FEATURED AUTHOR: ABBY L. VANDIVER

ABOUT THE BOOK

Logan Dickerson is an archaeologist who feels she'll always live in the shadow of her famous mother. To prove her worth, she jumps the fence at a federally protected archaeological site. Not such a good idea. Now she's on the run from the FBI. Ending up in a small, coastal town in Georgia she discovers that one resident, Gemma Burke, has been found dead, keeled over in her bowl of bouillabaisse. Logan gets all tangled up in a big mystery, (and a little bit of romance), but the fun begins once she falls in cahoots with Miss Vivee, a ninety-something, five-foot-nothing Voodoo herbalist, and owner of a wheaten Scottish terrier named Cat. Of course the elderly sleuth, with Logan’s help, thinks she can solve the murder before the local sheriff can. Book I in the Logan Dickerson Cozy Mystery Series

INTERVIEW WITH ABBY L. VANDIVER

Abby, what's your favorite thing about the writing process?
When the book is finished. I love seeing something I’ve created. Even unpublished, it’s quite fulfilling.

How long is your to-be-read list?
Miles and miles long! I can’t seem to catch up. I’m writing a lot lately, so I have less time to write, but I’m always seeing books that I want to read. I’ll either have to slow down writing, or stop buying so many book, otherwise my Kindle Fire might just catch fire.

Can you share some of your marketing strategies with us?
I sell only on Amazon, so I can tell you about that. I think that it’s important to get your books on one of the bestseller’s list. Visibility is so important in a sea of millions of authors, and if you’re on the list, people looking for books will see yours. Now getting there is quite a different game.

How long have you been a writer?
Ever since I found out I could write. That was about thirty years ago.

For what would you like to be remembered?
For being a nice and helpful person.

YouTube is . . .
Is a great place for me to find the music that I love from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Yes, I am showing my age! I miss that kind of music, and on YouTube I can not only listen to it, but see all the great artists in action. It’s great, especially since a lot of them are no longer with us.

If you had a swear jar, would it be full?
No. I don’t swear. Well, hardly ever. When I was younger I really never did, but my mother cussed like a sailor, and after she died I think some of her spirit came to rest within me because I’ve picked up some of her habits (basically only the ones I always complained about). So, to be truthful you might find a dusty nickel or penny in the jar.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Extrovert. I can talk to anyone, about anything. And I usually do.

Do you spend more on clothes or food?
Equal amount. I love to shop and while I’m at the mall, I love to eat.

What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
My marriage.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“Not that I speak in respect of want for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Phil 4:11

What would your main character say about you?
The main character in my first series would say “She’s just like me.” In my cozy mystery series, the main character would say, “She acts just like my mother.”

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
My favorite library is in South Euclid (where I live) and I love everything about it. It’s located inside an old mansion. It has beautiful grounds, great books, book sales all the time and lots of computers. Actually, I love almost any library. (And I love the post office, but I guess that’s an answer for another set of questions.)


What's your relationship with your cell phone?
I can never find it. Have you seen it? I love my home phone.


How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
Eight hours. That’s very important, you know.

Do you sweat the small stuff?
Never. I don’t worry about little things. Too many big things in life you gotta deal with.

If you had to choose a cliche about life, what would it be?
“Life is short.” The older I get, the more I understand that.

How long is your to-do list?
It grows daily.


What are you working on now?
Another book, of course.

Lightning round:
Cake or frosting? Cake
Laptop or desktop? Desktop
Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? Bill Murray
Emailing or texting? Texting
Indoors or outdoors? Indoors
Tea: sweet or unsweet? Unsweet
Plane, train, or automobile? Automobile

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Through her various occupations, Abby discovered her love of writing. She’d always been told she had a gift for telling stories, combining the two, she became an author.

Her debut novel, the mystery/sci-fi, In the Beginning, Book I in the Mars Origin “I” Series was an Amazon #1 bestseller. It was written on a whim, packed away, and rediscovered some twelve years later. After publishing it in 2013, Abby decided to make writing a full-time endeavor. She's penned four novels since – two additional stand-alone novels to the Mars Origin Series, a historical/women’s fiction novel that she co-wrote under the pen name Kathryn Longino, and her first cozy mystery, Bed & Breakfast Bedlam, Book I in the Logan Dickerson Cozy Mystery Series, an Amazon International #1 Bestseller. Book II, Coastal Cottage Calamity was released on June 17, 2015, and Book III in her cozy mystery series during the summer of 2015. Abby, a former lawyer and college professor, has a bachelor’s degree in Economics, a master’s in Public Administration, and a Juris Doctor. A lifetime resident of Cleveland, Ohio, Abby spends all of her time writing and enjoying her three wonderful grandchildren.

Connect with Abby:
Website  | 
Facebook  |  
Twitter  |  
Goodreads