Featured Author: Cindy Blackburn

Cindy Blackburn is the author of Playing With Poison, the first book in the Cue Ball Mysteries series. Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction's main character, Tess Tramaine, got to sit down for a chat with Playing With Poison's Wilson Rye.

About the book:

Pool shark Jessie Hewitt usually knows where the balls will fall and how the game will end. But when a body lands on her couch, and the cute cop in her kitchen accuses her of murder, even Jessie isn't sure what will happen next.

Playing With Poison is a cozy mystery with a lot of humor, a little romance, and far too much champagne.

About the character:

Captain Wilson Rye is the chief homicide detective of the Clarence, North Carolina Police Department. Forty-eight, widower, one son in college. Rye thought he could handle anything. Then he met Jessie Hewitt.

Tess's Interview with Wilson Rye:

Wilson, your series is a humorous romantic cozy mystery. How did you first meet Cindy Blackburn?

In Jessie’s condo. Jessie and I were standing over the dead body of Stanley Sweetzer. It wasn’t the best Friday night I’ve ever had.

Want to dish about her?

About Cindy? The woman always takes Jessie’s side. The two of them are in cahoots.

Well...duh...women have to stick together. Of course they're in cahoots. So tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

When I won a pool game against Jessie. The woman’s a shark, and the look on her face when the eight-ball fell? Priceless.

Competitive much? If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

When Jessie accused me of thinking she was an ugly, old, bitch murderer, I probably should have denied all of the above. Instead, I just told her she’s not ugly. Not my brightest moment.

Typical male move, if you don't mind my saying so, bless your heart. Do have any secret aspirations that your author doesn’t know about?

Yep. But you’re not expecting me to tell you, are you? Cindy will have to work to learn my secrets. Just like Jessie does.

Well aren't you a little dickens. If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do? And leave Cindy out of this.

Go fishing on Lake Lookadoo with my son Chris. Spend the night with Jessie. Don’t tell her I said that.

Um...Wilson...remember when I said girls have to stick together? I'm pretty sure she's gonna find out about that one. What’s the best trait your author has given you?

Cindy gave me lots of good traits--I’m handsome and smart, and I like cats.

What’s the worst?

Cindy insists that I’m impatient. She might have a point. 

A man who's impatient. Shocking. What do you like best about Jessie? Least?

Least—the woman drives me crazy. Best—the woman drives me crazy.


Oh my. Okay...well...What aspect of your author’s writing style do you like best?

Cindy doesn’t pussy-foot around. Her books are fast reads. She cuts out the garbage.

Good trait to have in a writer. Describe an average day in your life.

I take care of my cats, call my son (Chris is in college), catch criminals, and argue with Jessie. Usually in that order.

There are currently three published books in the series. Will you talk her into more?

Yes. But Cindy and Jessie already had a sequel planned, even before I walked into Jessie’s condo that first night. They’re right now in cahoots writing book four of the Cue Ball Mysteries—-Four Play.

Well. That's certainly...an interesting title. I hope you'll come back when it's released. And bring Jessie next time. Okay?

Other books in the Cue Ball Mysteries series:

About the author:

Cindy Blackburn has a confession to make--she does not play pool. It's that whole eye-hand coordination thing. What Cindy does do well is school. So when she's not writing silly stories she's teaching serious history. European history is her favorite subject, and the ancient stuff is best of all. The deader the better! A native Vermonter who hates cold weather, Cindy divides her time between the south and the north. During the school year you'll find her in South Carolina, but come summer she'll be on the porch of her lakeside shack in Vermont. Cindy has a fat cat named Betty and a cute husband named John. Both are extremely lovable. When Cindy isn't writing or grading papers, she likes to take long walks or paddle her kayak around the lake. Her favorite travel destinations are all in Europe, her favorite TV show is NCIS, her favorite color is orange, and her favorite authors (if she must choose) are Joan Hess and Spencer Quinn. Cindy dislikes vacuuming, traffic, and lima beans.


Connect with Cindy:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Featured Author: Larissa Reinhart

Larissa Reinhart is touring with Cozy Mystery Book Tours to talk about her novel, Still Life in Brunswick Stew, published by Henery Press. Larissa's book is a humorous southern mystery with quirky characters. What's not to love?

About the book:

Cherry Tucker’s in a stew. Art commissions dried up after her nemesis became president of the County Arts Council. Desperate and broke, Cherry and her friend, Eloise, spend a sultry summer weekend hawking their art at the Sidewinder Annual Brunswick Stew Cook-Off. When a bad case of food poisoning breaks out and Eloise dies, the police brush off her death as accidental. However, Cherry suspects someone spiked the stew and killed her friend. As Cherry calls on cook-off competitors, bitter rivals, and crooked judges, her cop boyfriend get steamed while the killer prepares to cook Cherry’s goose.

Interview with Larissa Reinhart:  

Larissa, it's no secret I love your genre. Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

No real people, although one of my characters was inspired by another character. Max Avtaikin, Halo’s notoriously rich foreigner and Cherry’s mental sparring partner. Max hails from an unnamed ex-Eastern bloc country, collects War Between the States artifacts, and hosts illegal poker in his basement. He was inspired by the rich Russian with the tiny giraffe in the Direct TV ads. I loved those commercials.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

Cherry’s friend Leah is level-headed, a talented singer and musician, and patient with Cherry. Leah’s mother is too controlling, but Leah has all the virtues I wish I had. Particularly a tall, curvy body which she hides behind shapeless, ruffly, grandma clothes. I would ditch the clothes and walk around in a bikini. Maybe.

To be Cherry for a day would be fun, though...

With which of your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island?

Hmmm. Maybe Cherry’s brother Cody because he’s a genius mechanic. If we were on the S.S. Minnow’s three hour cruise, Cody would have fixed that boat by episode two and sent us back to Hawaii.

Now if I didn’t want to leave the island....probably Luke. Or Max, he entertains me. Todd’s pretty yummy, too. All three might be fun.

Where’s home for you?

I grew up in Andover, Illinois, a farming town of six hundred founded by Swedes. My parents moved to this town from another part of the state, whereas most of the people living there were from the area, so I spent my childhood feeling like I were stuck in an anthropology project. Of course, at eight I didn’t know anthropology. I did know I wasn’t Swedish.

Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live.

We live in Peachtree City, Georgia, a planned community with a ninety mile network of golf cart paths set in a heavily wooded twenty-four square mile area. What’s weird is to see people driving golf carts while walking their dogs. What’s nice is taking my children to and from school on golf carts. I’ve lived here for fourteen years and I still find it beautifully odd.

It sounds wonderful. Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do when it happens?

Of course, although getting writer’s block is nothing as dramatic as you see in the movies. When I can’t seem to move forward in a story, that means I’ve done something wrong. I have to back up, reread, and rewrite. Kind of like driving down the wrong street and having to turn around to go back and find my route.

Is there anything in particular that you do to help the writing flow?

Showers are the best for finding your muse! What is it about showers? Long drives, too. Sitting in church. Singing actually helps me. I am inspired by country music when I’m writing Cherry Tucker. I’ll drive and sing and ideas just pop into my head. I think it’s a zen thing of emptying your mind while keeping your hands (or mouth) busy.

