Tag: Mystery

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Character Interview: The Quirky Quiz Show Caper

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Former teen idol Sandy Fairfax is a guest panelist on a TV game show—and the first category is murder!


When his kid brother, Warren, is framed for killing a college student, Sandy makes it his duty to track down the thug before the police move in. After all, Sandy did play a detective once on a hit TV show. Sandy will get right on the case—right after he visits his kids; fights with his ex; woos his hoped-to-be girlfriend, Cinnamon; and convinces his parents he should be the special entertainment at a black tie gala designed to raise funds for his father’s faltering orchestra. All this while he and his biggest fan attempt to “Raise The Stakes” on a rigged quiz show where––wonder of wonders––the murder victim had recently been a contestant. Sandy’s ready to pull out some of his long blond hair as the game points and the suspects pile up.
Today we have Sandy Fairfax as our guest.

Q: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself—maybe something they might not guess
 I’m Sandy Fairfax, a 38-year-old former teen idol. That’s my stage name. My real name is Stanford Ernest Farmington Jr. In the late 1970s I starred in the TV show “Buddy Brave, Boy Sleuth” for four seasons, along with two feature films. My career hit the skids when my show ended and my recording contract ran out. For a number of years I didn’t do much except drink, but now I’m clean and sober and making a comeback. I’m also reconnecting with my family and seeing my kids more, which unfortunately also means talking to my ex more. What readers might not know is that I started singing with a boys’ choir at church. That was a great experience. I got used to performing in public and it also exposed me to some great classical music. Of course that gig ended when I hit puberty. I never joined a school choir, probably because I was busy with piano and violin lessons and recitals. I didn’t start singing again professionally until I joined a rock band in college and from there to solo shows.
Q: Who’s the character do you get along with best? 
That’s easy. In the second book of my series I met Cinnamon Lovett who not only became the choreographer for my shows but is now my girlfriend. Besides being drop-dead gorgeous she’s smart, funny, sensitive and caring. She doesn’t fawn over my like many women but treats me like a friend and equal. She’s worked in the entertainment business so she isn’t impressed by celebrities. And she doesn’t mind telling me off if she’s unhappy.
Q: Which other character do you have a conflict with?
 My brother, Warren Farmington, is the poster child of the family and I’m the black sheep. I haven’t seen him in ages and now he resents me trying to wheedle my way back into the family fold. He finished graduate school and puts me down because I dropped out of college to pursue fame and fortune. I think he’s jealous of my teen idol fame but he won’t admit it. He makes fun of my former rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, even though my life has calmed down since. But Warren had to swallow his pride when someone framed him in the murder of one of his students and yours truly came to his aid to clear his name.
Q: Just between you and me what do you really think of your author, Sally Carpenter?
She’s a typical fanatic, er, fan, the kind who’s in the front row of my concerts screaming her head off at me. She shares too much information about me to the readers. Hey, even celebrities deserve a little privacy. I’m annoyed that after four books I still haven’t had a really torrid love scene. I’m not a monk, you know. And what is with these death traps? In every book the bad guy comes close to killing me off. Nobody’s safe around this author.
Q: What’s next for you?
Thankfully, my author is letting me take a break while she starts a new series. Whew! Now I can finally get in some serious time in with my girlfriend and not worry about a murderer looking to put me six feet under.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sally Carpenter is native Hoosier now living in Moorpark, Calif. She has a master’s degree in theater from Indiana State University. While in school her plays “Star Collector” and “Common Ground” were finalists in the American College Theater Festival One-Act Playwrighting Competition. “Common Ground” also earned a college creative writing award and “Star Collector” was produced in New York City.
Carpenter also has a master’s degree in theology and a black belt in tae kwon do. She’s worked as an actress, college writing instructor, theater critic, jail chaplain, and tour guide/page for Paramount Pictures. She’s now employed at a community newspaper.
The Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series is comprised of: “The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper” (2012 Eureka! Award finalist for best first mystery novel), “The Sinister Sitcom Caper,” “The Cunning Cruise Ship Caper” and “The Quirky Quiz ShowCaper.”
To atone for her sins of killing fictional people, she also writes the monthly Roots of Faith column for the Acorn Newspapers.
She blogs at http://sandyfairfaxauthor.com and ladiesofmystery.com.
 
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Character Interview: Martha Rose of Something's Knot Kosher (A Quilting Mystery)

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When Birdie Watson’s husband Russell is killed during a bank robbery, Martha just wants to support her grieving friend. But en route to the burial plot in Oregon, Martha makes a harrowing discovery about the casket’s contents–instead of Russell, she finds an unidentified man. Now Martha and her quilting klatch can’t rest in peace until they unspool the truth behind the macabre mix up. . .

 
Amateur sleuth Martha Rose stopped by Island Confidential to chat about her character and her role in Mary Marks’ latest quilting mystery.

