Kate Mulligan is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Deadly to the Core, the first novel in the Cider House mystery series.

Welcome, Kate. 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 name is Kate Mulligan and I’m in the process of opening a cidery in Orchardville, Pennsylvania, not far from Gettysburg. I inherited an orchard from my great uncle and because I needed a fresh start, I thought a cidery was the perfect solution.

My author hopes it will be a series but she was only under contract for one book. I’d kind of like it to continue, too. I’ve made a lot of good friends since I moved to Orchardville.

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

Oh, I definitely get a say. My author starts with a general outline, but we characters always end up changing things around.

How did you evolve as the main character?

That’s a tough question and one I don’t like answering. Before I inherited the orchard, I had the worst year. I lost my husband in a car accident and I ended up with a lot of titanium holding me together. I still miss Brian but I’m learning to live without him—something I never imagined I could do.

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

I was thrilled to reunite with my childhood friend, Marguerite. I used to spend summers with my grandmother and Uncle Stan and Marguerite and I spent every waking moment together. We don’t get in as much trouble as we used to, though. I also like many of the townsfolk I’ve met. My neighbor, Daniel, has been great.

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

Orchardville is a typical small town. It attracts a lot of tourists since it’s so close to Gettysburg. There’s a couple restaurants, Marguerite’s café, a candle shop, a tea shop, and there’s even a karaoke bar not far from town.

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

Only that I really appreciate anyone who buys the book. I hope to show you more about Orchardville and cider making in the future. And I can’t help but wonder where my relationship with Daniel is headed.

Thank you for answering my questions, Kate, and good luck to you and your author, Joyce Tremel, with Deadly to the Core, the frst book in the Cider House mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Kate and her author, Joyce Tremel by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook and Goodreads pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse

About Joyce Tremel Joyce was a police secretary for ten years and more than once envisioned the demise of certain co-workers, but settled on writing as a way to keep herself out of jail. In addition to the Cider House Mysteries, she wrote the Brewing Trouble Mysteries. As Joyce St. Anthony, she writes the Homefront News historical mysteries. She lives in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania with her husband and two cats named Hops and Lager.