Debbie de Louise, author of The Case of the Bullfighting Builder, the latest novel in the Buttercup Bend mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.
Welcome, Debbie.
Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.
The Case of the Bullfighting Builder is the sixth book in the Buttercup Bend cozy mystery series. The main character, Cathy Carter, orphaned after her parents were killed in an automobile crash in which she was injured but survived, co-owns a pet rescue center and pet cemetery. She lives with her grandmother next door to her brother Doug and his wife. Cathy also works for the town’s newspaper, the Buttercup Bugle, as a photographer. In the first book of the series, The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, which is now perma-free, she discovers her interest in sleuthing and helps solve the murder of the town’s “Cat Crazy Lady,” Maggie Broom, along with her best friend, Nancy. As the series progresses, Cathy and Nancy become detectives and solve the murders of a parrot-loving professor, a llama raising librarian, a whale watching wedding planner, and a reptile raising receptionist. Each book focuses on a different animal and victim’s occupation. In The Case of the Bullfighting Builder, Cathy investigates the murder of the builder who is building the new home she plans to share with her husband who she married in the fourth book of the series. She also discovers the truth behind her parents’ decade-old death.
Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?
In the previous book, Cathy’s husband moves in with her and her grandmother, and they plan to build a home. I picked up this storyline and decided to have the builder as a victim. To keep an alliterative theme to the title, I chose a bull as the animal to feature and that the builder would be a bullfighter.
Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?
In this book, the theme is one of seeking closure. Not only does Cathy need closure regarding her parents’ death, but Ferdinand needs closure about his brother’s murder so that he can be vindicated. I didn’t intend to use this theme, but it came about as the story developed.
How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?
I usually don’t base my characters on real people, although I might include a trait or two from people I’ve met or known. Cathy, of course, is my favorite because her personality is a lot like mine. She’s curious but can be shy. She’s come out of her shell through her detective work, as I’ve become less introverted through my writing and other activities.
How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?
Buttercup Bend is a fictional town in upstate New York where I’ve visited for various trips. Cathy has also travelled to other areas to solve crimes. In the current book, she goes back to Long Island to her old college to track down clues about her parents’ murder which occurred when her parents drove her home from the school during the winter recess. Since I also attended college on Long Island, I was able to describe the setting realistically while still fictionalizing it.
What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?
In most cases, for the series, I Google information regarding the animals to pick out things people may not know about them.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?
The book can be read as a standalone, but my publisher has also published 3-book volumes of the previous books in the series. The second volume that was just published features this book with the two before it. The first three books are also available in a single volume either as an eBook or print copy. Also, for the first time, I’ve given a teaser at the end of the story to the next book.
Thank you for answering my questions, Debbie, and good luck with The Case of the Bullfighting Builder, the latest book in the Buttercup Bend mystery series.
Readers can learn more about Debbie de Louise by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Amazon Author pages. You can also follow her on Twitter/X.
The novel is available at the following online retailers:
About Debbie de Louise: Debbie is an award-winning author and a retired reference librarian. She is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Cat Writers’ Association, and the South Carolina Writers Association. She’s written over twenty books including three cozy mystery series: the Cobble Cove Mysteries, Buttercup Bend Mysteries, and her new series, Soup the Supernatural Kitten Mysteries. She’s also written a paranormal romance, standalone mysteries, a time-travel novel, and a collection of cat poems. Her stories and poetry appear in more than a dozen anthologies. Originally from Long Island, she moved to South Carolina where she now lives with her husband, daughter, and three cats.
dianneascroft.com 