I totally agree. I get ideas while driving too. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

My family loves to travel. We’ve lived in Japan, and my little girls are excellent travelers. They are good with local or exotic destinations, will eat almost anything, and find other cultures fascinating. We’re really lucky. My daughters are adopted from China, so we spent our first moments with them in hotel rooms!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
 
I’m pretty happy where I am, but my family and I do miss Japan. We loved living there. I think we could live most anywhere, but I’d probably complain a lot if we were someplace really cold.

What are you working on now?

I’m doing my revisions for the third Cherry Tucker mystery coming out in November, Hijack In Abstract. I’ve also got a Cherry Tucker prequel novella that will be in The Heartache Motel, a mystery anthology coming out in December. The anthology is set in the Heartache Motel, a total dive, in Memphis. There’s many crazy Elvis inspired adventures set at that motel. It’s been fun to write with my Henery Press friends, Terri L. Austin and LynDee Walker.

Excerpt from Still Life in Brunswick Stew

The officials had abandoned the booth for the cook-off, but a gigantic source of distraction did stand in the empty tent. With hands on his hips, he surveyed the flyers scattered over a picnic table. When you’re five foot and a half inch, any guy over six foot is big, but this particular man would put a steroid-infused Soviet weight lifter to shame. A frown twisted his mouth and his glacier blue eyes appeared troubled.

I hesitated at offering help. Max Avtaikin might be a supporter of the arts, but he had a dubious criminal background. And I kind of accused him of murder a few months back. Which is just plain embarrassing.

Before I could skedaddle, Max turned and caught me gawking.

I skimmed a hand over my limp, blonde ponytail, flapped the sweat off my neon pink halter, and entered the booth. “Hey, Mr. Max. You need help?”

He leaned in for one of those European double kisses. “Cherry Tucker. A pleasure, as always. Do you have the artist stand?”

It took me a second to understand his meaning. Max grew up in one of those Eastern bloc countries when they were still more bloc than country. Using his wily business acumen, he got rich and then got the hell out of Dodge. He settled in small town Georgia because of his odd love for the War Between the States. His accent moved with him.

“I’m selling little oils,” I said. “Still lifes mostly. And trying to advertise my portraiture business. I’ve got a booth with my friend, Eloise Parker. She does pottery. You should check it out.”

“I am wanting to see this art works, but I was asked to judge a food competition,” Max said.

“Really?”

“You sound surprised, Miss Tucker.”

“I just thought, with your, uh, recent trouble, folks would kind of...”

“I am involving in the community services.” He shifted his stance. “You disapprove?”

“Helping the community is a good start.”

“But?”

“You’re still playing cards in your basement?” I asked, referring to his illegal poker games busted a few months ago. Men like Max would play it cool for a while, but find a stealthier way to restart their business. Some folks don’t care about local vice if it’s kept indoors. There’s a history of juke joints and moonshining in rural Georgia that’s transferred to other realms in the modern era. However, I grew up around a county sheriff and know for a fact that doings behind doors eventually seep outside and run havoc elsewhere.

“I’m not understanding your meaning,” he said.

“Oh, I think you do. But it’s none of my business.”

“That didn’t stop your interest a few months ago.”

I fiddled with my sunglasses, wondering what good manners dictated in this situation. Grandma Jo never covered apologies for accusing criminals of the wrong crime. “Well, I hope you’re not messing around with poker anymore.”

“I like games,” Max paused. “And you do, too.”

We shared a long look. I had an inkling Max had some tricks up his sleeve that might warrant closer scrutiny. And oddly enough, he seemed to enjoy baiting me. Maybe he missed the excitement of outsmarting the secret police in his old country. I couldn’t help a small shiver of pleasure at the thought of Max finding me a worthy opponent. Although he probably just found my antics amusing.

I gave Max a half-hearted shrug to show this rabbit wasn’t about to sniff around his traps. If he wanted to corrupt Halo with his shady dealings, well, he just better be careful. I was dating a deputy.

“I have noticed you no longer have use of my nickname,” Max said, steering the conversation down a different current.

“You want me to call you Bear?” Max’s shadier cohorts called him The Bear.

“You used to call me Bear.” He stroked his chin. “Maybe there is significance to your more formal manner?”

A shriek cut off our conversation. “Dangit, I’m missing the fight.” Thankful for the excuse, I fled the stuffy tent.

Max caught up with me in two strides. “What is this fight? A boxing match?”

“Maybe boxing if we’re lucky. Probably just some smart mouthing and shoving.”

“Is this usual at the American festival?”

“America, I’m not sure. But Sidewinder, you bet. Partly it’s the weather. My Grandpa says Southerners used to handle the heat until everyone got air conditioning. You find a shady spot for fishing or sit on your porch and wait for the sun to go down. Now we’re running around in the sun like stray dogs working up a lather.”

Judging by that shriek, it sounded like a stray dog howling up a storm.

And that stray dog sure sounded a lot like Shawna Branson.

About the author:

Larissa Reinhart loves small town characters, particularly sassy women with a penchant for trouble. Still Life in Brunswick Stew (May 2013) is the second in the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series. The first, Portrait of a Dead Guy, is a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist, a 2012 The Emily finalist, and a 2011 Dixie Kane Memorial winner. She lives near Atlanta with her minions and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit. Visit her website, her Facebook page, or find her chatting with the Little Read Hens on Facebook.


Connect with Larissa!
Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Buy the book:
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Featured Author: Joanne Lessner

Cozy Mystery Book Tours brings Joanne Lessner here today to talk about her novel, Bad Publicity. Hopefully, we'll give her some good publicity! And if you're lucky, she might give you something too. Cozy Mystery Book Tours is giving away three Kindle copies of the book to three random readers who leave a comment. So don't forget to comment!

About the book:

In the world of PR, there's only one crime worse than killing a deal--killing a client.

Aspiring actress and office temp Isobel Spice finds a warm welcome at Dove & Flight Public Relations, thanks to her old school friend Katrina Campbell. However, the atmosphere chills considerably when Isobel unwittingly serves an important client a deadly dose of poisoned coffee. Her stalwart temp agent, James Cooke, rushes to her aid, but balks when he learns that the victim was the fraternity brother who got him expelled from college. News that Dove & Flight is being acquired by an international conglomerate quickly supplants the murder as the hot topic of office gossip, but Isobel is convinced the two events are related. When all roads of inquiry lead back to Katrina, Isobel is forced to consider the possibility that her friend's killer instincts go beyond public relations.

Interview with Joanne Lessner:

Joanne, Bad Publicity is your third novel. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

It started when I had to type a term paper for English my junior year in high school. My dad brought home an electric typewriter (yeah, I’m dating myself), and I was having so much fun typing that I kept going—and a novel came out!

Do you have another job outside of writing?

I work in corporate and financial public relations, which is one reason Bad Publicity was so much fun to write. I also review recordings and performances for Opera News. See? There is something practical you can do with a B.A. in Music!

Good to know--my son plans to major in music! How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)

Jason Whiteley never should have had that second cup of coffee. Isobel Spice never should have served it. http://tinyurl.com/a8v5nxz

Did you have any say in your cover art? What do you think of it?

Yes, I worked very closely with my designer, Linda Pierro. She’s one of the publishers at Flint Mine Press, the niche imprint that put out my first (non-mystery) novel, Pandora’s Bottle. I loved that cover so much that when I needed one for The Temporary Detective, I went directly to Linda. She always reads the entire book, which I think many designers don’t take the time to do. For The Temporary Detective, we talked a lot about creating a look we could carry through the series, and because there’s something just the tiniest bit retro about it, she wanted a hint of “girl detective.” My favorite thing is the Isobel icon. At first I wasn’t sure about going monochromatic, but as I add more books, I think it’s really going to pay off. I hope to have a whole rainbow of Isobel Spice novels!

