Kate Sloan is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about The Con, the latest novel in the Organized Crime Cozy Mystery series.

Welcome, Kate. 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.

The Con is the second book in An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery Series. Clutter Free was the first book. The series features me, Kate Sloan. I’m a fifty-three-year-old professional organizer, and I’ve returned to my hometown of Fox Island, Georgia. I’m a widow, and my only son moved to Texas for a job. It seemed like the perfect time to move back home.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too? She thinks she’s in control, but I’m an independent woman. She may throw dead bodies in my path, but I decide how to solve the mystery.

How did you evolve as the main character? Before moving to Fox Island, I did what was expected of me as a wife, a mother, and the only paycheck after my husband died. I feel myself becoming the me I used to be. I feel like myself, and I’m happy. My brothers live on the island, and so does my best friend. In fact, we’re business partners. I’m even reconnecting with the love of my life. I guess the biggest part of my evolution is the freedom I feel.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them? Bess Walker has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We can be honest with each other, and we trust each other. While it’s not good to have favorites, I’m closer to one of my brothers than the other. We have each other’s backs. Then there’s Reid Barrett. Honestly, I’m happy to share anything with him.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story? Fox Island is off the coast of Savannah. It’s a summer vacation spot, but the community sponsors festivals to bring people to town all year. We have the beach, a river, a marsh, a creek, and a lighthouse. You can smell low tide, and the briny ocean breeze. The locals watch out for each other, and it’s a great place to live.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book? I’m a professional organizer, and I use my skills to solve mysteries. I pay attention to big and small details, and so far this has helped me solve crimes.

Thanks for having me today. I’ve enjoyed our conversation!

You’re welcome. It was a pleasure, Kate. Good luck to you and your author, Jackie Layton, with The Con, the latest book in the Organized Crime Cozy Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Kate and her author, Jackie Layton by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, Instagram, Threads and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter/X.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon ebook – Amazon Paperback – Kobo – Kobo Canada – B&N ebook –  B&N Paperback

About Jackie Layton: Jackie is the author of cozy mysteries with Spunky Southern Sleuths. Her stories are set in Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina. She lives on the coast of South Carolina, where she enjoys walks on the beach and golf cart rides around the marsh. Reading, gardening, and traveling are some of her favorite hobbies.

Jackie always keeps a notebook handy to write down ideas for future stories. Dateline and American Greed are two ways she gets ideas. She’s also a people watcher, and that can giver her ideas for stories or even a thread in a book.