Tag: Author Interviews

June 12, 2019June 12, 2019

A new Cat Latimer #MidweekMystery: Sconed to Death by Lynn Cahoon

Cat Latimer pursues a scone-cold killer who iced a top chef in a local bakery . . .

Cat has a full plate at her Aspen Hills Warm Springs Resort, as a group of aspiring cozy mystery authors arrives for a writers retreat. So when baker Dee Dee Meyer stirs up trouble by filing a false complaint with the health inspector against the B&B—all because she insists Cat’s best friend Shauna stole her recipes—Cat marches into the shop to confront her.

But Dee Dee’s about to have her own batch of trouble. Greyson Finn—a celebrity chef and, until today, one of Denver’s most eligible bachelors—has been found dead in her bakery. Cat’s uncle Pete, who happens to be the chief of police, warns her not to engage in any half-baked sleuthing. But as her curiosity rises, Cat’s determined to discover who served the chef his just desserts—before the killer takes a powder . . .

Great characters and realistic dialogue made this book a joy to read. I was captivated from beginning to end.
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

Ms. Cahoon has created a cozy vibe for both the town and for her large Victorian home turned retreat. Her setting is so inviting I wish I could find something similar to visit!
~Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder

This was a fun story. Cat is a great protagonist.
~Carla Loves To Read

Sconed to Death by Lynn Cahoon is a fun whodunit set in the small town Colorado. The characters are so well developed and formed a beautiful little family.
~Baroness’ Book Trove

Author Cahoon has a true talent for detail, making readers feel like a part of her stories. I know I always do. When I was finished, I felt like I had lived the experience of the story rather than having read it.
~Lisa Ks Book Reviews

A fun, well-written reading, with a good pace, brilliant dialogues, a well-developed storyline with lots of tracks and clues and a few twists and turns.
~LibriAmoriMiei

Each time a new character was introduced into the story, I was able to clearly picture them in my mind. The twists and turns had me second-guessing who the actual killer was.
~Literary Gold

This series has so many great elements to it that really makes it stand out. It’s the perfect blend of characters of all sorts, great food . . . writing tidbits, cute critters, and enough clues to (hold) it all together.
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews

.Wow! Lynn Cahoon has pulled all the stops out to give us a story that keeps you glued to the action from pretty much the first page until the last!
~A Wytch’s Book Review Blog

Sconed to Death is a cozy readers delight with a dead chef, an inquisitive writer, appetizing apple creations, and impish tabbies.
~The Avid Reader

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynn Cahoon is the author of the NYT and USA Today bestselling Tourist Trap cozy mystery series. Guidebook to Murder, book 1 of the series won the Reader’s Crown for Mystery Fiction in 2015. She’s also the author of the soon to be released, Cat Latimer series, with the first book, A STORY TO KILL, releasing in mass market paperback September 2016.She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies. Sign up for her newsletter at www.lynncahoon.com

Keep up with Lynn:

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January 17, 2019

New from Cathy Ace: The Wrong Boy

The Bard, 1774, by Welsh artist Thomas Jones. Oil on Canvas, now belonging to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff

Perched on a Welsh clifftop, the ancient, picturesque hamlet of Rhosddraig has its peaceful façade ripped apart when human remains are discovered under a pile of stones. The village pub, The Dragon’s Head, run by three generations of women, becomes the focal point for those interested in the grisly find, and it’s where layers of deceit are peeled away to expose old secrets, and deep wounds. The police need to establish who died, how, and why, but DI Evan Glover knows he can’t be involved in the investigation, because he’s just two days away from retirement. However, as the case develops in unexpected ways, it becomes irrevocably woven into his life, and the lives of local families, leading to disturbing revelations – and deadly consequences . . .

Enter to win a print copy of The Wrong Boy.

About The Author

Born and raised in Wales, now-Canadian Cathy Ace is the author of the Cait Morgan Mysteries, featuring her Welsh Canadian criminology professor sleuth who travels the world tripping over corpses, and The WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries, featuring a quartet of female PIs, working from a Welsh stately home. Both series are traditional, entertaining, and have been well reviewed.

Featured image: The Bard, 1774, by Welsh artist Thomas Jones.

