Samantha Larsen, author of Once Upon a Murder, the latest novel in the Lady Librarian mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Samantha.

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

Once Upon a Murder is the second book in the Lady Librarian mysteries. The first book is A Novel Disguise. Miss Tiffany Woodall is a lady librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort and head over heels in love with the local bookseller. Her new fairy tale life comes to a halt, when she discovers a dead body in front of her cottage in the woods.

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

As you can probably tell from the title, fairy tales play an important role in this murder mystery. Tiffany purchases children’s books for the young Duke of Beaufort, including the original Mother Goose Tales which include Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. Fairy tale easter eggs can be found throughout the book, but when the justice of the peace believes that Tiffany is the prime suspect, she has to find the true villain. 

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

Once Upon a Murder has the universal fairy tale theme: Good vs. Evil; with Good triumphing. I hope my readers will find the end satisfying and unexpected.

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

Samir has been my favourite character since he tried to rescue Tiffany in book one (she didn’t need to be saved). If you are a romance fan like myself, you’ll be happy to see more of their courtship. And the bossy Duke of Beaufort, who is only a child, delights me on every page.

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

I love layering a scene. First, you have the setting; a room, a path, a castle, a library. Second, you have the objects that the characters interact with. Third, you dress the people in period specific clothes; raiment can tell the reader a lot about a character. Each piece helps the writer tell the story.

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

I lived in England and attending the University of Reading. I travelled extensively, but the village in my story is entirely fictional. As a former librarian, I get several books from the library to research every story.

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

Besides fairy tales, other children’s books in the eighteenth century were written to teach morals. Including the famous, The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes (1765). Shoes comes into play in Once Upon a Murder.

Thank you for answering my questions, Samantha, and good luck with Once Upon a Murder, the latest book in the Lady Librarian mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Samantha Larsen by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Books A Million – Powells Books – Bookshop.org – Target – Walmart 

About Samantha Larsen: Samantha met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of North Texas, and the University of Reading (UK). She also writes historical romances under Samantha Hastings.