FEATURED AUTHOR: LAURA CHILDS

ABOUT THE BOOK

A shocking murder strikes a sour note during Jazz Fest in the latest New Orleans Scrapbooking Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

It’s Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and the giant puppets from the Beastmaster Puppet Theatre are parading through the French Quarter. Some are very spooky and veiled, others are tall and gangly, like strange aliens.

As the parade proceeds, Carmela Bertrand and her best friend, Ava, follow behind, down Royal Street and past the food booths. Suddenly, they hear a terrible crash from Devon Dowling’s antiques shop. They rush inside to find Devon collapsed with blood streaming down the side of his face. Has he been shot? Stabbed? 911 is hastily called, and the police and EMTs show up. After the police examine Devon’s body, they tell Carmela and Ava that their friend was murdered with an icepick. They’re shocked beyond belief—and now Mimi, Devon’s little pug, is left homeless.

Carmela and Ava are determined to catch the murderer, but the list of suspects is long. How long do they have before they find themselves on the killer’s list?

Book Details:

Title: Mumbo Gumbo Murder

Authors: Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran

Genre: cozy mystery

Series: New Orleans Scrapbooking Mystery, book 16

Publisher: Berkley Publishing (October 1, 2019)

Print length: 320 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

IFs ANDs or WHATs INTERVIEW WITH LAURA CHILDS

Ifs

Q: If you could talk to someone living, who would it be and what would you ask them?
A: I’d talk to Thomas Harris and ask him how on earth he was able to create Hannibal Lecter. I’ve never encountered a book character so compelling and chilling.

Q: If you could step back into a moment or day in time, where would you go?
A: I’d go back to the Four Seasons Resort in Bali, Indonesia. Soaking in my private pool, smelling the frangipani, and looking out over the South China Sea was pure heaven.

Q: If you could be anything besides a writer, what would it be?
A: I’d be an abstract expressionist painter who could hopefully sell a few paintings now and then.

Q: If you have done volunteer work, what did you do?
A: I served on the board of directors for a service dog organization and wrote grant requests that netted $200,000 in funding.

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?
A: I wouldn’t mind an apartment in New York in the east eighties—very close to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ands

Five favorite possessions:
    •    my dad’s Merchant Marine jacket from World War I
    •    my Mom’s wedding ring
    •    my wedding ring
    •    a 17th century European painting my husband gave me
and
    •    the portrait of my great-great grandfather who fought with Napoleon.

Five things I need in order to write: 
    •    an outline of at least 50 pages
    •    absolute quiet
    •    no interruptions
    •    Diet Coke
and
    •    my dog lying next to me.

Five things I love about writing:
    •    it’s a great creative outlet
    •    allows me to be my own boss and master of my fate
    •    has provided a good living
    •    is actually fun to do
and
    •    keeps me from becoming a useless shopaholic.

Five words to describe me:
    •    hard working
    •    marketing guru
    •    fun loving
    •    curious
and
    •    creative.

Five favorite places I’ve been:
    •    Kyoto
    •    New York City
    •    Shanghai
    •    Paris
and
    •    Bali.

Whats

Q: What’s your all-time favorite movie?
A: Blade Runner – futuristic sci-fi with a love story.

Q: What’s the loveliest sight you’ve ever seen?
A: Sitting around a campfire on the rim of the Grand Canyon, watching twilight come on.

Q: What’s your favorite song?
A: Anything by the Rolling Stones.

Q: What’s your favorite snack?
A: Sushi – but I prefer the weird stuff like uni and octopus.

Q: What’s your favorite beverage?
A: Very fine French red wine.

Q: What drives you crazy?
A: People who bully others. Makes me furious—and triggers my aggression toward the bully.

Q: What’s your latest recommendation for:
Music: Try to catch a Beach Boys, Eagles, or The Who concert. These heritage bands still sound great and are playing fantastic music!
Movie: Well, Downton Abbey just came out, and I imagine it’s a hoot.
Book: The Institute by Stephen King. The day I got the book I stayed up until 1:00 A.M. reading the first 200 pages.
TV: I’m a junkie for The Real Housewives of New York and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. (Ooh, the jewelry and handbags!)

Q: What books do you currently have published?
A: I have 46 books in 4 different series that have been published. Currently publications include Broken Bone China, Plum Tea Crazy, Glitter Bomb, and Mumbo Gumbo Murder.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.
Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries—set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.
The Scrapbooking Mysteries—a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!
The Cackleberry Club Mysteries—set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Connect with Laura:
Webpage  |  Facebook 

Recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer awards, Terrie Farley Moran is the author of the beachside Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series; co-author of Laura Childs’ New Orleans scrapbooking mystery series; and has published numerous short stories in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly Magazine and numerous anthologies.
The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is hanging out with any or all of her seven grandchildren who reside in New York and Florida.

