FEATURED AUTHOR: IONA WHISHAW

ABOUT THE BOOK

The fourth book in what the Globe and Mail has proclaimed as “a terrific series” by “a writer to watch.”

Summer descends over the picturesque King’s Cove as Darling and Lane’s mutual affection blossoms, but their respite from solving crime is cut short when a British government official arrives in Nelson to compel Darling to return to England for questioning about the death of a rear gunner under his command in 1943.

In Darling’s absence, Ames oversees the investigation into the suspicious death of a local elderly woman and uncovers a painful betrayal inflicted forty years earlier. Meanwhile, Lane follows Darling to London, where he is charged with murder and faces hanging. While desperately seeking answers, Lane is presented with a desperate proposal that could save the man she loves, but only if she returns to the very life she sought to leave behind.

BOOK DETAILS:

Title: It Begins in Betrayal

Author’s name: Iona Whishaw

Genre: Mystery

Series: A Lane Winslow Mystery, book #4

Publisher: TouchWood Editions (May 1, 2018)

Page count: 352 pages

INTERVIEW WITH IONA IONA WHISHAW

Iona, what’s the story behind the title of your book? 
It is a book about betrayal, both personal betrayal that leads to the tragic disintegration of a family, and the betrayal of officials who are willing to sacrifice individuals for some ‘greater’ goal.  I liked the idea of ‘beginning’ and how lives can be changed and unfold in terrible ways when there has been a betrayal.

It Begins in Betrayal is the fourth in a series. Is this book a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order? 
Each book can indeed be read on its own, but like many of my favourite series, the reader is rewarded with a long and interesting development of the relationships of the characters through the books if they start at the beginning.  I certainly know of readers who’ve come on board at the second or third book and have hurried back to read the preceding ones!

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?
The main character was certainly inspired by my own mother, who was a great beauty as a young woman, and did some work in intelligence during the war.  She was incredibly resourceful and brave, and at least twice during my lifetime, managed to stave off murderous attacks by talking down the attackers. Her father in the stories is absolutely based on my grandfather, who was a spy through both wars and a very difficult and cold man. A number of the residents of King’s Cove are composites of the quite elderly residents whom I knew and loved as a small child in a community very like the one I describe. I think I bring them in because it is a way of remembering a world that has long since gone.

Is your book based on real events?
The specific events are made up, of course, but the historical context of all my books is real enough.  The changing role of women, the relationships between groups like the Anglo settlers and the Russian-speaking Dukhobors, the shifting international politics that meant that Canada, which had been allied with Russia during the war, suddenly found itself full of Russian spies as the west settled in to fight off the Communist menace. In England just after the war many detectives from Scotland Yard were deployed to the war office to sort out wartime crimes. Inspector Darling’s troubles in the book are based on the fact that crimes do take place under the cover of war, and the circumstances of the death of his rear gunner have suddenly looked suspicious to someone.

Are you like any of your characters?
I do not imagine that I am like any of my characters, though I am sure that my main character, Lane Winslow, has many of my own attitudes, though I am certain I lack her bravery. Because I am bilingual in Spanish, I understand the vastly expanded power of being able to communicate with people in their own languages, though she is a much better linguist than I ever hope to be!

How did you create the plot for this book?
As you know, there are people who are plotters and people who are not, and I place no value judgement on either type, as I have favourite authors in both camps. I write, I think, primarily about character, about people and what happens to them. As I explore this, I begin to learn why it’s happened, and I, and my detecting characters, can see the story unfolding as a series of choices and inevitabilities. In It Begins in Betrayal, I wanted to see what circumstance I could create where Lane Winslow would save Inspector Darling and be able to use all her experience, intelligence, and resources to do it. That meant putting her back in her wartime element of dealing with British intelligence.

What are you working on now?
I’m doing the next drafts of the book that follows this one, which will be called A Sorrowful Sanctuary and am beginning to think about my sixth book in the series.

What’s the worst thing someone has said about your writing?
It was quite a devastating experience actually! I had been admitted to the distinguished MFA writing program at UBC, already in my forties and was among a very smart group of people much younger than me. The first time I produced a short story for group discussion, one of the participants threw it aside and said, “I don’t even know how you got into this program.” But I was surprised by my response. I expected I would simply give up and retreat from the field, but instead I thought hard about why she said that, and I dug deeper into what was real in my world, and I wrote a story about an early childhood experience in Mexico that had been quite traumatic. I was rewarded by the same woman saying to me, “I wish I had written that.” 

Do you have a routine for writing?
I do. I write every morning during the week, and often on one weekend day. I usually wake up early, meditate briefly, have a cup of tea and then procrastinate with my on-line subscriptions to the New York Times and the Washington Post.  Once I’ve concluded that the real world is intolerable, I begin to write. I don’t believe in ‘inspiration’ and don’t struggle with not being able to write. I have a theory that you don’t know what you think until you write, so that keeps me quite entertained until breakfast at 10:30 or 11:00. I rarely do creative writing in the afternoon.  

