Featured Author: David Burnsworth

About the book: 

Gunshots echo down an antebellum Charleston alley. Brack Pelton, an ex-racecar driver and Afghanistan War veteran, witnesses the murder of his uncle, Reggie Sails. Darcy Wells, the pretty Palmetto Pulse reporter, investigates Reggie's murder and targets Brack.


The sole heir of his uncle's estate, Brack receives a rundown bar called the Pirate's Cove, a rotting beach house, and one hundred acres of preserved and valuable wetland along the Ashley River. A member of Charleston's wealthiest and oldest families offers Brack four million dollars for the land. All Brack wants is his uncle's killer.


From the sandy beaches of Isle of Palms, through the nineteenth-century mansions lining the historic Battery, to the marshlands surrounding the county, Southern Heat is drenched in the humidity of the lowcountry.

Interview with David Burnsworth

David, how long have you been writing, and how did you start?In answering this question, I used to say since about 2006 when, after telling my wife that I wanted to write a novel, she hounded me to get started. She will always deserve the credit for getting me started on this publication path. But, I loved writing as far back as grade school. I just didn’t think I could actually write a book until my wife told me it was time.

So in this instance, a wife telling you what to do was a good thing. Do you have another job outside of writing?
I sure do. I am an engineer with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee. After graduating from U.T. in ’97, I was fortunate enough to land a job as a manufacturing engineer. I’ve held various positions in manufacturing ever since. Now I help coach people to improve their jobs both for them and the company. And I love what I’m doing now almost as much as I love writing.

How would you describe your book in five words?
Southern noir in the lowcountry.

How did you create the plot for this book?
Trial and error. It took me a while to get the characters. Once I got them, they took over and wrote the book. I just had to keep up with the typing.

How do you get to know your characters?
I spend a lot of time with them, even when I’m not at the keyboard. Sometimes they are in my head when I need to focus on other things.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?
It would be hard to choose between them. The main ones, Brack, Brother Thomas, Darcy, Shelby, and Mutt are favorites. But then I enjoy the minor characters as well. The police detectives that Brack has to interact with. The other women Brack crosses paths with. It is so much fun pouring them all into a soup pot, stirring them up, and seeing what comes out.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?
Brack Pelton, my protagonist. In some regards, he’s got a few of my bad traits at amped-up levels. Like overreaction and an uncontrolled mouth. My tongue is not as tame as I’d like it to be, while his has never seen a leash. But, he’s the hero, albeit a dark one.

Who are your favorite authors?
I love James Lee Burke, Lee Child, John Sanford, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Michael Connelly, Elmore Leonard, Walter Mosley, Susan Boyer, and C.J. Box.

How long is your to-be-read pile?
Longer than I have time to read as long as I have a day job!

You get to decide who would read your audiobook. Who would you choose?
Very good question. The obvious choices are Dick Hill and Will Patton. Those guys are phenomenal. But I think Billy Bob Thorton would be a very interesting choice. There are so many people with great voices out there. I know when the timing is right, the perfect one will be there.

What book are you currently reading and in what format?
Normally, I have a few books going on at once. I’ll start with the bible. I perpetually read a chapter most days. Next is usually a mystery or thriller, or history; one in print or ebook and one on audio in the car. Right now, I have Alex Berenson’s Twelve Days rolling in the car, and I’m reading K.M. Rockwood’s Brothers In Crime ebook. She and I will be on a panel together at Malice Domestic this year.

Cool. Do you have a routine for writing?
Not really. I try to get in some time before work in the morning, and then in the evenings after my trip to the gym. And of course Saturdays and Sundays. Anywhere from five to fifteen hours a week.

When and where do you prefer to do your writing?
I have an office at home that my wife avoids because it isn’t the neatest. My desk faces the street in front of our house which, during daylight hours, provides enough of a distraction when I need it, yet isn’t so active that I can’t focus when I’m ready to resume. I’ve written in hotel rooms and airplanes and airports. When it comes crunch time, there isn’t anywhere I’ve found I can’t write.

Where’s home for you?

Boiling Springs, South Carolina. It is peaceful here and the cost of living is reasonable. Both my wife and I work in the area so that is why we are here.

Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live.
In the winter season, Spartanburg has an ice rink in the downtown area. I’d call that both weird and nice. We live by two battlefields: Cowpens, a civil war battlefield, and Kings Mountain, a revolutionary battlefield. I love the history of the Carolinas.

Your last meal would be . . .
Oreos

I like the way you think. Would you rather work in a library or a bookstore?
Library, for sure. The access to just about anything is so much greater.

You won the lottery. What is the first thing you would buy?
My wife’s and my dream home.

You’re given the day off, and you can do anything but write. What would you do?
Daydream about my next book. I’d get things mapped out in my head. One of my bad habits as a child has paid off in my adult years. I have a pretty active imagination. That’s how I form some of my scenes now anyway.

You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
Wow! What a question. Mad Max comes to mind. Something about driving fast cars and running down rogue bikers. Gotta love that.

