FEATURED AUTHOR: ANG POMPANO

ABOUT THE BOOK

When his girlfriend dumps him and a dealer nearly rams him off a bridge, Al DeSantis quits the New Haven Police Department. Just as he plans to head for LA, he finds out the father who left when he was a kid has deeded him the Blue PalmettoDetective Agency in Georgia.

Al goes down to Savannah intending to sell fast and go west, but before he can, he discovers a strong, attractive detective named Maxine, a dead body on the dock—and his father, alive, suffering from dementia, and determined to help his “new partner Al” solve the crime. Al has a lot of adjusting to do when his traditional ideas are challenged as he has to act as his father’s caretaker, and finds that Maxine is his superior in the agency that he “owns.” When his father goes missing, Al and Max must team up to save his father–and capture the murderer.

Book Details:

Title: When It’s Time for Leaving

Author: Ang Pompano

Genre: traditional mystery


Publisher: Encircle Publications (October 1, 2019)


Print length: 274 pages




On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

IFs ANDs OR WHATs INTERVIEW WITH ANG POMPANO

Q: If you could live in any time period which would it be?
A: I think one of the most fascinating time periods in history was the era that roughly follows Mark Twain’s lifespan. (1835-1910) The developments in technology, politics, and society in general in those 75 years was amazing. No wonder Twain had so much to comment on.

Q: If you could step back into a moment or day in time, where would you go?
A: At first, I was going to say that I’d go back to visit the little boy that was me and tell him what wonderful things the future would bring including marriage, children, grandchildren, a teaching career, and even published stories and books. But as I write this I’m changing my mind. I don’t think I’d want to rob him of the joy of seeing how those things unfold.

Q: If you could be anything besides a writer, what would it be?
A: I’ve dabbled in many other occupations from running a forklift, bartending, and factory work to construction. Of course, education was my main occupation where I worked in and out of the classroom and even ran the school TV studio. And while I’ve always been a writer and have been publishing stories and academic pieces for going on 30 years, I’m glad that I saved publishing my first novel for the time in my life when I could enjoy the ride.


Q: If you could meet any author for coffee, who would you like to meet and what would you talk about?
A: I wish it were possible to meet Sue Grafton for coffee one more time. Several years ago she was our guest of honor at the New England Crime Bake in Boston. I was lucky enough to sit next to her at breakfast. She was so gracious. She wanted to hear all about what those of us at the table were writing. She talked to me more about my writing than hers, and she gave me pointers and suggestions. She made each person there feel they were important.

Q: If you could choose a fictional town to live in what would it be and from what book?
A: I think Kembleford from the Father Brown series would be a great place to live. Those old homes, and that 500 year old church blow my mind. My town of Guilford, CT is very similar, but thankfully without all of the murders. This is a picture of the oldest home in our town. Doesn’t it look like it belongs in Kembleford? That may be because the Guilford settlers who built it in 1639 came from England.



Q: If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?
A: I love it right here in the good ol’ U.S.A. but if I could have a second home it would definitely be on the Amalfi coast of Italy. It’s beautiful there with towns such as Positano and Amalfi clinging to mountain cliffs that rise out of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The culture there has its roots in Greek, Roman, Moorish, and even Norman tradition. I can find a lot of mystery in that beauty and ancient civilization that I’d like to write about. In fact, one of my early short stories was called, “A Return to Amalfi.” I’d love to expand it into a book. 



Ands


5 favorite possessions:
•   my typewriter that I've had since I was 14 years old. 
•    my antique books
•    my Kayak
•    my 18-year-old car
and
•     my electronics. I love technology.
 
5 things you need in order to write: 
•  food! When I write, I split my time between my computer and the refrigerator.  
•   music - I keep Pandora on all day.
•   books - when I have writers block, the best way to clear my head is to read.
•    Google Home and the internet - I'm constantly doing research and asking it questions. It's like having a research assistant.
and
•   my writer's group—they are invaluable. They are with me from the time I have the germ of an idea until the finished manuscript.  

5 things you love about writing:
•    I love to write dialogue. Speech patterns fascinate me.
•    I love writing action scenes. My characters do things that I can only wish to do.
•    I love to write about crime not because I like crime but because I want my protagonist to solve crime and bring balance to the world.
•    I love the fact that writing is a solitary act.
and
•    Yet, I love the fact that writing is a community effort. The mystery writing community is one of the most generous groups of people on earth.    

5 things you love about where you live:
•    the change of seasons, I live in New England.
•    the history of our town which was settled in 1639.
•    the educational opportunities—I live near Yale, Wesleyan University, and several other colleges.
•    the water. I live not far from Long Island Sound. My wife and I walk by the shore every day.
and
•     the food. There are tons of restaurants near here, but best of all we have New Haven Style Pizza.

5 favorite places you’ve been: 
•   Key West—My wife is an artist and of course, I write. We have many writer and artist friends who live there.
•    Savannah—It is a town I love because its antebellum architecture and cobblestoned squares escaped the redevelopment craze of the 1960s that destroyed the character of so many cities. But you know, no matter how beautiful a place is there is always a dark side. I hope I captured a bit of both in the book.
•   LA—my daughter is a TV producer, and we visit often.
•    Italy—it's a tossup between the art and culture of Florence and the beauty of Amalfi.
and
•    New York City—we live only 90 miles away, and I spend as much time there as possible.   

