ABOUT THE BOOK
Set against the coffee houses and surfer culture of La Jolla, California, Anonymous tells the story of Madison Kelly, female private investigator—and alter-ego of author and private investigator Elizabeth Breck. Madison arrives home to a note stabbed to her front door: Stop investigating me, or I will hunt you down and kill you. The only problem? Madison hasn’t been investigating anyone—she’s been taking time off to figure out what to do with her life. But how does she prove a negative? The only way to remove the threat is to do exactly what the note is telling her not to do: investigate to see who left it. Could this have something to do with the true crime podcast she’s been tweeting about, and the missing girls? As she explores what could have brought her to the attention of the anonymous note-leaver, she quickly finds herself at the center of a horrible crime. Soon the hunter becomes the hunted—and Madison is running for her life.
Book Details:
Title: Anonymous
Author: Elizabeth Breck
Genre: mystery/thriller
Series: Madison Kelly Mystery, book 1
Publisher: Crooked Lane (November 10, 2020)
Print length: 320 pages
On tour with: Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours
IFs ANDs OR WHATs INTERVIEW WITH ELIZABETH BRECK
Ifs
If you could live in any time period which would it be?
My father always used to say, “Everything in life is a trade-off.” That was the best piece of wisdom he ever gave me (and he gave me a lot of wisdom). It applies to so many things. We can wish for a simpler time, but were things ever really simple? I love the 30’s and 40’s. I love the clothes and the cars and the glamour from that time period. But we had WW II during that time. I’ve been thinking of WWII a lot during this pandemic, because people learned to live with things they thought they never could: shortage and rations of food, clothing, and metal; constant risk of death for loved ones or yourself; a constant pall cast over even the most wonderful time of your life. How can you celebrate a wedding or a birthday when people are dying and there is such strife in the world? People during the WWII time period figured out how to live with the uncertainty and how to still find happiness in their lives; they got through it, which means we can too.
If you could step back into a moment or day in time, where would you go?
I would go back to the 80’s. I was young and so full of hope. I’ve always been a very dramatic person, but even when I was sobbing over some lost love at age 21, I knew, deep down, that I had my whole life in front of me. It is harder as you get older to still feel that way. With each of life’s blows, it can feel like maybe we don’t have too many more happy days in front of us. My trick is to actually step back, in my mind, to those days when my whole life was in front of me and I had hope for the future. I re-create it by remembering it. The fact is, I can create a happy future. There is hope. Something can always be done about even the worst situation. I am publishing my first book after the age of 50; anything can happen!
If you could time travel for an infinite period of time, where would you go?
I would go back to Paris and live there. I have a degree in French, but I’m only fluent when I can practice regularly! The language leaves so quickly. I lived in Paris for five weeks in 2013, by myself, and it was hard on me. I was so homesick, which I hadn’t planned on. If I could travel for an infinite period of time I would go back and give it another shot—with more money!
If you could be anything besides a writer, what would it be?
I would be an actress. I was an actress in my younger years, and I got too distracted by boys and partying, so I didn’t achieve what I believe I could have. So much of art is business, and if you don’t apply yourself and become truly driven, you just won’t make it. Now that I’ve learned that lesson, I’d love a chance to try again.
If you had to do community service (or already do volunteer work), what would you choose?
I would help abused women get out of abusive relationships and get jobs and make it on their own. I’ve always been so independent, and I would love to show women that they have that independence in themselves, and they can get out of a terrible situation and change their lives. It is so hard when you’re in the situation to see your way out of it; I would love to help show them the way out.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?
Right where I live: San Diego, California. It is the most beautiful city in the world, and I hope that I give people a feeling of what it is like to live here in my book, Anonymous. All of the places are real, all of the stores and restaurants and beaches, etc. I think you get a real sense of the place while you’re on the edge of your seat with a thrilling mystery!
Ands
5 things you always put in your books:
• San Diego
• La Jolla
• the beach
• Madison Kelly
and
• hope
5 favorite places you’ve been:
• New York
• Paris France
• Olathe, Kansas
• Moscow, Idaho
and
• La Jolla, California
5 favorite books:
• Dance for the Dead by Thomas Perry
• From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz
• Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
and
• Sunburn by Laura Lippman
5 favorite authors:
• Dean Koontz,
• Thomas Perry,
• F. Scott Fitzgerald,
• Stephen King,
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
and
• Sue Grafton (there’s six!)
5 people you consider as heroes:
• Harriet Tubman
• Captain Sullenberger
• Nicholas Winton (saved 669 Jewish children from the Holocaust)
• the first responders into the Trade Center on 9/11
and
• people who get up every day, go to work, take care of their children and parents and neighbors in need, and never get thanked for all that they do to keep this world a place worth living in.
Whats
What’s your all-time favorite memory?
My father’s voice.
What’s your all-time favorite picture of yourself?
What’s your all-time favorite movie?
It’s a Wonderful Life.
What’s one thing that very few people know about you?
My favorite musical genre is Reggae. I like most genres and will listen to different genres depending on my mood, but my favorite is Reggae! What’s your favorite time of day? Twilight. So full of hope.
What’s your favorite hobby or past-time?
Singing Karaoke.
What’s one thing you never leave the house without?
Blistex Daily Conditioning Treatment for lips.
What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop?
My doggie!
What is your obsession?
Ralph Lauren clothes and accessories.
What smells remind you of your childhood?
Night blooming jasmine.
What’s your all-time favorite place you’ve visited?
What’s your latest recommendation for:
Food: nachos. So easy to make in the microwave, but once out of the microwave add grilled onions and black olives, and make sure to have sour cream to dip each chip into!
Music: Taylor Swift’s "Folklore."
Movie: The Talented Mr. Ripley. Watch it again if you’ve already seen it!
Book: Dance for the Dead by Thomas Perry
Netflix/Amazon Prime: The Good Wife, and The Bureau (French with English subtitles on the Sundance Channel, which you can get via Amazon Prime).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Connect with Elizabeth
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Buy the book:
Amazon | Bookshop | Warwicks