September 13, 2018

In Cold Chocolate: A new Southern Chocolate Shop mystery by Dorothy St. James with #Giveaway

In Dorothy St. James’s third delectable Southern Chocolate Shop mystery, a new batch of chocolate and troubles of the heart cause a string of disasters for the Chocolate Box’s new owner, Charity Penn.
The vintage seaside town of Camellia Beach, South Carolina seems like the perfect place for romance with its quiet beach and its decadent chocolate shop that serves the world’s richest dark chocolates. The Chocolate Box’s owner, Charity Penn, falls even further under the island’s moonlit spell as she joins Althea Bays and the rest of the turtle watch team to witness a new generation of baby sea turtles hatch and make their way into the wide ocean.

Before the babies arrive, gunshots ring out in the night. Cassidy Jones, the local Casanova, is found dead in the sand with his lover Jody Dalton—the same woman who has vowed to destroy the Chocolate Box—holding the gun. It’s an obvious crime of passion, or so everyone believes. But when Jody’s young son pleads with Penn to bring his mother back to him, she can’t say no. She dives headfirst into a chocolate swirl of truth and lies, and must pick through an assortment of likely (and sometimes unsavory) suspects before it’s too late for Penn and for those she loves in Dorothy St. James’s third rich installment of the Southern Chocolate Shop mysteries, In Cold Chocolate.

Enter To Win a 12-piece Godiva Patisserie Truffle Chocolate Flight (US Only)

Author Interview

Dorothy, welcome to Island Confidential! Can you tell us about the protagonist of In Cold Chocolate?
Charity Penn (just Penn to her friends) is chocoholic living her dream. She owns a chocolate shop on the small beach-side community of Camellia Beach in South Carolina. She’s a little nutty. She owns a small Papillon dog (Stella) who will occasionally bite her and anyone else. Because of her rocky past, she is slow to trust others. But she’s generous and always willing to lend a helping hand.
Are you and Penn anything alike?
Probably the only thing I have in common with Penn is that we both have trouble in the kitchen. I don’t know what it is. I try to follow a recipe, but things seem to go wrong on their own.
How would you feel about meeting her in real life?
I think that’d be awesome. I hope we’d get along. Maybe become best friends even. I’d love to get some free chocolates from her shop.
Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
My characters change quite a bit from book to book. Charity Penn most of all. She starts out in book one quite broken and lost. In every book she learns more about her purpose in life and gains more confidence. Like in real life, our experiences change us.
Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
Well, yeah! Hasn’t everyone? There’s one person in my life that really gets under my skin. I decided not to kill her, but translate her crazy and hurtful actions into the actions of a character in my books. I’m not going to kill her. No, that’s too good for her. I’m going to keep her alive and torture her a bit instead. (Rubs hands together with maniacal glee.)
Well now I have to try to figure out who that is! And speaking of using real life in fiction, do you take liberties with your setting, or is it fairly realistic?
My Southern Chocolate Shop Mysteries are set on a fictional island, Camellia Beach. The place is loosely based on the real town of Folly Beach, which is located near Charleston, SC. I chose to set the book in a fictional town so I could turn back time and depict the town as it had existed before it turned so touristy. I lived on Folly Beach for 20 years and love its quirky, artsy ways. I always knew I wanted to set a series there.
What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
The best advice I’ve ever gotten as an author is to write. If you write one page every day, by the end of the year, you’ll have finished a book. Everyone can write at least one page. The worst advice I’d ever heard was that an author needed to buy this or that advertising campaign in order to guarantee success. Yes, some ads are worth the price. But there are plenty of pathways to success. And since every book is different, no one can guarantee what it takes to get your book noticed. Just keep talking with people and your passion. The readers will eventually find you.