What would your dream office look like?A lot like the one I currently have, except maybe room for a couch and more bookshelves.  And a view of nature or a body of water would also be nice. For the most part I am a simple person. I have a nice long desk that seems to perpetually be cluttered with things needing attention. But my laptop is front and center, where it needs to be. Everything in the room revolves around it, from the view out the windows to the speakers from my late-eighties stereo.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Patty and I love to travel for vacation. New England is a favorite area. This year we are heading to Jackson Hole. We are so excited about seeing Yellowstone! I also am a car buff, but I seem to be in a transition more to classic cars than new ones. Could be my age.  Another passion is music. Listening to, not playing it. I love eighties music the best, but the University of Tennessee has a great jazz program and Knoxville has a great jazz scene. When I was in college, I spent many a night with my friends in one or more of the jazz clubs there. Some of those nights I actually remember, too.

What are you working on now?
I’m finishing up the third book in the Brack Pelton series and thinking about the fourth.  The names are a secret right now.

About the author

David Burnsworth became fascinated with the Deep South at a young age. After a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and fifteen years in the corporate world, he made the decision to write a novel. Southern Heat is his first mystery and Burning Heat will be out October 21, 2015. Having lived in Charleston on Sullivan’s Island for five years, the setting was a foregone conclusion. He and his wife along with their dog call South Carolina home.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

Featured Author: Tammy L. Grace

About the book

When private detective Cooper “Coop” Harrington meets record label mogul Grayson Taylor at a swank gathering of country music artists and politicians he never imagines he’ll be investigating his brutal murder less than twenty-four hours later.

The suspects are plentiful. More than a handful of people could have wanted him dead. Retained by Taylor’s widow, Coop works alongside his best friend and Chief of Detectives, Ben Mason. The investigation leads Coop and Ben to visit the luxurious mansions of recording industry magnates, navigate the murky undercurrents of the political world, and probe complicated family matters. Scandalous indiscretions, secrets, and hints of corruption swirl in the midst of their pursuit of the killer.

Coop’s faithful friend and assistant, Annabelle and his loyal golden retriever, Gus, both lend a hand during the investigation. Even his Aunt Camille mines the local gossip mill to unearth potential killers with motive. Yet the case seems hopeless until a crucial piece of evidence emerges that sends Coop and Ben on a race to catch the killer before someone else dies.

Interview with Tammy L. Grace

Tammy, how long have you been writing, and how did you start?
I found I enjoyed writing in middle school and started writing articles for the local newspaper throughout junior high. Life moved on and while involved in my career, I was in a class and asked to think about what I would truly enjoy doing if I could do anything.  It didn’t take me long to blurt out “write novels.”  So, when I retired in late 2012, I decided to make it a reality.

What’s the story behind the title Killer Music?
I like short titles, so I brainstormed some ideas related to murder and Nashville.  The story is about a music mogul, so I tried to weave in something about music. I ran a list of possible titles by my family and friends and most everyone agreed Killer Music was the keeper. It’s short and sweet, while being appropriate, since the novel involves a music and a killer.

How do you get to know your characters?
I write down attributes and even ask them questions to get a feel for personalities. I am always drawn to characters in a book, so I want to make sure and convey as much as I can about the character, without detracting from the plot. I want to exploit their flaws and make them relatable, so I do my best to figure out what’s important to the characters and what drives them. I want to know a bit about their childhood, values, quirks, and of course physical attributes, but I really want to build characters who are believable and relevant.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?
I enjoyed several of the characters in Killer Music, but Coop was probably my favorite.  He’s intelligent, loyal, and hardworking, but a bit immature. He’s toting some baggage from his youth, fighting insomnia, and feeling his age. He’s unable to find a serious girlfriend and loves food, coffee, and chocolate. He has a gentle spirit and despite his humorous t-shirts, has a hint of sadness about him. I think he’s lovable and someone I’d like to know. 

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?
I think there are bits of pieces of real people in all the characters I create, but there isn’t one character that I’ve created to depict any person I know. I love to observe people and borrow some of the traits I’ve seen, at times embellishing them to create a character. I love dogs and my own Golden Retriever has inspired the canine companions in all my books. I’ve used her personality for Coop’s dog, Gus.

Are you like any of your characters?
There are bits of me in some of my characters. In Killer Music, I’m probably the most like Annabelle, Coop’s paralegal. She’s organized and efficient and has the ability to juggle several things at once. Annabelle and I have those characteristics in common, but my weakness for chocolate pecan cookies is shared by Coop.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.
One of my favorite scenes in Killer Music appears in the last third of the book when a piece of evidence leads Coop closer to the killer and he has to confront one of the more obnoxious characters in the book. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll leave it at that.

Who are your favorite authors? 
I love to read and usually consume hundreds of books a year, but I’ll narrow it down to the few I rush to read as soon as they release a new title. Lee Child and David Baldacci are two I can’t live without. I also enjoy Kristin Hannah and Nicholas Sparks.

