FEATURED AUTHOR: SARAH T. HOBART

ABOUT THE BOOK

Newly armed with her real estate license, Sam Turner loves Arlinda, her quirky seaside hometown in Northern California. But life by the beach isn’t exactly a breeze: She and her teenage son, Max, are being evicted from their apartment, her long absent ex-husband unexpectedly resurfaces, and her possibly romantic relationship with sexy Chief of Police Bernie Aguilar is, well . . . complicated. All Sam wants is a quick and easy sale. What she gets instead is a killer headache—or three.

Sam’s trying to drum up interest in 13 Aster Lane, a rambling Victorian fixer-upper that’s more than a little neglected—and possibly haunted—so when a trio of offers arrive out of the blue, she can’t help thinking it’s too good to be true. But after a new client drops dead on the property, she fears she’s lost more than a commission. Before Sam’s out of house and home, she must unmask a killer targeting her clients, or the only property she’ll be moving will be plots—at the local cemetery.

INTERVIEW WITH SARAH HOBART

Sarah, how did you get started writing?
By reading. Every Friday after dinner, my family would walk to the Keene, New Hampshire, Public Library and check out as many books as we could carry—and I could carry a lot! I loved stories about animals, Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, Sherlock Holmes, Asimov’s Foundation series . . . I read everything, even lugged home a textbook on the skeletal system of mammals once. We had the full collection of Agatha Christie's on a bookshelf at home, and after I read, Toward Zero, I was hooked. But I wrote in a lot of different genres, mostly humorous stories for my family, and later, for my own kids. I tried a couple of short mysteries just for fun; one was used by our public library as the finale to their summer reading program. And that was that—until I challenged myself to attempt a full-length mystery novel before a certain milestone birthday.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
Thinking like a writer: taking my observations of people, situations, and places and transforming them into fodder for my stories.

Do you write every day?
Yes!

What do you think is hardest aspect of writing a book?
The first ten thousand words.

What’s more important–characters or plot?
That’s a tough one. Characters and plot go together like peanut butter and mayonnaise (okay, that’s an acquired taste.) But since I have to choose one . . . Agatha Christie was and is the queen of incredible plotting, with twists and turns that will misdirect the most seasoned mystery reader. But she didn’t sell eighty gazillion books (and counting) through plot alone. Without wasting words, she drew memorable characters–Hercule Poirot, Jane Marple,  Harley Quin, among others—to drive those plots. So I believe great characters have a bit of an edge over great plots. They keep us reading.

How often do you read?
Every day.

What books do you currently have published?
Before writing Death at a Fixer-Upper, I wrote Good Bones in 2012 and Like a House on Fire in 2013, under the pen name Muriel Wills.


Do you have any secret talents?
I can cut and dye hair (hot pink), even to the exacting standards of a teenager.

Is writing your dream job?
Absolutely. Though running my own ice cream shop is a close second.


What is the worst job you’ve ever had? What did it teach you?
Out of desperation, I took a graveyard-shift job cleaning toilets for a janitorial firm, until one night I nodded off over the commode. I learned I was not cut out for night work.

For what would you like to be remembered? 
“She was an odd duck, but she made me laugh.”

What scares you the most?
Hard drive crashing before I hit “save.”

What’s one thing you never leave the house without (besides your phone)?
My handheld GPS device–for geocaching, naturally.

What do you love about where you live?
It’s the most beautiful place on earth! And there really is a Kinetic Sculpture Race.


What’s your favorite thing to do/favorite place to go on date night?
Date night?

What's the biggest lie you ever told?
I once spilled my margarita on my six-year-old son’s Buzz Lightyear action figure, so instead of saying, “To infinity–and beyond!” he said, “Brrzzztt.” I told my son it was due to a factory defect.

Name one thing you’re really good at and one thing you’re really bad at.
Taking care of animals (including humans): I’m all over that. Taking care of plants: I reduce them to brown twigs in a matter of weeks. Not sure why. I water and water! The local nursery won’t sell me house plants anymore.

Where is your favorite place to visit?
New England in October – the colors are spectacular.