Q: Aloha, and thanks for stopping by! Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something readers might not guess?
First of all, thank you so much for inviting me to be here today.
My name is Martha Rose and here are some things readers don’t know about me: I hate broccoli and love Project Runway.  It’s the sewing that fascinates me. Although I own a computer, current technology intimidates me, so I rely a lot on my friend Lucy’s expertise.
Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best? Why?
This is an easy question to answer. Lucy Mondello has been my best friend since I moved to Encino seventeen years ago. She and her husband Ray are from Wyoming and are as down to earth as you can get.
We see each other at least once a week for quilting and talk on the phone almost every day. She’s stuck with me through the ups and downs of my love life, and helped me with a couple of murder investigations.  I can always count on her.
Q:  Which other character do you have a conflict with? Why?
I have an ongoing conflict with Detective Noah Kaplan who personifies everything I detest. He displays the arrogance of a misogynist, and tends to abuse his position of power. Women have had to battle against men like this for ages. Maybe Kaplan’s just demonstrating the callowness of youth. If so, I’m hoping one day he’ll get over himself.
Q:  Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
Mary Marks didn’t publish her first novel until she was 70 years old. I think that demonstrates it’s never too late to pursue a dream and try something new. Perhaps that can be an inspiration for readers young and old.
Q: What’s next for you?
There’s an old Yiddish saying, “Man plans and God laughs.” I really never intended to discover dead bodies and solve murders. That’s just a thing that kept happening to me. I basically want a quiet life sewing quilts with my friends. At least that’s the plan.
And just between you and me, I’m thinking of making a deeper commitment to Crusher.
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, Mary Marks earned a B.A. in Anthropology from UCLA and an M.A. in Public Administration from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. In 2004 she enrolled in the UCLA Extension Writers Program. Her first novel, Forget Me Knot, was a finalist in a national writing competition in 2011. She is currently a reviewer of cozy mysteries for The New York Journal of Books atwww.nyjournalofbooks.com.
 
Readers can visit her at www.marymarksmysteries.com and https://www.facebook.com/mmarks2013
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Author Interview: Alice Loweecey, Nun but the Brave

>>>Enter to win an advance reader copy (U.S. only)<<<Giulia Driscoll’s sister-in-law barges into Driscoll Investigations and promptly passes out from OD’ing on an unknown drug. Two OD’d teenagers are found dead behind the police station. DI’s new client insists her missing twin sister is not dead and enlists Giulia as the “Missing Person Whisperer.” Hooray for steady work?


 
The missing sister’s trail leads to married, pregnant, ex-nun Giulia’s first experience with online dating sites, to the delight of her husband and employees. Those dates lead her to local Doomsday Preppers. They grow their own everything, and that everything may be connected to the drugs, her sister-in-law, and the missing twin. These Preppers are about to learn the true meaning of doom.

Q: Alice, it’s great to have you back at Island Confidential! For those readers who are not familiar with Giulia, can you tell us a little bit about her? 
A: Giulia is a former nun who sort of fell into sleuthing when she was hired by Frank Driscoll, the owner of Driscoll Investigations. People tended to talk to her about everything and she discovered a talent for sleuthing. Fast-forward a few years and now she and Frank are married. He rehabbed his knee (car chase crash) and is back on the police force and she’s the owner of DI. She’s also pregnant with their first child, which is adding a whole bunch of new challenges to the detecting business.
Q: How much of you is in Giulia? How would you feel about her if you met her in real life?
A: Giulia and I are very different people. The only attributes we share are gardening, cooking, and our former nun-ness.
When I first started writing Giulia, I thought she was way to stuffy to ever want to meet in person. She’s eased up on the stuffiness now, so we might be able to share conversation and coffee. She’s welcome to the flavored coffee, though. I drink mine strong and black.
Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A: Absolutely. In addition to Giulia becoming more human, Frank is less uptight and worried about proving to his extended family he can make it on his own (because he has). Sidney, Giulia’s all natural earth mother admin is still a perky Christmas elf, but she’s more practical now and even a wee bit cynical. A very wee bit. Zane, Giulia’s MIT genius admin, started out hardly able to have a casual conversation with another human. Part of that was genius geek, part was two years in telemarketing hell. Now he makes the occasional joke with Sidney and even with the boss (Giulia) on rare occasions. He even goes undercover and loves it.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
A: No. I have made people who’ve stabbed me in the back in real life into extremely unlikeable characters. It’s quite cathartic.
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A: I’m all about the research. Cottonwood, Pennsylvania is a fictional suburb of Pittsburgh, but my characters travel to actual places all the time. Google Earth is my friend, because I can’t physically drive to all those Pennsylvania locations and still have time to write. Plus my cats demand to get fed every once in a while.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: Oh, from your lips to God’s ears, please! *cough* Hallmark Mysteries *cough*
Giulia: Jenn Proske (Vampires Suck and Graceland)
Frank: Arthur Darvill (Rory was the best and most underrated Doctor Who companion ever.)
Sidney: Christina Milian (I loved her in Pulse and am very interested to see her as Magenta in the Rocky Horror remake. Trivia: Soon after I jumped the wall I was a Transylvanian in a local stage production of Rocky Horror.)
Zane: Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy and Troy)
Q: What’s the worst and the best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: The worst: “You’re so good at dialogue; why don’t you write screenplays?” When this was said to me I was at the “Maybe I can’t even write a decent grocery list” stage of the agent hunt. Screenplay writing is a huge leap from novel writing and I knew the learning curve would be steep. I decided to give the novel side of writing a bit longer. Shortly after that decision I landed an agent and my debut book deal. So for me at that stage of things, the advice would have set me back more than a year. Who knows what would have happened if I’d switched to screenplays? But I don’t live in Los Angeles or New York and I’m quite happy writing novels. When (never “if”!) the books get picked up for TV or movies, I’ll be happy to consult.
The best advice is from Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel (this is a paraphrase): “Think of the worst thing that can happen to your character. Now do it to them.” My Giulia Driscoll mysteries are light and funny, but this advice still applies. I also write horror under the pen name Kate Morgan. I’d shopped my novel The Redeemers around for a long time. When I read that advice, I rewrote it for a fifth time (no joke), which darkened the main character’s motivations. I sold the novel.


