T. C. LoTempio, author of Bell, Book and Corpses, the latest novel in the Nick & Nora mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.
Welcome, Toni.
Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.
Bell, Book and Corpses is the seventh in the Nick and Nora mystery series, which celebrates its 10th anniversary on December 2nd! The series centers around Nora Charles, an ex true crime reporter who now runs her late mother’s sandwich shop in her hometown of Cruz, California. Her partner in crime is Nick, a tubby tuxedo cat who turned up at her door one evening. Nick originally belonged to a PI who is currently MIA, and he does have some rather curious beginnings which might explain his extraordinary sleuthing ability and abiity to spell out clues for Nora with his favorite toy, Scrabble tiles.
Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?
I’m a big horror movie fan and I used to be addicted to Dark Shadows, so it didn’t take much for me to make a vampire the central theme of this mystery!
How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?
Most of my characters are taken from real life persons that I know. I have warned people several times to watch out, they might end up in one of my books! Do I have favorites? That’s like asking a parent who his favorite child is, lol. But if I had to pick, I’d have to say Nick. He’s modelled after my own cat, ROCCO, whom I love dearly.
How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?
Once again I draw upon places I’ve visited and things I’ve seen. For example, in Bell, Book and Corpses, I drew upon every haunted house I’ve ever visited in the month of October. When I was younger I used to wish that I’d actually meet a real vampire or a witch at one of those!
What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?
I always do research for my books. For this particular one, I researched “ghost hunters” and watched a few streaming shows on the subject. I do believe in spirits and an afterlife so I found that aspect fascinating.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?
I think if you are a fan of Halloween you will like this book! I promise it’s not too scary! And of course if you are a Nick and Nora fan you will love it! We’ll be celebrating the tenth anniversary of the publication of the first Nick and Nora mystery, MEOW IF ITS MURDER, in the month of December. Check our blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com, my website, tclotempio.net, and Facebook for more info on where and when!
Thank you for answering my questions, Toni, and good luck with Bell, Book and Corpses, the latest book in the Nick & Nora mystery series.
Readers can learn more about T. C. LoTempio by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.
The novel is available at the following online retailers:
About T. C. LoTempio: While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic. She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery series originally from Berkley Prime Crime and now with Beyond the Page Publishing. They also write the Cat Rescue series from Crooked Lane and the Pet Shop series, originally published by Midnight Ink and rebranded last year as “Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries.” Book six in the Nick and Nora mysteries, A PURR BEFORE DYING, is released this February from Beyond the Page. There is also a new series, Tiffany Austin Food Blogger, coming out in April.
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