T. C. LoTempio is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Purr Before Dying, her latest novel in the Nick and Nora Mystery series.

Welcome, T. C.. Let’s get started, shall we?

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

A Purr Before Dying is book 6 in the Nick and Nora mysteries!  Nora Charles is an ex-true crime reporter who returned to her hometown of Cruz to take over her late mother’s sandwich shop.  Along the way she adopted a tubby tuxedo cat named Nick (actually, the cat adopted her) and they always seem to run across a dead body or two.  Nick proves to be a valuable aide in mystery solving because of his ability to spell out clues using Scrabble tiles.

In their latest mystery, Nora’s thrilled when she lands a catering contract for a soap opera shooting an episode in Cruz.  But her behind-the-scenes look turns deadly when she stumbles across the body of the show’s slain director and her best friend’s brother is tapped as suspect number one!

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

It’s partly based on my experiences as a former reporter for a daytime drama fanzine.  Years ago I used to write for a newsletter for the soap opera Days of Our Lives.  I attended many events and met most of the actors on the show. Plus, I have always enjoyed both day and nighttime soaps and I thought it would make a good backdrop for a mystery.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

I create my characters out of my imagination, but I confess some of them are based on real-life people.  Do I have a favorite?  I’d have to say Nick, of course.  He’s based on my real-life cat, Rocco. Without Rocco, there would never have been a Nick and Nora.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

Well, I have a lively imagination and that helps.  I have been to soap  opera sets, so that was pretty easy to do.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

The writer’s best friend . . . Google.  You can find out just about anything about anything on the Internet (and a few things  you wish you didn’t).

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

I hope my readers will enjoy Nick and Nora’s latest adventure, and don’t worry . . . there are more to come!

Thanks for answering my questions, T.C., and good luck with A Purr Before Dying, the latest book in Nick and Nora Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about T. C. LoTempio and her writing by visiting her website and her blog, and her Facebook page. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon  –  B&N – Apple – Google Play – Kobo – Smashwords 

About T. C. LoTempio: While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic.  She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery series originally from Berkley Prime Crime and now with Beyond the Page Publishing.  They also write the Cat Rescue series from Crooked Lane and the Pet Shop series, originally published by Midnight Ink and rebranded last  year as “Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries.”  Book six in the Nick and Nora mysteries, A PURR BEFORE DYING, is released this February from Beyond the Page.  There is also a new series, Tiffany Austin Food Blogger, coming out in April.