About The Author  
Baker of brownies and tormenter of characters, Alice Loweecey recently celebrated her thirtieth year outside the convent. She grew up watching Hammer Horror and Scooby-Doo Mysteries, which might explain a whole lot. When she’s not creating trouble for Giulia Falcone-Driscoll, she can be found growing her own vegetables (in summer) and cooking with them (the rest of the year).
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Character Interview: Francine from Murder Under the Covered Bridge

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Working on a television taping to promote the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, the ladies decide to use their access to the Roseville Bridge to cross an item off Charlotte’s bucket list: #39) Be a Sexy Calendar Girl.

But the photo shoot is interrupted by gunshots and Francine’s cousin William stumbling down the riverbank followed by a man with a gun. William sustains life-threatening injuries, but is it homicide?
Francine and Charlotte go into detective mode to uncover the secret William knew about the shooter. Their success, however, depends on surviving two arson events, a séance, a shortage of Mary Ruth’s wildly popular corn fritter donuts, memory-challenged nursing home residents, and a killer who refuses to go up in flames.
 

Q: Aloha, and welcome to Island Confidential. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something they might not guess?
A: I’m Francine McNamara. I’m 71 years old, and I’ve seen a lot in my lifetime. Certainly my thirty years as a nurse have contributed to that, but ever since Charlotte (my best friend) persuaded each member of our bridge club to come up with a list of sixty bucket list items we’d like to accomplish before we die, life has gotten very interesting. We can’t seem to shake the press from our attempts. It doesn’t help, either, that one of our own members, Joy McQueen, is now a correspondent with Good Morning America reporting on senior activities. Her publicist always wants us in the news. Even given this, it would be a lot easier if didn’t seem to be stumbling over dead bodies at an alarming rate. Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote has nothing on us, that’s for sure!
But you asked for information about me, didn’t you? Well, I’ve got a husband. We’ve been married for forty-five years now. His name is Jonathan, and he’s a hunk. Even in his seventies, I still find him to be a handsome man. We have three adult sons, Craig, Adam, and Chad. They’re all married and I couldn’t be happier with my daughters-in-law. Okay, that’s not quite true, but I’ve learned over the years not to squabble with the mothers of my grandchildren. And I’d love to tell you about my grandchildren, but I understand you don’t have that long.
So, you asked for some things readers might not know about me. I like puzzles a lot. I don’t talk about it much, but there’s something comforting to me about doing Sudoku. Numbers have always made a lot of sense to me. When I manage to get the lines and boxes of numbers 1-9 together, and they harmoniously live each in their own place, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I always note that my friend Charlotte likes crossword puzzles and reading mysteries and that’s why she wants to solve them, but I’m probably not far behind her.
Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best? Why?
A: I’d like to say that I get along best with Charlotte, but the truth is that while she’s my best friend and I wouldn’t trade our relationship for anything else, I probably get along with Mary Ruth the best. Mary Ruth is a caterer and I love making (and eating) good food. I frequently help her, either in the kitchen or acting as one of her servers, and I enjoy doing that a lot. It’s a good thing I exercise every day and still have a good metabolism, or I’d be gaining weight!
Q:  Anyone you don’t get along with so well? 
A: Well, Charlotte and I are best friends, as I said, but we frequently disagree over the nature of these investigations we keep finding ourselves in. Really, I’m just trying to keep her out of trouble. She’s terribly impulsive, and I have to control that or she’d find herself in over her head. Of course, she’d probably say I’m not free-thinking enough and that I constrain her ability to get things done. Maybe we’re just a good balance for each other.
Q:  Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
A: Liz is such a dear. I’d love to have her for a granddaughter! Tony’s a good guy, but he doesn’t know enough about women. It’s a good thing Liz is around to tell him that a woman would never think a certain way. Tony also works too hard to make us look good. He wants everyone to love us, and really, we’re just human. We have as many uncharitable thoughts as the next person, but he’s always trying to hide those kind of things from you readers. Sometimes we just have to insist he let us think the thoughts that we have.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: As you might know if you’ve been reading our adventures, Jonathan and I are working on building a vacation/retreat home for ourselves on the 300 acres I inherited in Parke County, Indiana. There are secrets out there I’m sure we’ve yet to discover. I’m intrigued by the thought that my ancestor Doc Wheat may have located a second spring whose waters are an essential ingredient to the special cures he left us formulas for. I must locate that spring …