About the author

A lover of puzzles and perhaps a bit too nosey about other people’s lives, Dorothy St. James is a former Folly Beach beach bum. She now lives in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina with her husband, precocious daughter, slightly (OK, terribly) needy dogs, and the friendliest cat you’d ever meet. She has degrees in Wildlife Biology and Public Administration and as an urban planner, worked for many years telling the stories of small southern towns.
Author of a dozen novels, Dorothy enjoys writing both cozy mysteries and romance. Her works have been nominated for many awards including: the Southern Independent Bookseller’s Alliance Southern Book Prize, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Reviewers
International Organization Award, National Reader’s Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: “amazing”, “perfect”, “filled with emotion”, and “lined with danger.”
Author Links
Website: www.dorothystjames.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dorothystjames
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dorothymcfalls
Purchase Links
Indie Bound Amazon Kobo Google Play Barnes & Noble BookBub

July 20, 2018

Shelved Under Murder: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery by Victoria Gilbert (plus giveaway)

Autumn leaves aren’t the only things falling in the historic Virginia village of Taylorsford—so are some cherished memories, and a few bodies.

October in Taylorsford, Virginia means it’s leaf peeping season, with bright colorful foliage and a delightful fresh crew of tourists attending the annual Heritage Festival which celebrates local history and arts and crafts. Library director Amy Webber, though, is slightly dreading having to spend two days running a yard sale fundraiser for her library. But during these preparations, when she and her assistant Sunny stumble across a dead body, Amy finds a real reason to be worried.

The body belonged to a renowned artist who was murdered with her own pallet knife. A search of the artist’s studio uncovers a cache of forged paintings, and when the sheriff’s chief deputy Brad Tucker realizes Amy is skilled in art history research, she’s recruited to aid the investigation. It doesn’t seem to be an easy task, but when the state’s art expert uncovers a possible connection between Amy’s deceased uncle and the murder case, Amy must champion her Aunt Lydia to clear her late husband’s name.

That’s when another killing shakes the quiet town, and danger sweeps in like an autumn wind. Now, with her swoon-inducing neighbor Richard Muir, Amy must scour their resources to once again close the books on murder.

Author Interview

Victoria, welcome to Island Confidential! Can you tell us about your heroine?

Amy Webber is a 33-year-old librarian, currently working as the director of the public library in the historic mountain town of Taylorsford, Virginia. She lives with her Aunt Lydia in a lovely, but slightly run-down, Victorian house that has been passed down through her mother’s family. While Amy’s family has lived in Taylorsford for generations, Aunt Lydia is now the only one left in town, as her sister (Amy’s mother) moved away as soon as she went to college. Amy visited Lydia in the summers, but she wasn’t raised in Taylorsford and only moved in with her aunt about two years previously. This gives her a bit of a hybrid status – she isn’t entirely an outsider, but she isn’t totally accepted by the town either.

Amy has never been married and is not concerned about this. She is dating her next-door neighbor, Richard Muir, who is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor. Amy has always been curious and determined to solve problems, which leads her to investigate murders that occur in and around Taylorsford. She assists the sheriff’s office with her research skills and her ability to uncover both historical and recent truths about her town and its citizens and visitors.

Are you and Amy at all alike?

The main connection is that both Amy and I are librarians with backgrounds in art history and a love of movies and gardening. However, Amy looks nothing like me, and she is certainly a good bit younger than I am. Actually, although I’m sure a lot of my worldview and opinions seep through, I deliberately try to NOT make my protagonists mirror me too closely. I like to explore personality traits, appearances, and behaviors different from mine as I think that is much more interesting than creating characters who resemble me.

How do you think you’d feel about Amy if you met her in real life?

I’d like Amy. She is a caring person who has a good sense of humor as well as a great deal of innate curiosity and intelligence. I think we could be good friends!

Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?

I hope so! I definitely try to show them learning things about themselves and others, as well as about life in general. Amy definitely evolves over the course of the books – she becomes a lot more confident in her own body and develops more internal strength and courage. She also learns to change some of her opinions concerning other people and grows to appreciate different ways of looking at the world. Some of the other characters also learn to let go of old habits and discover new horizons.

Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?

No. I actually don’t create characters based on people I know. I do draw on certain characteristics or behaviors I’ve observed in people in real life, but I tend to combine those elements in different ways to develop wholly original characters.

How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?

My setting is very realistic. I based on my own knowledge of growing up in a life in a small, historic, town in the mountains in northern Virginia. I hope I am true to life. Perhaps one stretch is that more murders occur in and around Taylorsford than might be statistically likely in real life but try to make everything else realistic.

When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?