Do you give your characters any of your bad traits?
Sam Turner has quite a sweet tooth. That’s drawn from life.

What’s one thing that drives you crazy?
Its versus it’s. Its quite a pet peeve of mine.

Good one! What’s your favorite/most visited Internet site?
Geocaching.com.

What’s in your refrigerator right now?
Beer, soda, and eggs. Those are the major food groups, right?

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“Those who are tardy do not get fruit cup.” (High Anxiety).

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
Ferndale, California. It takes me back to when I was a kid. Everyone is sweet and helpful, and they still use a card catalogue.


How do you like your pizza?
Pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, onions, roasted red peppers.


What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop?
Our basset hound Bailey.


Do you have a favorite book?
Three (at least): To Kill a Mockingbird; Shining Through by Susan Isaacs; and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
.

If you had to choose a cliché about life, what would it be?
“This too shall pass.”


What are you working on now?
A Killer Location.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Hobart is a real estate agent and former newspaper reporter in Northern California, where she lives with her husband and two children in a majestic fixer-upper overlooking State Highway 101.


Buy the book:
Amazon 

FEATURED AUTHOR: CHRISTOPH FISCHER

ABOUT THE BOOK:

It’s World War II and Ludwika Gierz, a young Polish woman, is forced to leave her family and go to Nazi Germany to work for an SS officer. There, she must walk a tightrope, learning to live as a second-class citizen in a world where one wrong word could spell disaster and every day could be her last. Based on real events, this is a story of hope amid despair, of love amid loss . . . ultimately, it’s one woman’s story of survival.

Editorial Review:

"This is the best kind of fiction—it’s based on the real life. Ludwika’s story highlights the magnitude of human suffering caused by WWII, transcending multiple generations and many nations.

WWII left no one unscarred, and Ludwika's life illustrates this tragic fact. But she also reminds us how bright the human spirit can shine when darkness falls in that unrelenting way it does during wartime.

This book was a rollercoaster ride of action and emotion, skilfully told by Mr. Fischer, who brought something fresh and new to a topic about which thousands of stories have already been told."

INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOPH FISCHER

Christoph, you are one of the most prolific writers I know. You started with the Three Nations Trilogy: The Luck of The Weissensteiners, published in November 2012; Sebastian, May 2013, and The Black Eagle Inn, October 2013. Two contemporary novels, Time to Let Go and Conditions, were released in May and October 2014, respectively. Conditions' sequel, Conditioned, was published in October 2015. You tackled the medical thriller genre in 2015 with The Healer in January and The Gamblers, in June. In 2015, you also published two more historical novels, In Search of a Revolution, in March and Ludwika, in December. How do you do it? What's your writing routine?
In November 2012 I had seven of my ten novels already in advanced draft stages, and while I learned the ropes of book marketing, I kept editing and re-writing these drafts. I’ve only really written three new books in that time.


As for my routine: When I have an idea I’m quite wrapped up in the writing and can work for up to 14 hours a day. The story doesn’t let me go and needs to come out. So I get up early, take out the dogs, and once they are settled I write for as long as inspiration stays with me. It can be very anti-social.

From starting the first draft to publishing, what is your publishing process like?
For historical or topical novels I spend a month or so researching, then I need another month for the first draft (on average). I tend to re-write the story once or twice before giving the book to the beta readers. I spend a few weeks letting their comments and suggestions sink in and then begin the next round of re-writes. Around this time I ask my cover designer for his first suggestions.


Each book goes to my editor twice before it is formatted and submitted. 
I wrote the first draft for Conditions in 2009 but didn’t publish until many, many, many rewrites later, in 2014. The Healer only took 5 months from first word to published product.

You’ve written historical fiction and medical thrillers. How do you research for your books?
Firstly, I read books, and then I use information on the Internet. If I come to rely on a historical fact in a novel, I make sure that I can verify it from several sources. People will always catch you out, so this is leg work that cannot be avoided.

With the medical facts I do the same, but I also consult two friends who are doctors. 
I only write about things that interest me, so this part is really great fun.