 
Murder on the Bucket List Tony & Liz
About The Authors 
Elizabeth Perona is the father/daughter writing team of Tony Perona and Liz Dombrosky. Tony is the author of the Nick Bertetto mystery series, the standalone thriller The Final Mayan Prophecy (with Paul Skorich), and co-editor and contributor to the anthologies Racing Can Be Murder and Hoosier Hoops & Hijinks. Tony is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served the organization as a member of the Board of Directors and as Treasurer. He is also a member of Sisters-in-Crime.
Liz Dombrosky graduated from Ball State University in the Honors College with a degree in teaching. She is currently a stay-at-home mom. Murder on the Bucket List is her first novel.
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Character Interview: Deena's brother Russell, from Sharpe Shooter

Burned-out high school teacher Deena Sharpe is ready for a change. She has no idea a fifty-year-old murder case is about to turn her life upside down.

The Perry County Sheriff’s office has found a skeleton in the closet…literally. When they identify the man’s body fifty years after his disappearance, his family turns to Deena to uncover the truth about his murder. The clock begins ticking when she discovers a mysterious writer is about to implicate the victim in his latest conspiracy theory book. She must channel her inner super-sleuth to solve the puzzle and protect her family name. With the help of her off-beat brother and others from the cozy town of Maycroft, Texas, Deena takes on a quest that leads to more questions than answers.
Sharpe Shooter is the first book in the Maycroft Mystery Series. With antique shopping, car chases, and ghosts in the night, the story will keep you guessing as you follow Deena on her quest for the truth.

Q: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something readers might not guess?
I am Russell Sinclair, Deena Sharpe’s brother. She’s the star of the show even though she’d couldn’t have solved this mystery without me. I’m a confirmed bachelor. It’s not that I don’t want to get married, I just haven’t found someone willing to put up with my quirks. You see, I serve in Vietnam and came back with PTSD, hearing loss, and killer migraines. I’m an easy-going guy as long as things don’t get too stressful.
And as far as looks, a lot of people say I resemble Jimmy Buffett. It’s probably the Hawaiian  shirts, cargo  shorts, and flip flops. If you knew me better, you would know I am a comic book collector. Don’t tell Deena, though. She’ll want me to sell them in her antique booth.
Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best? Why?
Like I said, I’m a pretty easy going guy so long as you don’t cross my friends or family. My best friend is Cliff. Known him since high school. I work as a semi-partner in his appliance repair shop. He knows the real me and somehow still likes me.
Q:  Which other character do you have a conflict with? Why?
One guy, Neal Fortune, is a writer. I used to look up to him because of his interest in uncovering the truth in all kinds of conspiracies, such as Area 51 and Watergate. After this experience though, I’m not so sure how I feel about him.
Q:  Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
From what I understand, she’s a lot like my sister. They are both former journalism teachers who are recently retired. Both have great husbands who are avid sports fans. Both have smart, good-looking brothers. Both love treasure hunting and selling old junk in antique stores. She’s fine by me.
Q: What’s next for you?
My busy-body sister is trying to set me up on dates. I think she just wants me to get married so someone else has to take care of me. Whatever. I just want to hang out with my buddies at the VFW, hunt, fish, and help Deena stay out of trouble. That last one is usually the toughest.

