Sunday, June 30, 2019

FEATURED AUTHOR: JAMES J. CUDNEY




ABOUT THE BOOK


A clever thief with a sinister calling card has invaded Braxton campus. A string of jewelry thefts continues to puzzle the sheriff, given they’re remarkably similar to an unsolved eight-year-old case, back when Gabriel vanished one stormy night.

When a missing ruby, and a body, are discovered at the campus, Kellan must investigate the killer's motive to protect his brother. As if the latest murder isn’t enough to keep him busy, Kellan partners with April to end the Castigliano and Vargas crime family feud. What really happened to Francesca while all those postcards showed up in Braxton?

The mafia world is more calculating than Kellan realized. If he wants to move forward, he’ll have to make a few ruthless sacrifices.  And as the summer heat begins to settle in Wharton County, a couple more surprises are also in store.


Book Details

Title: Mistaken Identity Crisis

Author: James J. Cudney

Genre: Cozy Mystery / Light Mystery Investigation


Series: Braxton Campus Mysteries, book 4


Publisher: Creativia who is transitioning to Next Chapter (June 30, 2019)


Print length: 260 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours







IFs ANDs OR WHATs INTERVIEW WITH JAMES J. CUDNEY


Ifs


Q: 
If you could talk to someone (living), who would it be and what would you ask them?
A: My first choice would be Queen Elizabeth II, but then I realized she wouldn’t actually tell me everything I’d want to know. She’s a very private person and reticent to discuss the past, so I’d probably not learn all about life in the early 20th century from someone who’d traveled all over the world. I’d love to know everything about the history of her family, including any of the royal members who were King or Queen and had impacts on the modern-day society. So… I’d probably go with Oprah to find out what she can do to fix the world if we gave her more power.

Q: If you could talk to someone (dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?
A: I could spend hours trying to decide who to pick, so instead I’ll be more general. I’d pick any one of my relatives that I’m struggling to find information on that would help identify missing parts of my family tree. I’d get a chronicle of their life and everything they knew about their ancestors so I could make a giant leap forward in my research. Either that or someone like George Washington to understand what he thinks of how the people of my country have turned out nearly 250 years after its creation.

Q: If you could live in any time period which would it be?
A: Can I pick two? Sure. I’m torn and often indecisive with this type of question. I wish I could’ve grown up in the 70s when disco ruled the country. I love to dance, and the clothing was fantastic, but I was born as it came to an end. My other favorite would be the late 19th century before the Industrial Revolution was in full swing. Sometimes the advent of all the technology and machines we’ve embraced can be overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I love the momentum it’s brought us, but I often wonder what it would’ve been like to focus on work and family without the Internet, television, phones, and automation making everything a constant speed race! I’m just as guilty as everyone else with my super-multi-tasking energy, but imagine if we didn’t have that stuff?

Q: If you could be anything besides a writer, what would it be?
A: Genealogist and historian. I live in the past. I constantly research my family ancestry and what life was like during each generation’s successive births. I love knowing what people must have been thinking about or worrying over when their children were born in prior periods. If I could research family history for others—and get paid for it—I’d be in my own private heaven.

Q: If you could choose a fictional town to live in what would it be and from what book?
A: Without a doubt, I’d live with Miss Marple in Sr. Mary Mead. Agatha Christie created the perfect town for me. I would help Miss Marple solve crimes, grow a garden all day long, and gossip about my neighbors!

Q: 
If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?

A: I loved San Francisco, and I often think I belong in Canada. I’m also a fan of London and anywhere it’s cold, so I would move to a lot of places. New York City is amazing, but I’ve lived in the city or its suburbs for most of my life, so I would love something different for a change.




