Nancy Stewart, author of Keeled Over at the Cliffside, the latest novel in the Saltcliff mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Nancy.

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

Keeled Over at the Cliffside is the first book in the Saltcliff Mystery Series. The series features a female amateur sleuth who is called to a seaside town in California upon the death of her estranged twin sister. She learns that she’s been given guardianship of her twelve year old niece and also over the inn her sister owned.

With her new life, Dahlia inherits a whole new community, which she navigates with the help of her service dog, Taco. Dahlia doesn’t read social cues well and isn’t naturally comfortable with people, but luckily, Taco excels at emotion, and Dahlia’s niece Diantha helps too.

Dahlia becomes embroiled in a curious murder, thanks to her talents for solving puzzles, and when a second murder occurs, handsome police detective Owen Sanderson asks for her unofficial assistance.

With recipes for the baked goods Dahlia makes for the inn, and lots of quirky side characters, the Saltcliff Mysteries give Gilmore Girls vibes (if Gilmore Girls featured a mystery!)

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

Poison is the means of murder in this book, and I learned about a common plant that looks like green onion, but will make people sick or even kill them in large quantities. I wondered if someone could use a food poisoning incident to cover a real poisoning, and went from there!

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

I have written for a decade as Delancey Stewart in romance, and all my stories center around themes of finding one’s own strength, acceptance of others, and found families. It turns out my mysteries are the same!

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

Taco Dog is my favorite character because he is based on my writing partner, Charlie Taco, who is my family dog.

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

I do my best to incorporate the things I notice when visiting real places – the smells, the sounds, the quality of the light (which sounds esoteric, but is really different in various places – in a big city, it’s shadow-driven, as the buildings often block true sunlight, or it glares as it comes off the multitude of windows. In villages, like the one I’ve written, it’s got a more ethereal feel, filtered through the leaves and branches of trees overhead).

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

I research as I go, making sure I get details correct any time it’s required.

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

I really hope they enjoy it!

Thank you for answering my questions, Nancy, and good luck with Keeled Over at the Cliffside, the latest book in the Saltcliff mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Nancy Stewart by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page.

The novel is available online at  Amazon

About Nancy Stewart: Nancy Stewart is the cozy pen name of USA Today bestselling rom-com author Delancey Stewart. This is her first cozy mystery, despite being raised on a steady diet of Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie, and supplementing that in adulthood with mysteries and thrillers whenever possible. She writes from her home near Denver, Colorado, where she lives with her former Marine hubby and two teenage boys. And of course, her dog, Charlie Taco (who appears in her mystery series as Taco the service dog.)