What book are you currently reading and in what format?
The Dark Tide, by Andrew Gross in hardback and it’s terrific.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
I’m a morning person, so tend to do most of my writing in the morning. I have an office in my home and that’s where I write. I make chai tea lattes and usually listen to iHeartRadio while I’m tapping away on my keyboard. For editing, I like to print out the material and usually sit in a comfy recliner armed with colored Sharpie markers.

Where’s home for you?
I live in my hometown in rural northern Nevada.

You’re leaving your country for a year. What’s the last meal you would want to have before leaving?
A bacon cheeseburger and ice cream for dessert.

Would you rather work in a library or a bookstore?
A library.

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
I love libraries. My friends have teased me for years about going on vacation and ending up in a library. If I had to pick one, I’d pick the New York Public Library. I love the architecture and feeling of history. It’s a gorgeous building, and if I lived there, they’d have to kick me out at night.

You’re given the day off, and you can do anything but write. What would you do?
Take a long walk, bake something yummy, and eat it while reading a book.

Why did you decide to self-publish?
I chose to self-publish all of my novels because I like the control it gives the author.  I’m not very patient and with the traditional route, patience is a must. It’s difficult, especially the marketing portion, but I think unless you’re already famous, big publishers don’t want anything to do with authors, especially new authors. All in all it was a good experience and I’m excited to do it again.  Working with Amazon has been very easy, and I would recommend their publishing solutions.

What’s your favorite candy bar?
Wow, I love chocolate, so this is hard. I’d have to pick the Milky Way Midnight, and I’m also partial to Dove chocolates.

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?
Deadline, by John Sanford; The Escape, by David Baldacci; and Die Again, by Tess Gerritsen.

What are you working on now?
I’m starting my fourth novel in the Hometown Harbor Series.

About the author

Born and raised in Nevada, Tammy L. Grace loved reading at a young age. With the help of her middle school teacher, she discovered the joy of writing. After spending a career in local and state government service, she retired and finally has the time to dedicate to writing. 

When Tammy isn't working on ideas for a novel, she's spending time with family and friends or supporting her addiction to books and chocolate. She and her husband have one grown son and a spoiled Golden Retriever.


Connect with Tammy:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Twitter 

Other books by Tammy

  

Featured Author: Susan M. Boyer

About the book

Where is Kent Heyward? The twenty-three-year-old heiress from one of Charleston’s oldest families vanished a month ago. When her father hires private investigator Liz Talbot, Liz suspects the most difficult part of her job will be convincing the patriarch his daughter tired of his overbearing nature and left town. That’s what the Charleston Police Department believes.

But behind the garden walls South of Broad, family secrets pop up like weeds in the azaleas. The neighbors recollect violent arguments between Kent and her parents. Eccentric twin uncles and a gaggle of cousins covet the family fortune. And the lingering spirit of a Civil-War-era debutante may know something if Colleen, Liz’s dead best friend, can get her to talk.

Liz juggles her case, the partner she’s in love with, and the family she adores. But the closer she gets to what has become of Kent, the closer Liz dances to her own grave.

Guest Post by Susan M. Boyer

It All Comes Down to Family

My extended family clan has more members than some towns. My people have gone forth and multiplied, is what I’m saying. I should add, right up front, that while I explore family dynamics in my writing, I don’t write about my family. The exception is an occasional blog, and when I tell one of them I’ve used them in a blog, they stand up straight and grin. If they were peacocks, their feathers would no doubt fan.

Because the relationship between sisters is complex, it’s one of my favorite themes in fiction. My sister and I joke that we were once a single egg which subdivided and we were separated before birth. Mamma calls us her twins born ten years apart. We’re exactly alike, except in the ways we are not. I’m what folks politely call “big-boned,” while my sister is petite, bless her heart. We’re both OCD control freaks. We finish each other’s sentences and have our own, secret texting shorthand. When I think of her, the phone rings and she’s on the line.

We agree on virtually everything. But in the space between “virtually everything” and “absolutely everything,” unfortunate altercations occasionally erupt.

When we disagree, we do it in spectacular fashion. It infuriates her that I could possibly hold a differing position on anything. I feel the same way. If the conversation drifts towards treacherous waters while we’re in our mother’s house, Mamma throws up her hands, says, “I’m leaving,” and walks out the back door. She always comes back — well, she always has so far. Daddy instigates these dramas for entertainment. He knows our points of dissension well. Our brother — the middle child — eggs it on just to keep things interesting. I’m absolutely convinced any one of us would take a bullet for any of the others.

But I’m here to tell you, it’s true what they say about Southern families — we are neither ashamed of nor scared by eccentricity. By way of example, I offer Aunt Avalee, who is convinced her neighbor is throwing birdseed on her roof so the birds will peck holes in it, and Aunt Clarene, whose house has been repeatedly broken into by someone who vacuums and leaves without taking or disturbing anything. I have many more examples. So many more.