Where did you grow up?
As a very young child in the Kootenays in a tiny community like the one I write about, then until I was a teenager we lived in various parts of Mexico. I lived in Tucson through high school.


What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?
I worked with disadvantaged teens for the first twenty years of my working life and was a teacher and principal for the last twenty five years before I retired, and I have learned that kindness is absolutely the bedrock of all that matters.

What’s one thing that you wish you knew as a teenager that you know now?
I read this recently somewhere, and I think it is a great thing that I wish someone had told me: that I am smarter than I think, and braver than I feel, and more lovable than I imagine. But also that your brain has plasticity and that one continues to grow and learn and be better at things long into older age.

That's very encouraging! You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
I’d like to end with this one, because in some ways it is this character that makes me want to write.  I would be Lizzie Bennet from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. She is plucky and smart, kind and independent, and she exists in a fictional green and pleasant period just before the real impact of the industrial revolution threw society into noisy turmoil. I would love to spend one day in that, to us unimaginable, world. She is willing to sacrifice the only security a woman of small means had in that time–marriage, rather that marry any man she cannot respect or love. I always think that if she hadn’t married Darcy, she’d have made a go of it, just like her wonderful creator.

OTHER BOOKS BY IONA WHISHAW

- A Killer in King’s Cove (#1) 

- Death in a Darkening Mist (#2)

- An Old, Cold Grave (#3)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Iona Whishaw was born in British Columbia. After living her early years in the Kootenays, she spent her formative years living and learning in Mexico, Nicaragua, and the US. She traveled extensively for pleasure and education before settling in the Vancouver area. Throughout her roles as youth worker, social worker, teacher, and award-winning high school principal, her love of writing remained consistent and compelled her to obtain her master’s in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. Iona has published short fiction, poetry, poetry translation, and one children’s book, Henry and the Cow Problem. A Killer in King’s Cove was her first adult novel. Her heroine, Lane Winslow, was inspired by Iona’s mother who, like her father before her, was a wartime spy.

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


Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Indiebound

GUEST POST WITH JOCIE MCCADE'S EMME MAYSON

ABOUT THE BOOK

In their latest adventure, in Southern Charm, Emme and Jackie are enjoying, well Emme is enjoying a stroll along the Virginia Beach boardwalk when they attend the Neptune Festival and a sand art exhibit. Jackie tags along reluctantly, then a series of events, sends Emme sprawling into a sand sculpture. But it’s no ordinary sand sculpture; it’s hiding a dead body with lots of secrets.

Complicating their lives are cryptic GPS coordinates that lead them to their parent’s mysterious safe house, where they encounter protective drones. I’ll let you find out what happens next.
Mayson & Dickson, when they crossed the line, it was murder.

Book Details:

Title: Southern Charm

Author: Jocie McCade

Genre: Cozy mystery

Series: Mayson-Dickson Mystery, 3rd in series

Publisher: Self-published (February 20, 2018)

Print Length: 272 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

GUEST POST WITH JOCIE MCCADE’S EMME MAYSON

Hey, y'all my name is Emme Dickson. I'm the Southern half of Mayson-Dickson Investigations. I'm glad you invited me over.

What did you think when you met you Boston sister?

When I first met her? Honestly, I didn't think much of her. I mean, whew, she was all power suit and condescending attitude. After a while, though I discovered she was a pretty awesome lady, for a Yankee. Plus, we still don't know if we're really sisters or not. You see someone, we don't know who seems to have tampered with the DNA test we took.

Tampered with a test? Any idea of who that might be?

Honestly, no. I mean who would want to mess around with DNA test? That's alright, I can get another one.

The lawyer who summoned both of you was shot and killed and didn't answer all your questions. Do you have any idea what's really going on?

That poor, poor man. A sniper put one a bullet between his eyes. He managed to croak out a final word or two before he transpired, but neither Jackie nor I had a clue what he meant. The next thing we know this scary secret agent woman named Sydney was ushering us out the door.

The only thing we know is that our parents were afraid and tried to protect us. They split up, and they split us up to keep us safe. Our quest now is to find out who they really were and why someone might have killed them and is likely trying to find us.

Do you think your parents were spies?

We don't know, but we've made a good start on finding out. 



You stumbled on a dead body in your new location. Did that make you want to pack your bags and leave?

Ewww, that body smelled like a dead pig on a hot August day. I swear every time you mention it, I recall that smell. To answer you, no it didn't make me want to leave, it made me want to find out who killed him.

Did Jackie feel the same way?

She did, but she sure wouldn't admit it. It took a few margaritas to convince her.

Tell us about the two men that stumble into your lives at your new location?

Fender is the caretaker of the property we live in, and he is a cutie. The man is all beach wave hair, tanned body and he has a thing for Jackie.

Then there is Agent Chris Meechum. He is on special assignment for the FBI, and this is one hot agent, let me tell you.

Neither man wanted us to start our PI business, but we have a secret weapon, Zack. I just got the loud clearing throat signal from our author Jocie, so you'll have to read the book to find out about him.

