FEATURED AUTHOR: ABBY L. VANDIVER

 ABOUT THE BOOK

It’s the sixth installment of an Amazon #1 Best Selling cozy mystery series by Author Abby Vandiver! South Seas Shenanigans continues the adventures of amateur sleuths, Logan Dickerson, archaeologist, and Vivienne Pennywell, aka, Miss Vivee - a five-foot nothing, ninety-something Voodoo herbalist.

Fans of this series have enjoyed the unusual, rarely heard causes of death that only Miss Vivee and her new husband can recognize, and this one doesn’t disappoint! Sail away on a Fijian paradise vacation with Logan, Miss Vivee and Mac as they suffer the shenanigans of a prankster, dance the Meke, and solve an untimely death. Oh, wait! Did I say “a” death? Make that two! Can you guess whodunit?

Additionally, Abby is offering a boxed set of the first three books in the series. Both South Seas Shenanigans and the Logan Dickerson Cozy Mystery Boxed Set were released March 29, 2017. Meanwhile, Abby had only planned to write one more book in the series, but in listening to her fans, she has decided to continue writing the series a little longer. Check out her website for more information.

INTERVIEW WITH ABBY VANDIVER

Abby, how did you get started writing?
A college professor didn’t believe I wrote an assignment because she said my grammar was bad, but the writing was so good that I should be writing prose. The two didn’t mix for her. I tried to improve my writing, and then later found I was a natural.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
My favorite thing is making people laugh. But it’s really hard. I’m funny in person, but to do that on paper is more difficult than I’d thought.

Do you have a writing routine?
I write thoughts and characters down in a notebook. I scribble in the margins, on the sides, bottom, and back of the pages. My son told me it looked like the writing of a madman. Actually, it’s just the beginning of my book.

Do you write every day?   
I try to write every day, but life gets in the way. But there is always a story going on in my head. Sometimes I have to write down ideas and conversations on napkins and receipts so I don’t forget them.

I can relate. What do you wish you’d done differently when you first started the publishing process?
Learned about writing. I wrote well, especially persuasive, scholarly papers, but boy is that different. I learned so much about the “rules” of writing after I published my first book.

What do you think is hardest aspect of writing a book?
Staying on track. I just have so many things I want to say – to share with my readers. But everything in my head doesn’t belong in a book.

What’s more important – characters or plot? (You cannot say both!)
Both!! Haha. No. I think it’s the characters, right? They drive the plot. When you figure out who they how, how they react, then you know what will happen with the story. You should of course have a plot in mind when you start writing. That always helps.

What books do you currently have published?
I have about ten books. Three sci-fi-ish mystery books, six cozy mysteries, an historical fiction novel, and a Kindle Worlds book based on A.G. Riddle’s Atlantis Gene. I also have a short story in an anthology that I keep saying I’m going to make into a novel. So far, that’s only an idle threat.


What’s the oldest thing you own and still use?
My fingers and toes.

That's cheating! Is writing your dream job?
Yes!


If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
It used to be MSNBC, but now it’s HGTV.

How do you feel about Facebook?
Facebook should not be for people to post all the happenings and drama in their life. I post info on my books, and sometimes I get suckered into debates, which I immediately regret after I post.

Would you make a good character in a book?
Yes. And I am a character in one of my books. Read them and see if you can guess!

What’s one thing you never leave the house without (besides your phone)?
I will definitely leave home with my cell phone. I usually don’t know where it is. But the answer is glasses. I need them for distance.

What’s your favorite beverage?
Pepsi. I think it’s a panacea.

What drives you crazy?
There are so many things that drive me crazy, consequently crazy is my normal state of being.

What is your superpower?
I have a way with people. 


What do you like to do when there’s nothing to do?
I like to do nothing. Sometimes I don’t even turn on the television or the radio. I just enjoy the company of me.

Do you give your characters any of your bad traits?
Yes, and boy did reviewers hate that character!

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
South Euclid/Lyndhurst Library (Shhh! I’m there now).


Five Fives

5 things you need in order to write: The internet, paper to write on, a pen, a computer, and somewhere I can work out the story out loud.

5 things you never want to run out of: Vaseline, ice, love, tweezers, and wrinkle cream.

5 favorite foods: Pizza, chicken, Stouffer’s Mac & Cheese, pork chops, and BBQ ribs.

5 things you always put in your books: Humor, mystery, true facts, personalities of people I know, and the copyright page.

5 favorite places you’ve been: Nicaragua, Jamaica, Montreal, Aruba, and Lakeview Cemetery.

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 a slew of novels since then and has even more in her head. Although she writes mostly mystery, she has co-authored a historical/women's fiction novel with author and friend, Kathryn Dionne, under the pen name Kathryn Longino. Currently she is working on several cozy mystery series, including the Logan Dickerson Cozy Mystery Series which was an Amazon #1 International Best Seller and soon-to-be released Normal Junction Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series.


A former lawyer and college professor, Abby 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 wonderful grandchildren.

Connect with Abby:

Website  |  Blog  |  
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Logan Dickerson Cozy Mystery Boxed Set   |  South Seas Shenanigans