All I know is that whoever plays Richard needs to look and move like a dancer, even if they aren’t actually one, and I would hope that Amy, Richard, and Sunny would be played by characters in their thirties instead of much younger actors.

What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?

Worst: Write to the market and use social media as some sort of targeted “weapon” to achieve certain sales goals.

Best: Always think of the long-game and don’t allow present obstacles or failures to derail your career or to destroy your love of writing. Be true to yourself and build your career by writing books you believe in.

About The Author

Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. She has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director.

When not writing or reading, Victoria likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers, and is represented by Frances Black at Literary Council, NY, NY.

Victoria lives in North Carolina with her husband and some very spoiled cats.

July 5, 2018August 29, 2019

New Mah Jongg Mystery and Author Interview: Bamboozled by Barbara Barrett

Essential oils distributor Dorcas Wiley is the boss everyone loves to hate. So when she turns up dead, killed by her own trophy, disgruntled saleswoman Cathy Broderick is the obvious suspect in her murder. Despite opportunity, motive and incriminating evidence, Cathy declares her innocence and enlists her mah jongg pals—Sydney Bonner and her cronies Marianne, Micki and Kat—to help save her from the death penalty.

Continue reading “New Mah Jongg Mystery and Author Interview: Bamboozled by Barbara Barrett”

June 22, 2018

Guest Post and Giveaway: Connie di Marco, author of Tail of the Dragon, a Zodiac Mystery

San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti never thought murder would be part of her practice, but when her former boss and current client asks for help she agrees to go undercover at his law firm.
Three people have received death threats and the only common denominator between them is a case long settled–the infamous Bank of San Francisco fire. Julia’s astrological expertise provides clues but no one wants to listen. Before she can solve the mystery, two people are dead and her own life is in danger. Julia must unmask the killer before he, or she, takes another life.

Guest Post by Connie di Marco

The real Mystic Eye

If you’re a fan of the Zodiac Mysteries, then you’ve definitely visited the Mystic Eye. You know a lot about it and have met many of the eccentric characters who hang out there. The occult shop is owned by my protagonist, Julia Bonatti’s, good friend Gale. And even though I didn’t plan to set so many scenes there when the series began, it just sort of happened. It was a great place for the characters to come together, especially at the psychic fairs.
There’s Nikolai, the Russian past life regression hypnotist, a larger than life man with a mysterious background. There’s Zora, the medium and psychic who scares Julia half to death sometimes, lots of other psychics, Wiccans, Tarot readers and all sorts of characters.
So where did my Mystic Eye come from? A long time ago, there was a real Mystic Eye, also on Broadway in San Francisco, but a little farther east, past the strip clubs and bars and comedy clubs of North Beach.
I remember it well. It was a strange, dark little place, draped in black hangings. It sold books and ointments and image candles for candle burning rituals, books on cultural and religious practices, some of it rather dark.

Not particularly my cup of tea, but I was curious since there was no shop like it in the city at the time. It’s long gone now, so I felt safe using that name for the Zodiac Mysteries.

Julia’s Mystic Eye of the Zodiac books also has an exotic and mysterious atmosphere – plaster gargoyles, Tarot cards, crystals, books on psychic power and healing and religions of all sorts, candle burning supplies, dreamcatchers, magical herbs and ointments, greeting cards and lots of things that make great gifts. Here are some photos that in spired me when I was writing the Zodiac Mysteries. See whether these photos look like your mental image of the Eye. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Is there anything happening at The Mystic Eye that you’d like to know more about? Is there any field of study in the occult world that I haven’t touched upon? Pyschometry? Remote viewing? Candle burning? How about crime or murder? Leave a comment and let me know.
I hope you’ll stop in at the Eye soon and read about Julia’s adventures in the third book in the Zodiac Mysteries — Tail of the Dragon. See you at the Eye!

About The Author

Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries from Midnight Ink, featuring San Francisco astrologer, Julia Bonatti. The first in the series, The Madness of Mercury, was released in June 2016 and the second, All Signs Point to Murder was released on August 8, 2017. Tail of the Dragon is the latest in the series.
Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. Some of her favorite recipes can be found in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Connie is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

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May 17, 2018

New thriller from Nanci Rathbun: Honor Kills (with Giveaway and Author Interview!)