Thanks for having me today. I hope y'all will head over to Amazon and pick yourself up a copy of Southern Charm, grab a sweet tea, and a comfy chair and enjoy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jocie McCade has worked at several jobs before landing her perfect one as a librarian. With a soft spot for U.S. Veterans, she chaired the Veteran’s Oral History Project, and her work with the program lead to her speaking before the Project committee and the U.S. Library of Congress. She has won several awards for her non-fiction writing on a multitude of subjects.

Her fiction writing has received the Author/Ambassador at Library Journal Self-e Authors,
Winner Queen of the West Reader Favorite Award, Amazon Bestseller – Historical, 
Double finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the Mystery and Humorous Categories, and her novel Baer Truth received 4.5 stars from RT Book Reviews.

Writing mostly romantic comedy and humorous cozy fiction, Jocie can humor in most everything. She lives in the Midwest on Dust Bunny Farm with her family and Diesel the Wonder Dog. When not writing, she grows ArnoldSwartzaWeeds in her garden and camps whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Connect with Jocie:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Amazon  |  Goodreads  |  Pinterest 

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Smashwords

FEATURED AUTHOR: CRAIG STEWART

ABOUT THE BOOK

Something is listening to the prayers of St. Paul’s United Church, but it’s not the god they asked for; it’s something much, much older.

A quiet Sunday service turns into a living hell when this ancient entity descends upon the house of worship and claims the congregation for its own. Trapped in what used to be their sanctuary, the terrified churchgoers are given an impossible ransom: their new god wants a sacrifice. For everyone to live, a child must die.

As fear rips the congregation apart, it becomes clear that if they’re to survive this untold horror, the faithful must become the faithless and enter into a battle against God itself. But as time runs out, they discover that true monsters come not from Heaven or Hell… they come from within.

Book Details:

Title: Worship Me

Author: Craig Stewart

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Hellbound Books (August 4, 2017)

Page count: 356

INTERVIEW WITH CRAIG STEWART


Craig, what’s the story behind the title of your book?
I really like the style of old B-horror movie titles, like, Don’t Answer the Phone, Don’t Go in the Woods, or, more recently, Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell (though that movie isn’t ‘B’, it’s more like ‘A+++’). I enjoyed the way these titles commanded the audience, which seemed appropriate for my novel, specifically since it deals with the frightening relationship between an obedient congregation and what they perceive to be their god. I needed a title that demanded with that kind of force, and also, one that sounded a little kinky, too.

Is Worship Me based on real events?
None of what is in this book really happened, obviously, I mean, it’s about an ancient monster terrorizing a church. However, thematically speaking, the story is very real, and very personal for me. And, I think, for anyone who reads it, because it’s dealing with something we all go through: existential crisis. I began writing this novel not long after my sister, to whom this book is dedicated, died of a brain tumor. At its heart, this book is an exploration of grief, and of the horror one feels when you look upon it in its raw state, before the flowers, before the sympathy cards. It asks hard questions, like, how can there be a soul, when it seems we’re limited to the meat we’re printed on? And if love conquers all, then why can our love drive us to do evil things? These thoughts were all mined from my own grieving process, and adapted into the pages of this book, hopefully, in a way that is frightening, engaging, and perhaps, if I did my job, enough to get people asking these questions of themselves. Because, sooner or later, we all will.

Do you have another job outside of writing?
I certainly do! I’m also a filmmaker because I love it, and I edit because it pays me. And I act occasionally. You can check out my filmic work on my website if you’re in the mood for a laugh and a shriek.

Do you have a routine for writing?
I almost always write with music playing. Actually, I often write my own music. I’ve scored all of my films, so I thought I might as well make a soundtrack for my books as well. It helps when you’re trying to return to certain themes and characters, especially when you’ve stepped away from it for a bit.

Please check out some of the tracks I wrote for Worship Me on my website.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada named Chatham. It’s infested with crows. Literally. You’ll look up at the sky and say, “But, I thought it was supposed to be sunny today,” as the murder passes over head like a big, black cloud of doom. No wonder I like horror. And actually, the church in the book is based off the real church my parents used to take me to. That was a fun side note.

What makes you scared?
Oh, so many things. Lucky for me, because, if it didn’t, I’d have no reason to write what I write. There are the big ones, of course, the ones we all share: death, darkness, dismemberment, people who smile too much. But, for me, I think my number one is tornados; mindless cloud claws that carve through the land and snatch it up to Oz. And deep water.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“Why, there they are both, baked in that pie;
 Whereof their mother daintily hath fed,
 Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred.” – Titus Andronicus

What’s your favorite line from a book?
“She willed him to look past the flames in the hope that he might see her burning. Not so that he could save her from death - she was long past hope of that - but because she pitied him in his bewilderment and wanted to give him, though he would not have thanked her for it, something to be haunted by.” – Clive Barker’s The Forbidden (Books of Blood)

What book are you currently reading and in what format?
Currently I’m devouring Michael Rowe’s October about a 16-year-old bullied boy dishing out a terrible revenge to his abusers. And, don’t harpoon me, but I’m reading it on kindle. So far it’s fantastic, I highly recommend it!