Excerpt from “Sharpe Shooter” by Lisa B. Thomas
 Perhaps I should have had a plan before setting myself up to be fired, Deena Sharpe thought as her eyes traveled around the empty classroom. Thriving just days earlier with busy teenagers, so alive that their youth spilled over into the hallway, the room now seemed like an empty tomb awaiting a sarcophagus.
The tap-tap-tap sound coming down the hallway meant Janice Marshall, the assistant principal, was ready for Deena to vacate the building. No one likes the screeching of fingernails on a chalkboard, but most teachers at Maycroft High School would have chosen it any day over the incessant sound of those clicking heels. Like I always say, Deena thought as the annoyance grew louder, there is something fishy about a woman who can stand on her feet all day in high heels. She is not to be trusted.
Luckily, she would never again have to endure Ms. Marshall’s condescension or shoes.
“How much longer are you going to be, Mrs. Sharpe?” She stood in the doorway as though entering might actually infect her with cooties.
“Oh, just a bit longer.” Deena relished her intentional vagueness. Using her gooiest Southern drawl, she added, “You don’t have to wait for me, dear.”
Ms. Marshall smirked, leaned against the door frame as if she herself were the very foundation of the building, and began occupying herself on her cell phone.
Standing over her desk, the perch from which she ruled her flock, Deena slowed her movements, accomplishing two goals: savoring the moment and bugging her watchman. “Is this how you deal with all teachers when they leave this school? Are you worried I might steal this stapler?” She held it up as a visual aid.
Ms. Marshall rolled her eyes. “No, but this is a special circumstance.”
Still holding the heavy black stapler, Deena contemplated bashing her in the head or shoving it somewhere else. She envisioned the headline in the Northeast Texas Tribune: Ex-Journalism Teacher Bludgeons Assistant Principal with Swing Master II.
She dropped it in the box she was filling to take home.
Deena envisioned herself as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider—always ready to fight the good fight. She called it her Walter Mitty Complex. In her mind, she would kick butt and take names; in reality, she would step aside and apologize. Still, she was always looking for ways to unleash her inner Lara. She even took karate at one time but gave up when she got walloped by a six-year-old warrior princess.
Now, surrendering her classroom keys to the principal’s chief stooge seemed like waving a white flag on her career. She still managed a pained, melancholy smile as she headed out of room 106 and down the hallway for the last time. Surprisingly, she felt no sense of relief, her stomach queasy, her chest tight. Instead, she felt the same foreboding she got every year on the eve of the first day of school.

 

About The Author 
Born and raised in Texas, I always knew I wanted to be a writer. Finally, after thirty-three years as a high school Journalism and English teacher, I dusted off the laptop and released my first novel. Having grown up reading Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and Agatha Christie, I was drawn to the mystery genre.
With two grown children out of the nest, I live a quiet life with my husband and Peekapoo puppy. Besides writing, I enjoy my grandchildren, photography, traveling, and antiquing (aka. buying and selling used junk). Like my main character, Deena, I have an antique booth and enjoy treasure hunting and reselling vintage finds.
 
Links:
www.lisabthomas.com
https://www.facebook.com/LisaBThomasAuthor
https://twitter.com/LBThomas2
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5916082.Lisa_B_Thomas

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Interview and #Giveaway: Secret Lives and Private Eyes

>>> Enter to win one of ten print copies of Secret Lives and Private Eyes <<<
Business has been slow for Private Investigator Delanie Fitzgerald, but her luck seems to change when a tell-all author hires her to find rock star Johnny Velvet.


Could the singer—whose career purportedly ended in a fiery crash almost thirty years ago—still be alive?
As if sifting through dead ends in a cold case isn’t bad enough, Delanie is hired by loud-mouth strip club owner Chaz Wellington Smith, III, to uncover information about the mayor’s secret life. When the mayor is murdered, Chaz becomes the key suspect, and Delanie must clear his name. She also has to figure out why a landscaper keeps popping up in her other investigation. Can the private investigator find the connection between the two cases before another murder—possibly her own—takes place?
Secret Lives and Private Eyes is a fast-paced mystery that will appeal to readers who like a strong, female sleuth with a knack for getting herself in and out of difficult, and sometimes humorous, situations.