Did honor force him to abandon his wife and kids? Or is he just a weasel?
Continue reading “New thriller from Nanci Rathbun: Honor Kills (with Giveaway and Author Interview!)”

March 14, 2018

Plum Tea Crazy: A new Tea Shop Mystery by NYT Bestselling Author Laura Childs

Enter to Win — Win a print copy of Plum Tea Crazy (U.S. Only)

Theodosia Browning investigates a Charleston steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

While viewing the harbor’s Gaslights and Galleons Parade from the widow’s walk of Timothy Neville’s Charleston mansion, local banker Carson Lanier seemingly tumbles over a narrow railing, then plunges three stories to his death. But a tragic accident becomes something much more sinister when it’s discovered that the victim was first shot with a bolt from a crossbow.
At the request of the mansion owner, Theodosia investigates the tragedy and is soon neck deep in suspects. An almost ex-wife, a coworker, a real estate partner–all had motives for killing the luckless banker, but one resorted to murder to settle accounts.
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

Interview with Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author of Plum Tea Crazy.

Laura, thanks for stopping by Island Confidential. Can you tell us a little bit about your protagonist?
Theodosia Browning is the sassy, outgoing proprietor of the Indigo Tea Shop. Formerly a marketing exec, Theodosia is quick-witted and droll, and has a knack for getting embroiled in police investigations.
How alike are you and Theodosia?
I’m a former marketing exec myself, but I’ve never gotten involved in a criminal investigation. However, if I met Theodosia in real life I’d probably be analyzing clues right alongside her and trying to figure out a list of suspects.
Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
They’re the same characters personality-wise. However, they have grown and evolved a bit over the course of nineteen books. For example, Theodosia and her dog Earl Grey used to live in the apartment above the Indigo Tea Shop. Now they reside in a cute little Hansel and Gretel cottage in Charleston’s historic district.
Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life – on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
I haven’t killed anyone from my past in any of my books, but I do get my petty revenge from time to time. I assign their names to killers or characters that I particularly detest!
How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties or are you true to life?
My Charleston, SC setting is faithful right down to the antique cobblestones. The places I write about – Church Street, Gateway Walk, Duelers Alley, White Point Gardens – are all real places. My job as an author is to capture their charm and allure with words. I want you to picture the Spanish moss swaying in the trees, smell the salty Atlantic air rushing in, and have the feeling of being followed down a narrow, walled-in lane.
When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major roles?
I think Debra Messing would make a terrific Theodosia

and Michael Caine would be a delightful Drayton.

What’s the worst and best advice you’ve ever heard or received as an author?
Worst advice – English teachers (pretty much all of them) who tried to hammer in that old maxim of “writing what you know about.” If authors did that we’d never have fantastic novels about outer space, time travel, and dinosaurs. Writing is all about creating imagery – a direct product of stretching your imagination!
Best advice – This was an object lesson of sorts. Mystery great Mary Higgins Clark took me under her wing at a Mystery Writers of America symposium and graciously introduced me to several editors and agents. When it came time for lunch – when Mary had a plethora of invitations – she whispered to me that she had to go home and write, that she had a tricky deadline. That’s when I realized that producing pages and meeting deadlines took precedence over panel discussions, lunch, and everything else. I realized that writing was serious business.
BONUS: Stay tuned for a character interview with Theodosia Browning herself!

About the Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.
Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.
The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!
The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.
Visit Laura’s webpage or find her on Facebook.

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March 4, 2018

Pawprints and Predicaments: Author Interview with Bethany Blake

Win 1 Set of the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mysteries and some swag! U.S. ONLY

The Tail Waggin’ Winterfest is the highlight of the season in the famously pet-friendly Pocono Mountains town of Sylvan Creek. But despite attractions like an ice sculpture display, a dogsled race, and gourmet hot chocolate, Daphne Templeton finds herself annoyed by TV producer Lauren Savidge, who’s filming the festivities. She’s critical, controlling, and as chilly as the January air. Daphne would like to tell her to go jump in a lake—and as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what they’re both going to do . . .