When I married Sugar, I left the small town where I grew up. At the time, it never entered my mind this would be a permanent thing. My sister moved away as well, and we frequently lament not living close enough to inhabit each other’s daily lives. My brother lives fifteen minutes from Mamma’s backdoor. I envy him that. In my fantasy life, we all live back in that small town, a block or two away from each other, and we all go to Mamma and Daddy’s on Sunday for supper. We pop in and out of each other’s homes several times a week. My dreams are made of simple things. But these simple things are simply out of reach.

Sugar’s job requires him to live near an airport. Two of our four children have put down roots in Greenville, South Carolina, where we’ve lived for many years and where they grew up. The other two are relatively close-by. We have friends whose lives have become intertwined with ours through shared joys and heartaches who we would be hard pressed to leave behind. And, much of Sugar’s side of our family resides in Greenville. Going home is not an option for me.

So, I write about what I long for—family, small towns, and pristine beaches — and of course, solving murders and taking down the bad guy.

Tell me about your family, whether by birth or one with members you’ve chosen. If you’re a writer, do your family relationships sometimes influence the themes you write about?

About the author

Susan M. Boyer is the author of the USA TODAY bestselling Liz Talbot mystery series. Her debut novel, Lowcountry Boil, won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and garnered several other award nominations. Susan loves beaches, Southern food, and small towns where everyone knows everyone, and everyone has crazy relatives.  You’ll find all of the above in her novels.

Susan lives in Greenville, SC, with her husband and an inordinate number of houseplants.

Connect with Susan:Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  | Goodreads

Featured Author: Jo-Ann Lamon Reccoppa

About the book

For this Jersey girl, big hair means big trouble!

Newspaper reporter Colleen Caruso just wants her unruly curls tamed into smooth, sleek locks. Instead, she finds her stylist dead, face down in a shampoo sink. Faster than you can say Aqua Net, Colleen starts investigating. The case gets even hairier when the owner of a local fitness studio seems to have jumped from a plane … without a parachute.

Meanwhile, her suave editor, Ken Rhodes, steps in to help. And he may be looking for more than just a good story from Colleen.

Add in a missing bracelet, some suspicious husbands, and a little breaking and entering — and this Jersey girl is heading for a real blowout!

Can Colleen tie up these split ends? Or does she have an appointment with disaster?

Guest Post by Jo-Ann Lamon Reccoppa

Cozy Character Quirks and Small, Quiet Settings

When I first started writing cozy mysteries, New Math is Murder and my latest, Hide nor Hair, I did it because I thought it was a clever way to introduce unusual characters and off-the-wall crimes. Reading them was always satisfying, and I fell in love with the basic structure of the cozy mystery. What I didn’t realize was the amount of work involved to get the story just so. I have always enjoyed them, without fully understanding the reason why. After so many years, it finally dawned on me.

Cozy mysteries are fun! Without any in-depth, scientific explanation, I think most readers love them because they all have a bunch of quirky characters, and the action tends to take place in quiet communities that represent thousands of towns across the country. Crimes that occur in these microcosms of larger towns and communities are shocking and disproportionate to a cozy’s setting. You can expect plenty of murders, suicides and burglaries in the big city, but in small, more gently civilized areas these crimes are appalling and are more apt to traumatize the locals. What it amounts to is a small group of people who are nervous and anxious about whatever crime has taken place – with the added joy of the group coming under suspicion for committing the crime.

The characters in a cozy investigate or have a stake in the crime itself. These people tend to have lots of eccentricities that become endearing to readers. Take Stephanie Plum for instance, in Janet Evanovich’s series. She’s a regular gal with an odd profession. She also has a highly aggressive personality and a thing for looking good (so relatable because, after all, most women do). Her parents, though not necessarily living in a small town, are part of a small Trenton neighborhood – which is Stephanie’s childhood home. We can all identify with this scenario (okay, maybe we’re not all as aggressive as Ms. Plum simply because we’re all not lucky enough to be from New Jersey!), and that familiarity makes for a fun read. The setting, the character, and the crime are all ingredients that are combined in meticulous proportions to produce a delightful cozy mystery.

Though not as precisely adhering to the small, quiet cozy setting, you have to love Agatha Christie’s Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot. Talk about personality quirks! He’s fastidious almost to the point of anal retentiveness, so self-confident that he borders on obnoxiousness, and, best of all, Poirot has the ability to be both quaint and endearing. 

As for the settings, three of Christie’s works come to mind that at first seem to fly in the face of small town crime. In Death on the Nile, the subdued action takes place on a paddle steamer in Egypt – not exactly a small town setting. Considering that all the suspects are temporary residents on that paddle steamer though, it does become a small community. It’s the same with Murder on the Orient Express. There is Poirot, of course, who is the perfect character to build a novel around, and the travelers as part of the train’s small enclave. The passengers, as well as the railway’s employees, are all suspects in Ratchett’s murder – and they’re all quirky too. And Then There Were None, another famous Christie novel, had the wonderful setting of Indian Island and a house filled with odd “guests” who were being eliminated one by one – perfect for a cozy.