You are a Twitter beast. As I write this, you have 190K tweets, you're following 49.6K people, you have 51.5K followers, and you have 46.9 likes. How in the world do you do it?
I’m not entirely sure how this happened either. Re-tweeting and interacting with readers and other authors alike helps a lot. I used Twitter tools to help me find the right people to follow, namely Crowdfire and Tweepi. Twitter has changed the rules for these several times, so it isn’t as easy as it used to be. Following a lot of people at the same time can lead to suspension, so always be careful.


It seems, though, that the more followers you have, the more people will find and follow you without you doing any work for it. I remember how long it took me to get to 2000 followers. Persist, and it will get easier!


What's your favorite genre?
Hand on heart: Good comedy. I thrive on drama, historical fiction, and thrillers, but nothing beats a good laugh.

How do you get your ideas for stories?
With the historical novels, it starts with an interest in the country’s history and from wondering how those times might have been like for regular people. At some point during the research the plot comes together. The same is true with my contemporary novels. For example, there were several cases of dementia and Alzheimers’ Disease on my surrounding, which inspired Time To Let Go. My partner had the initial idea for my thriller The Healer.

What's your favorite thing about the writing/publishing process? Least favorite?
Favorite: Writing the first draft/making it up. Least favorite: Grammar edits.

Do you have any marketing tips you could pass on to indie authors?
Work on your ‘brand,’ which is you. Don’t try to be something that you’re not, people will see through it. My most popular posts are those about myself, not about my books. 
I’m not good at this, but I have seen successful authors use their blogs and mailing lists to connect with their readers and provide them with regular, fresh content about their work.
Be visible on as many platforms as you can—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc, but don’t rely only on other authors or ‘buy my book’ adverts. Mix it up.

What’s one thing a writer should never forget?
Be true to yourself.

What’s more important—characters or plot?
A really good character is watchable during the most mundane tasks. A good plot can bomb without a good cast.

Name one thing you’re really good at (besides writing) and one thing you’re really bad at.
I grew up in hilly/mountainous Bavaria, so I am surprisingly good at uphill walking, running, and cycling. Yet, I run out of steam quickly on cross trainers.

What’s the oldest thing you own and still use?
A Swedish army coat which I bought in the early nineties. 

Do you have any secret talents?
I make very good vegan salads.

What’s one thing you never leave the house without (besides your phone).
Dental floss.

What would you name your autobiography?
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish.

Who would narrate the audiobook?

Jeff Daniels.

What’s your favorite/most visited Internet site?
IMDB.

What’s one thing that very few people know about you?
I used to spin the decks. Cheesy pop and house music.

What's the wallpaper on your computer?
My partner and the dogs by a beach.

What's your phone's ring tone?
Xanadu.

Five more:
5 favorite possessions
Snowglobe from Israel, Deutschland Teddy bear from the World Cup, Stuffed Ernie & Bert, Stuffed Sully (Monsters Inc) and a pendant from New Zeland (gift from my partner).

5 things you never leave home without
Phone, keys, wallet, kindle, magazine (Actually that is a lie. I frequently forget several of these actually . . . )

5 things you never want to run out of
Fruit juice, good TV shows, good books, new music and love

5 things about you or 5 words to describe you
Easily distracted, a little too sensitive, loyal, mostly harmless, daydream believer.

5 favorite foods
Avocados, Berries, Spinach, Paneer, Thai Green Curry

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christoph Fischer was born in Germany, near the Austrian border, as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers, he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. In 1993 he moved to the UK and now lives in Llandeilo in West Wales. He and his partner have several Labradoodles to complete their family.

Christoph worked for the British Film Institute, in Libraries, Museums, and for an airline. His first historical novel, The Luck of The Weissensteiners, was published in November 2012 and downloaded over 60,000 times on Amazon. He has released several more historical novels, including In Search of A Revolution and Ludwika. He also wrote some contemporary family dramas and thrillers, most notably Time to Let Go and The Healer.