It’s the first-ever polar bear plunge in Lake Wallapawakee, and Daphne and Lauren are among the eighty or so people who charge into the frigid water to raise funds for animals in need. Daphne makes it back to shore—with the help of a mysterious St. Bernard—but Lauren is dragged out stone cold dead. Now, with her trusty basset hound Socrates at her side, Daphne intends to assist Detective Jonathan Black in his investigation—whether he wants her to or not . . .
Includes recipes for homemade pet treats!

Interview with Bethany Blake

Bethany, thanks for stopping by Island Confidential! Can you tell us a little bit about your protagonist Daphne?
Daphne Templeton holds a doctorate in philosophy, but she’s content working as a pet sitter in the quaint town of Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania. She loves to travel, but she’s increasingly setting down roots in her hometown. She drives an unreliable VW bus, bakes for pets and people, and solves crimes with her basset hound sidekick, Socrates.
Would you get along with Daphne if you met her in real life?
I would love Daphne, because she has a big heart. She’s hugely loyal to her family and friends, and she loves life.
Are you and Daphne anything alike?
We are similar in that I also hold a doctorate that I’ve never used, and I once owned a small pet sitting business. I’m also kind of disorganized. But I’m a worrier, while Daphne charges through life pretty fearlessly.
Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
Yes! Daphne starts out being very reckless and irresponsible. Maybe too reckless and irresponsible. As the series continues, she becomes more thoughtful and sets down roots. On the flipside, Detective Jonathan Black is initially very rigid and protective of his emotions and his past. As he and Daphne battle to solve crimes, he learns to loosen up, and he slowly reveals the truth about his time as a Navy SEAL—and the secret that compelled him to leave the military.
How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
Sylvan Creek is based very closely on my hometown of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. I lived in the apartment that Daphne’s best friend, Moxie Bloom, “occupies” in the novel, and there’s a park with creek that rambles past a gazebo. Those are just a few of the similarities. But I’ve added a lot of fun things to Sylvan Creek, like some amazing restaurants that don’t actually exist in Lewisburg.
When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
Keri Russell has Daphne’s curly hair and quirky vibe. I honestly can’t pick an actor to play Jonathan Black. No one quite has the mix of intensity and humor. I am open to suggestions!

What’s the best and worst advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
The best advice I received was to join groups like Mystery Writers of America and Romance Writers of America. They provide information, support and opportunities for networking. I don’t know that I’ve ever received truly bad advice. My network of friends and family have always encouraged me to keep going. As long as you have that, I think you’re okay.

About the author

Bethany Blake lives in a small, quaint town in Pennsylvania with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not writing or riding horses, she’s wrangling a menagerie of furry family members that includes a nervous pit bull, a fearsome feline, a blind goldfish, and an attack cardinal named Robert. Like Daphne Templeton, the heroine of her Lucky Paws Mysteries, Bethany holds a Ph.D. and operates a pet sitting business called Barkley’s Premium Pet Care.

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January 16, 2018

New Jade Blackwell Mystery: Murder over Medium by Gilian Baker

Former English professor turned blogger, Jade Blackwell, is enjoying her predictable routine when trouble comes knocking in the form of an old friend and colleague. Unbeknownst to Jade, Gwendolyn Hexby is no longer the successful academic she once knew and trusted—she is now following a new calling as a psychic medium, a contentious career that flies in the face of the logic and deductive reasoning Jade values.

At first, Jade welcomes the visit, but things soon turn bizarre as Gwendolyn brings only disorder danger and disruption. When a murder is prophesied, and a beloved pillar of the Aspen Falls’ community winds up dead, Gwendolyn becomes Sheriff Ross Lawson’s prime suspect.
To get Gwendolyn out of hot water, and more importantly, out of her house, Jade attempts to prove her friend’s innocence. Jade believes she’s finally discovered the truth, but is soon brought back to reality when she learns all is not as it seems in the realm of the metaphysical. Not even murder.
Return to the Jade Blackwell Cozy Mystery Series in Murder Over Medium, as Jade jumps into the fray of a territory not governed by logic or reason—in either this world or the next.