Connect with Terrie:
Blog  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads

Buy the book:
Amazon   |  B&N  |  Kobo  |  Google Play |  IndieBound

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FEATURED AUTHOR: LAURA CHILDS

ABOUT THE BOOK

Theodosia Browning serves tea and solves crimes in Charleston, a city steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

It is Sunday afternoon, and Theodosia and Drayton are catering a formal tea at a hot-air balloon rally. The view aloft is not only stunning, they are also surrounded by a dozen other colorful hot-air balloons. But as the sky turns gray and the clouds start to boil up, a strange object zooms out of nowhere. It is a drone, and it appears to be buzzing around the balloons, checking them out.

As Theodosia and Drayton watch, the drone, hovering like some angry, mechanized insect, deliberately crashes into the balloon next to them. An enormous, fiery explosion erupts, and everyone watches in horror as the balloon plummets to the earth, killing all three of its passengers.

Sirens scream, first responders arrive, and Theodosia is interviewed by the police. During the interview she learns that one of the downed occupants was Don Kingsley, the CEO of a local software company, SyncSoft. Not only do the police suspect Kingsley as the primary target, they learn that he possessed a rare Revolutionary War Union Jack flag that several people were rabidly bidding on.

Intrigued, Theodosia begins her own investigation. Was it the CEO’s soon-to-be ex-wife, who is restoring an enormous mansion at no expense? The CEO’s personal assistant, who also functioned as curator of his prized collection of Americana? Two rival antiques’ dealers known for dirty dealing? Or was the killer the fiancée of one of Theodosia’s dear friends, who turns out to be an employee—and whistle-blower—at SyncSoft?

Book Details:

Title: Broken Bone China

Author: Laura Childs

Genre: Cozy mystery

Series: A Tea Shop Mystery

Publisher: Berkley (March 5, 2019)

Print length: 336 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH LAURA CHILDS

Things you need in order to write: Diet Coke, a bit of chocolate, and lots of quiet.
Things that hamper your writing: E-mails and phone calls.

Favorite music: Beach Boys, Rolling Stones. I saw both groups in concert this past year. Have tickets, will travel!
Music that makes your ears bleed: Polka music. Really guys, just really.

Favorite beverage: Good French red wine.
Something that gives you a pickle face: Cheap white wine.

Something you’re really good at: Marketing. I have a knack for knowing exactly how to promote a product.
Something you’re really bad at: Anything mechanical. Even a mousetrap baffles me.

Last best thing you ate: Truffle pizza.
Last thing you regret eating: 99 cent taco. But not because it didn’t taste good.

Things you always put in your books: Dogs.
Things you never put in your books: S – E – X. My cozy mysteries are G-rated, good for girls to grandmas.

Things to say to an author: Hi, will you sign my book?
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in the next book: Hi, when is your book coming out in paperback?

Favorite places you’ve been: Paris, London, Hong Kong, Bali.
Places you never want to go again: Beijing (because of the dangerous air quality!).

Favorite genre: Mysteries, thrillers, history, art history – basically all books.
Books you would ban: None. I don’t believe in banning books.

Things that make you happy: Hearing from all my readers. They are my biggest inspiration to keep coming up with inventive and crazy new plots.
Things that drive you crazy: People who think I really don’t have to work at this.

Most embarrassing moment: Not getting picked for softball in 5th grade.
Proudest moment: Making the New York Times bestseller list – then doing it again and again.

Biggest lie you ever told: My agency partner and I were pitching an agricultural account and he told them my dad was a turkey farmer. I didn’t deny it. (Yes, we got the account)
A lie you wish you’d told: I wish I’d pitched Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live on my credibility as a comedy writer. (This was when I wrote some United Way public service spots that his cast recorded.)

Best thing you’ve ever done: Financed a dog training school for a good friend. (It’s still going gangbusters after 19 years!)
Biggest mistake: Should have bought more real estate.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I started my own advertising agency when I was 29. All these older art directors and account guys warned me not to – they said it was too risky. At the end of my first year, I was earning twice what they were.
Something you chickened out from doing: Parachuting with my Uncle Bob to celebrate his 90th birthday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura Childs is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Connect with Laura: 

Website  |  Facebook 

Buy the book: 

Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FEATURED CHARACTER: LAURA CHILD'S CARMELA BERTRAND

ABOUT THE BOOK

An exploding Mardi Gras float has got to be the strangest murder weapon scrappy sleuth Carmela Bertrand has ever encountered in this latest Scrapbooking Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author.

