Monday, October 10, 2016

FEATURED AUTHOR: LINDA O. JOHNSTON




ABOUT THE BOOK

Rory Chasen, manager of the Lucky Dog Boutique in Destiny, California, hopes her new line of good-luck doggy toys will be a hit, especially the stuffed rabbits with extra-large feet. The timing of the line’s debut proves ill-fated, though, as several local shops―including Rory’s―are ransacked and vandalized with spilled salt and other unlucky charms. The most likely culprit is disgruntled real estate agent Flora Curtival, whose issues with the town give her a motive. But after Flora is murdered and one of Rory’s toy rabbits is found with the body, Rory needs all the luck she can get while trying to determine just who killed the superstitious vandal.




INTERVIEW WITH LINDA O. JOHNSTON


Linda, do you have a writing routine?

Yes, of sorts. I find myself getting other stuff out of the way first in the morning, like responding to interview questions. And then, usually in the afternoon, I face the computer and get to work, knowing I've accomplished everything else I have to that day.

Do you write every day?
Yes, unless I'm traveling or at a writing event. I've done that for years!

What’s one thing you never leave the house without?
My purse, of course, and its important contents, most especially all the bookmarks I carry for my most recent releases, to leave in bookstores, or introduce myself to new people when appropriate, or just look at now and then for fun!

Do you have any secret talents?
Of course, but if I told you what they were they wouldn't be secret anymore. But I can tell you that I think I attract dogs. Or at least I hope I do. Dogs are my friends, my loves, my writing themes . . . but that's no secret to anyone who reads my stuff.

What’s your favorite beverage? 
Flavored coffee, like hazelnut, not sweetened or drowned with any other flavor. Yes, I'm an addict. Caffeine and I are good friends.

What drives you crazy?
That's a literal question for me. Traffic literally drives me crazy, and it's gotten so much worse since I moved to L.A. a long time ago.

What is your superpower?
What—only one? Let's see . . . I can fly. I can read other people's minds. I can send zingers or otherwise punish people who harm dogs. I can fight off anyone without lifting a finger. I can see through walls and hear whispers and catch scents as well as any dog. I can turn into a shapeshifter. I can... well, heck, I can do anything, at least on the computer. That's part of the power of writing.

What is one of your happiest moments?
When I can share hugs with the right people: family, including grandkids and dogs, especially my Cavaliers.

What do you like to do when there’s nothing to do?
Do you mean there actually is a time when there's nothing to do? My mind doesn't think so. If I'm not actively working or moving, I'm always plotting.

Do you procrastinate?
Let me think about that for a while . . . Oh, yes. Do I procrastinate? I'm still pondering . . . Well,  yes, I suppose I do procrastinate sometimes—but never when one of my dogs gives me a command.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
"Reality is only for those who lack imagination."

What would you do for a Klondike bar?
Go visit Isaly's in Pittsburgh. That's where they started, and I loved them there as a kid. I don't think many Isaly restaurants exist anymore although some of their products are still sold in other stores—including Klondike bars!



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, currently writes two mystery series for Midnight Ink involving dogs: the Superstition Mysteries, where her protagonist runs a pet boutique, and the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries where the protagonist, a veterinary technician, also owns a barkery and a bakery. She has also written the Pet Rescue Mystery Series, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime and also currently writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries about shapeshifters for Harlequin Nocturne. Her latest releases, Covert Attraction, a Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel, and Unlucky Charms, the third Superstition Mystery, are her forty-third and forty-fourth published novels.

Connect with Linda:   
Website  |  Blog  | Facebook 

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Midnight Ink Books  |  Barnes & Noble