You can probably come up with dozens of examples of cozy mysteries that fit the bill. I hope my series and the characters I have created in my Jersey Girl Cozy Mystery series can be even half as entertaining as these very famous novels. If nothing else, they were so much fun to write. And with a cozy, it’s all about fun.

About the author

Jo-Ann Lamon Reccoppa lives in Old Bridge, New Jersey, and uses her experience as a freelance correspondent as the basis of her protagonist’s career. Several of the incidents within these pages are actual occurrences. They have been shamelessly embellished and are not a blow-by-blow account of a few really bad days on the job. Hide Nor Hair is her second novel.

Connect with Jo-Ann:
Website  |  tour page 

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Terrible Ten with Amy Reade

Amy"s second novel, The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, is out today and she's here braving the Terrible Ten.

1.    What’s one thing that drives you crazy?
It drives me crazy when someone in my house doesn’t put something where it belongs. I spend waaayyy too much time looking for things that should have been put away.

2.    What is your guiltiest guilty pleasure?
Napping. I don’t do it that often, but when I do, I always feel like I should have been doing something else.

3.    What is your most embarrassing moment?
This happened about ten years ago. My two-year-old son had escaped, naked, onto our front yard and was running for the hills. I ran out after him as my neighbor (whom I’ve always considered absolutely perfect and who is, by the way, a wonderful person) watched the scene unfold in a mixture of dismay and pity. I had been cleaning, so I was barefoot, dressed in old baggy leggings and one of my husband’s shirts, and had my hair in a do-rag. I tripped over my own feet and landed on the ground like a felled tree. That would never happen to her. If she fell, she would land in a rabbit hole and emerge as a Disney princess.

4.    What is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done?
Once I was playing tag and I ran through a fire pit that hadn’t been doused. I spent a week in the hospital and never did catch the person who was “it.”

5.    What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
I left my home in New York State to go to law school in Indiana, where I didn’t know a single soul.

6.    On what life choices would you like to have a re-do?
That’s a tough one because I believe there’s a reason for everything we do. If I had a re-do on something, I’d be missing part of me. That being said, I worked at a law firm in New York that managed to suck every bit of joy out of me. I might take a re-do on that. On the other hand, how else would I know what it feels like to absolutely hate my job?

7.    What makes you nervous?
Driving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania makes me nervous. I’ve driven in New York City a hundred times and I find that much easier than venturing into the City of Brotherly Love. For some reason I just can’t make sense of the street layout.

8.    What makes you scared?
Flying. Not a good fear to have for someone who loves to travel!

9.    When was the last time you did something for the first time?
I celebrated my eldest child’s seventeenth birthday two days ago. Time flies!

10.    One of your main characters has to die. Which one would you kill off?
I’d have to kill off Macy Stoddard, the main character in Secrets of Hallstead House. I love Macy, but Carleigh Warner, the main character in my second book, The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, is mother to a three-year-old and I can’t bring myself to kill her off. 
   

About the book:

"Do you know what stories Sarah could tell you about the things that happened in these little cabins? They’d curl that pretty red hair of yours."

Outside of Charleston, South Carolina, beyond hanging curtains of Spanish moss, at the end of a shaded tunnel of overarching oaks, stands the antebellum mansion of Peppernell Manor in all its faded grandeur. At the request of her friend Evie Peppernell, recently divorced Carleigh Warner and her young daughter Lucy have come to the plantation house to refurbish the interior. But the tall white columns and black shutters hide a dark history of slavery, violence, and greed. The ghost of a former slave is said to haunt the home, and Carleigh is told she disapproves of her restoration efforts. And beneath the polite hospitality of the Peppernell family lie simmering resentments and poisonous secrets that culminate in murder — and place Carleigh and her child in grave danger . . .

About the author:

After deciding that the practice of law was not as thrilling as she thought it would be, Amy found her passion in writing. Her first novel, Secrets of Hallstead House, was published in 2014. It tells the story of Macy Stoddard, a nurse who goes to work for a private client among the Thousand Islands in northern New York only to find that there are secrets reaching into both her past and her future. In the face of violence and threats, Macy must search for the identity of the person who will stop at nothing to keep those secrets buried.

Her second novel, The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, will be released on April 28, 2015. Here’s a brief synopsis: Peppernell Manor, an antebellum plantation near Charleston, has seen better days. But when its owner hires restoration specialist Carleigh Warner to oversee its return to grandeur, disagreements over the property’s future threaten to tear the Peppernell family apart. Carleigh is swept unwittingly into a whorl of secrets that she must face to protect her future and her daughter’s life.

Amy lives in New Jersey with her husband, three children, one fantastic dog, two cats who refuse to speak to her, and one tiny fish named Poseidon. She loves reading, traveling, and anything to do with Hawaii.