Connect with Christoph:

Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |   Amazon  |  Pinterest  | Google+  |  LinkedIn 

Buy the book:
Amazon 

FEATURED AUTHOR: JULIE MULHERN

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Ellison Russell is nearly killed at a benefactors’ party, she brushes the incident aside as an unhappy accident. But when her house is fire-bombed, she’s shot at, and the person sitting next to her at a gala is poisoned, she must face facts. Someone wants her dead. But why? And can Ellison find the killer before he strikes again?

Add in an estranged sister, a visiting aunt with a shocking secret, and a handsome detective staying in her guesthouse, and Ellison might need more than cream in her coffee.


INTERVIEW WITH JULIE MULHERN

Julie, do you have a writing routine?
The alarm goes off every day around five. The awful thing is that I’m usually awake long before the alarm goes off. I stumble downstairs, push the button on the coffee maker, let the dog out, then write.

Do you write every day?
I do. Every day. On weekends I sleep in until six or so.

Whoa! Go wild! How often do you read?
I read whenever I can. I love mysteries, biographies, and history.


What do you think makes a good story?
I love a story with compelling characters, a killer plot, and lots of laughs.

What books do you currently have published?
Clouds in my Coffee is the third book in the Country Club Murders series. The fourth book will release in October.


Do you have any marketing tips you could pass on to indie authors?
Be present, be real, and don’t be afraid to tell people about your book if they ask. That said, don’t be that person—the one who says, “Nice to meet you, buy my book!”

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
Can I say Netflix?

Absolutely! How often do you tweet?
I tweet everyday. I’m boring. Don’t bother.

How do you feel about Facebook?
I love Facebook and post pictures from the seventies, songs, bad advertising, bad clothes and fun memories.

What scares you the most?
I am terrified of snakes.

What five things would you never want to live without?
I need my Kindle, my phone, coffee, cream, and wine.

What’s one thing you never leave the house without?
I’d like to say my keys, but the truth is I forget them all the time.


What’s your favorite fast food?
I could eat a burrito bowl from Chipotle every day.


What’s your favorite beverage?
Wine or coffee? Wine or coffee? Coffee. Definitely coffee. Or wine.

Name one thing you’re really really bad at.
I have a terrible memory. Seriously. What was the question?


What do you wish you could do?
I wish I could travel more.

What do you like to do when there’s nothing to do?
Have I mentioned Netflix?

Point taken. 
Would you rather be a movie star, sports star, or rock star?
Movie star, no one wants to hear me sing.


What’s in your refrigerator right now?
Wine, cream for my coffee, blackberries, raspberries, yogurt, almond milk, lunch meat, and sour dough bread.

What’s one of your favorite quotes? 
"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." — Camus

Who is your favorite fictional character?
I am quite fond of Davis Way who is written by Gretchen Archer.



What’s your favorite song?
Today, it’s "Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Mulhern is the USA Today bestselling author of The Country Club Murders.

She is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean—and she's got an active imagination. Truth is—she's an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions.


Connect with Julie:
Website  |  
Facebook  |  
Twitter  |  
Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes 

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FEATURED AUTHOR: ANDREW BLENCOWE

ABOUT THE BOOK

What if, by the passing of just two events, Japan and Germany had won World War 2?
The Goddess of Fortune is a work of speculative fiction in which alternate history is explored, and consequences examined.

•    Beautiful Louise, while only 24 years old, uses her intelligence, wiles, and body to dominate the so-called "stronger sex."

•    Kaito Sasaki of the Bank of Tokyo, inspired by Lenin (“The best way to destroy the capitalist system is to debauch the currency”), proves just that with his printing of U.S. 100 dollar bills.

•    The treachery of Hermann "Fatso" Goering is uncovered and his punishment is swift.

•    The duplicity of Roosevelt and his so-called Brains Trust is exposed and the doubts of the urbane gentleman, Henry Morgenthau, are made clear.

As a work of historical fiction, Goddess reveals the private foibles, quirks, and lusts of the famous (and often rich) of the period. How could the end goals of the Axis come to fruition given these events?

Goddess explores just how, and in doing so brings to light in imaginative prose the lives of historical figures we have only known from our history books.

INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW BLENCOWE

Andrew, how did you get started writing?
I started writing by accident after reading an article in the Financial Times, "What’s the big idea?," about the power of the philosophical novel. I had just finished reading Stephen King's book On Writing, so I thought I would try writing. I found King's book both instructive and encouraging.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
The isolation. Being able to create alone, without the need of a team, is a common comment by many writers; I share this view.

I would agree with that. Do you have a writing routine?
I am a binge writer—I write only on the weekends and only for a month or two per year. But these sessions are typically 14 hours per day over both days of the weekend. The research is far more leisurely and consumes the remainder of the year.

What do you think is hardest aspect of writing a book?
The ideas. Also avoiding preposterous plots, and the fear—of all writers—of technical and factual errors, such as a .350 Magnum when the gun is actually a .357 caliber.

What’s more important – characters or plot?
Plot trumps characters.


What do you think makes a good story?
Surprises. After the first 50 or 100 pages, plots often get repetitive and stale.

It was interesting to learn in the recent biography of John le Carré that he does not map out the plot, but simply writes and lets the writing determine the plot. Tricky to do, but when done properly surprises occur.

How often do you tweet? How do you feel about Facebook?
I believe Twitter and Facebook are powerful signs of the destruction of western civilization. They have no redeeming features and a litany of ills, chief of which is the encouragement of thoughtlessness—"Let Me Sleep On It" goes out the window.

The breathtaking narcissism encouraged is also to be deplored.

What five things would you never want to live without?
Coffee, Bordeaux red wine, Google, peace to read, isolation.

What do you love about where you live?
I live in Tokyo, and what is most attractive is the Japanese sense of community, which they themselves do not recognize. This sense of community leads to a tranquility that is only present in Japan.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Andrew Blencowe discovered at an early age what it was like to live on the edge of life. During his high school years he dropped out to become a motorcycle racer. Smitten by computers in his early twenties, he went on to become founder and CEO of an international software company with offices on five continents. It is his international perspective and a drive to challenge assumptions that influence his writing interests. As a weekend student of history, one point he noticed over and over was how a seemingly trivial action had such immense consequences. Regarding this point of minute actions, it is akin to a 1,000-ton boulder balanced precariously on a steel knife edge; at present still, but with the smallest nudge, an army of men cannot stop the monolith from rolling down the hill. Another recurring point was how people's time frames are always myopically short; Zhou Enlai, when asked in the early 1970s about the significance of the French Revolution, was reputed to have answered, "Too early to say." This myopia is daily becoming worse and worse as the destruction of the intellect by mobile "telephones" accelerates. Combined with iPads and other electronic reading devices, the ability of the human mind to think and ponder disturbance—free is being destroyed one interruption at a time. These are some of the main threads in Blencowe's novels—the arrogance and massive overconfidence in the new (blithely and wrongly considered better); the panoply of quick fixes rather than a thoughtful analysis of the unexpected consequences of these often dangerous modern expedients.

Connect with Andrew:
Website  |  
Goodreads  

Buy the book:
Amazon  | Barnes & Noble

GOOSE PIMPLE PALOOZA

A Blue Million Books usually features other authors and their books, but today I'm celebrating the launch of the fourth book in my Goose Pimple Junction mystery series, Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction, so it's time for some shameless self-promotion.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Like any good Southern belle, Caledonia Culpepper was raised by her mama to be gracious, charming, witty, and above all, a devoted mother and loving wife, so she's baffled when her marriage falls apart.

Wynona Baxter is a master of disguise but is often a ditzy airhead. A hit woman wannabe, when she's hired for her first job in Goose Pimple Junction and things don't go as planned, she's forced to resort to Plan B. She'll also need Plan C and D.

Crooked lawyers, restless husbands, a teenaged hoodlum—it seems there are rogues and rascals everywhere you look in Goose Pimple Junction.

When Caledonia and Wynona's paths cross, they prove there isn't a rogue or a rascal who can keep a good woman down. Mama always said there would be days like this . . .

FACT OR FICTION?