That would be cool. What books have you read more than once or want to read again?

I re-read Elizabeth Jane Howard’s four Cazalet books every five years or so. I just love them. I’ve read the Harry Potter books multiple times, including out loud to my kids. Even after they were old enough to read for themselves, they still preferred the one-woman show. And except for a few that really stick in my mind, I’ve forgotten all the perpetrators in Agatha Christie, so I think I can safely revisit her.

Tell us a book you’re an evangelist for.

I recently discovered Kate Ross. She was a Boston-based trial lawyer who wrote four mysteries before she died of cancer at a forty-one. Her books feature Regency dandy Julian Kestrel. They’re all wonderful, but the best one is the last, The Devil in Music. I think it’s an exceptionally well-crafted mystery and there’s such depth and detail that it really transcends the genre in the best way. I even made my husband read it, and he’s not really into either traditional mysteries or historical fiction. I was very smug when he sat up late several nights in a row, unable to put it down.

What do you do to market your book?

All the usual stuff: Facebook, Twitter. I don’t have my own blog, although I know it’s recommended. But I love contributing guest posts! With Pandora’s Bottle, I sold a lot of books at wine festivals, since it’s about what happens to a man who buys a half-million-dollar bottle of Bordeaux once owned by Thomas Jefferson. I suppose I could hang around the Equity building and try to sell my Isobel books to actors, but they tend not to have as much discretionary cash.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

Delphi is based on my friend Kate, who was, indeed, the first actor friend I made after moving to New York. She’s a very gifted actress and director who really shines in Shakespeare. Sunil was inspired by a friend’s ex-boyfriend who was an Indian Jew. I didn’t even know they existed! Physically, James is modeled on the temp agent who took a chance on me when I first moved to New York, but the similarity ends there. And, um, my victims were inspired by certain irritating people I was forced to work with over the years.

I love doing that! Are you like any of your characters?

Isobel is an idealized version of me at twenty-three. She’s a lot quicker on her feet and more resourceful than I was. But I’m letting her make the same rookie mistakes I did. Oh, and neither of us knows when to shut up.

With which of your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island?

Oh, my God, I think they’d all drive me crazy.


What real people would you most like to be stuck on an island with?

My husband and kids. They would also drive me crazy, but somehow it’s different.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I love the scene where Isobel and Hugh are on their way out to dinner and they run into James. It’s awkward enough, but then this annoying gym rat who’s been stalking James shows up, and suddenly it’s Isobel’s turn to be jealous. It’s wonderfully squirmy all around, especially since the girl from the gym is sort of Isobel times ten. It’s primarily a backstory scene, but I think it’s my favorite.

Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix her?

J.K. Rowling. I am in awe of her. I like to think we have something in common since we share the same name and were born the same year, but she’s really in a class by herself. I’d make my husband cook. He’s the one with the entertaining gene. Besides, I’d probably be so nervous I’d burn everything.

Where’s home for you?

I’ve been proud to call myself a New Yorker for twenty-five years.

If you could only keep one book, what would it be?

The Complete Works of Shakespeare. They say there are only nine plots and Shakespeare invented them all, so I think I’d be pretty well covered.

Would you rather work in a library or a bookstore?

I worked in a bookstore when I was in graduate school, and I was allowed to use it as my own private library. I could borrow books and return them, provided they were still pristine, so that’s the best of both worlds.

You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?

Elizabeth Bennet.

She's my pick too! What’s one of your favorite quotes?

From James Thurber: “Don’t get it right, get it written.”

Love it. Thank you, Joanna!

About the author:

Joanne Sydney Lessner is the author of BloodWrites Award-Winner The Temporary Detective, which introduces Isobel Spice, aspiring actress and resourceful office temp turned amateur sleuth. Isobel’s adventures continue in Bad Publicity. Joanne’s debut novel Pandora’s Bottle (Flint Mine Press) was named one of the top five books of 2010 by Paperback Dolls, and all three books are Awesome Indies Selections. No stranger to the theatrical world, Joanne enjoys an active performing career, and with her husband, composer/conductor Joshua Rosenblum, has co-authored several musicals, including the cult hit Fermat’s Last Tango and Einstein’s Dreams, based on the celebrated novel by Alan Lightman. Her play, Critical Mass, received its Off Broadway premiere in October 2010 as the winner of the 2009 Heiress Productions Playwriting Competition.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | 

Featured Author: Kate Bishop

Breathe is a romantic comedy published by Diversion Books and written by Kate Bishop, who actually isn't one person, but the pen name for three authors who have combined their collective strengths to write as one. See "Kate's" guest post below for a more in-depth explanation of who Kate Bishop is. Thanks to Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours for bringing Kate by today.

About the author:

Kate Bishop is the collective spirit of three friends with a shared passion for writing, yoga and a good, old-fashioned (or New Age) love story. Breathe was inspired by their experiences both on and off the mat and was born of a genuine desire to throw some love, light and laughter into the mix.

Kristin Tone graduated from Bowdoin College with a B.A. in Psychology and received an M.A. in Education from Lesley University. A yoga teacher and an educator, she currently teaches at PS1 Pluralistic School in Santa Monica, California.

Talie Kattwinkel earned a degree in Women’s Studies and Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. She currently specializes in bodywork and healing.

Bridget Evans attended the University of Maryland where she studied education. She taught in the Marin County school system for ten years and co-created OUTWORD, an outdoor writing program for children. She is also a yoga teacher. All three women are mothers to small children.

About the book:

Alex thought she had married the man of her dreams: successful, gorgeous, and delighted by her small-town charm. When he walks out six months later, proclaiming to have 'found himself' (with the help of a stunning yoga teacher), she 'finds herself' alone in an unfamiliar city, vengefully drinking through his prized wine collection, living on takeout, and refusing to answer the door. When this fails to cure her broken heart and bruised ego, she reluctantly allows her new friends to intervene. Slowly, Alex learns to define success on her own terms; she discovers the secret to love in all its forms, and the perfect flying crow pose, one breath at a time.

Interview with Kate Bishop:

I'm guessing the title Breathe has to do with more than just yoga. How did you come up with it?

Our agents actually came up with the title. We knew we wanted something short, simple and fun. It was Yogalicious for a while, then Yogarilla. After trying on many other titles, we all agreed Breathe best captured the essence of the book. Although yoga is a part of Alex’s journey, the book is about personal transformation and love. We were afraid the other titles might alienate those who don’t identify with yoga. Alex certainly wouldn’t have read it.

How did you create the plot for Breathe?

We knew we wanted to write a romantic comedy with yoga as the backdrop. As three writers/friends, we talked often about our aspirations and creative pursuits. At some point, we realized we had a collective story to tell. We began to meet at coffee shops in the early morning and late in the evening, as we had jobs and kids that filled daytime hours. We shared observations of transformation in ourselves and our students. We shared our love stories and our heartbreaks, uncovering common threads. Breathe took shape one chapter a time, one cup of coffee at a time.

Do you all outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

A little of each. We began with a rough idea of where we were headed, but our characters dictated much of the journey. We heeded Steph Cocker’s wise words, “If blown off course, simply change your destination.” We were often surprised by where we found ourselves.

Sophie’s choice: Do you have a favorite of your characters?