What are you working on now?
I’m currently bouncing between a few new projects, but the one that has seemed to gain steam is a new novel called Follow Him, which will be a sister novel to Worship Me (not quite a sequel).  If Worship Me explores the horror of faith, then Follow Him explores the horror of love. So, you know, it’s a feel-gooder.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Craig Stewart is a Canadian author and filmmaker who learned how to count from the rhyme, “One, two, Freddy’s coming for you.” He’s a creator and connoisseur of everything horror; never afraid to delve into the dark. His written works include short stories, film scripts, articles, as well as his first horror novel, Worship Me, recently published by Hellbound Books. He has also written and directed several short horror films that have enjoyed screenings across North America.


Connect with Craig:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads

Buy the book:
Amazon 

CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH JUDY PENZ SHELUK'S ARABELLA CARPENTER

ABOUT THE BOOK

Hoping to promote the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, co-owners Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland agree to sponsor a hole in one contest at a charity golf tournament. The publicity turns out to be anything but positive, however, when Arabella’s errant tee shot lands in the woods next to a corpse.

They soon learn that the victim is closely related to Arabella’s ex-husband, who had been acting as the Course Marshal. With means, opportunity, and more than enough motive, he soon becomes the police department’s prime suspect, leaving Arabella and Emily determined to clear his name—even if they’re not entirely convinced of his innocence.

Dogged by incriminating online posts from an anonymous blogger, they track down leads from Emily’s ex-fiancé (and the woman he left Emily for), an Elvis impersonator, and a retired antiques mall vendor with a secret of her own.

All trails lead to a mysterious cult that may have something to do with the murder. Can Arabella and Emily identify the killer before the murderer comes after them?

Book Details:

Title: A Hole in One

Author: Judy Penz Sheluk

Genre: cozy mystery

Series: A Glass Dolphin Mystery, 2nd in series
Publisher: Barking Rain Press (March 6, 2018)
Paperback: 178 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH JUDY PENZ SHELUK'S ARABELLA CARPENTER 

Arabella, how did you first meet Judy?
My life started in a short story called "The Blue Dolphin." It was written as an assignment for a Creative Writing Class in 2011. The story wasn’t particularly good, but it did set up the town, Lount’s Landing, and my antiques shop, which she later renamed the Glass Dolphin.

Why do you think that your life has ended up being in a book?
Judy tells me I’m her favorite character, and I think it’s true. I’m the only one who is in both her series, the Glass Dolphin Mysteries, where I’m one of the main characters, and the Marketville Mysteries, where I have more of a cameo appearance.  My motto is authenticity matters, and between us, I think it’s Judy’s motto, to.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.
Is it wrong to say it’s drinking cognac with my ex-husband, Levon Larroquette? I should know better, of course. Cognac tends to strip away my common sense. But you know, sometimes common sense is overrated.

What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?
I love researching antiques. I have an extensive library of books and old auction catalogues. You have to vet what you find online.

Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?
Emily Garland is my business partner and best friend. I do adore her, but the whole vegetarian thing she believes in escapes me. What’s wrong with a steak now and then? And if I’m forced to admit it, I’m probably still a little bit in love with Levon. Have you seen him? Drop dead gorgeous. Looks like Kris Kristofferson in A Star is Born.

What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they've known you for a while?
Well, that depends on where they meet me. If it’s in the shop, I hope they think I’m knowledgeable, honest, and fair. But if it’s at a town meeting where some greedy developer wants to bring a mega-box store to our town (like in The Hanged Man's Noose), they’ll probably think I’m a bit of a hothead. Anyone who knows me for a while, though, knows that I’m a loyal friend, hard worker, and I’m passionate about what I do and what I believe in.

What's the worst thing that's happened in your life?
Without a doubt, the worst thing was when Levon cheated on me with Camilla Mortimer-Gilroy. He said nothing happened, but I don’t believe it. Sure we were going through a tough time, but that was no reason for him to move into her B&B. What did I learn? Life goes on, even when you have a broken heart.

If your story were a movie, who would play you?
Oh my gosh, a movie! Amy Adams? Jessica Chastain? Both redheads like me, both around my age. Or maybe I should pick a Canadian actress, in which case, Rachel McAdams, but she’d have to dye her hair. All three of them would have to eat a few more shortbread cookies, though. I’m definitely not Hollywood thin.

Describe the town where you live.
Lount’s Landing is a small town about 90 minutes north of Toronto. It is named after Samuel Lount, a Canadian politician who was hanged for treason in the 19th century. History has since restored his good name. We have this terrific Main Street filled with indie shops and restaurants. That’s where my antiques shop, the Glass Dolphin, is located.

Describe an average day in your life.
I work at the shop 6 days a week. I eat a lot of my meals at The Hanged Man’s Noose, a local pub named for Samuel Lount. It’s owned by my good friend, Betsy. I also enjoy a nice glass of Australian chardonnay and hanging out with Emily.