5 favorite books: 
•    The Old Man and the Sea
•    The Great Gatsby I read Old Man and the Sea and Gatsby once a year
•    Murder on the Orient Express
•    The Maltese Falcon
and
•   The Godfather    

5 favorite authors: 
•    Sue Grafton
•    Walter Mosley
•    Hank Phillippi Ryan
•    Lee Child
and
•    Hallie Ephron 

Whats

Q: What’s your all-time favorite memory?
A: The birth of my children, a girl and a boy. My wife, Annette, did all of the work, but I was there for moral support. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. My daughter now has a girl of her own, and my son has two sons.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite movie?
A: It’s A Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies. George Bailey is the perfect hero and Mr. Potter is the perfect villain. The only flaw I can find in the movie is that Mr. Potter did not pay for his crime of keeping George’s money when he found it. But when you think about it, many authors, including Agatha Christie, have allowed the criminal to go unpunished except for the burden of knowing they are guilty. Good prevails in the end, so I think that makes up for that flaw.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite author?
A: I can’t pick one. I’d have to narrow it down to Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Hemingway. I’m always revisiting Huck Finn, The Great Gatsby, and The Old Man and the Sea.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite city?
A: I love New York City and Los Angeles, but my absolute favorite city is Florence Italy. There is so much history, and art, and fabulous food to be had there.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite library?
A: Blackstone Library in Branford, Connecticut was my childhood library. Here is a picture of it and another of the inside of its magnificent dome, which my grandfather helped restore. I think you can see why it’s still the library I use the most.

Q: What’s one thing that very few people know about you?
A: That I’m considered by some to be an expert in privacy. It’s totally an accidental label. When I was a Yale-New Haven Teacher Fellow I wrote a paper titled “Privacy in the Age of Video Surveillance This Is Not Your Father's Candid Camera.” Somehow it go picked up by the media and I’ve been quoted in newspapers and court cases all over the world. I really think it’s kind of funny.


Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
A: I don’t really have a pet peeve. I’m not saying I’m a saint. Plenty of things irritate me but I try to figure out where the “offender” is coming from. An example would be tailgating. Not the kind that involves food. I’m all for that. But I just don’t get driving on another car’s bumper. When it happens though, I try to put myself in the other person’s shoes. Maybe they are late for work, or have to pick up their kid, or worse. I figure whatever it is, the person is already stressed so I try not to add to it. I just get out of the way and don’t let it ruin my day.

Q: What’s the most beautiful sound you’ve heard?
A: Once we went to Paris to celebrate my wife’s birthday. Sainte-Chapelle was high on Annette’s list of things to see because she heard it was like being inside a jewel box. I surprised her with tickets to a Mozart concert there. The light coming through those stained glass windows was amazing and the music was so beautiful that you would have thought that you were at the gates of heaven. 

Q: What’s your favorite vacation spot?
A: We love Key West and have several writer and artist friends who live there. It can suit any mood that strikes you from the excitement of Duval Street to the restfulness of Fort Taylor. The restaurants are fantastic second only to those of Grand Case in St. Martin.

Q: What’s your favorite quote?
A: Be nice to those you meet on the way up because you’ll meet them again on the way down, has always been a favorite. Some people attribute it to Sinatra, but think it’s been said by many people including Walter Winchell, and Ralph Kramden. It’s a truism that you can probably find somewhere on a wall in the forum, but the point is always be nice no matter what you’re really thinking.

Q: What’s your favorite social media site?
A: For all of its faults, I think that Facebook is a wonderful thing. I’ve reconnected with many lost friends and made many new friends through Facebook.
I’ve had a Twitter account since the site was started, but I just can’t get into keeping my messages short. The same with Instagram, I have the account but hardly ever use it. And Pinterest, I just don’t get the point. I know I’m in the minority on that one. I think it just boils down to the fact that I don’t really have a lot of time to spend on social media, so I put all of the time I have into really connecting with people on Facebook.

Q: What’s your favorite color?
A: My favorite color has always been blue. Then when our first grandson became old enough to identify his colors he declared blue to be his favorite color. When I told him it was mine too he said it couldn’t be because it was his favorite. So now I guess I’m without a favorite color. What am I supposed to do, fight with a toddler?


Q: What’s one thing you never leave the house without?
A: I used to be totally lost if I forgot my wallet at home. Now I’d say I couldn’t be without my cell phone. Everything I need is in that little device including my “money.” If I realize that I forgot my phone, I turn around and go back and go back for it.


Q: What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop?
A: Pictures of my grandkids. I like to be reminded of them when I’m working. They call me Grandude and when they come around I stop everything, including writing, to play with them.

Q: What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
A: I wish I knew that you have to be a little aggressive in the publishing business. If you don’t take the initiative to get the ball rolling you may stay unpublished for a long time. And once you do get published there is still a lot of work to do. There are plenty of people who are willing to help you, especially in the Mystery Writing Community, but you have to make the first move.


Q: What do you collect?
A: I collect old books. There’s something about the sweet musky, almost vanilla, smell of old books that I like. I like to imagine who read those books before me. This picture shows a small part of my collection. They range in publication date from 1851-1959. Two of my favorites in this pictue are P. T. Barnum’s autobiography (1873) and Tom Swift and his Airship (1910).



Q: What smells remind you of your childhood?
A: I know this will sound weird, but the smell of a pig farm is a childhood memory. After WWII my grandfather and my father built a track of suburban homes in the Branford, CT. It was farm country and there was a pig farm that I had to pass as I walked to school. On the way home, I’d stop by “the nursery” to look at the baby pigs. The smell was odiferous to say the least. But I loved it!






ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ang Pompano has been writing mystery for more than twenty years. His mystery novel, When It's Time For Leaving will be published in October 2019 by Encircle Publications. His short stories have been published in many award-winning anthologies. His most recent, “Diet of Death” appears in the 2019 Malice Domestic Anthology, Parnell Hall Presents Malice Domestic: Murder Most Edible. In addition, he has written many academic pieces including one on teaching detective fiction. A member of Mystery Writers of America, he is a past recipient of the Helen McCloy/Mystery Writers of America Scholarship for a novel in progress. He has been on the New England Crime Bake Planning Committee for fourteen years and is a long-time board member of Sisters in Crime New England. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Annette, an artist, and his two rescue dogs, Quincy and Dexter.



