FEATURED AUTHOR: JANET FINSILVER

ABOUT THE BOOK

Kelly Jackson returns to California to manage Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast.
While the inn is being renovated, she is assigned the task of inventorying a historic
collection of objects from the 1800s housed at nearby Redwood Heights and to assist at
the mansion during the Whale Frolic Festival. She’s also asked to learn what she can about the disappearance of some jewelry from visitors’ rooms.

Shortly after she arrives, Kelly finds a guest stabbed in one of the rooms, the door
and windows locked from the inside. Then Gertrude “Gertie” Plumber, a member of the
Silver Sentinels, a crime-solving group of senior citizens, is attacked. The police question Gertie’s son, Stevie, who is working at the mansion with his bed-bug and termite-sniffing team of beagles, Jack and Jill, about the jewelry thefts as well as the murder. Kelly and the Silver Sentinels must work together to solve the crimes before another life is lost and Stevie is put in prison.





INTERVIEW WITH JANET FINSILVER

Janet, how did you get started writing?
I’ve loved to read my whole life. I spent summers with my grandparents who had an entire collection of Zane Grey’s books. I read them all. I don’t know if it’s a claim to fame or not, but in high school I read all of the mysteries, dog books, and westerns in the South San Francisco library. Please don’t ask about my social life at the time. I decided to see what I could create, and the Kelly Jackson mystery series was born.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
Bringing the characters to life. They become friends, and it’s fun to “visit” them as I write.

What books do you currently have published?
Murder at Redwood Cove came out October 13, 2015. Murder at the Mansion released on June 7, 2016.


What do you love about where you live?
I live in a rural setting a short distance from a thriving city. It’s the best of both worlds. I look out my window and see a small valley of trees. I can get in the car and be at an Apple store and getting help in fifteen minutes. This is great for those days when something goes wrong!

What is one of your happiest moments?
When my husband, E.J., asked me to marry him. I was sitting on the couch, he went down on one knee, and popped the question.

What do you like to do when there’s nothing to do?
Nothing to do? I’ve never had that experience. It would be fun to find out what that’s like.

Have you ever killed off a character fictionally, as revenge for something someone did in real life?
No, but I’m considering doing it in the next book. I recently had a travel agent who made a mess of the ticketing for a trip. It was highly questionable several times whether or not my bags and I would be able to remain together. It definitely added stress to the journey. I relieved some of it by thinking about possibly having her be my next victim.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
Touching whales in the San Ignacio Lagoon. There’s a tour group I go with that has camping privileges right next to the water. The whale activity never stops. You see their backs as they glide through the water. Spy-hops and majestic breaches add to the show. You go out on small boats called “pangas” twice a day.


Who is your favorite fictional character?
A favorite is hard to pick. Hercule Poirot would be one of the names at the top of my list. I love his attention to detail and how he thinks things through. I can hear David Suchet’s voice talking about “the little grey cells.”


What’s one thing that very few people know about you?
I have a black belt in Tae Kwan Do.


You have a personal chef for the night. What would you ask him to prepare?
Sautéed scallops. I have trouble getting them to brown, and I’d like to learn how. I know you need to have them as dry as possible, but I’m still not as successful as I would like to be.


How do you like your pizza?
Lots of stuff on it, especially cheese.


What’s your favorite song?
Again, a favorite is a hard choice. I think it depends on my mood and what I’m doing. Right now it’s morning and “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” from Oklahoma comes to mind.


What’s your favorite smell?
Honeysuckle.


What’s your favorite color?
Blue. All shades of blue. I have to be careful to not have all my characters wearing it.


What are your favorite foods?
Milk chocolate. Peanut butter cups with dark chocolate. Candy made with chocolate, caramel, and sea salt. Hmm . . . there seems to be a theme here.


What are you working on now?
The third book in the series is tentatively titled Murder at the Fortune Teller’s Table. Despina Manyotis, better known as “Auntie,” predicts the future by reading patterns in Turkish coffee grounds. Murder occurs and one of the members of my crime-solving group of senior citizens, the Silver Sentinels, is attacked. My protagonist works with them to solve the crimes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janet Finsilver is the USA TODAY best-selling author of the Kelly Jackson mystery series. She worked in education for many years as a teacher, a program administrator, and a workshop presenter. Janet majored in English and earned a Master’s Degree in Education. She loves animals and has two dogs—Kylie and Ellie. Janet has ridden western style since she was a child and was a member of the National Ski Patrol. One of the highlights of her life was touching whales in the San Ignacio Lagoon. Murder at Redwood Cove, her debut mystery, was released on October 13, 2015. Her second book, Murder at the Mansion, was published June 7, 2016.



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