It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans and scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand is excited to be attending the Pluvius Parade along with her best friend Ava. Carmela’s ex-husband Shamus rides by the duo on his float at the head of the parade, when suddenly the revelry turns to disaster. Shamus’ float crashes and explodes, and although Shamus escapes unhurt, a member of his krewe is killed.

Carmela and Ava plunge into an investigation of the krewe-member’s death, but as they dig deeper it starts to look less like an accident and more like a murder . . . and Shamus seems less like a victim and more like a suspect.




Book Details

Title: Glitter Bomb

Author: Laura Childs
 and Terrie Farley Moran
Genre: Cozy mystery

Series: A Scrapbooking Mystery, book 15

Publisher: Berkley (October 2, 2018)

Print length: 320 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

CHARACTER GUEST POST WITH LAURA CHILD’S CARMELA BERTRAND

Hi Everyone. My name is Carmela Bertrand. I am the proud owner of the Memory Mine Scrapbooking shop on Governor Nicholls Street in the heart of French Quarter of New Orleans. My BFF Ava Gruiex owns the Juju Voodoo shop a few blocks away. We may be busy entrepreneurs but we still manage to have an exciting social life because New Orleans is always crackling with the vitality of a town filled with social events small and large, all contributing to keeping us a tightly woven community.

Naturally Mardi Gras is our most majestic celebration, a continuous party with entertainment, friends, beads and the most amazing food.

As annoying as my ex-husband, Shamus Meecham, can be, he does know how to party. Shamus told me that his krewe had built the most spectacular float for the Pluvius Parade. Ava and I were not going to miss a chance to see that so we found a primo spot to view all the excitement. We were dancing around, catching beads in mid-air, cheering our heads off, and raising our geaux cups to all the costumed marchers as they went by.

Right behind a marching band, the golden float rolled down the block. I said to Ave, “This is it. The float Shamus bragged about. I can’t wait to see it up close.”

 I loved the gold glitter swirling all around the float and the energy of the krewe members throwing gold beads into the crowd of onlookers was contagious.  Everyone was having the time of their lives until BOOM! The float exploded right in front of our eyes! Krewe members were thrown up in the air and landed smack on the ground. A ton of gold glitter erupted from the float. In a couple of seconds glitter was covering everything and everybody. I shook my head, wondering if I would ever get the tiny flakes out of my hair. After the total shock wore off, all the krewe members began to stand unsteadily and dust themselves off. All but one. I saw Shamus lean over a body that was perfectly still and begin brushing away the pounds of glitter on the man’s face. The man never moved.

Wailing sirens were rapidly approaching and that could only mean one thing. My fiancé, handsome and debonair Detective Edgar Babcock, was about to find me at yet another very public death. That was the last thing I needed. But there I was when he pulled up. Within a few minutes he discovered that Shamus was there as well. Let’s just say, Babcock gets agitated anytime Shamus is around. And he is mega annoyed at my being anywhere near one of his murder cases. So this was a double whammy.

Of course I had to promise Babcock that I would go home and stay away from “snooping” as he called it.

But once it was confirmed that there was a bomb on the float and then people started to look at Shamus as a definite suspect, well, on behalf of Boo and Poobah, the loveable dogs that Shamus and I still share, what else could I do but “snoop”?

I hope you will come and hang out with me, Ava and, of course Babcock, in Glitter Bomb.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Connect with Laura:
Website  |  Facebook  


Short-listed twice for The Best American Mystery Stories, Terrie Farley Moran is delighted to introduce mystery fans to the Read ’Em and Eat café and bookstore, which debuted with Well Read, Then Dead, followed by Caught Read-Handed, and Read to Death, released in July of this year.  The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is playing games and reading stories with any or all of her grandchildren.

Connect with Terrie:
Blog  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads

Buy the book:
Amazon   |  Barnes & Noble  |  Google Books   




a Rafflecopter giveaway

GUEST POST BY LAURA CHILDS

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs, Theodosia Browning attends a “Rat Tea,” where the mice will play . . . at murder. When Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is invited by Doreen Briggs, one of Charleston’s most prominent hostesses, to a “Rat Tea,” she is understandably intrigued. As servers dressed in rodent costumes and wearing white gloves offer elegant finger sandwiches and fine teas, Theo learns these parties date back to early twentieth-century Charleston, where the cream of society would sponsor so-called rat teas to promote city rodent control and better public health. But this party goes from odd to chaotic when a fire starts at one of the tables and Doreen’s entrepreneur husband suddenly goes into convulsions and drops dead. Has his favorite orange pekoe tea been poisoned? Theo smells a rat. The distraught Doreen soon engages Theo to pursue a discreet inquiry into who might have murdered her husband. As Theo and her tea sommelier review the guest list for suspects, they soon find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse . . . INCLUDES RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS.