Connect with Ang:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

Buy the book:
Amazon paperback  |  Amazon Kindle (pre-order)  |  Barnes & Noble (pre-order)  |  Encircle Publications

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FEATURED AUTHOR: NANCY LYNN JARVIS

ABOUT THE BOOK


At thirty-four, Santa Cruz County Law Librarian Pat Pirard is living her perfect life. She has a job she loves, she’s just purchased her dream car, and she is almost over being dumped by her long term boyfriend. But her thirty-fifth birthday marks the end of life as she knows it, and Pat has to reinvent herself. As a birthday present, Pat’s best friend enrolls her in a glass flower making class. She learns a lot in the class, but she never expects her final lesson will be all about murder.

Book Details:

Title: The Glass House

Author: Nancy Lynn Jarvis

Genre: cozy mystery


Series: A planned PIP Inc. series, book 1


Publisher: Good Read Mysteries (July 2019)


Print length: 260 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

IFs ANDs OR WHATs INTERVIEW WITH NANCY LYNN JARVIS

Ifs


Q: If you could talk to someone (dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?
A: I’d like to speak to Queen Elizabeth I and ask her how she felt about her father.

Q: If you could be anything besides a writer, what would it be?
A: I have worked for a newspaper, been the sole librarian in a small library (where my oldest son took his first steps) been the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz, and was a Realtor for almost twenty-five years. I loved all those jobs, but if money was no object, I would look for shipwrecks.

Q: If you’ve done community service, what was it?
A: I volunteer for a local group called Grey Bears. I live in an agricultural area of the Monterey Bay and there are lots of crops that are still fine, but might not survive shipping well. Local stores and farms donate leftovers and twice a week they are bagged and distributed to over 4500 seniors. Grey Bears also does recycling and has stores full of interesting donations. What impresses me most about the organization is how efficiently it runs with only one hired person and dozens of volunteers.

Q: If you were on the Amazon bestseller list, who would you choose to be one before and one below you?
A: I was once. My first book, The Death Contingency, was number four between James Patterson and Sue Grafton. Worked for me.

 
Q: If you could meet any author for coffee, who would you like to meet and what would you talk about?
A: I’d like to have coffee with Amy Tan. I heard her say as a child she made up stories about people she saw waiting in lines, eating in restaurants, riding the bus, etc. I did too, but didn’t tell anyone because I thought that was weird. I’d like to talk to her about her experiences.



Q: If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?
A: Right where I live. I have commanding views over Monterey Bay from 1600 feet above the water. Lights around the Bay are amazing at night. Sunrises are breathtaking, sunsets, not bad, and storms coming in across the ocean and Bay are something out of Greek mythology.



Ands


5 things you need in order to write:
    •    coffee or tea in my mug
    •    a laptop
    •    no phone calls
    •    an internet connection for some of the bizarre research I do
and
    •    often a talk radio show. There’s something about tuning out the talk that helps me focus.

5 things you love about writing:
    •    the wonderful other writers you meet in person or online
    •    speaking about my books to book clubs and others
    •    doing research about things like body decomposition
    •    reading my stories to a group called Well Connected
and
    •    just getting lost in the stories.


5 things you always put in your books: 
    •    a Shakespeare reference
    •    at least one body by the end of the second chapter
    •    at least one quirky character
    •    a pet reference
and
    •    a just ending.

5 favorite places you’ve been:
In no particular order:
    •    Victoria
    •    British Columbia
    •    Bath and York, England
    •    Carcassonne, France
and
    •    Chichén Itzȧ, Mexico

5 living people you’d like to invite to dinner: 
    •    Hillary Clinton
    •    Elizabeth Warren
    •    Michelle Obama
    •    Meryl Streep
and
    •    Beyoncé. I’d also have to invite friends, Vicki and Pat, because they would never forgive me if I assembled such a group and didn’t invite them.

Whats

Q: What’s your all-time favorite place?
A: A redwood forest.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite memory?
A: Having a drink at the bar at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on the third date with my husband and realizing I was already in love with him.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite library?
A: Porter Memorial Library in Soquel, California.


Q: What’s your favorite time of day?
A: Dawn. It’s beautiful and full of promise.

Q: What’s your favorite ice cream?
A: Rocky Road.

Q: What do you collect?
A: Santas. I have fifty-three of them at last count.

Q: What’s your favorite quote?
A: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” —Eleanor Roosevelt.

Q: What’s your favorite candy bar?
A: Three Musketeers.

Q: What’s your favorite color?
A: Red.

Q: What drives you crazy?
A: Politics.


Q: What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
A: Most worries you have don’t matter at all.


Q: What movie genre do you prefer: drama, comedy, action, adventure, thriller, or horror?
A: Drama, preferably British mysteries.


Q: What’s your latest recommendation for:
Food: Korean food.
Music: The Beatles are still the best.
Movie: Star Wars is still my favorite.
Book: Lostart Street.
Audiobook: I’ve only listened to one: 1776. I am about to start recording my books, however.
TV: PBS
Netflix/Amazon Prime: Just finished season four of Queer Eye.
Miscellaneous: Write that book. It will change your life.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After earning a BA in behavioral science, Nancy worked for the San Jose Mercury News, as a librarian, and as business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz before becoming a Realtor. She let her license lapse after falling in love with writing.

Nancy’s work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years, a philosophy she applies to her writing, as well. She’s written seven Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries and “Mags and the AARP Gang” about a group of octogenarian bank robbers. She has edited “Cozy Food: 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes” and “Santa Cruz Weird,” a short story anthology. She’s even written “The Truth About Hosting Airbnb” based on her hosting experiences.

The Glass House, the first book in a planned PIP Inc. series, introduces Pat Pirard who turns to private investigation after she’s downsized from her law librarian job.

Nancy is a member of Santa Cruz Women of Mystery, Sisters in Crime, and Mystery Writers of America.


Connect with Nancy:
Amazon page  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |   Linkedin 

Buy the book:
Amazon

FEATURED AUTHOR: LAURA CHILDS

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

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

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

Book Details:

Title: Mumbo Gumbo Murder

Authors: Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran

Genre: cozy mystery

Series: New Orleans Scrapbooking Mystery, book 16

Publisher: Berkley Publishing (October 1, 2019)

Print length: 320 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

IFs ANDs or WHATs INTERVIEW WITH LAURA CHILDS

Ifs

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

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

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

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

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

Ands

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

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

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

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

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

Whats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

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

Connect with Laura:
Webpage  |  Facebook 

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

Connect with Terrie:
Blog  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads

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

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FEATURED AUTHOR: BARBARA PLUM

ABOUT THE BOOK

Hop off the fast track. Buy a boat. Write the Great American Novel.