People often ask me where I get ideas for things I put in my books. My answer is: everywhere. If I see it, hear it, live it, or remember it, it's fair game—starting with the title of the series. I visited Goose Pimple Junction, Virginia, in 1985 and never forgot the name. When I started writing Murder & Mayhem, I thought the name was a perfect fit for my fictional town.  A lot of things in the books are from my imagination—but not all. Like a lot of writers, I pull from real life, and I also keep lists of things I like and think I may use one day in a book. So what's fact or fiction in Goose Pimple Junction? Read on for a few examples . . .

It's a fact 

1. The murders in Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction actually happened in real life to my father's grandmother and uncle. His uncle's murder was never solved.

2. The short stories in Short & Tall Tales in Goose Pimple Junction are fictionalized, but for the most part actually happened to family members. 


3. There is a real Silly Goose restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee.


4. The folks in Goose Pimple Junction are more liberal with their use of "goosepimpleisms" than the average bear (remember–it's FICTION). But the goosepimpleisms in the book were inspired by or actually were things I heard my father and grandfather say. For example, in answer to "How are you?" my grandfather would say "I'm still buying green bananas." (Meaning he's doing well enough he expects to still be around when the bananas are ripe for eating.)

5. The bank robbery in Murder & Mayhem was inspired by an actual bank robbery that occurred in 1932. One of the bandits was arrested just as it happened in the book.


6. My uncle called his grandson, Dylan, "Pickle."


7. The real Butterbean is the niece of a friend of mine. She pronounces it "Buttabean" like Louetta.


8. I knew a police officer who fell into a pool while chasing a criminal like Hank did in Heroes & Hooligans. He no longer works in law enforcement.

9. The original Slick & Junebug's was in Paintsville, Kentucky. 


10. Lenny was inspired by the husband (now ex-husband) of a friend.


11. "Miss Penny's Dress Shop" in Rogues & Rascals comes from a Miss Penny's Dress Shop that my grandmother took me to when I was a little girl.


12. I always have a character in my books with some form of the name "Lou" as a nod to the city I live where I live—Louisville. Hence, the name "Louetta." Strangely enough, about a year ago, I discovered that my mother's grandmother's name was Louettie.


13. When I'm really stumped for a character's last name, sometimes I use the names of counties in Kentucky.


14. My grandfather owned and operated a filling station like P.D.'s in Murder & Mayhem. It was down the street from Slick & Junebug's Diner.



15. Henry Clay got his name from a building in downtown Louisville, when I just happened to see it one day while waiting at a traffic light. The building is on The National Register of Historic Places but was being renovated at the time.



16. My mother owned a maroon convertible Buick La Sabre like the one Estherlene drives in Heroes & Hooligans.

17. There is a Magnolia Bar called the "Mag Bar" in downtown Louisville.


18. The street names in all the books are actual street names that either have meant something to me or that I found in real life.



19. A friend in high school had a Basset Hound named Ezmerelda.


20. Ezzie's antics are from my granddog Gage, a brown lab who is a genius. Everything Ezzie has done in the books, Gage has done (and more) in real life. Did I mention he's a genius?

Books in the series:

Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction
Heroes & Hooligans in Goose Pimple Junction
Short & Tall Tales in Goose Pimple Junction
Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction

GOOSE PIMPLE PALOOZA

To promote the release of Rogues & Rascals, I'll be hanging out in cyberspace for the next few weeks. In May, I'll be at the following blogs:

James Moushon: HBS Author Spotlight
Kathleen Higgins Anderson: Jersey Girl Book Reviews
Kim at Read Your Writes

Christoph Fischer
Lauren Carr Literary Wealth

GREAT ESCAPE BLOG TOUR

In June, I'll be on tour with Great Escapes Blog Tours:

June 8 – Bubble Bath Books – REVIEW

June 9 – The Girl with Book Lungs – SPOTLIGHT

June 10 – Readsalot - INTERVIEW

June 11 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 12 – OFF

June 13 – Shelley's Book Case – REVIEW

June 14 – Island Confidential  - INTERVIEW

June 15 – I Read What You Write - REVIEW, INTERVIEW

June 16 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

June 17 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW

June 18 – Author Annette Drake's blog – INTERVIEW

June 19 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews - INTERVIEW

June 20 – Queen of All She Reads – INTERVIEW

June 21 – Omnimystery News - INTERVIEW

June 22 – Brooke Blogs - INTERVIEW

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Writing a book is a solitary task, but getting a book ready to publish takes a village. First, I want to thank the readers who wrote to me asking when the next book would be out. You are the wind beneath my wings. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Y’all are sweeter than a box of jelly donuts!