GUEST POST BY LAURA CHILDS

Hi, it is wonderful to be here at A Blue Million Books today to talk about Pekoe Most Poison, the eighteenth book in the Tea Shop Mystery series. It is always great fun for me (and I hope for you) to visit the Indigo Tea Shop and see what’s going on in the lives of Theodosia, Drayton, Haley, their friends and, perhaps, some not so friendly folks.

On a gorgeous Charleston day, Theodosia and Drayton are invited to a social event billed as a “rat tea” a throwback to the days when society matrons held elaborate teas to heighten the awareness of the overwhelming need to read the city of pesky vermin. Still, Theodosia is more than a little startled when she and Drayton arrive at the home of socially prominent Doreen “Dolly” Briggs and the door is opened by someone dressed quite formally in blue velvet waistcoat and shiny black boots and wearing a white velvet rat head. It takes a moment or so to get used to the fact that all the servers are wearing rat heads above their fancy dress outfits.

Still the company is grand and the conversation flows merrily until Dolly’s husband, Beau, collapses to the floor and, after a bit of lurching and gulping, dies right before everyone’s eyes.

Theodosia has developed quite a reputation as an amateur sleuth and Drayton is more than Theodosia’s sommelier. They are close and true friends of long standing, so when Dolly Briggs wants Theodosia to investigate Beau’s murder, she knows just how to make that happen. Dolly offers a generous donation to Drayton’s beloved Heritage Society with the proviso that he coax Theodosia into trying to solve Beau’s murder.

Reluctantly, Theodosia agrees but no one is sure how the new detective on the case, Pete Riley, a handsome man with remarkable blue eyes, is going to react to Theodosia’s snooping.
I’m happy to say that the plot moves at a thriller pace making Pekoe Most Poison a suspenseful guilty pleasure.

Much love,
Laura Childs

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries - set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries - set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Connect with Laura:
Website  | Facebook 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway 

CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH LAURA CHILDS’ CARMELA BERTRAND

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Winter Market in the French Quarter is in full swing, but murder isn’t taking a holiday in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Parchment and Old Lace . . .

The holidays are a busy time for scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand—but not so hectic that she doesn’t have time to enjoy browsing the booths at the Winter Market with her best friend Ava. The last thing the ladies expect to see is a lurching man stabbed by a serving fork, dying in front of them.

The victim is loathed restaurant critic Martin Lash, who posted his scathing reviews on the Glutton for Punishment website. And the prime suspect is New Orleans restauranteur Quigg Brevard—who was seen giving the critic a tongue-lashing minutes before someone stuck a fork in him. An old flame of Carmela, Quigg asks for her help, which does not please her current beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, to say the least.

Before her relationship is the next victim, Carmela needs to find a murderer who had no reservations about punishing the culinary curmudgeon . . .

 “It’s not October without a new spectacular Scrapbooking Mystery from Laura Childs.”
     Romantic Times Book Reviews

“Thrills and chills.”
     St. Paul Pioneer Press

“Local color is Childs’ strong suit, and on this romp with Carmela, the details of the Big Easy, from absinthe to etouffee, do not disappoint.”
     Publisher’s Weekly

ABOUT THE CHARACTER

Carmela Bertrand is the proprietor of Memory Mine Scrapbooking Shop in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Divorced from her rat-fink husband, Shamus, Carmela has struck gold with her little shop and delights in hosting classes on scrapbooking, papercraft, and rubber stamping. Although Detective Edgar Babcock is eager to put a ring on Carmela’s finger (and hopefully retire her from amateur sleuthing!) our dear Carmela’s been dragging her feet. After all, she’s happy living in her charming garden apartment with her two dogs, Boo and Poobah. And the nightlife with her best friend, Ava, isn’t bad either. But what really keeps things popping for Carmela is the city of New Orleans itself. After all, this is a city that has elevated Mardi Gras to a national holiday, is spooky, charming, mythic, and – oh yes, let’s not forget those crazy above ground cemeteries! What’s not to love?