Forty-four-year-old Susanna Walker knows the importance of taking risks and dreaming big.
Mother of two grown kids. Former CEO of a Silicon Valley PR firm. Ex-wife of a still-present, former compulsive gambler. Susanna ignores the objections to her new life and the whispers she's perimenopausal. 

As with all well-laid plans, hers quickly derail when the hunk from the boat next door drops by and invites her to supper on his vessel Camelot. The boat's name, his boyish appearance, and the medieval armor he sports leave her a bit dazed.

Yet against all reason, Susanna agrees to inspect the armor more closely while he puts the finishing touches on fresh pasta, shrimp, and a cheeky Chardonnay.

The next morning she wakes up in her own bed. Naked.

And mad. He suckered her in with his knight-in-shining-armor disguise. But does he think he can steal her underwear without consequences?

He sure does and issues a whole set of sexy consequences more mind boggling that she ever imagined.

Fans of Tracy Brogan will love Crazy Daze and a Knight.

Book Details:


Title: Crazy Daze and a Knight 


Author’s name: Barbara Plum        


Genre: romantic comedy


Publish date: August 21, 2019


Print length: 351 pages

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH BARBARA PLUM

A few of your favorite things: a ratty old red coat that belonged to my mother; a book of butterflies from the Metropolitan Museum of  Art; my curated list of children's illustrated books; a pencil drawing of a basket of flowers by my seven-year-old daughter; a clay handprint made by my five-year-old son in summer camp.
Things you need to throw out: four pairs of "dead" walking shoes; the dress pattern for my wedding dress; a wet suit I've never worn; old printed and outdated versions of at least four manuscripts long since published.  


Things you love about writing: creating a story that entertains readers from a word, phrase, thread of an idea, a snatch of a overheard conversation.
Things you hate about writing: marketing because of the time involved.

Hardest thing about being a writer: convincing people I have a real job and can't run off to play or take on another volunteer task.

Easiest thing about being a writer: sitting down and getting the words from my mind to my blank screen.


Things you love about where you live: the familiarity of the location where I've lived for more than thirty years and the near perfect weather that allows me to walk 5 miles daily.
Things that make you want to move: The god-awful traffic at all hours with drivers always driving too fast.

Things you never want to run out of: water (I drink 8+ glasses daily); good walking shoes (for my daily 5-mile treks);  goat milk soap; Skyr plain yogurt.
Things you wish you’d never bought: my touch-screen laptop; my office chair; the wet suit I've never used. 


Words that describe you: compulsive about writing; curious to the point of nosiness; funny; a good conversationalist.
Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t: bossy (aka controlling); too talkative; pathologically loyal.

Favorite foods: fresh fish (Chilean seabass) and fresh green beans; Danish Koldskold.
Things that make you want to throw up: okra; raisins; cooking liver.

Favorite beverage: water.

Something that gives you a pickle face: most red wines no matter how expensive.

Favorite smell: fresh lilacs—especially after a rain.

Something that makes you hold your nose: liver cooking.

Something you’re really good at: extemporaneous speaking and walking fast.

Something you’re really bad at: drawing or painting or making pottery or sewing.


Something you wish you could do: dance Zumba (which I used to do but my knees now protest).
Something you wish you’d never learned to do: "armchair" analyze people.

Something you like to do: aerobic dance (3x a week).

Something you wish you’d never done: downhill ski.

People you consider as heroes: my mother who instilled in me a love of reading and belief in myself despite little education and five other kids to care for.

People with a big L on their foreheads: lying people—especially politicians—test my optimism even though much of what I write involves lies characters tell themselves and others.



Last best thing you ate: a grilled cheese sandwich on really good Danish rye bread.

Last thing you regret eating: a medium ice cream cone at the beach because a small cone would have been just right.

Things you always put in your books: themes about family.

Things you never put in your books: gratuitous sex or violence.

Things to say to an author: much of what other authors do/say won't work for you; you have to find your own way.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: you have to plot every chapter before you write word one.

People you'd invite to dinner: Elizabeth Warren; Edith Wharton; Lisa Unger; Elmore Leonard; the current pope; my husband.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Donald Trump; Mitch McConnell; the governors of Florida, Missouri, and Alabama; Betsy Voss.

Favorite things to do: cook (when I feel no pressure and have time).

Things you’d run through a fire wearing gasoline pants to get out of doing: going to the dentist to have a tooth pulled.

Things that make you happy: seeing/visiting with my kids and daughter-in-law; cooking a special meal for my husband.
Things that drive you crazy: computer problems.
Most embarrassing moment: Wearing a pair of ratty underwear that fell off while I stood at a stoplight at a corner in my university town.
Proudest moment: delivering both my kids without anesthesia.

Biggest lie you’ve ever told: I told a man who was crazy about me that I loved him.

A lie you wish you’d told: I wish I'd said I was independently wealthy and planned to live in Europe before settling down to think about marriage.

Best thing you’ve ever done: decided having two kids was enough.
Biggest mistake: getting married too young the first time (barely 20).
Most daring thing you’ve ever done: move to South America with an infant daughter.
Something you chickened out from doing: living longer than a year in South America.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Barbara Plum grew up in Southern Missouri. She spent endless hours wading the creeks, searching the "hollers" for the cows, and reading the "Monkey Ward's" catalogues.  She now lives and writes in Silicon Valley with her first-reader husband.

Barbara also writes dark psychological suspense and mysteries as AB Plum, who grew up in a huge extended family. Gossip helped pass the long, hot summer days and nights. The revelations she eavesdropped on fuel the mysteries and thrillers she writes living in sunny Silicon Valley with her husband.