If you could be “adopted” by another writer, who would you choose?
Kristina Stanley. She lives in British Columbia, Canada, and her Stone Mountain Mystery series is fantastic! I think Kristina would “get me.”

Will you encourage Judy to write a sequel?
Of course! In fact, Judy is hard at work on book 3 in the Glass Dolphin Mystery series. I shouldn’t admit this, but I sort of enjoy solving mysteries.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries (The Hanged Man’s Noose and A Hole In One) and The Marketville Mysteries (Skeletons In The Attic).

Judy’s short crime fiction appears is several collections. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors as the Regional Representative for Toronto/Southern Ontario.

Find Judy on her website/blog, where she interviews and showcases the works of other authors and blogs about the writing life.

Connect with Judy:
Website/Blog  |  Facebook  |   Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  Amazon

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH ELIZABETH J. DUNCAN'S PENNY BRANNIGAN

ABOUT THE BOOK

The competition is friendly and just a little fierce at the annual Llanelen agricultural show as town and country folk gather for the outdoor judging of farm animals and indoor judging of cakes, pies, pastries, chutneys, jams and jellies, along with vegetables, fruit and flowers. But this year, there’s a new show category: murder.

Local artist, Spa owner, and amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan agrees to help with the intake of the domestic arts entries and to judge the children’s pet competition on show day. When the president of the Welsh Women's Guild isn’t on hand to see her granddaughter and pet pug win a prize, the family becomes concerned. When a carrot cake entered in the competition goes missing, something is clearly amiss.

A black Labrador Retriever belonging to the agricultural show’s president discovers the body of the missing woman under the baked goods table. A newcomer to town, a transgender woman, is suspected, but amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan believes her to be innocent. She sets out to find the real killer, but when a second body is discovered days later, the case is thrown into confusion, and Penny knows it’s up to her to figure out what happened—and why.

Book Details:

Title: The Marmalade Murders

Author: Elizabeth J. Duncan

Genre: cozy mystery

Series: Penny Brannigan, 9th in series

Publisher: Minotaur Books (April 24, 2018)

Hardcover: 288 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

ABOUT PENNY BRANNIGAN

A Canadian ex-pat, Penny Brannigan lives in the picturesque North Wales town of Llanelen, where she co-owns the local Spa. A watercolour artist of some note, she has a growing reputation as an amateur sleuth.

CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH ELIZABETH DUNCAN’S PENNY BRANNIGAN

Penny, how did you first meet Elizabeth?
I met Elizabeth J. Duncan on her first visit to the North Wales back in 2005, I think it was, in Llanrwst (fictionalized as Llanelen). We actually passed each other in the street. She was on her way to lunch with friends at the Eagle Hotel, and I was walking up Station Road on my way back to the little manicure salon I had at the time. She didn’t make a great impression on me, to be honest; she just looked like an ordinary tourist. I never dreamed she’d write all those books.

Why do you think that your life has ended up being in a book?
I’ve never really understood that. I wouldn’t have thought my life was particularly interesting, or at least it wasn’t, until the first murder (The Cold Light of Mourning, St. Martin’s Press, 2008).

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.
I’d love to, but that would give away the ending. I’ll just say it’s delightful because somebody gets her heart’s desire.

Intriguing! Did you have a hard time convincing Elizabeth to write any particular scenes for you?
Not in The Marmalade Murders, but we have had differences of opinion in the past, when she wanted me to become romantically involved with a senior police officer. It made sense on paper, if you know what I mean, and although she tried desperately, my heart just wasn’t in it. In the end, she had to give up on the idea. It just wasn’t meant to be.

What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?
I’m a great rambler and I love roaming the beautiful, rolling Welsh hills with my sketch pad. Sometimes I bring paints and easel. I do my best thinking when I’m walking.

If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?
Not in The Marmalade Murders, but in a previous book someone I loved very much drowned. I’d give anything if we could go back and undo that.

Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?
I love them. Oh, a certain someone can be annoying sometimes, but she always means well and has a heart of gold, so you just have to let it go, don’t you? I’ve lived here in fictional Llanelen amongst these wonderful Welsh people for more than 25 years, and they’re my family now.

Tell us about your best friend.
My best friend is Victoria Hopkirk, my business partner. We met, oh, nine books or so ago, and we’ve solved quite a few mysteries together. I can depend on her for anything, and I hope she knows how much I value our friendship.

What’s your author’s worst habit?
She’s not as disciplined as she should be. The other characters and I hang about for days, sometimes weeks, waiting for the story to get going again. And she definitely plays too much Candy Crush.

What aspect of Elizabeth’s writing style do you like best?
She writes in a clear, simple style that’s easy to read and her dialogue is accurate. As it should be, considering she spends almost half her life her in North Wales.

Describe the town where you live.
Llanelen (the fictionalized Llanrwst) is a market town in North Wales. It’s got a cobbled town square, and a beautiful three-arched bridge designed by Indigo Jones. Some might consider the town old fashioned, but Elizabeth J. knew the minute she arrived here that if she were ever to write a mystery, she would set it in our town. People think that nothing much happens here, but take it from me, things happen. Sometimes dark, evil things.