We love Andy. We created him to love and be loved.

Where do your characters' names come from?

It’s an intuitive process. Names just sort of materialize, and we sit with them for a while. Most often, they’re spot on. Occasionally, we inadvertently chose the name of a person in one of our lives and were forced to grapple with a new one. When this occurred, we did an Internet search, found an extensive list of names and tried them on the character one at a time - until we were all satisfied. It took awhile.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people? Who?

All of our characters have pieces of each of us and people we have met along the way. No character is based on any one person. Tripp was a compilation of all of our dating errors. Andy was the sum of everything we’ve loved in men. Everyone has encountered a Haley at some point. And Nancy is the woman who we all hope to become. She wears life like a loose, designer shirt.

Are any of you like your characters?

We all really identified with our protagonist, Alex: her humanity, her judgment, her earnest attempt to rise above it and her many stumbling blocks along the way.

Who are your favorite authors?

Anne Lamott, Barbara Kingsolver, Suzanne Collins, Emily Bronte, Jeffrey Eugenides, Sena J. Naslund, Stephanie Meyer, Wally Lamb, Brene Brown.

What book are you all currently reading and in what format?

The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh (e-book)

Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins (paper)

Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg (e-book)

How do you handle criticism of your work?

Of course it stings, but we know we can’t expect everyone to love the book. We have received such positive feedback that the few negative responses are cushioned. We are so grateful for all the support and encouragement and, to be honest, the negative reviews seem to have taken some effort and a very thorough read. Passion over indifference is always favorable, right?

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

As a trio with small children and jobs, most writing happens when the world is asleep. We write between the hours of 9pm and 5am. We love those quiet hours.

So I'm guessing you all don't sleep. Yikes. What’s one of your favorite quotes?

“So we show up. Burn brightly in the moment. Live passionately. Hold nothing back. And when the moment is over and the work is done we step back and let go.” -Rolf Gates

What are you working on now?

Alex and Andy, Part 2

Guest post:

As three authors, our writing process can be difficult to distill for people. Much of it is organic and we often attribute our success (the ability to write a book as a composite) to chemistry. We, the Kate Bishop three or KBT, are very close and were friends before writing Breathe. We each have very personal and sometimes divergent relationships with writing and our styles reflect this. One of us is the visionary, bringing idea after idea to the writing table. One of us feverishly stitches the story together. And one of us is a wordsmith, deliberate, attending to details, grammar and flow. We’ve likened our journey to the crafting of a garment or the building of a house. The designer, the seamstress, and the quality control supervisor. 

What was interesting was that we began rigid in our roles, but as the book materialized, we each found ourselves assuming new positions. Flowing from one to the next. We resisted any tendency to be territorial, as we knew, in order to succeed, we needed to trust each other and the process. We respect one another deeply as people and as writers, and we returned to this again and again.

Our over-arching goal was to create a book that was fun and light, yet addressed the deeper conflicts we encounter in love and life. Beginning with a rough map of where we were headed, we each wrote a chapter in sequence, never writing two in a row in order avoid the dominance of one voice. We then rewrote each other’s chapters- many times- allowing the voice of three to become one. On conference calls from Concord, Bend, and LA, we read aloud night after night until each sentence felt right to us all. It took patience.

A successful novelist once explained that writing novels can be a lonely road to travel. This was not our experience. We are so grateful to have had each other to laugh, scream, and forgive along the way.

So the process was, in essence, a culmination of what we have learned through yoga thus far. Trust, be open, quiet the ego, love, and believe in abundance.

Excerpt from Breathe:

“Alex, I’m leaving.”

I gagged on a wisp of highlighted hair that had sprung from the towel and stuck to my lip balm. Tripp liked my hair blonde. I’d had it done that day.

“What?” I sputtered.

“I’ll let you take a minute.” He turned and walked into the bathroom.

I followed him, stumbling over a pile by the door: boots, corset, thigh highs . . .
“What do you mean ‘you’re leaving’?”

Tripp turned from the mirror where he was preparing to shave as if nothing had happened.

As he stared at me, I felt like one-eared Billy at a dog show. Flawed. Judged.

“Stop looking at me like that! You can’t tell me it’s over and then look at me like that!” I yelled. He smiled mildly.

“Alex, you need to connect to your Truth. I can’t tell you how. That’s your journey. I can only tell you that I can’t follow this path with you anymore. My truth isn’t here. I found my Authentic Self.”

I was beyond insulted. It was one thing to hear this stuff from my mother who, if nothing else, lived her mundane ‘truth’ day after day, but not from a man who has eight sets of identical platinum cufflinks.

“You found what, where?”

“My Truth is in Atlanta, Alex. I found a place where my spirit can truly soar.” He started shaving.

The light bulb went on, and with the flip of a switch, I went from pissed to full on enraged.

“Wait a minute—your piece of ass is in Atlanta! Let’s not get confused here. Would your ‘Truth’ happen to be a contortionist with perfect boobs? Holy shit, Tripp, are you sleeping with—with Lauren—Lauren—” I spun around, looking for the magazine.

“This isn’t about sex, Alex. Lauren and I are united at a soul level, which I don’t expect you to understand. We’ve traveled through many lifetimes together.” He put the razor down and rubbed his smooth jaw line.

“What? Are you talking past lives with me, Tripp? Six months ago, you believed ‘God’ was a nickname for Microsoft. Can you please speak the actual truth here?”

“Like I said, I don’t expect you to understand. I found my path. Yoga has taken me to my true self, my higher self. None of this stuff really matters.” He was looking at himself in the mirror. “Lauren has been my guide.”

I looked at him in cross-eyed disbelief, then ran to grab the Yoga Journal. Panting, I returned to the bathroom, opened to the dog-eared page, and shoved it in his face.

“This woman opened your soul with some . . . ” I pulled the magazine back, furiously scanning the article. “Lavender and eucalyptus?” I was seething. “Seriously?”

I threw the magazine at his face and missed. It hit his chest pathetically and flopped to the floor. He stepped over it and went back to the bedroom, slid into his jeans commando-style, and picked up his suitcase, still packed.

“Alex, I’m sorry it has to be this way, but there is no talking to you about this.”

No talking to me?

“How are we supposed to talk when you are never here?” I cried.

“This was a mistake, and I haven’t known how to tell you. I’m leaving, Alex.”

I ran down the hall after him, caught my robe on a drawer pull, and lost the entire thing. Who makes robes out of cashmere anyway? When I finally wrestled it back on and reached the door, Tripp’s black Range Rover was sailing down the street, a large sticker on the rear window proclaiming, “Namaste.”


Connect with Kate:
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Featured Author: Christoph Fischer

Christoph Fischer was here in April to talk about his first novel, The Luck of the Weissensteiners. Christoph is a great supporter of indie authors, and I'm happy to have him back to tell us about his newest release, Sebastian, a historical fiction novel.

About the book:

Sebastian is the story of a young man who has his leg amputated before World War I. When his father is drafted to the war it falls on to him to run the family grocery store in Vienna, to grow into his responsibilities, bear loss and uncertainty and hopefully find love.

Sebastian Schreiber, his extended family, their friends and the store employees experience the ‘golden days’ of pre-war Vienna and the timed of the war and the end of the Monarchy while trying to make a living and to preserve what they hold dear.

Fischer convincingly describes life in Vienna during the war, how it affected the people in an otherwise safe and prosperous location, the beginning of the end for the Monarchy, the arrival of modern thoughts and trends, the Viennese class system and the end of an era.

