FEATURED AUTHOR: LENA GREGORY

ABOUT THE BOOK

It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that something’s not right on Bay Island  .  .  .
  
Since she left her psychiatric practice in New York City to open up a psychic shop in her hometown on Bay Island, Cass Donovan has given her fair share of readings to conflicted customers. But what she sees in Ellie Callahan’s future doesn’t bode well.
 
When Ellie’s mother, Marge, publicly confronts Cass about the reading, the embarrassment makes her want to curl up and die. And when she later stumbles across Marge’s body—and is a suspect in her murder—Cass is suddenly the star of Bay Island’s rumor mill.
 
Cass is determined to prove her innocence and save Ellie from meeting the fate in her unfortunate vision. But even with the help of her friends Bee and Stephanie, Cass will have to channel some serious sleuthing instincts to find the real killer  .  .  .

INTERVIEW WITH LENA GREGORY

Lena, what's your favorite thing about the writing process?
I love plotting my books.

Do you have a writing routine?
I keep a stack of spiral notebooks on my nightstand, one on my desk, and one in the living room. I even keep a small notebook in my car and one in my purse in case I have an idea while I’m out. Every time I have an idea for a story, I pull out a notebook and start plotting it out. I list the characters, giving a lot of thought to their names, sometimes even researching names that have some meaning that relates to the story. Then I give each of them a back story and work them into each other. Then I research ways to kill people.  And then I plot the story. Once I finish all of that, I just sit down and start writing.

Do you write every day?
I do try to write a minimum of a thousand words a day, but I don’t always make it.

What’s more important–characters or plot?
Hmm . . . This one made me pause. Though it’s a really tough choice, and I could make arguments for both sides, I’d have to say characters are more important to me. If I read a book with a great plot, but I can’t care about the characters, I tend to lose interest. To me, loving a character is kind of like hanging out with a good friend. It doesn’t really matter what you’re doing, even if you’re just hanging around doing nothing, it’s still fun to spend time together.

How often do you read?
I read all the time. I used to read at least three to four books a week, but since my son was born and I started writing—all in the same year—I haven’t had as much time. I still try to read at least a little every day.

What books do you currently have published?
Death at First Sight is my first book, and there are two more books written in the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries series. Occult and Battery is due to release in April of 2017, and the third book, which has not yet been named, is due out in October of 2017.

Is writing your dream job?
I have been fortunate enough to have worked several dream jobs. I was a dance teacher for many years, I choreographed and directed high school musicals for a while, and now I’m writing. Writing is definitely my dream job. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and I’m so thrilled I’m finally doing it. 


What is the worst job you’ve ever had? 
Cleaning houses was the worst job I’ve had, but it taught me the importance of working hard.

What’s one thing you never leave the house without?
Notepad and pen.

What do you love about where you live?
I live in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island. I’m about a mile from the bay, ten minutes from the ocean beaches, and only an hour or so from New York City, so there’s always plenty to do. I think my favorite thing about living here, though, is the small-town feel. I grew up working in my grandfather’s deli, my kids go to the same schools I went to, and everyone knows everyone else–which is sometimes good, and sometimes not so much.

What’s your favorite beverage?
I’m addicted to Diet Pepsi.

What is your superpower?
Multitasking! I can usually do several things at one time, including typing and talking, which drives my daughter nuts.


What do you wish you could do?
I wish I could sing. I’m absolutely awful.

What do you like to do when there’s nothing to do?
Read!

Where is your favorite place to visit?
Disney World. I have three kids, ages twenty-five, seventeen and five. It’s not always easy to find something everyone likes to do, but we all love Disney.

Do you give your characters any of your bad traits?
Yes. Cass, from Death at First Sight, has a habit of always running late. That’s all me.

Do you procrastinate?
I am the queen of procrastination.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it, if you can dream it, you can become it."

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
I usually keep interview answers light and fun but, truthfully, the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write was my younger brother’s eulogy. He lost his battle with lung cancer at forty-three years old. There was just so much I wanted to say, but it was all so painful, and it was so important to me to get it right.


That must have been so hard. Let's lighten it up. Who is your favorite fictional character?
Scarlett O’Hara. I’ve always been a huge Gone With the Wind fan.


How do you like your pizza?
With everything except anchovies.


What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop?
Rivendell, from Lord of the Rings.


What is your favorite movie?
Lord of the Rings.



If you had to choose a cliché about life, what would it be?
That is so true. Actions speak louder than words.


What are you working on now?
I just finished the third book in the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries series, and I am currently writing a romantic suspense and plotting ideas for a new cozy series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lena lives in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island with her husband and three children. When she was growing up, she spent many lazy afternoons on the beach, in the yard, anywhere she could find to curl up with a good book. She loves reading as much now as she did then, but she now enjoys the added pleasure of creating her own stories.


Connect with Lena:

Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  | 
Twitter  |  Goodreads

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  Penguin Random House  

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