If you could be “adopted” by another writer, who would you choose?
That’s easy, because I make cameo appearances in the Dorothy Martin series by Jeanne M. Dams, and I have to say it’s always great fun meeting up with Dorothy. And I’m in capable hands with Jeanne!

Will you encourage Elizabeth to write a sequel?
She’s already taken care of that. She’s agreed to write two more books in the series, which will bring us up to 11! Not bad going for someone who never intended to write one book.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR


A two-time winner of the Bloody Words Light Mystery award, Elizabeth J. Duncan is the author of two series of traditional mysteries: the Penny Brannigan series set in North Wales and Shakespeare in the Catskills featuring costume designer and amateur sleuth Charlotte Fairfax. Elizabeth divides her time between Toronto, Canada, and Llandudno, North Wales.

Connect with Elizabeth:
Website |  Facebook  |  Twitter 

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

FEATURED AUTHOR: MICHAEL MIROLLA

ABOUT THE BOOK

Michael Mirolla, in The Photographer in Search of Death, tells us stories that blend the explicable with the inexplicable. As if a camel were actually passing through the eye of a needle, these stories pass what is commonplace through a hyper-realistic lens into the utterly mysterious. Houses have rooms that appear and disappear. Very real objects, invaded by an unbelievable force, become believably unreal. Streets filled with everyday individuals become – in our modern technological environment – ultra ordinary. What we wish to avoid becomes unavoidable. This is a world beyond the merely “magical” – this is a binary world of becoming.

Book Details:

Title: The Photographer in Search of Death

Author’s name: Michael Mirolla

Genre: Magic realism/Speculative fiction


Publisher: Exile Editions (November 2017)

Page count: 128

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL MIROLLA

A few of your favorite things: Daily SuDoku, AC Milan Official Soccer Shirt, Grade Six Certificate for Religious Instruction, Tom Swift Jr. books, signed Charles Bukowski, baseball cap from City Lights Booksellers, portrait of Silenus the Satyr.
Things you need to throw out: Instruction Manual for Grade Six Religious Instruction, pre-2000 Income Tax Receipts, running shoes whose bottoms flap, worn-out jogging pants that could serve as veils, T-shirts predicting the Y2K disaster, Kuerig coffee maker.


Things you need in order to write: Computer in reasonable working order with memories of a typewriter in reasonable working order, espresso.
Things that hamper your writing: Everything else in the universe seeking engagement and attention from cardiac rehab classes to young idealists in search of sage advice, and thoughts of a Kuerig coffeemaker.


Things you love about writing: The idea of creating something out of 26 letters of the alphabet, the startle and elation of a story or a poem or a play coming together, the interaction with the characters, the sending out of one small paper boat on the seas of entropy.
Things you hate about writing: The necessity of endings, the downward spiral waiting for new ideas and inspirations, the greyness of the world between creations.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Trying to balance life as a writer with life as a family person, as a social animal.

Easiest thing about being a writer:
Nothing easy about being a writer but to choose the least hard – the impression of making a difference.


Things you love about where you live: Peacefulness, ease of travel, diversity, easy-access mall
Things that make you want to move: Lack of excitement, blandness, distant neighbors, easy-access mall.


Things you never want to run out of: Ideas, compassion, espresso, seeds for the winter birdfeeders, a good supply of undergarments.
Things you wish you’d never bought:
Kuerig coffeemaker, barcode scanner.


Words that describe you: Taciturn, witty, slow to anger, sensitive.
Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t: Dour, pun-ny not funny, slow to act, emotionally fragile.

Favorite foods: Cornmeal and cabbage, lentils and rice, olive oil on Italian bread, all sprinkled with hot peppers.
Things that make you want to throw up: Butter, ketchup, mustard, Kraft Food Products, snake oil salespeople.

Favorite music or song: Folk/folk rock/hardcore punk; song: "Highway 61." Revisited or anything by the Dead Kennedys.
Music that make your ears bleed: Michael Bublé, Celine Dion, anything in today’s Top 40.

Favorite beverage: Red or white wine.

Something that gives you a pickle face: Bailey’s with or without castor oil.

Favorite smell: Grated orange peel sprinkled on rice pudding.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Uncleaned rabbit hutch, fish remains in the composter.

Something you’re really good at: Compromise and copy editing.

Something you’re really bad at: Decision-making, I think
.

Something you wish you could do: Pilot the next flight to Mars, or go along for the ride.
Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Texting, chemical formulae, formal logic.

Something you like to do: Special occasions with the entire family (grandparents/parents/kids)
.
Something you wish you’d never done: Leave Italy.

People you consider as heroes: The peace makers, activists, and healers [Gandhi, MLK, Mandela, Mother Teresa, Doctors Without Borders]

People with a big L on their foreheads: Grubby, mealy-mouthed politicians, sold-out hacks, self-involved narcissists—they know who they are.



Last best thing you ate: Sushi
.
Last thing you regret eating: Pizza that wasn’t margarita pizza.

