Today Macy Hatfield is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Trouble Brewing, the latest novel in the Barks & Beans Café mystery series.

Welcome, Macy. 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.

My current mystery is titled TROUBLE BREWING, and it’s Book 5 in the Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series. The Barks & Beans Cafe is a place where folks can enjoy a cup of java or tea, some delicious homemade pastries or sandwiches, and pet the shelter dogs that are brought in daily.

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

My author is great at plotting out the entire book, but sometimes things take a turn and more characters show up…or sometimes, I head in a more dangerous direction than she’d originally planned. 😉

How did you evolve as the main character?

A lot of time went into crafting my history with my ex-husband, Jake the Snake (he’s a cheater!), my shelter dog (a Great Dane named Coal), the cafe concept of bringing in shelter dogs, and most especially, my relationship with my big brother Boaz “Bo” Hatfield. Bo and I are very close, and he’s actually the one who renovated our great aunt Athaleen’s house into a cafe so I could enjoy working with dogs every day. My name “Macy” was actually the name of one of my author’s great aunts. Also, my author constantly visits the town where this series is set—Lewisburg, West Virginia, which has been voted one of the Coolest Small Towns in America.

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

I love my brother, Bo—he’s a fierce protector with a teddy bear heart (and a shelter cat!). My friend Summer runs the animal shelter. In TROUBLE BREWING, I’m helping my friend Della track down a treasure…and a murderer. Finally, I have an amazing boyfriend now, but if you haven’t read Book 4 to see who it is, you might want to do that first!

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

Although I hang out a little at the cafe and at my home (the back half of the cafe house), most of TROUBLE BREWING is set at a nearby inn. My friend Della and I went there for a girls’ weekend…and a little snooping. It’s a Halloween Spooks and Screams themed weekend, and there are hayrides, outdoor barbeques, a candlelit ghost tour in town…not to mention a murder that might be linked to a real-life ghostly legend. If you want to feel all the autumn vibes while getting a few shivers along the way, you’ll want to read this one!

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

I’m already gearing up for my next mystery, which is going to be set in the caverns near my town. It’s up for preorder now—COLD DRIP. Also, please note that this is a clean mystery series that adults as well as teens are enjoying. Thank you for letting me visit today!

You’re welcome, Macy, and thank you for answering my questions. Good luck to you and your author, Heather Day Gilbert, with Trouble Brewing, the latest book in the Barks & Beans Cafe mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Macy and her author, Heather Day Gilbert by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, and Goodreads pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online at  Amazon

About Heather Day Gilbert: Award-winning novelist Heather Day Gilbert enjoys writing mysteries and Viking historicals. She brings authentic family relationships to the page, and she particularly delights in heroines who take a stand to protect those they love. Avid readers say Heather’s realistic characters—no matter what century—feel like best friends. When she’s not plotting stories, this native West Virginia gal can often be found hanging out with her husband and four children, playing video games, or reading Agatha Christie novels.