Sophie Winston is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg, the latest novel in the Domestic Diva mystery series.

Welcome, Sophie. 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.

I’m Sophie Winston, the main character, so I’ll speak for my friends. Much to our relief, it is a series. THE DIVA POACHES A BAD EGG is book number eighteen, which makes us pretty happy! There’s enough background information to read the books out of order, so no worries there!

I’m actually an event planner, mostly for large corporate events and conventions. They call me a domestic diva because I like to cook and entertain, and I have a syndicated newspaper column with lifestyle advice. In between events, I try to solve murders. Word has gotten out that I’ve had some luck doing that, so we get to meet new characters who come to me with their troubles.

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

Krista is fairly nice about listening to us. For instance, my best friend, Nina Reid Norwood, often likes to bend rules, like sneaking around where she shouldn’t be! I don’t approve of that and try to stop her. But Krista doesn’t mind that Nina has her own ideas. We all have our own voices and sometimes we surprise Krista!

How did you evolve as the main character?

I never meant to solve murders, but I come from a nosy family. I guess I can’t help it. When friends or family get into trouble I come to the rescue if I can. How can you say no to people whose loved ones have been killed or who are being blamed for a murder?

It all started because everyone was coming to Thanksgiving dinner at my house. Everyone being my parents and siblings. But then my ex-husband’s new love interest set their house on fire, and they had nowhere to go. It was Thanksgiving! My family had known the new love interest since she was a child, and my mom pressured me to invite them along with my ex-husband’s mother, brother, and sister-in-law. You can imagine how thrilled I was about that!

Families are interesting. They all have their own dynamics. In THE DIVA POACHES A BAD EGG, I meet a fascinating family with a lot of quirks. They own a fabulous old house that has been passed down several generations. But the heir apparent is in big trouble when his wife is murdered in the house before they even move in!

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

I do! My very best friend in the world is Nina. She loves to eat and so do I! She’s a hoot! And after the nightmare of divorce, I reluctantly admit that my ex-husband, Mars, is still kind of charming. Neither of us could bear to give up our hound mix, Daisy, so she goes back and forth between us, which means I still see him a lot. The best man at our wedding was Bernie Frei, who is British and has the most darling accent that makes him sound brilliant, no matter what he says. They’re always there for me and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them.

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

Old Town Alexandria, Virginia is wonderful. It was an old port town on the Potomac River, across from Washington, DC. and still has beautiful historic buildings. The Federal style homes are stunning. The sidewalks are made of bricks and there’s even a cobblestone street. Some of the homes still have flickering gas lanterns like they did in the old days. It’s made for walking, which I love and do a lot. Daisy has to be walked and that’s always a good excuse to see what people are up to!

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

My husband and I inherited our house from his aunt. I bought out my share, which wasn’t easy and have her portrait hanging in my kitchen over the fireplace. I wish I had known her. I’m not much of a believer in ghosts, but some people think her spirit is still in the house. She loved to entertain, like me! I got to know a lot more about her in this book, but not how you might think!

Thank you for answering my questions, Sophie, and good luck to you and your author, Krista Davis, with The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg, the latest book in the Domestic Diva mystery series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Apple   Amazon    BAM    B&N    Bookshop.org   Hudson Booksellers    Indigo      Powell’s     Rakuten Kobo    Tantor   Target   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 a black Labrador mix, an English cream golden retriever, and two very inquisitive cats, all rescues. Her friends and family complain about being guinea pigs for her recipes, but she notices they keep coming back for more.