the guillotine want the comfort of his presence at their executions. 

People are always surprised that I am a fan of this individual (singer, actor, or artist):

I am a jazz fan so Charles Mingus, especially his “The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady”. What may also surprise—and amuse—is that I came to jazz from listening to one of my other favorite forms of music: bagpipes. Since I am incapable of forcing a non-verbal artistic form into the more limited vehicle of words, I really can’t explain this. The best I can say is that I find the same profound emotional foundation in both.

My personal catch phrase is (or should be):

Teaching the human aspects of history is as important as learning math and science in school.

Find out more about Priscilla and her work here