Things you’d walk a mile for: To burn off some calories and get the heart pumping, tickets to an Arsenal soccer match at the Emirates.
Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Hearing a gun lobbyist justify being an accomplice to murder.

Things you always put in your books: Some part of myself; a surprise around the corner; mysterious deeds that almost (but not quite) reach a metaphysical level
.
Things you never put in your books: Facile situations or plots; meaningless characters; obvious politics; formulaic writing.

Things to say to an author: “I read your book. Can I buy you a beer and talk about what I liked and didn’t like about it?”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I’ll give you a thousand bucks if you include me in your next book.”

Favorite places you’ve been: Nigeria, India, Kashmir, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, England, France, Germany.

Places you never want to go to again: Dubai.

Favorite books: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Waiting for Godot, The Good Soldier, Schweik.

Books you would ban: Anything by James Patterson.

People you’d like to invite to dinner:
Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Bob Dylan, Maggie Smith
.
People you’d cancel dinner on: The current President of the US (obviously), Boris Johnson, James Patterson.

Favorite things to do: Write, edit, evaluate manuscripts, watch soccer, watch British mysteries, attend readings, travel, write
.
Things you’d run through a fire wearing gasoline pants to get out of doing: Go shopping, drink Kuerig-made coffee.

Things that make you happy:
My partner, writing, watching soccer, watching British mysteries, being married for 46 years, having grandchildren and watching them sprout, getting books published, publishing good books
.
Things that drive you crazy: Listening to mealy-mouthed politicians, being called a civilian by police officers, Super Bowl hype, self-identifying authors, any and all TV ads, listening to Jordan Peterson being called a genius.

Most embarrassing moment: Picking a fight just to show off in front of friends.

Proudest moment: The launch of my first published book.

Biggest lie you’ve ever told: That I never lie.

A lie you wish you’d told: That I always lie.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Switched from science to the arts in my second year at university.

Biggest mistake: Not pursuing a higher degree beyond my masters.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Purchased a literary publishing house at the age of 62.

Something you chickened out from doing: Skydiving from a plane when invited to do so with a friend.

The last thing you did for the first time: Drove a car.

Something you’ll never do again: Drive a car.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Mirolla is the author of numerous novels, plays, and short story and poetry collections. Among his publications are three Bressani Prize winners: the novel, Berlin (2010); the poetry collection, The House on 14th Avenue (2014); the short story collection, Lessons in Relationship Dyads (2016). “A Theory of Discontinuous Existence,” was selected among the stories chosen for The Journey Prize Anthology. “The Sand Flea” was a Pushcart Prize nominee. Born in Italy and raised in Montreal, Michael now makes his home in the Greater Toronto Area.

Connect with Michael:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Indigo

FEATURED AUTHOR: JENNY Q

ABOUT THE BOOK

In January of 2014, the village’s beloved herbalist fell dramatically ill. The shock of this event brings the community of Joshua Tree together, each member using their own form of wit, practical magic and spiritual wisdom, in a desperate effort and race against time to save the life of their beloved Jenny Q. 

A close-knit desert community takes center stage in this unique book. A woven compilation of letters, prose and poems tell the story of the power of love to overcome adversity, death, coma and amputation.

While the words of her community tell the story from an outside perspective, Jenny Q’s own insightful writings provide a fascinating window into a range of rare experiences–from the worlds encountered inside a coma, to being ravaged by sepsis, the absolute alteration of losing one’s legs, the subtle venom of PTSD, and the nightmare of opiate withdrawal.

Though Held Together ruthlessly explores dark and fearful places, it is also a celebration of the human will and the power of love.

Book Details:

Title: Held Together

Author: Jenny Q

Genre: Narrative nonfiction

Publish date: June 1, 2018

Page count: 500

INTERVIEW WITH JENNY Q

Jenny, how long have you been writing and how did you start?
I have been writing most of my life.

What inspired you to write this book?
Right after I got home from the hospital, many people asked me to write a book about this event. While I loved the idea, I was still so sick, it seemed like an impossible feat. I had a couple of close friends, and my wife, as cheerleaders that gave me the courage. I asked my community for their stories, and as they came in, I felt my life get patched back together, being gifted memories I had no access to, as I was so far gone into coma, pain, and painkillers for much of a year.

How long did it take you to write this book?
It took me three years to write this book, but there was a lot of time when I was too sick to give it much time.

What do you hope readers will get from Held Together?
I really want to reach out to other disabled/alter-abled folks and others struggling to get off their reliance on opioids and other addictive substances. When I came home from the hospital, I felt so lonely. I felt like the only disabled person in the world.  I am not saying that I intellectually thought that, but emotionally felt that way.

Also, I wanted to tell the whole story, the down-and-dirty, painful journey and the gifts received. So much wisdom was gained. But mostly, I wanted to speak of the love from my family and community. That love kept me alive and kept those that love me sane. It really is a miraculous tale of how we weave our own story, and my community did just that. They refused to let me die, they willed me alive with their love and prayers.