I could not write a book without the advice of others. To my beta readers Sarah Mallery, Ellen Mansoor Collier, Lisa Spears, Liz Metz, and my editor Lisa Binion, thank you for helping me through the final stage, the one that is the most brutal. I appreciate your attention to detail, your honesty, and your friendship. 

Thank you to “Emerico” Imre Tóth for the fantastic cover art for this book. As soon as I saw the “Bowler Hat on a Rainy Day” painting, I knew it was right for this novel. I am so happy I was allowed to use it.

Thank you to Tom Brooks for listening to me babble about GPJ, and for your insight and friendship. Thank you to my family, Jake Metz, Michael Metz and Liz Metz, for your support and encouragement.

FEATURED AUTHOR: LINDA O. JOHNSTON

INTERVIEW WITH LINDA O. JOHNSTON

Linda, how did you get started writing?
I've always written! Even as a child I would save essay topics for the next time I had to write something for English class. I started writing a sci-fi saga that never got finished as a teenager. And when I was an adult, I started writing mystery short stories and time travel romances, then mysteries, and just kept going!

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
I get to let my subconscious mind take over and run!

Do you have a writing routine?
Sort of, although it changes. Mostly these days, I get other stuff out of the way in the morning, then write or edit during the afternoon.

Do you write every day?
Absolutely—although I'm saying this after returning from the Malice Domestic conference where I didn't get an opportunity to write or edit. Let's just say I write every day when I'm home.

How often do you read? 
I read every day, although the amount of time I get to spend varies. 

What books do you currently have published?

I don't think you want me to list all of them here. There are 42 of them.

How do you feel about Facebook?
I really like Facebook, although I keep telling myself it's time to start an author's page.

What do you love about where you live?
It's Hollywood! What's not to love about that?


What's the biggest lie you ever told?
Who me, an author, lie? Never!


What’s your favorite beverage? 
I admit to being a coffee addict.

What drives you crazy?
Lots of people do. That's one reason I love dogs.

What do you like to do when there’s nothing to do?
Hug my dogs.

Do you give your characters any of your bad traits?
Not exactly, although Kendra Ballantyne, the protagonist of my Pet-Sitter mysteries, was a lawyer who lived in the Hollywood Hills with her tricolor Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Lexie. At the time, I was a lawyer, I live in the Hollywood Hills, and my older Cavalier is a tricolor named Lexie. But fortunately I've never stumbled over dead bodies.

Do you procrastinate?
I didn't mean to, but I didn't start my responses to my current blog tour as quickly as I should have . . .

What’s one thing that drives you crazy?
Traffic! And I know it well. After all, I've lived in Los Angeles for a good many years.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
I'm not sure it was daring, except for the fact that I'm not much of a swimmer. But a number of years ago I was researching a book that never got published, but it had dolphins in it—and I made an opportunity for myself to swim with dolphins!

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
"Reality is only for those who lack imagination."


Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
I haven't been there in many years, but I grew up in Pittsburgh and absolutely adored the Carnegie Library there. It was in a charming old building, and I learned a lot there about books and people who wrote them.

What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop?
It's just some standard stuff—a blue background with a rainbow kind of logo. But the wallpaper on my phone is my two wonderful dogs, Lexie and Mystie!


What would you do for a Klondike bar?
Ah, as I mentioned, I grew up in Pittsburgh, where there were Isaly's stores all through my childhood, and they were the ones who invented Klondike Bars. I've always loved them. Maybe I'd become a child again for a Klondike bar!

What are you working on now?
I'm working on my third Barkery & Biscuits Mystery—title to come. And more stories in this series to come. By the way, To Catch a Treat is my 42nd published novel. I also currently write the Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink, as well as for two Harlequin series. Nearly all my stories involve dogs, including the Superstition Mysteries, where my protagonist owns a lucky black and white dog and runs a pet boutique, and my Harlequin Nocturne paranormal romances, the Alpha Force miniseries, about a covert military unit of shapeshifters!