Amy loves to connect with readers online and in person. Connect with her at:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter 

Featured Author: Marie Moore

About the book: 

Sidney Marsh’s job as a New York travel agent is on the line. On her last two tours, she and her colleague Jay ended up smack in the middle of murder and mayhem. Their sleuthing sideline did not endear them to their employer, Itchy Feet Travel, so naturally they are relieved when their wealthy friend Brooke requests their presence on a no expense spared tour of India and Nepal. Another agency has made the arrangements, so all they need do is sit back and enjoy the ride. Well, not quite all. Brooke has enlisted them to keep a sharp eye on their fellow travelers, all “friends” who have grown rich from the demise of others. After surviving an attempt on her life, Brooke is certain the culprit must be one of the five: a handsome Scotsman, a Bollywood actress, an investment banker, a Parisian filmmaker, or a twice widowed blonde. Many of the tour accommodations prove to be as dodgy as the reputations of the travelers themselves. After one of the members of the moving house party dies of an apparent heart attack, everyone’s nerves are on edge. Sidney can hardly be blamed for assuming a deadly game is afoot … or for falling for Adam, the doting Scotsman. Now, if only she can unmask the killer before the killer beats her to the punch. Side Trip to Kathmandu is the third book in the Sidney Marsh Mystery series, which began with Shore Excursion.

Interview with Marie Moore


What’s the story behind the title Side Trip to Kathmandu?
All of the titles of my books in the Sidney Marsh Murder Mystery Series, Shore Excursion (2012), Game Drive (2013) and Side Trip to Kathmandu (2015), are travel terms, because Sidney Marsh, the protagonist, is a young, Mississippi-born, New York-based travel agent who travels the world with her best friend and colleague, the irrepressible Jay Wilson.

Tell us about your series. Is this book a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order?
Sidney and Jay work for Itchy Feet Travel, a New York retail travel agency, and as part of their jobs, they escort groups of tourists around the world to exotic destinations.  The trips are great, but unfortunately, some of the clients don’t make it back home alive.  Then it is up to Sidney to try to discover the killer is without getting murdered herself.
The books in this series are written to stand-alone so that the reader does not have to read them in order to enjoy them, but many prefer to do so.

Where’s home for you?
I’m a Mississippi girl, bound by kudzu to a tiny town in the South. I split my time between my hometown of Holly Springs, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee, but have also lived in New York City, Florida, and Virginia.

Do you have another job outside of writing?
No, but prior to becoming an author I owned a retail travel agency for fifteen years, so I was able to travel all over the world. That experience is invaluable in writing this travel mystery series, for I was able to personally visit the countries I write about in the Sidney Marsh books. On those trips, I took good notes and photos, and that really helps in conveying the feel of a place to my readers. Before the travel agency, I worked for a newspaper, and right out of college I taught school (junior high science), and raised a family. 

Who are you? 
That’s a tough question, and I’m not entirely sure I can answer it! But I can tell you who I am not, and that is Sidney Marsh. She may live in my head, but she is not me, and I am not her. I am often asked by readers if Sidney is me, or my daughters, and the answer is emphatically no. This series is not autobiographical.

What’s your favorite line from a book?
One of my favorites is actually from a play, from George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion:
“The great secret, Eliza, is not having bad manners or good manners or any other particular sort of manners, but having the same manner for all human souls: in short, behaving as if you were in Heaven, where there are no third-class carriages, and one soul is as good as another.”

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?
No, because I think that in doing so you limit your imagination, plus, it is not entirely fair to those close to you. If I base a character on a friend, I am influenced by the likes, dislikes, appearance and personality of that friend. Pure imagination is far easier to manipulate. That said, I will sometimes use a detail from the appearance or demeanor of a stranger I observe on the street, or in a restaurant. I think that’s fair. But I really don’t think it’s fair to exploit your friends and family.

Is your book based on real events?
No, except in a larger sense. For example, the systematic decimation for profit of the elephant and rhino in Africa that I present in Game Drive is very real, and very sad.

Who are your favorite authors?
I have many, in many genres, for I have always loved to read. Some of my favorite mystery and thriller authors are Lawrence Block, Carolyn Hart, Michael Connolly, Annamaria Alfieri, Maddy Hunter, Sarah Wissemann, Michael Stanley, Randy Wayne White, and the late great authors Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Elizabeth Peters, John D. McDonald and Tony Hillerman.


What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?
I just finished Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi by Dean Faulkner Wells. She was William Faulkner’s niece, raised in his home after the death of her father, and her personal recollection of the great author is fascinating. I read it in paperback. I am a great admirer of the work of William Faulkner and also Eudora Welty.  Those Mississippi authors were utterly brilliant and so is their work. I can in no way compare my little writing with theirs. We all share in the time-honored Mississippi tradition of storytelling; however, the similarities between us stop right there.  My books are brain-candy — certainly not brilliant, but they are lots of fun! I enjoy writing them. I enjoy discovering what Sidney is going to do next.