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

Buy the book:
Amazon

FEATURED AUTHOR: AMY PATRICIA MEADE

ABOUT THE BOOK

Literary caterer Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon is preparing her English Secret Garden-themed luncheon for Coleton Creek’s annual garden club awards, but when she is taken on a tour of some of the top contenders with the garden club’s president, Jim Ainsley, Tish is surprised at how seriously the residents take the awards – and how desperate they are to win.

Wealthy, retired businessman Sloane Shackleford has won the coveted best garden category five years in a row, but he and his Bichon Frise, Biscuit, are universally despised. When Sloane’s bludgeoned body is discovered in his pristine garden, Tish soon learns that he was disliked for reasons that go beyond his green fingers. Have the hotly contested awards brought out a competitive and murderous streak in one of the residents?

Book Details:

Title: The Garden Club Murder

Author: Amy Patricia Meade

Genre: cozy mystery


Series: A Tish Tarragon Mystery, book 2


Publisher: Severn House Publishers (September 1, 2019)


Print length: 208 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours

GUEST POST BY AMY PATRICIA MEADE


Strangely enough, my Tish Tarragon mystery series began, not as a culinary mystery, but as an answer to a call for a mystery featuring animals and a small town veterinary office.


My sample pages for the veterinary mystery were ultimately rejected, but my agent and I so loved the characters of Julian Jefferson Davis, Mary Jo Okensholt, Celestine Rufus, and the small town setting that they deserved their own series—a series that did not involve a veterinary office. But if not a veterinary office, then where?

During a flurry of pre-Christmas emails exchanged while I was visiting in Vermont, my agent finally asked: “Aside from writing, what are you passionate about?”

The answer was clear to anyone who’s even glanced at my social media accounts. Cooking.



After a few more emails, and probably a few glasses of holiday wine, we decided to replace the capable brunette Dr. Reed with the blonde cook, Tish Tarragon, and set the series at a literary café and catering business just outside Richmond, Virginia, as I was living in Williamsburg, Virginia at the time.

We also agreed to include more than a few terrible puns on the menu. Recharged and with tongue fully in cheek, I set to work on a synopsis and the sample pages immediately after Christmas. By May, I had secured a two-book publishing contract with Severn House Books.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to write about my passion for cooking in my preferred genre. With the publication of The Garden Club Murder, I’ve had the thrill of combining my passion for cooking with my passion for gardens.

I’m not going to lie. I’ve not had the best relationships with some of the plants in my keep. I don’t possess a black thumb, but it’s certainly not bright green either. Perhaps more a shade of olive.

However since moving out of snowy Vermont, I had become a great fan of visiting gardens and exploring new plants and flowers I had never seen. Spring and summer Saturday mornings in Williamsburg meant visiting Colonial Williamsburg marketplace for its weekly farmer’s market and then a wander through its many gardens. On each visit we’d mark the progression of daffodils and tulips as they poked their heads through the early March soil and were gradually replaced by peonies, roses, phlox, and, finally, asters.

When we left Williamsburg to settle in England, I was excited to explore our new home, but was sad to leave our garden jaunts behind. Little did I know that new garden wonders awaited. 

Agatha Christie’s holiday home of Greenway was to become a frequent spot for passing a lazy Sunday afternoon. There were garden walks to enjoy and the progression of blooms in the walled garden as well as the trails that follow the River Dart and wind up at The Battery and the boat house, the inspiration for Dame Agatha’s Dead Man’s Folly. And then there was the jewel of Devon, Coleton Fishacre, with its exotic gardens and subtropical climate. Winding paths that led through fields of bluebells in April and forests of blooming camelias in winter.

Armed with my newfound appreciation for all things green, I set about sharing my affection for the plant world in my second Tish Tarragon mystery, The Garden Club Murder, which takes place at a garden competition in the over-sixty community of Coleton Creek.



Paying homage not just to Coleton Fishacre, but to gardens on both sides of the pond, my novel depicts a four-square colonial garden filled with Sweet Williams, herbs, and other heirloom plants, a traditional rose-filled English cottage garden, a pastoral wildflower garden replete with pond, an evergreen garden filled with trees and shrubs of varying colors and textures, and finally a modern garden with a water feature I’d only heard about after my visit to Coleton: a rill, or stream.

Like each garden I’ve visited, the gardens in The Garden Club Murder have their own unique character and also reflect the people who built them. I hope you enjoy your visit with the gardens and residents of Hobson Glen and Coleton Creek.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Author of the critically acclaimed Marjorie McClelland Mysteries, Amy Patricia Meade is a native of Long Island, New York where she cut her teeth on classic films and books featuring Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown.

After stints as an Operations Manager for a document imaging company and a freelance technical writer, Amy left the bright lights of New York City and headed north to pursue her creative writing career amidst the idyllic beauty of Vermont’s Green Mountains.

Now residing in Bristol, England, Amy spends her time writing mysteries with a humorous or historical bent. When not writing, Amy enjoys traveling, testing out new recipes, classic films, and exploring her new home.

Connect with Amy:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Instagram 

Buy the books:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  AbeBooks

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FEATURED AUTHOR: CY WYSS

ABOUT THE BOOK

PJ Taylor, the feline shapeshifter, is back! Someone is kidnapping people’s pet cats and holding them for ransom. When PJ’s beloved niece is catnapped, the trail leads PJ to Nowhere, a tiny hamlet north of her hometown of Mayhap. What intrigues will PJ find among the inhabitants of this minuscule community? You can bet it involves at least one person up to no good and flushing this person out could be…murder!

Book Details:

Title: Road to Nowhere

Author: Cy Wyss

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Eyeshine, book 2

Publisher: Nighttime Dog Press, LLC (September 1, 2019)

Print length: 222 pages

GUEST POST BY CY WYSS

The Art of Not Taking Advice

Everyone and their mentors all say that if you’re an indie author, whatever you do, don’t create your own covers. Step away from the notion you can create something decent. You’ll just end up embarrassing yourself.