Q: Heather, thanks for stopping by! Tell us a little bit about your main character, Delanie.
A:  Delanie Fitzgerald is my sleuth. She is a sassy private investigator who has a knack for getting herself in and out of humorous situations. She lives in a Sears Catalog house from 1939. Her partner, Duncan Reynolds, is a computer geek/hacker who has an English bulldog named Margaret.
SearsHouse115
Q: I love those Sears Catalog Homes! So how much of you is in your protagonist?  How would you feel about Delanie if you met her in real life?
A:  We are both redheads, and we both like junk food, driving Mustangs, and dogs. But that’s about where the similarity ends. Delanie gets into way more trouble than I ever did. I think she and I would be friends. We have a lot of the same interests. She would be fun to hang out or have adventures with.
Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A:  Delanie grows as a character throughout this book and into the next one. In Secret Lives and Private Eyes, she gets into a little trouble by crossing some lines in her investigations. By book two, she’s learned from some of her earlier missteps.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean? 
A:  Hasn’t every mystery writer? I always tell my unruly co-workers that they’re going to end up in a dumpster in a future book. I sprinkle in characteristics of real people in all of my books and stories. Family, friends, and co-workers will probably see names and phrases that they recognize.
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A:  I write what and where I know. My stories and novels are all set in Virginia. The location gives me a lot of freedom to develop my mystery in a world with trees, cows, farmland, suburbia, skyscrapers, and the mighty James River. My sleuth, Delanie Fitzgerald, lives in a quaint Sears and Roebuck catalog bungalow that fits her quirky style. While there are some catalog homes in the Hopewell area, I took the liberty of moving one to Chesterfield County for my private eye. From 1908 to 1940, the homes were originally ordered and delivered by rail to the owners who assembled them on their property.
Delanie zooms around the countryside and through the city in her black Mustang. She investigates clues or tails suspects in and around many historic places. While the story, characters, and the murder are fiction, many of the locales are real, and I hope it provides readers some insight into a region jam-packed with lots of American history, great restaurants, and Southern flair.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A:  I think Jennifer Lawrence could play Delanie Fitzgerald. Duncan Reynolds could be played by Brenton Thwaites, Nicholas Hoult, or Ansel Elgort. Client and strip-club owner, Chaz Smith, could be played by Charlie Sheen or Gary Oldman. And 80s rocker Johnny Velvet could be played by Jon Bon Jovi or Johnny Depp.

The Movie Cast
Jennifer Lawrence, Ansel Elgort, Gary Oldman, Johnny Depp

Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A:  The best advice I ever received was “Don’t Give up!” Writing is hard work, and you’re going to need thick skin. If you want to be a writer, be persistent.
I’ve had people make comments about how easy it is to write a book. Well, sort of. I always imagined the life of an author as someone who drank a lot of coffee and wrote brilliant books. I didn’t realize how much editing, revising, proofreading, marketing, and social media go along with the job. I love every minute of it, but it’s not always easy or fast. Publishing is often a slow process.

 

About The Author  
Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew. She currently lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers. She is a member of Sisters in Crime International, Guppies, and Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia. Heather’s short stories appear in Virginia is for Mysteries and Virginia is for Mysteries Volume II. Her debut novel, Secret Lives and Private Eyes, will be published on June 20, 2016.
She is currently President of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia.
Author Links
Website & Blog: http://www.heatherweidner.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1
FB: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWeidnerAuthor?ref=hl
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/crazyforwords13/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_mystery_writer/
Google+ : https://plus.google.com/+HeatherWeidner
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Interview: Zanna MacKenzie, author of Murder on the Menu

A dead boss, a sexy spy living next door – Lizzie’s in BIG trouble!
After Lizzie’s new boss, celebrity chef Armand, is stabbed in his own kitchen, Lizzie finds herself at the top of the suspect list.

Determined to clear her name she’s forced to enlist the services of her new neighbour, Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency (CCIA) special agent Jack Mathis, who’s been suspended from his duties for reasons unknown.
Can Lizzie save herself from getting arrested and manage to resist her special agent sidekick’s considerable charms and gorgeous smile? Will they solve the culinary murder mystery or will she end up in a prison cell?

Q: Zanna, thanks for stopping by! Tell us a little bit about your protagonist, Lizzie.
A:  In Murder On The Menu, Lizzie Carter thought she’d got her life all sorted – great job in the city, lovely boyfriend – but then her life is turned upside down. Desperate for a new start she finds herself living in the country and waitressing to make ends meet. Things are finally beginning to look up for her but then her celebrity chef boss is stabbed in his own kitchen and Lizzie finds herself at the top of the list of suspects. I’d describe Lizzie as resilient, nosy and stubborn. She’s determined to clear her name and catch the real killer even though she’s never sleuthed before in her life!
Q: How much of you is in Lizzie?  How would you feel about her if you met her in real life?
A:  Hmm, interesting question. Yes, I think Lizzie and I do share some traits, though she’s far more outgoing than me (I’m quite shy). I guess I can be stubborn too sometimes, as I’m sure my husband will agree! If I met Lizzie in real life then yes, I’d like her. I’d probably think she’s fun, friendly and easy to chat with.
Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A:  Absolutely. Lizzie’s life keeps changing and there are lots of challenges for her to face. From tracking down murderers through to battling to make a living and attempting to bake a cake that’s actually edible. She’s inherited a recipe book from her Aunt Molly and is keen to learn to bake to the same amazing standard as her beloved aunt but she has an awful lot to learn and the farmhouse has an Aga with a mind of its own which is her nemesis!