INTERVIEW WITH CARMELA BERTRAND

Carmela, how did you first meet Laura?
I popped into my writer’s head one day as she was wandering through a scrapbook shop. She was looking at all the cool albums and scrapbook papers and saw how much fun all the ladies were having—you know, sitting at a big craft table in back, laughing together and working on scrapbook pages. When I felt my author’s brain begin to whirl, I just gave her a subtle whisper and said, “Wouldn’t it be fun if you wrote a Scrapbooking Mystery?”

Tell us about your favorite scene in Crepe Factor.
In the very first chapter, Ava and I are strolling the Winter Market in the French Quarter. We’re minding our business, looking at jewelry, nibbling food, and drinking wine (well, lots of wine), when suddenly, out of nowhere, we hear this horrible moaning and gurgling going on. Imagine our surprise when a man staggers out from behind one of the tents with an enormous kitchen fork stuck in his throat! I mean, this guy looked like some kind of zombie. He clomped right up to us with this dead-eyed look, and all Ava could do was let loose a blood curdling scream. What did I do? Um, well I did wonder who could have done this—and if the guilty party might be standing around watching the fun? I guess you could call me a wanna-be detective.

What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?
I create paper theatres, do stamping on velvet pillows, and generally hone my crafting skills. I also volunteer with the Children’s Art Association and occasionally help build Mardi Gras floats with my good friend Jekyl Hardy.

Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?
Well, everybody in New Orleans is a little bit crazy. But I do love my fellow characters a whole lot. I mean, Ava is the best friend (and devious accomplice) that a girl could ever want. And Baby and Tandy are great friends, too. As for my ex-husband, Shamus? Meh. Maybe he should take a hike and not be in these books anymore.

Do you have any secret aspirations that your author doesn’t know about?
In one of the upcoming books Ava and I do a little modeling for The Latest Wrinkle, this great resale shop over on Magazine Street. So . . . I sure wouldn’t mind strutting the catwalk again sometime soon.

If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?
I’d wander the antique shops in the French Quarter, stop by Café du Monde for chicory coffee and a beignet, hit the Old French Market for quirky shopping, then have lunch at The Court of Two Sisters. I’d probably head down to Magazine Street then for some more shopping. Around dinner time I’d call Ava and we’d pop into Commander’s Palace. Did I mention that food is a huge part of life in New Orleans?

Sure sounds like it! What’s the worst thing that happened in your life?
Getting divorced from Shamus Mechum was no piece of cake. For one thing, he hails from the banking Meechums, so getting any sort of settlement was horrible. It took me years and then I still had to deal with his parsimonious big sister Glory, who Ave and I like to call the Great Stone Face.

Tell us about your best friend.
OMG, where do I start? Ava Grieux is my BFF, and she runs Juju Voodoo, a little voodoo shop in the French Quarter. Maybe as a result of this slightly off-kilter enterprise, she’s a little more daring than I am. For example, Ava wears tight leopard tops, leather pants, and sky-high stilettos. And she does Botox big time. The other thing is, we are always getting in trouble together. We don’t look for it, but we’re forever being chased through a New Orleans cemetery or a bayou or rushing out of some fancy Garden District party. Yeah, it’s funny how trouble just seems to follow us around.

Describe the town where you live.
I’m the luckiest girl in the word because I was born and bred in New Orleans. You see, this is a city that should come with a warning label. This city is historic, charming and highly seductive. It’s filled with charming old homes and antique buildings decorated with lacy ironwork. Music is everywhere—blues, jazz, Cajun, whatever you want. And the food is to die for. We’re talking beignets, muffalettas, shrimp gumbo, fried catfish, turtle soup, red beans and rice, po-boys, eggs Sardou, jambalaya, alligator sausage, etouffee, pecan pie, bread pudding, and bananas Foster. And then, of course, we have Mardi Gras. With enormous floats, marchers, strings of beads, bands, exotic costumes, and all-night revelry, it’s the biggest, baddest party you’ve ever seen!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Laura Childs is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Connect with Laura:
Webpage  |  Facebook  

Short-listed twice for The Best American Mystery Stories, Terrie Farley Moran is delighted to introduce mystery fans to the Read ’Em and Eat café and bookstore, which debuted with Well Read, Then Dead. followed by Caught Read-Handed and Read to Death released in July of this year. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is playing games and reading stories with any or all of her grandchildren.

Connect with Terrie:
Facebook  |  Blog  |  Goodreads  



Buy the book:
Amazon  |  B&N  | Goggle Books | IndieBound

a Rafflecopter giveaway