Having a long history of not taking sage advice, and also having a few courses in art under my belt from when I was younger, I set out to completely disregard this advice. Like most contrary acts, it was both a great and terrible idea.

There is more motivation behind my insouciance than just financial. I’ve actually had rather rotten luck with designers. I’ve had them fail to produce the work they promised, produce shoddy work, and charge me a ton of money for something I can’t imagine not being able to do myself.

Armed with GIMP, the “free Photoshop,” I set out to outfit my own books with graphic art from my own mind and talent. Now that I’ve been creating covers for a few years, I can honestly say that I don’t recommend it unless you’re actually a graphic designer. Because, I basically had to become a graphic designer to get anything that was halfway decent and able to compete with the “big boys”—the professionals hired by the big publishing companies.

Let’s look at two case studies: Dimorphic (my first book), and Eyeshine (my second). Each had a distinct progression, through unreliable hired artists to my own early attempts and, finally, to my more learned offerings.

My covers really took off when I studied with Stuart Bache by taking the Covers that Sell course associated with Mark Dawson’s Self-Publishing Formula platform. Using Stuart’s techniques—plus years of practice, and I do mean years—I’ve been able to make decent covers recently.

      
     Dimorphic

       Eyeshine

The 2016 Eyeshine cover isn’t bad (in fact it’s pretty good), but it was seriously expensive, and I wasn’t about to pay $500 for every cover in my long, planned series. Plus, I wasn’t sure how it would translate to future books in the series. It is important they are similar and consistently recognizable.

        The Eyeshine Series—So Far

You can find more of my covers at cywyss.com and also nighttimedogpress.com. Thanks for reading! What do you think? Should indie authors ignore all that well-meaning advice and learn graphic design?

