Panel: Vengeance/Revenge, Served Hot or Cold

PJ teaches her seminar, “I Write Funny – and You Can, Too!”

PJ teaches her seminar, “I Write Funny – and You Can, Too!”

Personal Essay

Three-minute Oral Read of WIP, a cozy mystery for the ‘Faith, Family, Frenzy!’ series

Compare/contrast The WInner’s Circle and The Jailbird’s Jackpot  discussion

PJ teaches her seminar, “I Write Funny – and You Can, Too!”

PJ teaches her seminar, “I Write Funny – and You Can, Too!”

Join PJ at Bardot Coffee in Tustin where she  will read from her latest book Writing Out The Pandemic

PJ teaches her seminar, “I Write Funny – and You Can, Too!”

Cost: $15 Enroll via the contact form

Oral reading and book sales for The Jailbird’s Jackpot

In conversation with Maddie Margarita about her book, The Jailbird’s Jackpot

Components of an effective author website

Reviews posted for PJ Colando’s novel  The Jailbird’s Jackpot

Feature Article and Personal Essay from Author PJ Colando

PJ teaches her seminar, “I Write Funny – and You Can, Too!

PJ reads an excerpt from her latest book, The Jailbird’s Jackpot, and then compares-and-contrasts its protagonist and plot with her prior book, The Winner’s Circle.

PJ as the featured author on the SPARK Newsletter. Read it here:

The Spark Interview

I met P.J. Colando back in the spring of 2016 in an Orange County coffee shop where I was honored to be reading along with a few other authors. I remember this reading for several reasons beginning with the way the espresso machine would launch into its hiss and sputter every time one of us got to a “good part.” I loved how it made absolutely no difference to the audience packed into the small space and grouped around the little cafe tables. Afterwards, P.J. was the first to come up and buy a copy of my book. She not only read “Casualties” but followed up with me to let me know what she thought of it and wrote reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. A writer herself, she knew exactly how to support one of her fellows. Today, I am pleased to return the favor by sharing a bit about P.J. and her new book“The Jailbird’s Jackpot”

Here is what P.J. Colando looks like

Here is her bio…

A former speech therapist, P.J. writing her “encore career.” Her “Faith, Family, Frenzy!” series of novels is rooted in the Midwest where she was born and raised before migrating west to Southern California. “Jailbird’s Jackpot” is the fourth novel in the series and she has plans already for the next novel. In addition to this series, she has written a collection of essays and short fiction published. You can learn all about P.J. here and see all of her books here. She welcomes the opportunity to speak with book clubs. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Here is her book…

And here is our interview…

SPARK: Tell us a little about your latest novel. What compelled you to write it? Can it stand on its own or should a reader begin with the first book in the series?

P.J. COLANDO: The protagonist compelled me to write her side of the story. She stands alone and her book stands alone. She was first introduced in Stashes, the first entry in my “Faith, Family, Frenzy!” series. She was the conniving daughter-in-law… get the gist?

Here’s the pitch: Ex-con Amy Breeden has a problem, but becoming an instant millionaire isn’t it. Will she stick to her intention to take down the dude who double-crossed her or heed her parole officer’s advice that ‘living well is the best revenge?’

I dedicated“The Jailbird’s Jackpot” to Amy because she knows how to steer a plot.

SPARK:How do you feel about this book compared to your other novels or novels you have in progress? Is there a book in you that is screaming to be written that you have yet to write?

P.J. COLANDO: As an author, I am like a mother who loves all her children equally. The fact that I’ve written six books awes me!

SPARK: Tell us how being an indie-author has gone for you. What have been the high points? Is this a path you recommend? Do you see it as a business or an extension of your creative work?

P.J. COLANDO: Hmm. As we all are aware, the burden of publicity falls onto the author’s shoulders, especially during COVID-times. Writing is my encore career – I built a highly successful private practice in speech-language pathology before I began writing as an earnest hobbyist. I wrote thousands and thousands of clinical reports, so writing now is an escape from the form and strictures of reports.

SPARK: When did you start writing and how has your writing evolved for you over time? 

P.J. COLANDO: I began writing in 2010, seeking a path forward after I ended my private practice. In 2012, I closed my practice – because I liked writing more than working with toddlers. When I wrote I could push ‘delete’ if/when I didn’t like a character’s behavior, something that’s not possible when one’s patients.

SPARK: You often have humor on your blog and wry observations along with that ‘”Boomer” comment right on your website. Do you want to talk about how being a “boomer” informs your view of life and the kinds of stories you write? 

P.J. COLANDO: Being of Boomer-age is great because I no longer let others’ judgments bother me. Humor is my default strategy and approach to life. I write satire and humor with a literary bent. When I speak, my tongue is always in my cheek.

SPARK: What does writing mean to you and how does it fit with the rest of your life?

P.J. COLANDO: Writing is a useful pastime and hobby. Not just during quarantine, but every day. I write while my husband watches TV sports. He likes that writing is a silent sport.

SPARK: Writer and activist Grace Paley once said “Life is too short, and art is too long.”  What do you think of when you read these words.

P.J. COLANDO: I agree and would add this… “So, you might as well dance on the edge of the earth.” Writing is perfect for me, with its endless endeavor to hone craft – and one can write short stories or long.

I’m a lifelong reader with a prodigious vocabulary. While I can not use multi-syllabic words in daily conversation, I can slide them into my writing.

PJ reads chapter 2 of the Jailbird’s Jackpot

PJ participated in an awesome blog hop – read it here.

PJ is the featured author in an online writers group.

PJ is the featured author in an online writers group.

Catch PJ’s latest “Jailbird Jackpot” in her ongoing saga of what happens when the sordid topic of coin (and lots of them) instantly alters people’s lives.

Author Interview
PJ dishes about life during COVID, how she met her husband “Uncle Lar” and her books to be released in August.