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Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean? 
A:  LOL! I can’t honestly say that I have. I’ve never based a character on a real life person so that helps. I tend to create my characters from star sign personalities and traits and build them up layer by layer – education, mannerisms, family background, looks, job etc. I usually pick a suitable celebrity to visually inspire the height/looks/clothing side of a character in a book using photos I find online or in films/TV shows, so nothing is based on people that I actually know in real life.
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A:  I normally make up the actual village/town in my books but it is in a real life location and inspired by places I have visited or seen photos of online via sites like Pinterest. For example, in the Celebrity Mystery series, the books are all set in Cumbria’s Lake District in the UK, a place I love and have taken holidays in many a time. The actual village in the books is entirely fictitious though but very similar in looks to real villages in Cumbria.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A:  Well, Jack (Lizzie’s love interest in the series) was visually inspired by the gorgeous actor Andrew W. Walker, so it would make sense for him to take on that role. As for Lizzie, she’s a mix of a few female actresses in my head, but I’d probably choose Jennifer Morrison, who stars in the fabulous Once Upon A Time TV series, to play her.
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Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A:  Oh, that’s tough. Best advice, I’d say, was write what you’d want to read yourself and in a genre you’re very familiar with. Worst advice, there has been lots! Probably to write in a way that ticks all of the ‘formula’ boxes, such as structuring sentences in specific ways – this totally stifled my own writing when I tried it back in the early days.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I write romantic comedy mysteries and when I’m not writing I can be found gardening (trying to grow tomatoes in the British climate is a major challenge!) walking the dogs or reading.
I’m a former therapist, a fan of the great outdoors – especially Scotland, the Lake District and Derbyshire’s Peak district – and also something of a dreamer!
Home is a village on the Derbyshire / Leicestershire border in the UK with my husband, our 4 Labrador dogs, a vegetable patch that’s home to far too many weeds and an ever expanding library of books waiting to be read.
At every opportunity I can be found scribbling down notes on scenes for whatever novel I’m working on and I love it when the characters in my work in progress novels take on minds of their own and start deviating from the original plot!

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#Giveaway and Interview: Gayle Leeson, author of The Calamity Cafe (new Southern culinary cozy series)

>>> Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card! <<<
The Calamity Cafe is the first book in a new cozy mystery series featuring Southern cooking

Aspiring chef and small-town Virginia native Amy Flowers is ready to open her own café offering old-fashioned Southern food. But her dream may go up in smoke when someone kills the competition…
Tired of waiting tables at Lou’s Joint, Amy Flowers doesn’t just quit—she offers to buy the place from her bully of a boss, so she can finally open the café of her dreams. Amy can’t wait to serve the kind of Southern, down-home treats and dishes that her grandmother always loved to the kooky cast of regulars at the restaurant. She knows her comfort food will be the talk of the sweet, small town of Winter Garden, Virginia.
At first Lou Lou refuses to sell, but when she seems ready to make a deal, she tells Amy to come see her.  Showing up at the eatery ready to negotiate, Amy is shocked to find her former employer murdered. As the prime suspect, Amy will have to clear her name by serving up the real killer—and with Lou Lou’s stack of enemies, that’s a tall order.
Includes delicious Southern recipes!

 
 
Q: Thanks for stopping by Island Confidential, Gayle. Can you tell us a little bit about your protagonist, Any?
A:  Amy Flowers is a young woman who has a serious goal but who doesn’t forget to have plenty of fun. She makes time for her friends and family while hoping to realize her goal of opening her own café.
Q: How much of you is in Amy?  How would you feel about her if you met her in real life?
A:  I’m sure there’s a little Amy in me, especially where she was so devoted to her grandmother who is deceased when we meet Amy. And, like Amy, I have a tendency to want to adopt and/or feed animals and people (especially children). Whenever my children were growing up, I was known for my cookies and cupcakes. Even when my son was in high school, I’d have to make and send chocolate chip cookies to his friends.
I’d love Amy if I met her in real life. I think we’d be good friends, but I’d have to avoid seeing her too often because if I didn’t, she’d feed me until I was as big as a house!
Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A:  They do. That’s something I’ve really enjoyed with other series I’ve written (the embroidery series written under the name Amanda Lee, in particular) and that I’m looking forward to exploring in the Down South Café series. I like that each individual book can be read as a standalone but that readers who start at the beginning and continue through the series can enjoy the nuances of watching the characters grow and develop.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean? 
A:  Oh, my goodness, I have done it! In my cake decorating mystery Battered to Death (written as Gayle Trent), I killed a man who’d been mean to my son. The man was such a jerk, and I took great joy in beating him over the head with a cake stand and then drowning him in cake batter!
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A:  Both. Winter Garden is a fictional town in Virginia, but it’s close to real-life towns: Glade Spring, Meadowview, Abingdon, Bristol. In fact, at my website, I’m including photograph slideshows from various regions. I only have three so far, but I’ll continue to add to it.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: Maybe Emily Osmet as Amy and Robbie Amell as Ryan. They’d be so cute together. Now you’ve got me excited about this movie! Who can we call to make it happen?
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A:  Worst advice: “You have to move to New York or Los Angeles to make it as a writer.”
Best advice: Never give up!
 