EXCERPT FROM ROAD TO NOWHERE

Robert Taylor entered the brownstone via the back door, closing it quietly behind himself. He was in a landing of pale green and gray with tan carpet and stairs leading upward and a sandwich board on the wall with office numbers. The woman he was looking for was in 303, two stories above him. He ascended the two flights, his heart leaden with reluctance.
He considered himself a unicorn – someone special and rare. Not only was he smart and successful (head of his own one-man FBI office in Mayhap, Indiana), the women in his family had the unusual proclivity to turn into cats when the sun set. This made them particularly effective operatives, although in fearing for their safety he often restricted their usefulness. His sister, PJ, had been his most important informant up until her recent death. He couldn’t believe she was gone.
It didn’t seem real. Didn’t cats have nine lives? He somehow expected PJ to rise from her grave and come back to him. Instead, here he was, about to attempt to convince a psychotherapist of his sanity in the face of his recent tragedies. All he wanted was to get back to work. They wouldn’t let him back without the sign-off from this woman, Ms. Julia Herzenberg. Her name conjured images of some ancient Freudian presence, maybe someone who looked like Dear Abby or Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, with copious wrinkles and a severe bun. He shivered at the idea of exposing his inner life to this person.
On the third floor, the stairwell opened into a larger space of muted pastels that smelled of rose and mint. Three doors greeted him, and he pushed through the one whose frosted glass proclaimed it 303. Inside, soft new age music played, and the floral scent was stronger. The culprit was an incense burner on a small table near the door. Thin smoke wafted from a glazed, bulbous pot in gray ombre. The walls of the suite were a soothing blue and the furniture worn leather in earthy browns. Striped pillows and throw blankets abounded, and health magazines lined the coffee table. Robert perched on the edge of a fat armchair and crossed his legs, interlacing his fingers around his knee. He waited, with the demeanor of a man about to face something dire and unwanted.
His first impression of Julia Herzenberg when she opened the inner door was that she looked nothing like an old psychiatrist or supreme court judge. Her hair flowed around her head in generous curls, spilling from her shoulders in waves of auburn silk. Her eyes were a crystalline green the likes of which he had only seen previously on actresses or fashion models. She was tall and thin, with slender, manicured fingers and long legs beneath a plaid wool skirt. She reminded him of a willow – inscrutable and eternal, with Nature’s grace and strength.
“Robert Taylor?” she asked.
It took him a moment to shut his flapping mouth and recover his aplomb.
“Yes,” he finally said, extending his hand.
She shook it firmly, her hand warm and dry. She led him into a brown hallway, and to an office at one end. The room contained the same homey furniture as the waiting area, in neutral shades of soft leather with woven and plush accompaniments.
“Have a seat,” she said.
He stared at the wide couch before him.
“Do I need to lie down?” he asked.
“Only if you want to,” she said.
She sat in an armchair across from the couch with her knees pressed together and her hands folded in her lap. She studied him, an entirely unassuming expression on her porcelain face. Awkwardly, he perched on the edge of the couch and rested his weight on his elbows on his thighs. He let his hands dangle.
She remained still and silent as he took in his surroundings. The paintings on the walls were interesting but not distracting and consisted of abstractions that reminded him of natural surroundings. The lights were incandescent, and the shades partially drawn, rendering the space as comforting as a forest nook where sunlight filtered through the branches above. Dr. Herzenberg even had a small fountain on one side table and the faint sound of running water complemented the illusion. Robert could feel his tension recede, despite his natural wariness and dark mood.
Still, she said nothing. Robert felt her watching him and found he couldn’t meet her gaze directly. Rather, his eyes roved over their environment, never settling for more than a few seconds. Behind and beside her was a narrow bookcase with glass panels and something about it bothered him. He kept returning to it, until he realized why. On the very top of the bookcase was an old-fashioned globe and a statue that looked like a very realistic black cat. It could have been PJ. He stared at the cat, and almost jumped out of his seat when the statue blinked.
“God, that’s a cat!” he said.
Dr. Herzenberg smiled. “That’s Bella.”
“Wow,” Robert said. “I thought she was a statue.”
“She likes to sit up there,” Dr. Herzenberg said. “Many of my patients don’t ever notice her.”
“I’m amazed. You bring your cat with you to the office?”
Dr. Herzenberg shrugged. “She doesn’t like to be alone.”
“You could get her a companion.”
“She doesn’t like other cats.”
Robert chuckled. “Typical difficult feline.”
“Tell me,” Dr. Herzenberg said. “Are you a cat person?”
He remembered his sister, and the fact he’d never see her again. His eyes burned, though he willed himself not to tear up.
“You could say that,” he said.
PJ had turned into a cat every night since shortly after she had hit puberty. He still remembered the first time she’d shapeshifted. He was a rookie cop at the time and looking after her since their parents had died, as her much older brother and legal guardian. They’d been playing video games on the couch when she howled and writhed in pain. He had thought she was dying and called 911.
Imagine his chagrin when they arrived and found no sign of the girl that he’d insisted needed an ambulance. Instead, a black tabby cat watched him explain that he’d had a nightmare and called emergency services by mistake. His colleagues ribbed him for weeks afterward.
Robert was so traumatized, he confined PJ to her room after sundown from that time forward, and he somehow managed to convince himself her transition hadn’t happened. It was only recently, with his own daughter, Nancy, entering puberty, that he’d finally opened up to PJ about her wonderous ability. He had been terrified that Nancy would become a shapeshifter as well. Be the status of that as it may, at least one outcome had been that he had become significantly closer to PJ, a relationship long overdue.
His memories of PJ ran through his mind, and guilt stabbed his heart. If only he hadn’t been so pigheaded, he could have showed his love for her sooner. He could have had years of closeness instead of mere months. They could even, perhaps, have–
No. He wouldn’t let himself think about that. Regret was a demon that ate you alive. It was what it was. He couldn’t change the past any more than he could draw castles in the sky.
“What are you thinking about?” Dr. Herzenberg asked.
Robert blinked several times, his reverie broken. “Nothing,” he said.
She stared at him. His gaze dropped to the coffee table between them.
“I was thinking of my sister,” he said.
“Tell me about her.”
Robert took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He crossed his arms over his chest and studied the carpet under their feet, a confetti-patterned collage of woodland hues. He found himself telling Dr. Herzenberg the truth – something he hadn’t done in decades.
“She’s not actually my sister,” he said.
“Oh?” She raised a delicate eyebrow.
“Well, she wasn’t, I mean,” he said. “My father was her mother’s cousin.”
Dr. Herzenberg appeared lost in thought for a moment. “So, your ‘sister’ was actually your second cousin?”
“Yes,” Robert said.
“Why do you call her your sister?”
“Our parents married,” Robert said. “Legally, PJ was my sister.”
“I see,” she said.
Another wave of regret washed over Robert. He clasped his hands together and hung his head so she wouldn’t see the sheen of tears in his eyes.
“I did read your employment record,” Dr. Herzenberg said. “You’ve had quite the last couple of weeks.”
Robert snorted. “Yeah. You could say that.”
“You failed the bureau’s lie detector test, separated from your wife, shot and killed a man, and your sister – your second-cousin, I mean – died. I’d say all of that qualifies you for a little paid leave.”
Then there was the business with his daughter, which he couldn’t talk about, as well as the thing concerning his infidelity, which he likewise couldn’t bring himself to talk about. His shoulders drooped.
“I don’t want paid leave,” he said. “I want to get back to work. All I do is sit around and mope. If I can work, I’ll feel better.” He looked up, into her concerned face. “What can I do to convince you I’m fit for returning to work – that, in fact, it’ll help me recover?”
She tilted her head and scrutinized him. He fidgeted under the weight of those amazing green eyes.
“You can’t run from your grief, Robert. Turning your attention elsewhere will only cause it to fester and grow into something uncontrolled.”
He sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
On top of the bookcase, the cat stood and stretched elegantly, her back a deeply curved S. She sat on her haunches and used her paw to clean her snout. Robert watched, fascinated.
“Tell me more about your sister,” Dr. Herzenberg said.
Another wave of regret reminded Robert of his failures, and, with it, a twinge of fear piqued his soul. He’d already said too much.
“You were close, I take it,” the psychiatrist said.
“Yeah,” Robert said.
Dr. Herzenberg waited. Robert looked around the room again, his gaze settling on the quarter-height of window, through which a gray fall sky was visible.
“What bothers you most about her death?” she asked.
Robert’s eyes lost their focus as his attention turned inward. Guilt weighed heavy in his heart as he remembered the past two weeks and his role in the whole mess.
“I never…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Dr. Herzenberg perked up. “You never what?”
He stared at the cat, who stared back unblinkingly. The odd sense of unreality overtook him again and he found himself speaking the truth once more.
“I never told her how much I loved her,” he said.
“I’m sure she knew,” Dr. Herzenberg said.
Robert shook his head. “No. She didn’t.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I pushed her away. She wanted more from me. I should have given it to her.”
Dr. Herzenberg’s brow furrowed and her eyes darkened. “What are we talking about, Robert? You’ve told me she wasn’t your blood sister. How did you see her? As your little sister? Or, as something more than that?”
Robert ground his teeth. How did they get onto this topic? He was here to get back to work, not to get himself fired for inappropriate feelings toward PJ.
“I shouldn’t have said it that way,” he said. “Of course, I meant it platonically.”
She studied him. “You know that everything you tell me is confidential.”
He frowned. “I know you have to report what I say to my superiors,” he said.
“No,” she said. “I have to report my overall opinions. Your disclosures are entirely between us alone.”
Robert stared up at Bella, whose golden gaze had never seemed to leave him. He was pretty sure the cat saw right through him, and he wondered how much of that ability Dr. Herzenberg had.
He said nothing.
***
Excerpt from Road To Nowhere by Cy Wyss. Copyright 2019 by Cy Wyss. Reproduced with permission from Cy Wyss. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cy Wyss is a writer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They have a Ph.D. in computer science and their day job involves wrangling and analyzing genetic data. Cy is the author of three full-length novels as well as a collection of short stories and the owner and chief editor of Nighttime Dog Press, LLC.

Before studying computer science, Cy obtained their undergraduate degree in mathematics and English literature as well as masters-level degrees in philosophy and artificial intelligence. They studied overseas for three years in the UK, although they never managed to develop a British accent.