How did you come up with the title?
My wife thought it up! Well, really, there was much discussion and meditation surrounding that. For a while, I thought about calling it Yoga on Stilts, as I spent much time in asanas meditating on how my whole life had become what felt like a balancing act. But this book is written by and about a community that holds each other together emotionally and physically.

Do you have a day job?
I am an herbalist and own an apothecary, called Grateful Desert in Joshua Tree.
I am a mom and homeschool my beautiful twelve-year-old daughter, and I am the wife of a miraculous and gifted singer and songwriter, Myshkin Warbler.

How would you describe your book in a tweet?
Love letters & intimate revelations tell the true story of a Joshua Tree community and a mother’s battle to overcome death, coma, and amputation, for love.

How did you come up with your cover art?
My dear friend Georganne Deen is a renowned artist who lives in Joshua Tree. When I was still in the hospital, she heard a story about me asking for a scotch on the rocks right after emerging from a coma. She painted this idea and sold it to Danny Elfman in a benefit to financially support my family while I was away.

I commissioned her to paint my first vacuum prostheses with symbols that relate to my life.
I’ve done my best to find the beauty in this very difficult experience. I feel like this is well illustrated by these prosthesis, which are such a hardships to wear but are beautiful.

The beauty of her art combined with the reality of an amputee was a powerful combination for the cover of this book. These painted legs illustrate the beauty and hardship that is my life.

What was your favorite childhood book?
Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time. That book really shaped my life. I still live by science embedded in magical beliefs.

What book are you currently reading and in what format?
I hadn’t had a chance to read a novel in so long! I have been so entrenched in writing this book that all my free time was spent on my own work. That being said, I just picked up a book by Sue Grafton. I love her series, a good who-done-it that is not too gory. Plus, you can’t help but fall in love with her characters.

Do you have a routine for writing?
My life is so full: parenting, family, community, people coming and going through our home much of the day. So it is no wonder that I get up at 4:30 in the morning to have quiet, uninterrupted time. I make myself an espresso and get out my journal. Much of my book comes from these pages.

Name one thing you couldn’t live without.
My community.

Where would your dream office be?
Well, in truth, I would have a few of them. One of the perks, and curses, of having traveled is dreaming of many places. I would have an office in Scotland, in Hawaii, in Tuscany, and of course right where I am, in Joshua Tree.

If you had a swear jar, would it be full?
Unfortunately, yes. My poor daughter . . .

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I think almost everyone I know would call me an extrovert, though I have introvert tendencies. I like the word my friend Sue used the other day . . . ambivert. I am definitely that.

What's your favorite treat for movie night?
Popcorn with curry and nutritional yeast.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
Chose to live.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Losing limbs and extremities has forced me to find alternative ways to do things. I love to crochet and knit. I just picked up embroidery. And I have always been a music devotee. After I lost my legs and many fingers, I picked up the cello and fell in love with my new instrument.

Do you sweat the small stuff?
Perspective is a beautiful thing. I didn’t work this hard to survive to be sad and frustrated all the time.

How long is your to-do list?
Don’t even get me started.

READ AN EXCERPT




One

the meeting (excerpt from Held Together by Jenny Q)
foggy times.. not much of reality to grasp a hold of.. in and out.. people around me..
doctor after doctor after doctor.. 
confusion, pain, hallucinations, fear..
starting to recognize people around me.. the nurses, the doctors..
watching nurses do their jobs, taking vitals, administering meds, dressing wounds,
looking for pulses..
there is to be a meeting.. it is talked about.. 
i remember it because it was mentioned over and over..
the meeting, everyone will be there, a big deal..
a party almost.. this is not correct, i know, but they are talking about it with such anticipation and preparing me for it as though there will be cake and candles..
everyone will come! all your doctors and nurses and family! 
let’s clean you up and prepare you!
everyone is there.. they are all around me.. in a wide arch around the room, squeezed in because there are endless surgical teams.. colorectal, wound, infectious disease.. what else? social workers?  my sister joyce is there, and my brothers johnny and jimmy, mom, dad and myshkin.. 
as a matter of fact, it does feel like a party: doctors sitting on stools, people perched on my bed.. everyone talking and looking at me..
it is long and i drift in and out.. they are talking about my health, speaking of my progresses and declines..  i sleep a little, i think..
then sharp focus to doctor bernal.. she is talking about my legs.. they are not getting better..
they will need to be amputated..
everyone is looking at me.. holding their breath it seems, and staring..
i know i need to hold them up, let them know i can do this..
i somehow know that this is my job...
so i let out a deep breath and say confidently, “let’s do it!” and start to cry..
everyone in the room is crying..

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenny Q was born in Southern California to Palestinian immigrants. Her love of herbs
began in her teens while on the road following the Grateful Dead. After exploring many heart
homes, she set her roots in Joshua Tree, California, where she opened Grateful Desert, the
local apothecary.

Joyously sharing her life with her tight-knit desert community, Jenny lives with her
beloveds~ Yazzy, her daughter and Myshkin, her wife.

Connect with Jenny:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook

Buy the book:
Coming in June!

---