Ands



5 things you need in order to write:

    •    computer
    •    silence
    •    my bible of characters
    •    internet
and
    •    light

5 things you love about where you live:
    •    multi-cultural
    •    food
    •    museums
    •    theater
and
    •    freedom

5 things about you or 5 words to describe you:
    •    organized
    •    prolific
    •    quiet
    •    introspective
and
    •    sensitive

5 favorite foods:
    •    sushi
    •    tartare
    •    Beef Wellington
    •     almonds
and
    •    desserts


5 things you always put in your books:
    •    names of past relatives
    •    colleges
    •    a gay character
    •    strong women
and
    •    secrets

5 favorite places you’ve been:
    •    Cambodia
    •    Singapore
    •    Thailand
    •    Argentina
and
    •    China


Whats


Q: What’s your all-time favorite place?
A: Cotswolds in England.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite movie?
A: Defending Your Life.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite author?
A: Agatha Christie.

Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Rudeness.

Q: What’s your favorite/most visited Internet site?
A: Ancestry.com.

Q: What’s your favorite time of day?
A: Early morning before no one else is awake.

Q: What’s your favorite meal?
A: Steak tartare, champagne, cheese, chocolate mousse.

Q: What’s your favorite song?
Callum Scott’s version of “Dancing On My Own.”

Q: What’s your favorite vacation spot?
Hawaii.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do?
A: Read.

Q:  What’s your favorite dessert?
A: Anything with chocolate.

Q: What’s your favorite beverage?
A: Coffee or Champagne.

Q: What’s your favorite color?
A: Black.

Q: What’s one thing you never leave the house without?
A: Cell Phone.

Q: What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop?
A: My dog.

Q: What would you rather watch: MSNBC, CNN, or Fox?
NONE, I hate the news with a passion.

Q: What is a pet peeve?
A: People who hurt other people.

Q: What are your idiosyncrasies?
A: I am incredibly shy, yet with a few drinks, I tend to have a much different (fun) personality
I always see both sides of things, and as a result, I am never truly satisfied because I go from wanting to live in the suburbs to the city, writing to working, being social to hibernating.

Q: What’s your latest recommendation for:
A: Food: Bread Pudding.
Music: Kill me now, I actually am starting to like Taylor Swift (and I’ve always disliked her)
Movie: Murder on the Orient Express.
Book: Moloka’i.
Audiobook: Never listened to one!
TV: At Home With Amy Sedaris.
Netflix/Amazon Prime: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Miscellaneous: Walking in the rain.



OTHER BOOKS BY JAMES J. CUDNEY


Watching Glass Shatter (October 2017)
Father Figure (April 2018)

Braxton Campus Mysteries
Academic Curveball - #1 (October 2018)
Broken Heart Attack - #2 (November 2018)
Flower Power Trip - #3 (March 2019)
Mistaken Identity Crisis - #4 (June 2019)






ABOUT THE AUTHOR


James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College. I spent fifteen years building a technology career in the retail, sports, media, and entertainment industries. I enjoyed my job, but a passion for books and stories had been missing for far too long. I’m a voracious reader in my favorite genres (thriller, suspense, contemporary, mystery, and historical fiction), as books transport me to a different world where I can immerse myself in so many fantastic cultures and places. I’m an avid genealogist who hopes to visit all the German, Scottish, Irish, and British villages my ancestors emigrated from in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind, and my body. I decided to pursue my passion by dusting off the creativity inside my head and drafting outlines for several novels. I quickly realized I was back in my element growing happier and more excited with life each day. My goal in writing is to connect with readers who want to be part of great stories and who enjoy interacting with authors. To get a strong picture of who I am, check out my author website or my blog. It’s full of humor and eccentricity, sharing connections with everyone I follow—all in the hope of building a network of friends across the world.

When I completed the first book, Watching Glass Shatter, I knew I’d stumbled upon my passion again, suddenly dreaming up characters, plots, and settings all day long. I chose my second novel, Father Figure, through a poll on my blog where I let everyone vote for their favorite plot and character summaries. It is with my third book, Academic Curveball, the first in the Braxton Campus Mysteries, where I immersed myself in a college campus full of so much activity, I could hardly stop thinking about new murder scenes or character relationships to finish writing the current story. Come join in the fun!

Connect with Jay:
Website Blog  |  Facebook (Author)  |  Facebook (Braxton Campus Mysteries)  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Pinterest Instagram  |  LinkedIn Amazon

Buy the book:
Amazon