Connect with Linda: 

Website  |  Blog  |  Character blog  |   Midnight Writers blog 
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  
Goodreads  

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  | Midnight Ink   

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FEATURED AUTHOR: NADINE NETTMANN

ABOUT THE BOOK

Katie Stillwell focuses on two things in her life: work and practicing for Sommelier Certification with her blind tasting group. The exam was supposed to be the hardest part of her week, but that was before a body was found at an exclusive Napa Valley winery party.

When all the evidence points to Katie’s best friend, the outspoken and independent Tessa, Katie drops everything to clear Tessa’s name. Using her deductive wine skills, she tries to track down the real killer. But when repeated attempts are made on her life, Katie discovers that everyone’s secrets must be uncovered―including her own.





INTERVIEW WITH NADINE NETTMANN

Nadine, how did you get started writing?
I’ve wanted to write ever since I can remember. I loved writing short stories and poems in grade school, but I didn’t write my first novel until my twenties.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
Definitely the first draft. I love typing out the story and seeing where it goes. It’s always exciting.

What do you wish you’d done differently when you first started?
I wish I had known about the great writing conferences that happen around the country as I would have started attending those much sooner. They’re so inspirational, and I love meeting fellow writers.

What do you think is hardest aspect of writing a book?
I would have to say putting it out there for opinions. It’s tough at every step of the process. Not every beta reader, agent, editor, reviewer, and reader will love your work. It’s difficult to put your work out there, knowing that criticism will come your way at some point.


What books do you currently have published?
Decanting a Murder is my debut novel, and I’m so excited. I wrote four books before this one, but they’re all shelved at the moment, and there’s a strong chance they’ll stay there.

Do you have any secret talents?
I love decorating cakes for friends and family! Although I sometimes work with fondant, my favorite is piping frosting into designs.

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
The BBC. I’m a huge fan of British comedies and British programming in general.

What do you wish you could do?
Teleportation. I would love to be able to teleport to my intended location in just seconds, whether it’s a vacation, visiting loved ones, or being able to attend two events at opposite ends of the country on the same day.

What do you like to do when there’s nothing to do?
I love doing jigsaw puzzles! I have several favorites I’ve collected over the years and I’m always on the lookout for new ones.

Would you rather be a movie star, sports star, or rock star?
Definitely a rock star. I’ve played guitar for 20 years, and I’m a huge fan of music. I almost always have a song in my head.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
Right after we got married, my husband and I stored nearly all of our belongings and moved to Hawaii with only two suitcases each. We didn’t know how long we would stay, but we ended up living there for five years.

What is your most embarrassing moment?
I have many of these, but I’ll choose one from my childhood. It was the big Girl Scouts ceremony, and while I was waiting on the stage for my turn, I slipped my feet under the bar of my chair. I forgot I did this so when they called my name, I stood up and went tumbling across the stage with the chair in tow. I believe video of this still might exist somewhere.

Yikes! What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
I would like to go back to my fourth-grade self and not listen to the teacher who told me I was a bad writer. The incident made me stop writing until college when I took an Intro to Creative Writing elective and remembered how much I loved it and how much I had missed it in my life.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

Who is your favorite fictional character?
Sue Grafton’s protagonist, Kinsey Millhone. I love the way Kinsey approaches her career and life.

How do you like your pizza?
Thin crust, baked in a wood-fired oven, and topped with lots of fresh veggies.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently editing book #2 in the series, tentatively called Uncorking a Lie. It follows Katie on her next adventure, this time in Sonoma, and will release in 2017.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nadine Nettmann, a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, is always on the lookout for great wines and the stories behind them. She has visited wine regions around the world, from Chile to South Africa to every region in France, but chose Napa as the setting for Decanting a Murder, her debut novel. Nadine is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She lives in California with her husband.

Connect with Nadine:

Website  |  
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  
Goodreads  

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Indiebound

a Rafflecopter giveaway