Natasha Smith is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about The Diva Goes Overboard, the latest novel in the Domestic Diva mystery series.

Welcome, Natasha. 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 latest adventure is in THE DIVA GOES OVERBOARD, which is part of the Domestic Diva Mysteries. It’s fun to read them in order, but everyone tells me they work fine on their own, too. In this new book, something very unusual happens to me. It all starts with an engagement. But when the groom dies, everything goes haywire, and then, even though he’s dead, he drops a few bombshells at the reading of his will. He said “Sophie will know what to do” but I don’t have a clue. Even worse, people begin to suspect unsavory things about me!

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

The writer is fairly good about letting me do my thing. We’re usually on the same wavelength. But she tricks me this time by putting me in an uncomfortable situation. What’s a character to do?

How did you evolve as the main character?

I’m an event planner. A few years back, the local newspaper asked me to write a column giving sensible lifestyle advice. It took off about the same time that I solved a couple of mysteries. People started coming to me with their problems, like being accused for murder! They think I can get to the root of the murders. I always tell them to go to the police or hire a private investigator, but it’s hard to turn people down when they are so distressed.

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

Lots of them! I have a group of dear friends who help me. I couldn’t possibly do it without them. My best friend and across-the-street-neighbor is Nina Reid Norwood. She has an ear for gossip and a lot of connections around town. Plus, she watches my back. Then there’s my ex-husband, Mars, and Bernie, his best friend. Mars is methodical. He likes to write everything down and see where it leads. Bernie owns a local restaurant and knows everyone! And my sweet older neighbor, Francie, has lived here a long time. She knows the scoop and gets away with being nosy because she’s a sweet little old lady. We’re a team! I guess I should mention Wolf. He’s a local police detective whom I dated for a few years. It’s a little awkward, but it can be handy to have his personal phone number.

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

We live in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. It’s across the Potomac River from Washington DC and is absolutely charming. The homes are Federal style and some still have gas lanterns at their front doors. The brick sidewalks are extremely walkable, so my hound mix, Daisy, and I often go for interesting walks around town. I have to walk my dog, right? I can’t help it if I happen to see interesting things on our walks.

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

I’d better mention Natasha. She writes a competing lifestyle column and has her eyes on my ex-husband. In fact, it’s her mother who planned to marry! Natasha means well, but she can be trying.

Thank you for answering my questions, Natasha, and good luck to you and your author, Krista Davis, with The Diva Goes Overboard, the latest book in the Domestic Diva mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Natasha and her author, Krista Davis by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon Books A Million Barnes & Noble    Bookshop.org   Hudson Booksellers   Tantor Audio   Walmart

About Krista Davis: New York Times Bestselling author Krista Davis writes the Domestic Diva Mysteries, the Paws & Claws Mysteries, and The Pen & Ink Mysteries. Krista lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with two dogs, two cats, and a hidden stash of chocolate. When she’s not writing, she loves to entertain her family and friends who complain when she tests her recipes on them. But she notices that they keep coming back for more.