Interview with Christoph Fischer:

Welcome back, Christoph. Tell us about Sebastian.

Sebastian is based on an image I have always had about my grandfather, whom I unfortunately never met. He was alive much later than the setting of Sebastian, but his story is that of my protagonist, a young man with an amputated leg, an injury that is not war related, and someone who has to rise to the challenge that a war brings to his life.

A friend of my father had a wooden leg and I was scared stiff of it when I was younger. My grandparents divorced in 1933 and he re-married. He and his family lived on the other side of the Berlin Wall and we never met any of them until the late eighties, by which time my grandfather sadly had already passed on. I only learned a little about him from my aunt, who adored him.

Much of the details she gave me about his life and his rather philosophical and wonderful outlook on life have found its way into the actual grandfather figure in the book, Oscar.

Do you think you're like any of your characters?

I am afraid in this book I am not like anyone at all, but many of the characters have small parts of me. I was a bookworm like Sebastian is as a child, and I shared some of his insecurities in my early twenties. 
I used to go to séances and see Spirit Mediums just like Mathilde Glueck, and I have an interest in Psychology like her mother Theresa Glueck.
I am a hard worker like Ingeborg, maybe that is a Germanic connection….


If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

Well, as Northern European I am often told I am too stuck up, often even viciously referred to as the character ‘Monica’ in the TV series “Friends.” I would go for Eva, the Hungarian help, because she has such a relaxed attitude towards life and work, yet achieves so much so easily. I could do with a dose of that….apparently.


A lot of my other characters have a hard lot in my book, and I would rather not swap with them.



Understandable. Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

The scene when Sebastian’s mother does or does not (I can’t tell you which, you have to read the book yourself) find out that her husband has an affair with one of the assistants. It was so much fun to write, I just could not make up my mind whether her husband should get away with it or not. That whole sequence was great fun from a writer’s point of view.


As a reader of my own novel I enjoy the scenes between the Glueck women and Vera, Sebastian’s mother, as they try to cheer Vera up and make her their pet project, the whims of rich women trying to chase away their boredom.

With what five real people would you most like to be stuck on an island?

You, Amy, because you ask such fun questions!
Many celebrities have a bad reputation for off-screen behavior, but I will “settle” for:
Tina Fey – to keep you company with the jokes
Ewan MacGregor – an adventurer with charisma
Barbara Streisand – to entertain us with her singing and tales about Hollywood
Ola Rapace (Swedish James Bond actor) or Robert Downey Jr., to go hunt and gather for us.

Cool. I'm totally there--and honored to be one of your five. You were serious, right? Who are your favorite authors? (Besides me, of course.)


You, Amy, I learned from my mistake. Only you.

Nice try, buddy. But I'm not buying it! So...try again.

Well maybe Ty Patterson, Paulette Mahurin, Suneeta Misra, and Bernice L. Rocque.

I'm crushed. Just kidding. How long is your to-be-read pile?

It is endless. The kindle is deceptive as to how many books are hiding on the next page in the inventory. I also have a huge pile of paperbacks, secretly stashed away in the loft. I bring them in from my trips into town and my partner does not know that I spent half the grocery budget on such luxury, particularly when I never get round to reading them all. Please don’t tell on me.

Your secret is safe with me. You get to decide who would read your audiobook. Who would you choose?


Laura Linney, that woman can read the local telephone directory and I would listen.


Your two published books are historical fiction. Do you ever see yourself writing in another genre?

Yes, absolutely. I have a few books in draft form waiting to be edited and they are not historical at all. Temporary issues are just as important, and I have written about mental health, Alzheimer's, and escapism. I just need to find the time to tighten them up and publish them.


Maybe your manuscript on Alzheimer's should meet my manuscript on Alzheimer's. It's quite a subject. Tell me some of your favorite quotes.

“Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.” ― Dalai Lama XIV

“Everybody has a secret world inside of them. I mean everybody. All of the people in the whole world, I mean everybody — no matter how dull and boring they are on the outside. Inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds... Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe.” ― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 5: A Game of You


"You don’t expect the Spanish Inquisition." -- Monty Python

I would have to agree with all of those. Good choices. Where’s home for you?

Home is currently near Bath in Wiltshire, UK. I am still sentimentally attached to my home town in Bavaria but my family itself is spread across the continent and due to the vast amount of travelling in my last day job, I am shamefully lazy in making the effort and going there more often.

Because my family was not ‘proper’ German or Bavarian, I have developed a slight sense of homelessness. After 7 years with my partner in Wiltshire I am settled in the relationship but location wise I could move to somewhere in Wales or even to Goose Pimple Junction tomorrow.

Wow. You just put Goose Pimple Junction in the same category as Wales. That's so cool. I

think I could live either of those places too.

Okay...tell us about the puppies!

Aw, yes. They are our third litter of Labradoodles. We have three adult girls, Molly, Greta and Wilma. Molly had 9 and 12 and has retired from birthing. Greta was never inclined to have ‘relations,’ and Wilma, our youngest ‘adult’ just had 6 gorgeous, charming heart breakers.


They are 8 weeks old at the moment and an absolute delight. All different colours and playful characters, they will soon have to leave the family and make other people happy.


And that they will. I have a Labradoodle, and they're great dogs. In fact, this picture of your Molly looks like my Cooper. I wonder if she could teach him to read.
Your last meal would be…Haloumi Cheese and Spinach Curry

If you could only keep one book, what would it be?

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. It is an epic book of 900 pages, I have read it several  times, and I enjoyed it every single time. It would provide the maximum benefit from only one book.

Would you rather work in a library or a bookstore?

That is a tough call. Can I go 50/50 on that one?

Sure.

I love the peace and quiet of a good library but also the buzz of a great bookstore.

You just won the lottery. What’s the first thing you would buy?

I am not very materialistic. I think I would hire people to market my books and those of others I think are really good, maybe even found an independent publishing house. Know any authors looking to publish? ;-)

I would be your first query. I hope you win the lottery! You’re given the day off, and you can do anything but write. What would you do?

Sunbathe in a hammock in the garden and read. Maybe a book set in Goose Pimple Junction?

Excellent. If you could be any fictional character for one day, who would you be?

Maybe a character in a Murakami novel, they seem to have great and bizarre adventures.

Name one thing you couldn’t live without.

Dogs. I used to be scared of them, now I wouldn’t want to live without them.

You have very literary dogs! If only they could write reviews...

What would your dream office look like?

Spacious with lots of clear surfaces (will never last) and a great view of the countryside. Dogs resting at my feet (also never lasts) and several assistants.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Playing with the puppies, spending time with the older dogs, reading in the bath tub, watching silly TV (currently hooked on the 1970s show “Soap”), going to the gym and sitting in the garden.

All worthy past times. Okay, spill it...what are you currently working on?

Another historical novel, set in Denmark, Finland, and Lapland, about a group of idealists during the Finnish Civil War, when Finland broke away from Russia during the revolution.

Sounds great. You will be back to tell us about it, right? I want first dibs!

About the author:

Christoph Fischer was brought up near the Austrian border in Bavaria and has since lived in Hamburg, London, Brighton and Bath. He always loved books and one of his first jobs was in a library. Sebastian is his second book and is part of the Three Nations Trilogy. The Luck of The Weissensteiners was published in November 2012 and has a thematic connection but no direct link to the plot of Sebastian.


