Today Sage Miller is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about All That Shines, the latest novel in the Glitter Bay mystery series.

Welcome, Sage. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

I’m Sage Miller. I run Vintage Sage, a gently used clothing store in Glitter Bay, Oregon hence the name Glitter Bay Mysteries. I started my shop five years ago in a hole-in-the-wall location. This year my sister, direct from L.A., has joined my staff. Laken is a former supermodel who left the industry–and her jerk of a movie star husband–when she found out she had cancer. We live together in our Grandma Sadie’s former home, as well as working together in my store and solving mysteries.

All That Shines, is our second adventure. My wonderful sister decided to host a fashion show as a grand opening for our new location of Vintage Sage. Between renovating and moving, my stress level was already at an all time high. I was not amused to learn my darling sister hired a Hollywood fashion designer to help us set up the new store. Not only did he show up in the middle of renovations, but he dragged along his protégé.

Then I found Sebastian Hayward III dead. In MY store.

Suddenly half of Los Angeles—all unwelcome guests from Laken’s past—appeared in Vintage Sage. It seemed Sebastian had something they all wanted and it ended up in my store. As much as I didn’t like Sebastian, his friends were worse. I had to solve his murder so I could get rid of them all. Oh, and did I mention Laken roped me into taking part in a fashion show? I swear, my entire life hit an all-time low! I’m no fashion model. I’m a behind the scenes girl!

All That Sparkles, our first adventure, was Laken’s welcome to Glitter Bay. What do a trunk full of vintage clothes, a handsome land developer, and a fifty year old diamond heist have in common? Laken Miller receives a trunk full of expensive vintage clothing and a stack of newspaper clippings about a fifty-year old diamond heist. Now all she has to do is figure out who murdered Tilly San Vicente before the killer silences her as well.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?

I have to say, Diane is pretty good about listening to us, especially when we demand for something to happen a certain way. If she doesn’t listen when we do the rough draft, one of us can usually get her attention during edits. Of course, if it’s something she doesn’t agree with, she tends to write us into tight spots to see what we do next.

The whole thing with Hamlet and Sebastian showing up made me so upset, but I guess it gave me motivation to solve the mystery so I could get rid of all the riff-raff that showed up afterward.

On the upside, I didn’t expect to meet someone like Quinn Evans. I also didn’t expect I’d like Andy as much as I do.

How did you evolve as the main character?

In All That Sparkles, I was living my best life. Morning yoga, riding my bike everywhere, and seeing this great guy named Jonathan. Then live threw me a few curveballs. Things with Jonathan did not work out. My sister bought “us” a bigger building that overlooked the ocean. Then she brought in Sebastian and his sidekick. At least in all of that, I got to know Andy better, but I’m still wary about his intentions. I don’t have a great track record with men.

All That Shines, just isn’t about pretty things. It also reflects our lives. How we tend to live small and keep to ourselves a lot then suddenly something happens that cracks us open and our lives change. Mostly for the better. I’ve slowly come out of my cocoon, thanks to a little coaxing from my new best friend, Quinn. The funny thing is, I’ve helped her blossom at the same time.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?

You’re going to make me get sappy! Ugh! Okay. Of course I adore my sister Laken. She and I can be oil and vinegar, but she gets me. Most of the time. Okay, sometimes. To be honesty, I don’t know what I’d do without her. She pushes me out of my comfort zone in so many ways.

I wasn’t crazy about Hamlet when I first met him, but when he came out of the closet… Let’s just say if he was still Hamlet, I would’ve pushed him into a cab and shipped him off the first chance I got. When he came out as Quinn… I’m not giving it all away, but I think I found a kindred spirit.

And then there’s Andy. He’s a hunky paramedic with a heart of gold. How could I not be partial to him? He treats me like a princess even when I act like a troll. I really never thought I deserved someone like him, but I’m starting to enjoy it.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?

If you mean a physical place, Glitter Bay is a small coastal town. We have our own marina and a bakery that I adore. They even have vegetarian options thanks to me! I live in a quaint (yup, I’m going to use that word!) little house that used to belong to Grandma Sadie. She sold it to me when she moved to California to teach kids how to surf. The gardens aren’t what they used to be and Sebastian griped about a blind old lady doing the interior design, but it’s home.

Mentally, I was totally overwhelmed until the bitter end. Running Vintage Sage has been my lifelong dream. Moving it, was a nightmare. But, I have to admit, the new location is stunning and is a great showcase for all our clothing, jewelry and the twenty new mannequins… More on that in the book. Anyway, now that the dust has settled and Laken’s new apartment over the store is nearly done, I can breathe. I’m happy to report the new location has also brought us a lot more customers. Right now, I couldn’t be happier.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?

I really don’t want to give away a whole lot, but I learn a lot about myself and other people in this adventure. Despite finding a dead body, dealing with the egos of designers and actors (and my sister!), and painting more walls than I ever had, it was a lot of fun. There was good and bad, but the big finale of the fashion show made up for it all!

I’m also allowed to say we will be back in at least one more adventure. All That Glitters will be next on the list. I’m a bit afraid. I have no idea what sorts of adventures we’ll be thrust into next!

I hope you read all about us. We’ve all had a great time telling our story!

Thank you for answering my questions, Sage, and good luck to you and your author, Diane Bator, with All That Shines, the latest book in the Glitter Bay mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Sage and her author, Diane Bator by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, Instagram, Fresh Fiction and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo

About Diane Bator: Diane is the author of several mystery novels—and series. She’s a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime Toronto, International Thriller Writers and the Writers Union of Canada. When she’s not writing, she works in a small, professional theatre which will one day be subjected to immortality in a whole new series.