Today Charlie Kingsley is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Ice Cold Murder, the latest novels in the Charlie Kingsley and Secrets of Redemption mystery series.

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

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

Thanks for asking. I’m actually in two different series: The Secrets of Redemption (the original) and The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries (the spin-off). Yes, before you ask, I’m Charlie.

The original series was more of a psychological suspense (although it’s clean, like a cozy). It takes place in Redemption, Wisconsin, which is a small town with a haunted past. I’m actually dead when you first meet me, but I didn’t let that stop me. Becca, my niece, is the main character in the first three books, and I talk to her in her dreams.

Michele finally figured it out, and in Book 4, she let me tell my story of how I came to Redemption. Of course, that morphed into two books (I have a lot to say). And once I got going, Michele wasn’t able to stop me, so now, I have my own cozy mystery series, which take place in the 1990s in Redemption.

Does Michele control what happens in the story, or do you get a say?

Do you even need to ask?

How did you evolve as the main character?

Well, it wasn’t easy. For a long time, I didn’t even have a name, and then, Michele gave me the wrong name (“Lottie” … ugh). But we finally got that sorted out. Overall, it was quite the process, and it took more time than it should have (in my humble opinion).

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

Pat, of course. She’s one of my best friends and my sidekick when it comes to solving mysteries. Claire is another one of my best friends—she struggles a little more than Pat as she deals with family issues and being a new mom. In fact, we dive into Claire’s dysfunctional family in Ice Cold Murder.

What’s the setting of this story?

I find myself trapped in a house that is supposedly haunted with eight other people (Claire’s family). It’s in the middle of winter, and we’re snowed in. Needless to say, a lot can go wrong in a situation like that … including murder.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?

While there is a touch of the supernatural in both The Secrets of Redemption and The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries, neither should be considered paranormal. Everything has a logical explanation … even the hauntings and ghosts.

Thank you for answering my questions, Charlie, and good luck to you and your author, Michele Pariza Wacek, with Ice Cold Murder, the latest book in the Charlie Kingsley mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Charlie and her author, Michele Pariza Wacek by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online at  Amazon

About Michele Pariza Wacek: When Michele was 3 years old, she taught herself to read because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories to be exact, ranging from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she also hosts a virtual book club you can check out and join (for free!) at MPWNovels.com.

Michele holds a double major in English and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, she lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband Paul and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.