What’s one pet peeve you have when you read?
I hate falling asleep with the light on, which often happens when I read late at night.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing? 
I mostly write really early in the morning, before anyone else is awake, before dawn, before phones start ringing. If I’m on a roll, I may keep it up until noon, but usually I’m done for the day by nine o’clock. I have to be in a zone to write, so I really can’t do it with a lot of interruptions.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?
Midwest Book Review Bookwatch said, in the February 2015 issue, “Side Trip to Kathmandu" is the third book in the Sidney Marsh Murder Mystery series by Marie Moore, who has now clearly established herself as a master of the mystery/suspense genre. Simply stated, Marie Moore is an exceptionally gifted author who never fails to satisfy her readers and leave them eagerly looking toward her next novel."

Now that may be a bit over the top, but I loved it!

Another reviewer once said that “Sidney Marsh is what would happen if Nancy Drew were a travel agent.”

I liked that too, for I grew up as a big fan of Nancy Drew!

How did you find your publisher and how long did your query process take?
I was fortunate enough to sign with Jane Gelfman of The Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency/ICM Partners in New York. My fabulous, hard-working agent there, Victoria Marini, sold the series to Camel Press in a three-book deal. There was no query process on my part, for Victoria handled it all.

What are you working on now?
Sidney’s fourth adventure! And I really can’t wait to find out what will happen to her next. Sidney is beginning to take over my life! Do you think I should be worried?

About the author

Shore Excursion is Marie Moore's first novel, but not her first writing experience, and like Sidney Marsh, she is a native Mississippian. She graduated from Ole Miss, married a lawyer in her hometown, taught junior high science, raised a family, and worked for a small weekly newspaper, first as a writer and later as Managing Editor. She wrote hard news, features and a weekly column, sold ads, did interviews, took photos, and won a couple of MS Press Association awards for some of her stories.



In 1985, Marie left the newspaper to open a retail travel agency. She completed agency and computer training with Airlines Reporting Corporation, Delta Airlines and TWA, earned her CTC (Certified Travel Counselor) designation, and joined the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), International Air Transport Association (IATA), and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). For the next 15 years, she managed her agency, sold travel, escorted group tours, sailed on 19 cruises, and visited over 60 countries. Much of the background of her first book, Shore Excursion, comes from that experience.



Marie also did location scouting and worked as the local contact for several feature films, including Heart of Dixie, The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag, and Robert Altman's Cookie's Fortune.



In mid-1999, because of her husband's work, Marie sold the travel agency and moved to Jackson, Mississippi, then New York City, Anna Maria Island, Florida, and Arlington, Virginia. She and her husband now live in Memphis, Tennessee and Holly Springs, Mississippi.



Marie and her mystery novels have been featured in Click! Magazine, At Home Memphis and MidSouth Magazine, Portico Magazine, and Southern Writer's Magazine, She has been a featured guest on WREG's Live at 9, BookTalk, and The Earle Farrell Show. She has given 30 minute presentations: "Whodunnit? Crafting the Mystery Novel" and "Finding A New Career in Mid-life" to numerous civic groups, senior citizens groups, writer’s groups, libraries, and from The Balancing Act Stage as part of the program of The Southern Women's Show. She has served as a panelist on the programs of Malice Domestic Mystery Conference (Bethesda, Maryland, 2012, 2013, 2015) and Killer Nashville Mystery Conference (2013). 



Game Drive, the second book in The Sidney Marsh Murder Mystery Series, was named Finalist for ForeWord Review's 2013 Book of the Year Award in the Mystery category. On March 15, 2015, the third novel in the series, Side Trip to Kathmandu, set in Northern India and Nepal, was released by Camel Press. 



Marie is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

Connect with Marie:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Camel Press  

Featured Author: Paty Lager

About the book

On the eve of the biggest art event at Huckleberry Mountain Resort, potter Shandra Higheagle finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. She’s ruled out as a suspect, but now it’s up to her to prove the friend she witnessed fleeing the scene was just as innocent. With help from her recently deceased Nez Perce grandmother, Shandra becomes more confused than ever but just as determined to discover the truth.

Detective Ryan Greer prides himself on solving crimes and refuses to ignore a single clue, including Shandra Higheagle’s visions. While Shandra is hesitant to trust her dreams, Ryan believes in them and believes in her.

Can the pair uncover enough clues for Ryan to make an arrest before one of them becomes the next victim?

Interview with Paty Lager

Paty, what’s the story behind the title of your book?
If I tell you the story behind the title it gives away part of the mystery. ;) But I can tell you the story behind the Shandra Higheagle Mystery series. I’ve wanted to write a mystery series for many years. When my brother, a bronze sculptor, told me a fascinating fact about a 300 pound bronze statue that would make a great weapon in a mystery novel, I started “stewing and brewing” to come up with the right protagonist and story. I needed something to do with the art world—an artist. I needed something to stay true to my tagline: Tales of romance and intrigue starring cowboys and Indians—Shandra Higheagle with a Native American background, and the crime that uses the 300 pound statue. That is how this book and the series came to me.