Since becoming an author, Christoph has begun to support other authors and has joined several internet author groups.



Connect with Christoph:
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Featured Author: Elle Marie

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours brings Elle Marie here today to talk about her novel,Chronicle of the Mound Builders. She's also here with a guest post and an excerpt from the book. Elle will be running a Rafflecopter giveaway during the tour for a $20 Amazon Gift Card. Scroll to the bottom of today's post to enter. Somebody has to win...

About the book:

When archaeologist Angela Hunter discovers an ancient codex at a Mississippian Indian dig site, she is mystified. The Mississippians, also called the Mound Builders, vanished more than 700 years ago and had no known written language. Who could have written this journal?

In the early 1300's, Chipahua’s family is torn apart. After he rebels against the Aztec tradition of human sacrifice, Chipahua is cursed by a jealous priest. The curse prevents him from bleeding, thus casting a cloud of shame over him since he is unable to participate in blood-letting rites to worship the gods. He escapes his enemies with his 12-year-old son and undertakes an arduous journey from the Gulf of Mexico up the Mississippi River. Guided by strange visions, they finally settle in the thriving community of Migaduha - modern-day Cahokia Mounds, Illinois.

Angela will let nothing stop her from solving the chronicle’s mystery – not Dr. Franklin Oettendorf, her former professor and lover, or Joseph Edgewater, grand master of a secret Native American society. She translates the symbols in the codex and learns a terrible secret that threatens the balance of nature today. Only by joining forces with Joseph does she stand a chance of conquering the horrifying evil. But can she trust him? Despite her growing attraction to Joseph, she senses he’s not telling her everything.

Guest Post:

One of the challenges I faced in writing Chronicle of the Mound Builders was deciding how much detail was necessary for each scene, particularly the science-related chapters. I call this the 'Goldilocks Concept.' You can't have too much detail, and you can't have too little – it has to be just right.

I love math and science, so my tendency was to thoroughly research a procedure – say carbon-dating – and then incorporate the techniques into the lab chapters in lots of detail, explaining just how the process works. But what's exciting and fascinating to a scientist might not be so interesting to the average person. Too much technical detail could slow down the story and – dare I say it? – bore the reader. So I then simplified the scientific mumbo-jumbo, using my judgment as to what level of detail would captivate my readers.



The next step was to ask for feedback from my early readers. Results were definitely mixed - "Too much jargon" "I want more details" "Skip the whole chapter" "Love the scientific parts."

I had a similar experience with the romantic scene. I don't feel comfortable writing graphic sex, nor do I feel it's appropriate for this type of book. My sex scene was meant to be soft, romantic, and fairly brief – you get the idea. When my husband read my first draft, he didn't realize that my characters had just made love. I guess I was a little too subtle. So I beefed it up a bit, then got more feedback from some early readers. Again, results were mixed – "That sex scene wasn't necessary" "What sex scene?" "It was very romantic".



Writing is an art, not a science. Getting the level of detail just right – not too much and not too little – is something I'll continue to work on. But of course you can't please everyone!

Interview with Elle Marie:

Elle, how long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I started my writing career with the publication of a nonfiction book, Living the Thin Life, in 2008. In it, I tell my story of losing weight and keeping it off. I was a bit intimidated by the idea of writing fiction, but after the success of this book (and with a lot of encouragement from my husband, Doug) I decided to try my hand at a novel.

Describe your book in a tweet. (140 characters or less.)

Archaeologist Angela Hunter races against time to decipher an ancient codex before tragedies of the past return to the present. How’s that? Thirteen characters to spare!

Excellent! How did you create the plot for this book?

I’ve always wondered what happened to the ancient civilization at Cahokia Mounds. They disappeared 700 years ago with few traces left behind - one of archaeology’s greatest mysteries. When a Mound Builders village was discovered in my hometown of Chesterfield, Missouri, it gave me the idea to write about what might have actually happened to destroy the prosperous community. Once I came up with the mystery’s solution, I worked backward to develop the plot leading up to the dramatic climax.

How do you get to know your characters?

This may seem silly, but I started by finding pictures of people who looked the way I imagined my main characters would look. Whenever it was appropriate to describe a character’s appearance in the story, I looked at the pictures for inspiration on what struck me about each one. To flesh out their personalities, I included bits and pieces of real people I know. But after a while, they took on their own unique personalities and became real to me.

I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?

I created a spreadsheet with sections for women’s names, men’s names, last names, and Indian names. I started listing my favorite names, then went through the daily newspaper and the telephone book to get ideas for additional surnames. As each new character came up, I referred to my list to pick a combination of first and last name, keeping track of the names I had already used. I tried to keep the names different enough so the readers wouldn’t confuse the characters, so I made sure to start names with different letters and use a variety of ethnicities. All that being said, sometimes I just came up with the perfect name as soon as the new person appeared.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

Definitely Angela Hunter, my main character. She’s smart, funny, and courageous, but not perfect. I’d love to be more like her.

What are your favorite books or favorite authors?

a) As a child: I devoured Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy mysteries.
b) As a teenager: When I was a teenager, I loved reading romantic classics, such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Tess of the D’Urbervilles.
C) As an adult: Today I enjoy an eclectic mix of mysteries, historical fiction, and fun chick lit books.

Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix me? I mean, him. Or her.

Obviously, you would be my first choice! But I suppose my second choice would be Tina Fey. I just finished reading Bossypants and it was hilarious! Cooking isn’t my best skill, but I think I could whip up an Italian pasta dish and toss a salad. Then provide plenty of wine for a fun night.

Well, if Tina can't make it, just let me know! What are you working on now?

I’m helping to edit an exciting new book from Vicki Lesage, my daughter. She’s lived in France for the past 7 years and is writing about her experiences as an American in Paris. It’s fun for me to be on the editing side vs. the writing side for a different perspective.

Tell her to stop by and tell us about it sometime!

Excerpt:

From Chapter 27

Angela heard a loud, familiar voice in the reception area.

“I need to see Dr. Hunter.”

Angela groaned. Franklin must be here to see the jar. She shut down her laptop and put the codex in her desk as she heard Franklin arguing with their receptionist, Stella.

“Dr. Angela Hunter, of course,” he boomed. “Why would I want to see Dr. Peter Hunter?”

“I’m just trying to help, sir,” said Stella, a model-pretty twenty-something. “Maybe you don’t realize there are two Dr. Hunters here.”

Angela quickly opened her door, calling, “It’s all right, Stella. Franklin, I’m in here.”

Franklin stormed over to her. “Have you purposely trained your receptionist to stall visitors?”

Behind Dr. Oettendorf’s back, Stella stuck out her tongue.

Angela stifled a smile.

“Of course not. Please come on in. What can I do for you?”

Slightly appeased, Dr. Oettendorf entered her office and glanced around.

“I was told you found a codex in my jar from the Faust Park burial mound.”

Taken aback, Angela admitted, “That’s true. We opened the jar and found a codex inside.”

“When were you planning to tell me?” he demanded.

“We only discovered it a few days ago,” said Angela, trying not to sound defensive. “Remember, I’m the one Major Benton assigned to do the analysis. It’s my responsibility.”

“I’m responsible for the Faust Park burial mound and that includes the jar as well as anything inside it!”

Angela crossed her arms with a defiant look. “There’s no need to shout. I was planning to show it to you.”

“Well? Where is it?”

Angela reluctantly opened her drawer and pulled out the ancient artifact.