 

 
About The Author  

 
Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. I also write as Amanda Lee. As Gayle Trent, I write the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series and the Myrtle Crumb Mystery series. As Amanda Lee, I write the Embroidery Mystery series. I live in Virginia with my family, which includes her own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff. I’m having a blast writing this new series!
Author Links:
Webpage – http://www.gayleleeson.com
Gayle Trent Webpage – http://www.gayletrent.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/GayleTrent
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/426208.Gayle_Trent
Purchase Links
Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Books-a-Million – Kobo  

 

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Character interview and #giveaway: Mrs. Odboddy, Hometown Patriot

Since the onset of WWII, Agnes Agatha Odboddy, hometown patriot and self-appointed scourge of the underworld, suspects conspiracies around every corner…stolen ration books, German spies running amok, and a possible Japanese invasion off the California coast.
This seventy-year-old, model citizen would set the world aright if she could get Chief Waddlemucker to pay attention to the town’s nefarious deeds on any given Meatless Monday.
Mrs. Odboddy vows to bring the villains, both foreign and domestic, to justice, all while keeping chickens in her bathroom, working at the Ration Stamp Office, and knitting argyles for the boys on the front lines.
Imagine the chaos when Agnes’s long-lost WWI lover returns, hoping to find a million dollars in missing Hawaiian money and rekindle their ancient romance. In the thrilling conclusion, Agnes’s predictions become all too real when Mrs. Roosevelt unexpectedly comes to town to attend a funeral and Agnes must prove that she is, indeed, a warrior on the home front.

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself, Mrs. Odboddy?
Call me Agnes. I live with my Siamese cat, Ling-Ling, and my granddaughter, Katherine. She works at the Curls to Dye For beauty salon here in Newbury. I keep busy doing volunteer work and as I’m sure you’re aware, every citizen must to be on the look-out for Nazi spies and conspiracies.
Q: Tell us about your volunteer work.
I serve cookies at the military base USO several times a month, just up the Northern California coast. I also roll bandages at the hospital and work on the paper drive. Our church knits socks for the military. Probably my most valuable service as a home town patriot, is on the coast watch every other Wednesday. And, you wouldn’t believe how that turns out!
I also mail out ration coupon books. In fact, this week, I realized that someone is stealing and selling ration books from the mailboxes at empty houses. It’s sure to be a black market conspiracy. My friend, Jackson Jackson, and I will wait by the empty house tonight and we’ll catch the thief in the act.
Q: I can see how that might go wrong. Are you sure that’s safe?
Really, young lady! Where is your spirit of adventure?
Q: Okay, fair enough. Tell me why you think there are conspiracies and spies─
Oh, yes. Nazi spies. It’s that Sofia Rashmuller, the new gal at the First Church of the Evening Star and Everlasting Light. She’s a Nazi spy. Her dyed red hair is a dead giveaway.
Q: But your hair–
I beg your pardon! I do NOT dye my hair. I may freshen it from time to time with a henna rinse but I would never dye my hair. Fast women and European spies do that. I should know. I saw enough of them during WWI when I worked as an undercover agent for the USA. Of course, I was much younger then, but we saw some action, and I lived to tell about it.
Q: A WWI secret agent? Can you tell us about that?
Of course not! If I told you the details, I’d have to kill you.
Q: Really? So have you ever killed anyone? 
Don’t be ridiculous… Well, there was that one time… Never mind. Next question?
Q: So, what else might our readers find interesting in the Mrs. Odboddy mystery adventure?
Everything was rationed. Tires, shoes, food, gasoline, just everything. Imagine. Coffee was rationed to one pound per adult every six weeks! And the price of eggs! Actually, I’ve solved that problem. I’m getting six chickens this afternoon. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do with them until Saturday, when my friend is building us a coop. Guess we’ll just have to stick them in the bathroom. Hope Ling-Ling doesn’t get obsessed with chicken tartare. (spoiler alert!)
Q: In the bathroom?How is that going to work?
Why not? They’re just chickens, after all. What could possibly go wrong?
Q: Um…
And I didn’t even mention my old WWI boyfriend coming back to town, wanting to reignite a romance. But, you’ll have to go to Amazon and buy the book if you want to know more about the ration book caper, stolen Hawaii money, chickens in the bathroom, and my old boyfriend. Life is very exciting in Newbury.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elaine is a member of Sisters in Crime, Inspire Christian Writers and Cat Writers Association. She lives in No. Calif with her husband and four house cats (the inspiration for her three humorous cozy cat mysteries, Black Cat’s Legacy, Black Cat and the Lethal Lawyer, and Black Cat and the Accidental Angel).
Mrs. Odboddy’s character is based in no way on Elaine’s quirky personality. Two more Mrs. Odboddy adventures will publish in the near future. Many of Elaine’s short stories have appeared in magazines and multiple anthologies.

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