Lana Lewis is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Bean to Die For, the latest novel in the Coffee Lover’s mystery series.

Welcome, Lana. 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.

Hello! I’m Lana Lewis, and yes, I do live inside a series. It’s called The Coffee Lover’s Mystery Series (really, who DOESN’T love coffee?) and I’m the main character. That kind of makes me uncomfortable. You see, I’m a former journalist, and I’m used to observing, not being in the spotlight.

The series is about the goings-on around Devil’s Beach, a small island in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. It’s kind of a weird, quirky island, with a lot of colorful personalities. Everyone’s pretty kind, though, if you exclude the guy who runs the *other* coffee shop…

Oh, yeah, I should probably tell you about that, too. I run Perkatory, the island’s best and most popular café on the island. It’s a community hub and the place where everyone comes for excellent caffeine and hot gossip.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?
Sadly, the writer controls it all. She is also a former reporter and has very particular ideas of how a mystery should unfold. Sometimes I try to argue with her about suspects and red herrings and whatnot. But she’s a bit stubborn, a quality I am intimately familiar with.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely sure why the author chose to write my story. Probably because there are parallels between her life and mine. Write what you know, I guess. We also both share a love of Florida.

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

I adore the other characters in my book! There’s my best friend, Erica, who is an aging goth girl who lives on a sailboat at the marina. Then there’s my father, Peter, who is an old hippie who loves to gossip and drink coffee. And we can’t forget my boyfriend, Noah Garcia. He’s the police chief, although that might be changing soon, according to events in A BEAN TO DIE FOR. And how can we not mention the true star of the book: Stanley, my year-old Shih Tzu puppy! He’s the best of all.

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

It’s a tropical island in southwest Florida, so it’s hot and humid much of the year. There are gorgeous beaches, and a small historic downtown. It’s really one of Florida’s prettiest places, and only recently has it become incredibly popular with tourists. Devil’s Beach has a real Jimmy Buffett-meets-Only Murders in the Building vibe. Well, that’s also because there have been a few murders here lately. Including the one featured in A BEAN TO DIE FOR. I seem to have a knack for getting involved with dead bodies, including the one I discover at the community garden. Shudder.

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

Of the four books I’ve been part of, this is probably the most dangerous and twisty case I’ve worked on! Also, Stanley gets a cute haircut and I meet Noah’s mom for the first time. I’m juggling a lot in this book! Thank you for reading about my hijinks and investigations!

Thank you for answering my questions, Lana, and good luck to you and your author, Tara Lush, with A Bean to Die For, the latest book in the Coffee Lover’s mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Lana and her author, Tara Lush by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Bookshop.org

About Tara Lush: Tara is a Florida-based author and journalist. She’s an RWA Rita finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow, and the winner of the George C. Polk Award for environmental journalism. She was a reporter with The Associated Press in Florida, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters, and politics. She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations under the name Tamara Lush.

Tara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and newspapers. She lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband and two dogs.