FEATURED AUTHOR: KATHLEEN VALENTI

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the shadow of a past fraught with danger and tainted by loss, former pharmaceutical researcher Maggie O’Malley is rebuilding her life, trading test tubes for pill bottles as she embarks on a new career at the corner drugstore. But as she spreads her wings, things begin to go terribly wrong. A customer falls ill in the store. Followed by another. And then more. The specter of poisoning arises, conjuring old grudges, past sins, buried secrets and new suspicions from which no one is immune. As Maggie and her best friend Constantine begin to investigate, they discover that some of the deadliest doses come from the most unexpected places.

Book Details:

Title: As Directed   

Author: Kathleen Valenti   

Genre: Mystery 

Series: A Maggie O'Malley Mystery, book 3

Publisher: Henery Press (March 12, 2019)

Print length: 282 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH KATHLEEN VALENTI

Things you need in order to write: I need caffeine and quiet. In that order. I admire those who write with a gallon of water at hand, or those who have musical play lists for each scene. Me? I prefer a steaming cup of coffee and the sound of my fingers hitting the keyboard.
Things that hamper your writing: Interruptions are the writer’s bane—at least for this writer. Once I’m pulled out of the story, it’s difficult to find my way back in. 


Favorite foods: Licorice tops the list. (Black, of course. Any other color isn’t really licorice.) That’s followed by pizza, Doritos, and ice cream. (Yeah, I’m a real health nut!)
Things that make you want to throw up: I can’t stand lima beans. I’m told there are ways to prepare them that make them absolutely delicious. Let’s just say I’m a bit skeptical.

Favorite music: Despite my rather mild-mannered exterior, I’m a die-hard Led Zeppelin fan. Give me "Dyer Maker" or "Over the Hills and Far Away," and I’m happy.
Music that makes your ears bleed: I’m not a country-western fan. It’s just not my cup of tea. Or chicory.

Something you wish you could do: I wish I could sew! I envy my friends who can whip up beautiful creations with their sewing machines.
Something you wish you’d never learned to do: I wish I’d never learned to use our semi-fancy coffeemaker. Why? Because it’s now my job to make the coffee!

Things you’d walk a mile for: I’d walk, run, hike—whatever—for a friend in need.
Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: I’m horrified by the very idea of public speaking and actually having to do so makes me want to run screaming from the room. I control myself, but it is tempting!

Things you always put in your books: My books always include humor and witty dialogue. 

Things you never put in your books: I don’t have sexy-time scenes in my books. I can’t read or write them!

Things to say to an author: “I couldn’t put your book down!”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “You’re an author? What a nice hobby.”

Favorite genre: Mystery, suspense and thriller top the list. 

Books you would ban: I’m not into book-banning, but I doubt romance or science fiction will make their way to the top of my TBR pile.

Things that make you happy: I love spending time with family and friends. 

Things that drive you crazy: People who refuse to use their turn signals drive me bonkers! (Although my own father counseled me against using them!)

Most embarrassing moment: En route to a band performance, I sat in a pile of M&Ms while wearing white pants. The result was…colorful. 

Proudest moment: Having a book nominated for an Agatha and Lefty award was my proudest moment.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Having children was the best thing I’ve ever done.

Biggest Mistake: My mistake list is pretty long, but not all that interesting. One recent, amusing mistake was failing to put the flour in the banana bread I was baking. Whoopsie!

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I took flying lessons until I realized that I didn’t really want to become a pilot.

Something you chickened out from doing: I refused to go night shipwreck scuba diving with my husband. Yeah, I don’t regret that decision.

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Protocol, book 1
39 Winks, book2

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen Valenti is the author of the Maggie O’Malley Mystery Series, which includes her Agatha- and Lefty-nominated debut novel, Protocol. When Kathleen isn’t writing page-turning mysteries that combine humor and suspense, she works as a nationally award-winning advertising copywriter. She lives in Oregon with her family where she pretends to enjoy running.

Connect with Kathleen:
Website  |   Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon 

Buy the book:

Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble   |  iTunes  |   Kobo