Cy currently resides in Indianapolis with their spouse, daughter, and two obstreperous but lovable felines. In addition to writing, they enjoy reading, cooking, and walking 5k races to benefit charity.


Connect with Cy:
cywyss.com  |  Goodreads  |  BookBub  |  Twitter  |  Facebook

Buy the book:
Amazon

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FEATURED AUTHOR: LIDA SIDERIS

ABOUT THE BOOK



Corrie Locke, newbie lawyer and daughter of a late, great PI, is learning the ropes at the Hollywood movie studio where she works—and where things are never what they seem. Life imitates art when a fictional murder attempt turns real—right before her eyes. With more than a little help from friends and a crazy movie legend, Corrie trips down a trail littered with wisecracks, mysterious messages, and marginally legal maneuvers to track down the killer. Meanwhile, clues keep disappearing and Corrie makes an enemy whose deadly tactics keep escalating. Will her impromptu sleuthing skills be enough to catch the mysterious assailant before he takes her down?

Book Details:

Title: Murder: Double or Nothing 

 Author: Lida Sideris

Genre: mystery


Series: Southern California Mystery series, book 3


Publisher: Level Best Books (July 23, 2019)


Print length: 298 pages

On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours






IFs ANDs OR WHATs INTERVIEW WITH LIDA SIDERIS

Ifs


Q: If you could live in any time period which would it be? 

A: Circa 1940, in Hollywood, working at the movie studio where I used to work . . . and where my heroine currently works, when she’s not chasing bad guys, that is. The studio would be MGM in the days of Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and all the legendary stars. I’d love to experience movie life in the golden years. When I worked at the studio, I only viewed those years through the photos on the walls of the older buildings.

Q: If you could be anything besides a writer, what would it be? 

A: A baker. Cookies and pastries would be my specialty. Every tooth in my mouth is a sweet tooth.

Q: If you had to do community service, what would you choose?
A: That’s easy—I enjoy volunteer work at the public library and with rescue dogs. I like offering free legal help where I can. But one volunteer position I’ve not yet tackled, but plan to, is child advocacy for foster children - to make sure they’re treated well. 

Q: If you could choose a fictional town to live in what would it be and from what book? 

A: I’d try the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz. Wasn’t it supposed to be a beautiful, happy and magical place? I could put up with a wicked witch or two.  


Q: If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?

A: Exactly where I am in the northern tip of Southern California. I’m close to Los Angeles, but not too close. The Pacific Ocean’s not far off and the mountain ranges are magnificent. 


Ands

5 things you need in order to write:
    •    my laptop, 
my notebook (filled with dialogue possibilities, chapter notes and character descriptions)
    •    a book from one of my favorite authors
    •    a mini notebook (to write notes to self)
and
    •    a good attitude!

5 things you love about writing:
    •    the way I feel when I hit THE END (hooray!)
    •    the fun of unexpected adventures
    •    characters who surprise me
    •    characters who do the right thing
and
    •    when research invites ideas I never would have figured out on my own

5 things you love about where you live: 

    •    small town
    •    starry nights
    •    no chain stores
    •    farms
and
    •    friendly people

5 words to describe you:
    •    persistent
    •    responsible
    •    positive 

    •    committed 

and
    •    loyal


5 things you always put in your books:
    •    chase scenes animals
    •    strong women
    •    Southern California
    •    locations
and
    •    fun

Whats

Q: What’s your all-time favorite place? 

A: Home, wherever that may be.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite movie?
A: Pride and Prejudice, the 1940 MGM, Greer Garson/Laurence Olivier version.


Q: What’s your all-time favorite library? 

A: Boston Public Library – I love the Abbey Mural Room!

Q: What’s the most beautiful sound you’ve heard?
A: Children’s laughter.


Q: What’s your all-time favorite picture of yourself?
A: That’s me doing research for book #2: Murder Gone Missing. I learned a lot that day from my new friend!

Q: What’s your favorite time of day?
A: Sunrise.


Q: What’s your favorite thing to do when there’s nothing to do?  

A: Read a book, of course!


Q: What’s your favorite quote? 

A: “Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” —Mark Twain


Q: What’s your favorite color? 

A: Red.



Q: What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop? 

A: My two children.



Q: What movie genre do you prefer: 

A: Comedy.


Q: What do you collect?

A: Positive quotes.


Q: What smells remind you of your childhood? 

A: Briny ocean air, cinnamon, fresh baked bread.



Q: What author would you most like to review one of your books? 

A: Janet Evanovich.



Q: What book are you currently working on? 

A: Slightly Murderous Intent, #4 in my Southern California Mystery series.

Q: What’s your latest recommendation for:

• Food: Whole wheat ‘n honey pancakes with Olallieberry topping from Linn’s in Cambria, California (the gluten free version is also delicious).
• Music: “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!” from the Broadway classic show tunes soundtrack.
• Movie: Queen of Katwe.
• Book: Staging is Murder by Grace Topping.
• Audiobook: I’m about to listen to The Eighty Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse that Inspired A Nation.
• TV: Doctor Who. 
• Netflix/Amazon Prime: Almost any Hallmark movie (I’m in the midst of bingewatching!).
• Miscellaneous: If you’re looking for a loyal canine friend, please consider a rescue dog.

OTHER BOOKS BY LIDA SIDERIS


The Southern California Mystery series:

#1 - Murder and Other Unnatural Disasters

#2 – Murder Gone Missing

#3 – Murder: Double Or Nothing


Picture book for ages 4-8:

The Cookie Eating Fire Dog, (about a naughty Dalmatian who prefers eating cookies to helping the fire fighters)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Like her heroine, Corrie Locke, Lida Sideris worked as an entertainment attorney for a film studio. Unlike her heroine, she doesn't investigate possible homicides on the side. Lida resides in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, their rescue shepherds, and a flock of uppity chickens. She was one of two national recipients of the Helen McCloy/Mystery Writers of America scholarship for mystery writing.


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Buy the book:

Amazon

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