“It’s very delicate. Be careful,” she advised as she handed it over.

Franklin looked at her haughtily. “I know how to handle archaeological artifacts.”

He examined the book from all sides, in awe of its pristine condition. It could provide the basis for a very attention-getting publication. Perhaps it contained information about the powerful talisman! He flipped through the pages as if reading a modern book.

“Actually, it reads from back to front,” corrected Angela.

“Whatever. What do all these symbols mean? Have you determined the iconography system?”

“The pictographs are similar to Aztec symbols. In fact, some are identical to those found in Aztec codices salvaged from the Spanish conquistadors. Others are either symbols from older codices that were destroyed or else invented by the author specifically for this chronicle.”

“Chronicle? Why do you call it that?” asked Franklin, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s telling a story, rather than the more typical Aztec trading accounts or religious mythology. I’m attempting to translate it.”

“Yes, that’s what the Major said. Please give me your translation.”

“But I haven’t gotten very far,” she protested, subconsciously glancing at her laptop. “I haven’t shown it to anyone yet.”

“I assume you’ve been documenting the translated work on your computer,” said Franklin, noting the telling look.

“Yes, of course, but as I said I haven’t made much progress. I’ve been preoccupied with the Chesterfield Valley dig.”

“Although I understand you found time to go gallivanting around the countryside yesterday.”

Angela bit her lip. “Carl mentioned you stopped by. We were only gone a few hours.” As if it’s any of your business!

“Well, give me what you have. I’ll need to analyze it myself to determine its context as part of the Faust Park burial mound.”

Angela held out her hand.

“I’ll give you a copy once I complete the translation. Now may I have the codex back?”

“I insist you give me what you have so far,” Franklin said, his voice rising in irritation at her stubbornness.

“What’s going on in here?” asked Peter, poking his head in the doorway. “Is there a problem?”

“Hi, Dad,” said Angela. “I believe Dr. Oettendorf was just leaving.”

Peter entered the room and took Franklin firmly by the arm, handing the codex back to Angela. “Here, I’ll show you out. Thanks for visiting.”

Franklin turned back as he left Angela’s office, saying, “I’ll be expecting that translation soon.”

Peter returned in a few minutes.

“He’s gone now. Was he bothering you? You’re shaking.”

“I’m just angry,” Angela replied, taking a calming breath. “He’s such a bully!”

“Don’t let him get to you,” urged Peter. “He doesn’t know chalk from cheese.”

“Oh, Dad!” she said, giving him a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Happy to be of service. I’m sure you could have handled him yourself, though. You know, you reminded me of your mother just then. She sure knew how to hold her ground.”

Angela sighed. “You’re right. She wasn’t afraid of anyone. I still miss her a lot.”

“Me too, sweetie.”

He broke free. “Well, time to get back to work.”

About the author:

Coming from a large family of readers, Elle Marie grew up with a love of reading. Her passion for reading led to a desire to write. After first publishing a nonfiction book, Living the Thin Life, she turned to fiction.

A visit to Cahokia Mounds sparked a fascination with the mysterious Mound Builders, about whom so little is known. What was their culture like? How did ordinary people live in the 14th century? What caused the civilization to vanish, seemingly overnight? She put her imagination to work and came up with a story line that put it all together. Extensive research enabled her to create a believable, engrossing world.

By day, she works in the information technology field at a large financial services firm. She is a graduate of the Missouri University of Science & Technology and lives in the St. Louis area with her husband. Chronicle of the Mound Builders is her first novel.


Elle's website

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Featured Author: Madison Johns

Madison Johns is the author of Grannies, Ghosts and Guns, a cozy mystery. She's here on the last stop of her blog tour with Cozy Mystery Book Tours for an interview, and she also brought an excerpt. I ain't afraid of no ghosts! Don't miss the link at the bottom of this post for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.

About the book:

Senior snoop, Agnes Barton, has taken up residence in a Winnebago at a campground in East Tawas, Michigan. It’s not the ideal place for a woman of seventy-two to live, but she’s making do. She had planned to start a detective agency with partner in crime, Eleanor Mason, but a snag with the license has them free wheeling it, not that it matters because they are the ones folks call when dead bodies turn up.

A frantic phone call has Agnes and Eleanor racing to the scene of yet another crime scene. Herman Butler has fallen to his death from a third story window, and the widow, Betty Lou, is beside herself with either grief or competing for the Oscars, and it’s up to Agnes and Eleanor to unravel the mystery, which gets more interesting when a ghost is listed as a possible suspect.

This time around, Agnes and Sheriff Peterson can agree, the widow is nuts, but wait, a few days later the ghost ship, Erie Board of Trades, was spotted off the shores of Lake Huron. Ghost hunters, G.A.S.P., hightail it into town, and East Tawas is overrun with ghost sightings.

Agnes and Eleanor must sort fact from fantasy before another body is found or a curse is realized.

Interview with Madison Johns:

Madison, what prompted you to start writing?

I started writing four years ago. I have always wanted to be a writer and felt I was at the point where I had enough life experiences to draw from. I just started typing out short stories, but felt restricted and ended up writing novels.

How did you come up with the title Grannies, Guns and Ghosts for this book?

It’s the second in the series, and it’s about female senior-aged sleuths, so Grannies was a perfect fit. They always carry a pistol, so that’s where the guns came from, and the book has a ghost theme. Grannies, Guns and Ghosts fit perfectly.

It sure does! Do you have another job outside of writing?

I used to work as a nursing care assistant, one of the reasons my series features senior-aged characters, but now I work as a housekeeper.

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

I totally write from the seat of my pants, but I will jot down a few ideas and try to fit them in.

How did your cover art come about?

I hired Paul Beeley from Create Imaginations. He read the manuscript and came up with a great concept for the cover. I absolutely love it.

Tell us a book you’re an evangelist for.

Shoe Marks. It’s written by Karen Vance Hammond and it’s a great paranormal, and I usually don’t read books like that.

Have you ever bought any books just for the cover? Did you enjoy the book(s)?

Yes, I bought Girl of my Dreams by Morgan Mandel. It had a cartoon-looking cover and it turned out to be a great book. I love it!

What do you do to market your books?

Right now I’m trying to get onto some great blog tours, but besides that my first book in the series has landed on some high profile sites as a bargain book and that has helped with the sales of book two.

Do you have imaginary friends? When do they talk to you? Do they tell you what to write or do you poke them with a Q-tip?

Laughs. I have had imaginary friends for many years now, only now I start to listen to them. Having a vivid imagination is a gift, and I would never poke my imaginary friends with a Q-tip with fear that they would leave. What would I write about then?

I was just joking. Actually, speaking of characters talking to you--Pickle put me up to it. He has a t-shirt that says something about poking voices with a Q-tip. When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

With this series I do, but not all cast members return in a sequel other than the main character and her best friend. I try to let their love interests come back too.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

I love writing about Eleanor Mason because she is based on a real person. I think that’s why she comes across so strong. She has opinions and has no fear. She’s also very fun to write about.

I’m constantly on the lookout for new names and even troll the obits for good ones. How do you name your characters?

I have no idea where their names come from. I like to use real names. When I meet someone with a name that just sings to me, watch out. They’ll definitely end up in a book. I have also used the telephone book in search of names. My daughter likes to name characters too.

What would your main character say about you?

