Today Libby Beckett is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about On Skein of Death, the latest novel in the Riverbank Knitting mystery series.

Welcome, Libby. 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.

ON SKEIN OF DEATH is the first in the Riverbank Knitting Mysteries series. Each book takes place in the riverside community of Collinstown, MD where I’ve just come back home. Fresh from a nasty divorce, I’ve decided to fulfill my dream of opening a yarn shop. Just as I’m launching my first big event at Y.A.R.N., my VIP guest is found dead, strangled with a hank of yarn. I and my friends—and even my dog—work to solve the mystery of who killed knitting designer Perle Lonager and why. All of the series will center around knitting, yarn, a fair amount of baked goods, the shop, and my beloved hometown community.

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

Well, of course Allie thinks she’s in charge—authors tend to do that. But I’m not shy about speaking my mind, so I definitely get a say. There were several times I insisted on a plot twist Allie didn’t see coming. What’s the fun of a good mystery without a handful of juicy plot twists?

How did you evolve as the main character?

Allie will tell you I popped into her head all ready to go—complete with my shop name: Y.A.R.N.—which stands for “Your Absolutely Ready Now” and whatever else my customers can dream up. My English bulldog Hank also showed up right alongside me. Allie says it doesn’t always happen that way, but I’m a go-getter kind of woman so she shouldn’t have been surprised I had all my details in place the minute I arrived on the scene. Did I demand my own series? I like to think I asked with a hefty dose of clever persuasion. There may have been mentions of getting to buy yarn and eat pie in the name of literary research…

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

I’m endlessly partial to Hank. He’s such a loyal dog and no slouch at sniffing out mystery clues. My best friend Margo owns the Perfect Slice Pie Shop right across the street. Who doesn’t love a funny, smart friend who is also an endless source of baked goods? And then there’s Gavin. He’s the mayor of Collinstown, but he also was my high school sweetheart, so that gets a bit complicated. I love my mom, Rhonda, but she takes meddling in my life to the level of an art form. I’m not at all partial to George, the President of the Chamber of Commerce who seems to think he’s King of Collinstown.

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

Collinstown is a charming—okay, maybe a bit nosy and quirky—little Maryland town. I grew up here, my mom and all her friends still live here. It’s a gorgeous place to be in the fall—the colors, the crisp air, the sound of yellow police tape being stretched across a crime scene…

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

ON SKEIN OF DEATH will appeal to knitters and non-knitters alike. But if you’re a knitter,  you’ll love to know that there’s a full Norwegian-style dog sweater pattern in the back of the book! It comes in digital and audiobook versions, too.  And I’ll have more adventures in KNIT OR DYE TRYING in February 2022.

Thank you for answering my questions, Libby, and good luck to you and your author, Allie Pleiter, with On Skein of Death, the latest book in the Riverbank Knitting mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Libby and her author, Allie Pleiter by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, Instagram and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound 

About Allie Pleiter: An avid knitter, coffee junkie and firm believer that “pie makes everything better,” Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction working on as many as four novels at a time.  The bestselling author of over fifty books, Allie has enjoyed a twenty-year career with over 1.5 million books sold.  In addition to writing, Allie maintains an active writing productivity coaching practice and speaks regularly on the creative process, publishing, and her very favorite topic—The Chunky Method of time management for writers.