Interview

Gilian, thanks for stopping by Island Confidential. Can you tell us a little bit about your protagonist?
Jade Blackwell is a former English professor who got out of academia while she was still (mostly) sane. She’s now an online entrepreneur—a blogger and ghostwriter. She uses her natural inquisitiveness, analytical skills, and finely-tuned B.S. meter (from years of teaching college students) to solve murderers in the village of Aspen Falls, Wyoming. Born and raised in Aspen Falls, she married her high school sweetheart, Christian. They are happily married and have a daughter, Penelope (Ellie) who is away at college. She’s a sassy homebody who lives in her head.
She loves murder mysteries, especially Agatha Christie. Hercules Poirot is her mentor, and she describes herself as a much younger, better-looking Miss. Marple. She loves her cats, Tommy and Tuppence, but hates cleaning up hairballs.
How alike are you and Jade?
As with many first-time authors, Jade is much like me in the first book Blogging is Murder. But as I continue to get to know her and as I develop as a writer, she is becoming her own distinct personality. So, while we do have a great deal in common, such as our former profession and a dislike for cooking, she is her own woman.
How would you feel about Jade if you met her in real life?
We’d have a blast hanging out together! We could talk literary theory, slow cooker recipes, and of course, murder.
Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
My protagonist does for sure. Jade is currently considering a new business challenge as she’s grown bored with blogging and ghostwriting. Now, she just needs to decide what challenge to take on, which she will do in the next book.
As an example, in the latest book, Murder Over Medium, we see Jade struggling to come to terms with the many changes in her friend and former colleague, Gwendolyn Hexby. Jade still finds solace in logic and data, but Gwendolyn has moved from the world of academia to superstition as a psychic medium. Very slowly throughout the book, we watch Jade soften to the belief in a mystical energy source to some extent. At the end of each book, she’s learned a valuable lesson that she takes with her into her next adventure.
Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
I haven’t killed off a particular person, but many years ago, when I was a potter, I realized what a great murder weapon a clay cutting tool would make. It’s perfect for garroting someone. It even has handles on the ends so you can pull it tight without cutting yourself—much better than piano wire. I must admit it was jolly great fun to put that idea to good use in Book 2, A Time to Kiln.
How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
I spent a lot of time determining the setting. The village of Aspen Falls, Wyoming is fictitious, but its situation in a real location. Since Jade was a college professor just a few years ago, the location needed to be near a university. Not too many in Wyoming, so that really narrowed the field. It needed to be near a mountain range too because I wanted that kind of feel to the setting. So, it ended up being around an hour from Laramie, WY.
Many people have asked me why Wyoming of all places. All I can say is that I tried to move Aspen Falls to Colorado at one point, but Jade wouldn’t have it. I thought since Colorado is so much more populated, it would be easier to write about. Nope. I’d try to write, but Jade wouldn’t show up. I only got a serious case of writer’s block. But as soon as I gave up and went back to Wyoming, all was well again.
When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
This is the hardest question you’ve asked. I’m not familiar with American actors since I only stream British TV. And a few of these choices would take a miracle to accomplish, but here goes:
An older Honeysuckle Weeks as Jade Blackwell

Michelle Dockery as Gabrielle Langdon and Joanne Froggatt as Deputy Crystal Metcalf

A living Geraldine McEwan as Phyllis Buckley

A younger Michael Kitchen as Christian Blackwell

Emma Watson as Penelope (Ellie) Blackwell

What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard?
Worst advice: Don’t bother. You can’t make a living as a writer.
Best advice: If you’ve got stories in you, write. Just start and learn as you go. Be the best you can be, and keep getting better as you learn the craft. The rest will take care of itself if you write great stories.

About the Author

Gilian Baker is a former English professor who has gone on to forge a life outside of academia by adding blogger, ghostwriter and cozy mystery author to her C.V. She currently uses her geeky superpowers only for good to entertain murder mystery readers the world over. When she’s not plotting murder for her Jade Blackwell cozy mystery series, you can find her puttering in her vegetable garden, knitting in front of the fire, snuggling with her husband watching British TV or discussing literary theory with her daughter.
Gilian lives in Flagstaff, Arizona with her family and their three pampered felines. In her next life, she fervently hopes to come back as a cat, though she understands that would be going down the karmic ladder.
Webpage – http://gilianbaker.com/blogging-murder-first-chapter/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GilianBakerAuthor/
Amazon – http://amazon.com/author/gilian-baker
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16252646.Gilian_Baker