That I put her into difficult situations and find people to bug her like Sheriff Peterson. They have a love/hate thing going on.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

Eleanor Mason, she’s a resident at a nursing home who I used to care for. She’s the one person where I kept her name as it is. Dorothy and Frank Alton were inspired by a married couple I used to care for also.

Do you put yourself into any of your characters?

I’m a little like many of them. It’s hard not to put yourself into your characters.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

Eleanor Mason, because she can get away with anything. She can do anything or say anything and nobody ever messes with her.

With which of your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island?

Trooper Sales, he’s a hot state trooper, what could be better than that?


Beats me! I wonder if your Trooper Sales knows my Trooper Butterfield. Hmmm...

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

My favorite scene is when Agnes Barton shows up at the scene of a crime and she questions the widow of the man they found dead. It brings up many fictional characters for laughs, and I play it off like she’s real, not fictional. It turned out to be very funny.

What song would you pick to go with your book?

The Ghostbuster theme song, “We ain’t afraid of no ghost.”

What books have you read more than once or want to read again?

I could read One for the Money more than once. I love Janet Evanovich.

Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix her?

I’d invite Janet Evanovich and make her fettuccini alfedo with chicken, garlic bread and have plenty of wine on hand. I bet she’d be funny to get tipsy with.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on yet another sequel to this book. This time the girls get to go to Florida for the winter.

Sounds fun! I hope you'll come back and tell us more about it.

Excerpt from Grannies, Guns and Ghosts

I rolled my eyes; following Eleanor’s directions, and drove up a drive that led to a well-manicured lawn of the Butler Mansion. I braked hard as I saw a group of seniors surrounding a man lying on the ground.

I narrowed my eyes. “They called us before the sheriff or the state police?”

“Yup, I told them to wait a spell,” El said.

“You do know that this is potentially a crime scene, right? The law should be here before everybody else is called.”

Eleanor fidgeted with her fingers. “They'll shoe everyone off and we'll never get to find out what happened. It's not my fault folks trust us more than that lame-brained sheriff.”

I didn't much care for Sheriff Peterson myself, but I do have some respect for law enforcement. Of course, I much preferred Trooper Sales to him, but it didn't matter who I liked or didn't like. I need to be a law-abiding citizen, and that means securing the crime scene at this point.

El and I got out real quick and approached the hysterical crowd.

“Oh my God, my poor husband is dead!” a woman's voice wailed. It belonged to fiery redhead poured into a tight, strumpet-red dress, her breasts nearly popping out. “I can't b-believe this, oh God why did you have to take my husband on our wedding day.”

“Wedding day!” Eleanor shouted and shuffled her feet as the woman turned to look at her.
“I'm Agnes Baron P.I. and this here is my assistant, Watson.” I thumbed in El's direction.

El's eyes narrowed. “That's fine, Watson is way smarter than Sherlock Holmes ever was.”

“Have you ever read Sherlock Holmes dear? If you had... oh forget it. We’re here to investigate.”

“Are you Miss Marple?” a woman dressed in a maid uniform asked me inquisitively.

I smoothed my hair back. “I fancy myself more of a Jessica Fletcher.”

“She's such a know-it-all, Aggie, you don't want to be her,” Eleanor laughed.

“I'm certainly not trying to be Miss Marple or any other fictional character. I'm the real deal.” I took an elegant stance like I was posing for a magazine. “I have never even read an Agatha Christie book before,” I insisted.

I walked toward the body, knelt to check for a pulse, but found none. I glanced at an open window on the third floor, and then back at the maid. “How long has he been laying out here?”

“Thing is,” the redhead started, “we’re just not sure. You see, we moved here yesterday and—”

“I thought you just were muttering that this was your wedding day.”

“I heard her too, Aggie,” Eleanor affirmed with a bob of her head.

The woman's eyes shifted slightly. “Like I was saying if you'd quit interrupting me. We were married yesterday and had a reception celebrating the event late into the night,” She giggled. “Of course, we did manage to consummate our marriage.”

“Why would I think anything else?” I asked.

Red glared at me, but continued. “He left momentarily and—”

“Needed to take another Viagra,” Eleanor slipped in.

“Point is, I must have fallen asleep, and when I awoke this morning, I realized he was missing. We then tore the place apart looking for him.” She started bawling something awful now.

“What did you say your name was?” I asked. It had occurred to me that I should tell somebody to call the sheriff's department, but I wanted the rest of this woman's story.

“I didn't,” the woman snapped. “My name is Betty Lou Butler, but don't you dare call me just plain Betty ever.”

“Okay, Betty, and your husband's name is?”

She glared at me and tightened her lips, not saying a word. I had struck a nerve.

“His name was Herman,” the maid said. “Herman Butler.” She nodded. “I'm Teresa,” the maid shook my hand vigorously. “I knew right away that I should call you.” She smiled just then. “I know you can find out what really happened to Mr. Butler.” Her black uniform with ruffed white collar flapped in the wind. Her round cheeks blushed slightly in a show of a possible sunburn. I guessed her to be about thirty.

“And Herman just moved here. Is that right?”

“He just inherited the house since the latest Butler died unexpectedly a few months past,” the maid said.

“I see, and how did the last Butler die?”

“Hunting accident.”

“I see. Herman inherited the house and got married to this Betty Lou and now he’s dead.”
“Yes, quite,” the maid replied.

“Gee, these Butlers sure are accident prone,” El said. “Presuming he fell out the window up there,” she observed.

Betty Lou pushed the maid aside, “I don’t know what you’re implying here, but I had nothing to do with—”

El interrupted her with, “Marrying a guy and then him kicking the bucket soon after?”

“And after he just inherited a mansion, quite coincidental if you ask me,” I added.

I stared at the body that was face down on the lawn. My eyes drifted upward toward the open window on the third floor again. It was a tiny window though; too tiny for this man to squeeze through, or so it seemed.

Herman's arms were both bent at the elbows and his legs were at an odd angle.

“His legs look broken,” Eleanor observed.

I nodded. “Somebody call the sheriff's department and please move away from the body.”

“It was just an accident,” Betty Lou said. “He must have gotten confused last night and fell out the window is all.”

“So now he was confused?” I countered. “But not too confused to get married just yesterday?”

“I just know that I didn't have nothing to do with this, and when the sheriff shows up he'll tell you so.”

“Will he now?” I couldn't help but stare at that open upstairs window. “Mind if I go inside?”

Betty Lou huffed in the background and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her cleavage complete with lighter and lit up while we made our way toward the house.


                                                                  Other books by Madison Johns:

About the author:

As a child, Madison Johns preferred to distance herself from other children her age, and had been described as a dreamer. Even as a small child, she remembers staying awake many a night fighting dragons, whisked away to foreign lands, or meeting the man of her dreams.

She was a voracious reader of historical romance in her teen years and has always wished to one day journey to England, France, Ireland, and Scotland.

The writing bug bit her at the age of 44 and she pounded out three books since that time. As the publishing climate changed she took a risk and decided to self publish, first a collection of two horror short stories geared for YA, Coffin Tales Season of Death.

Madison's caring nature had led her to work in the healthcare field, where she was employed as a nursing care assistant at a nursing home, and it was there that she was inspired to write her first mystery, Armed and Outrageous, introducing amateur detective Agnes Barton. The book depicts two elderly ladies digging up clues with enough laugh out loud antics to make James Bond blush.

Connect with Madison:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Amazon | Amazon UK

Cozy Mystery Book Tours Giveaway:

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