Tell us about your series. Is this book a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order?
Double Duplicity is the first book of the Shandra Higheagle mystery series. I try to write the books so they could be standalone but there are relationships and events that run through several books in the series that, while they don’t distract, would be better understood if the books are read in order.

Where’s home for you?
My home is in eastern Oregon on 280 acres. My husband and I raise alfalfa hay and enjoy the wide open spaces of the high desert. We just moved here permanently and recently finished building our house. We are believers in doing things ourselves.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Wallowa County. It is a sparsely populated county in the northeast corner of Oregon. It is the area where the Nez Perce band led by Chief Joseph wintered and summered before they were banned from the area.

If you had an extra $100 a week to spend on yourself, what would you buy?
I’d save it up for a nice pair of Lucchese cowboy boots.  Like my character Shandra Higheagle, I love fancy cowboy boots.


What’s the dumbest purchase you’ve ever made?
The money went to a good cause because it was an online auction for Juvenile Diabetes, but I spent $75 on a ¾ inch by ¾ inch Zuni pig. I collect interesting pigs.

What is the most daring thing you've done?

I drove in a powder puff demolition derby, and I’ve skinny-dipped.


What makes you bored?

I am never bored. That’s the good thing about being a writer. There is never any time to be bored. If I’m sitting in the pickup waiting for my hubby, I can always run the next scenes for a book over in my head.

What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
While I’ve always been miffed that my dad wouldn’t let me go to college for an arts degree, I’m happy with where my life has taken me.

Do you have another job outside of writing?
My job outside of writing is helping my husband farm. I drive the swather (hay cutting machine), back hoe/loader, and semi-truck when it’s hay season. The off season, I help with repairs.

How did you meet your spouse? Was it love at first site?
I don’t think it was love, but it was strong attraction. I was talked into going to an under-21 club with a co-worker. I was nineteen. All the guys there were pimply-faced sixteen-year-olds. I was feeling out of place when a guy who looked my age walked in. I studied him a few minutes then boldly walked over and asked him to dance. I’d never been that forward before, but I wanted someone to talk with who was my age. We ended up dancing and talking all evening. We discovered we had several things in common. He drove me home in an old battered pickup truck that smelled like cow. When he got too handsie, I asked him to leave. I figured he wouldn’t be back. Two nights later there was a knock on my door and there he stood. He told me if I had let him go farther that night he wouldn’t have been back. I was the kind of girl he wanted for a wife. We married two years later and have been married for 36 years.

That's awesome. Are any of your characters inspired by real people?
There is a bit of someone I’ve met in my life in my main and secondary characters. It’s the only way characters can be written is by using facsimiles of people a writer has seen or knows in their life. It’s how the characters become real.


What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?
I’m reading The Handless Maiden by Dorothy Black Crow. It’s in paperback format.


Do you have a routine for writing?
On a routine day (no haying - staying home), I sit down at the computer by no later than 8 o’clock in the morning. I try to get all my emails and business done by ten. Then I write until noon. Have lunch, come back, and write until four.  A good day is 4-5,000 words.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
I can write anywhere. With or without noise. At home I usually have music playing. Depending on the genre I’m writing, I have certain playlists I use. I prefer to write during the day. By nighttime I’m too tired to think straight.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?
The best compliment I’ve received is: “Your books keep me up all night.”

Why did you decide to self-publish?
I started my writing career with a small press. It was very hands-on and taught me a lot about putting a quality book out.  When other authors who had gone self-published suggested I should do it, I decided I could take on the challenge. I liked the idea of being able to hand select my covers, make my own deadlines and publishing dates.

Are you happy with your decision to self-publish? 
Yes. I write stories that can’t be categorized easily which makes agents and editors scratch their heads and say, I don’t know where we’d place this book in a book store. By self-publishing I can get my stories out to the readers without the keepers of the gates holding me back.

If you self-published, what steps to publication did you personally do, and what did you hire someone to do? Is there anyone you’d recommend for a particular service?
I have critique partners I believe in. When they say a story needs this or that, I dissect the story more and make the changes. I have a cover artist who does a great job. And I have an grammar editor and proof-reader. I do all the formatting for the ebooks and print books.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on final edits for the third Shandra Higheagle mystery book, Deadly Aim: The dead body of an illicit neighbor and an old necklace send potter Shandra Higheagle on a chase to find a murderer. Visions from her dead grandmother reveals Shandra is on the right path, but the woods are full of obstacles — deadly ones.

Detective Ryan Greer believes Shandra’s dreams will help solve the mystery, but he also knows the curious potter could get herself killed. He’s determined that won’t happen.

Until he’s blind-sided. Are Shandra’s powers strong enough to save them both, or will the murderer strike again?

About the author

Award-winning author Paty Jager and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. On her road to publication she wrote freelance articles for two local newspapers and enjoyed her job with the County Extension service as a 4-H Program Assistant. Raising hay and cattle, riding horses, and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Her penchant for research takes her on side trips that eventually turn into yet another story.


Connect with Paty:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads