Libby Beckett is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about It Came Upon a Midnight Shear, 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.

I’m Libby Beckett, owner of the Y.A.R.N. yarn shop in Collinstown Maryland. My friends and I are looking forward to the shop’s best holiday season ever—complete with an event starring Vincenzo Marani, otherwise known as The Galant Herdsman. He’s demonstrating the shearing of a herd of vicuña, the adorable animals that produce the world’s most exclusive and expensive fiber. It’s a sellout success…until my ex husband Sterling shows up. And then shows up dead.

I’m afraid this isn’t the first time a murder mystery has come to Y.A.R.N. My previous sleuthing adventures are told in On Skein of Death and Knit or Dye Trying, the other books in the series. My high school romance Gavin Maddock, now mayor of Collinstown, his daughter Jillian, my outrageous mom Rhonda, and my best friend pie shop owner Margo all come together to help me untangle the mysteries that seem to continually arrive on my doorstep.

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

Oh, Allie thinks she’s in charge. I’m a pretty opinionated woman, though, so I’ll wrangle the story in my idea of the right direction now and then. There were a couple of plot points where the twists and turns weren’t in Allie’s original plan. That’s always great fun—and makes for great reading, if you ask me.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I jumped into Allie’s brain fully formed, complete with my English bulldog Hank. That doesn’t happen often, and most of the story’s other characters revealed themselves in a slow progression. I don’t have time for that sort of thing. So I waltzed up and demanded my shop and my story. I’ve taken on new roles around town—like running for the Chamber of Commerce president—as the books have progressed. And things tend to be heating up between Mayor Gavin and me.

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

I love my friends. What’s not to love about a best friend who dispenses support, wisdom, and pie? And while my mom can be an enormous pain, I love her for how she stands by me (when she’s not standing in my way). I’m extra-partial to my dog Hank for his love and loyalty—except when he takes out his frustration on my couch cushions.

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

There’s nothing like Collinstown at Christmas. It’s picture-postcard perfect at the holidays, with every shop on Collin Avenue done up in cheery decorations. It has all the small-town charm—and all the small-town quirks—you can’t help but love. I grew up here, and left for a while when I married Sterling, but now I’m so glad to be back home.

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

If you love yarn and needles as much as I do, there’s a free knitting pattern in the back of every one of the Riverbank Knitting Mysteries books!

Thank you for answering my questions, Libby, and good luck to you and your author, Allie Pleiter, with It Came Upon a Midnight Shear, 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 Facebook, Bookbub, and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Author – IndieBound 

About Allie Pleiter: The bestselling author of over fifty titles, Allie Pleiter‘s twenty-year career has sold 1.6 million books.  Allie also coaches on writing productivity and speaks nationally on time management for creatives. Allie is an avid knitter, confirmed coffee junkie and firm believer that “pie makes everything better.” She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and the world’s most adorable dog.