Thursday, September 6, 2018

FEATURED CHARACTER: COLLEEN SHOGAN'S KIT MARSHALL




ABOUT THE BOOK


It’s the height of campaign season, and instead of relishing newlywed bliss with her husband Doug Hollingsworth, Capitol Hill staffer Kit Marshall is busy with a tough reelection fight for her boss, member of Congress Maeve Dixon. Before Maeve and her staff–Kit included–leave Washington, D.C. to campaign full time in North Carolina, they have one last fundraising engagement.

On the iconic rooftop of a restaurant overlooking the Capitol and the Washington monument, Kit and her best pal Meg do their best to woo wealthy lobbyists for sizable campaign donations. Everyone’s enjoying the evening soiree until a powerful K Street tycoon mysteriously tumbles off the rooftop. Even with claims the fall must be suicide, Detective Maggie Glass and Kit aren’t so easily convinced foul play isn’t at work. While balancing Doug’s mid-life career crisis, Kit must spring into action to discover who killed the notorious Van Parker before Dixon’s candidacy sputters, even if it means investigating Meg’s handsome new beau, the victim’s conniving widow, and a bicycle advocate hell-bent on settling a long-standing grudge. When threatening note is left on Kit’s car, warning her to back off the investigation, she knows she’s closing in on the true story of what happened.


Book Details:


Title: K Street Killing



Author: Colleen J. Shogan

Genre: Cozy mystery

Series: Washington Whodunit, book 4

Publisher: Camel Press (July 15, 2018)

Print length: 242 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours







ABOUT THE CHARACTER

Kit Marshall is a thirty-something Capitol Hill staffer who juggles politics and crime-solving. She’s newly married to a Georgetown history professor and enjoys spending time with her best gal pal Meg and beagle mutt Clarence.




INTERVIEW WITH COLEEN SHOGAN’S KIT MARSHALL


Q:
Kit, how did you first meet Colleen?
A: One day, Colleen was taking a morning stroll in her suburban Washington, D.C. neighborhood. She’d just finished reading another mystery novel, and somehow, I appeared right around the corner! By the time she’d returned home from her walk, she’d already come up with my first mystery-solving adventure.

Q: Want to dish about her? 

A: A lot of people think that I’m based on Colleen, but that’s not true at all. Instead, I’m a clever amalgamation of many women Colleen has met on Capitol Hill over the years.

Q: Did you have a hard time convincing Colleen to write any particular scenes for you? 
A: She definitely doesn’t enjoy writing the romantic scenes with Doug. But I convinced her that the storyline needed some romance to spice it up!



Q: Tell us about your best friend. 
A: My best gal pal is Meg Peters, who helps me solve the murders we confront on Capitol Hill. She’s gorgeous, funny, and the guys love her! She’s more adventurous than I am, which is why I often get into lots of trouble.



Q: What’s Colleen’s worst habit?  

A: Colleen loves the setting of Capitol Hill, so she sometimes tells a lot of details about locations we visit when solving a case. Other times, she likes to write about the legislative process. I hope readers don’t find it too boring!



Q: How do you feel about your life right now? 

A: I just got married and only had time for a quickie honeymoon. If I could, I wish I could spend more time with my professor husband, Doug. I guess I’ll just have to convince him to join in on the sleuthing so we can hang out together!

Q: What aspect of Colleen’s writing style do you like best?  

A: I like her snappy dialogue. She writes some memorable lines for her characters. Some might even say they’re funny!

Q:  If your story were a movie, who would play you? 
A: Gosh, I can’t even imagine being on the big screen! Maybe Aubrey Plaza or America Ferrera. Someone with spunk who isn’t a size 2!

Q: What makes you stand out from any other characters in your genre?  

A: A lot of other cozy mystery sleuths live in a small town. I live right outside Washington, D.C. in Arlington, Virginia in a high-rise condo building. I’m younger than most of my counterparts, and I live an urban lifestyle. I’m an interesting alternative within the genre. Sometimes, it’s good to break the traditional mold.

Q: If you could be “adopted” by another writer, who would you choose?  

A: Probably Margaret Truman, if she was still alive. It would be nice if Ellen Crosby would take me wine-tasting in Virginia. Or if Joyce Tremel would teach me how to brew craft beers in Pittsburgh!

Q: Will you encourage Collen to write a sequel?  

A: She’s already written another story about me that will come out in 2019. This time, I get caught up in a murder at the Botanic Garden in Washington, DC. Watch out for the killer plants!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Colleen J. Shogan has been reading mysteries since the age of six. A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American politics at Yale, George Mason University, Georgetown, and Penn. She previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate and as the Deputy Director of the Congressional Research Service. She is currently a senior executive at the Library of Congress who works on great outreach initiatives such as the National Book Festival.

Connect with Colleen:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads


 
Buy the book:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble