On the anniversary of Agatha Christie’s birthday, Cozy Mystery Day is celebrated. That’s today! What better excuse is there to take some time out to read?
You can start here by dipping your toes into nine new cozy mysteries in Mystery Follows Her. Each story will lead you into that author’s series.
Click and cozy up with characters you won’t forget:
https://books2read.com/mysteryfollowsher
Today Adriana Licio is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about The Watchman of Rothenburg Dies, the first book in the Homeswappers Mystery series.
Welcome, Adriana. Let’s get started, shall we?
Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.
The Watchman of Rothenburg Dies is the first book in a fiction series called The Homeswappers Mysteries, but the idea underpinning the series is somewhat autobiographical. For the past 15 years, my hubby and I have been taking all our holidays by swapping houses with fellow travellers all around the world. When Frodo, our golden retriever, joined the family in 2010, we gave up flights and started to drive all the way to destinations in Europe. We have been to large cities such as London, Prague, Stockholm, Vienna and Paris, but what we love the most is to discover tiny places that (almost) no one has heard of. We love small towns, villages and hamlets.
Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?
Rothenburg ob der Tauber was one of the first places we visited with Frodo back in 2010. The place is enchanting, a quaint medieval town surrounded by ancient walls with pastel-coloured half-timbered houses and mysterious watchtowers. At night, you can join the Night Watchman for his tour as he takes visitors to discover the hidden corners and forgotten secrets of the town. The guy is really good at telling stories, but all the time during the tour, I couldn’t stop thinking, “What would happen if he were to drop dead with a halberd in his chest?”
Exactly ten years later, I decided to answer that “What if?” – with a purely fictitious Night Watchman, of course.
Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?
There are two themes overarching the whole series and both are very precious to me.
The first one is friendship, both between humans and between a human and their pet. Can you think of anything more precious than friendship? I can’t. I also believe that friendship is a rather odd kind of a plant as it can blossom between the most unexpected individuals, for example two women with extremely different characters, or a human who can’t stand pets and a… Basset Hound!
The more obstacles it has to overcome, the deeper friendship’s roots will go.
The other theme is that of empowering women in general, and women over 60 in particular. My grandmother used to say (after having brought up 5 children and looked after a husband with a temper) that life started at 60. For now, I’ll take her word for it.
I was also inspired by my great grandmother, who was a very independent woman. She used to move around between Campania and Apulia anytime she felt the urge, driving her horse and carriage. She also used to go to the theatre alone at a time when most women would never dream of doing that.
How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?
That’s part of the magic of writing. I knew I wanted to write a series set across a number of small European towns, but I had no idea who the main characters would be. A couple like my husband and me? Two sisters? A whole family?
Then one morning, from nowhere in particular, two ladies – Etta and Dora – sprang to my mind. At a particular point in their lives, they had just retired and were shocked to discover the paltry pension they would get – hardly enough to survive on, with nothing left to fulfil their dreams of living a decent life and enjoying a little trip away every now and then.
Characters have a tendency to come up with their own baggage. In fact, I soon found out the women were living in the two quaint villages we get to know in the prequel to the series, Castelmezzano, The Witch is Dead. Etta is strong willed and opinionated, whereas Dora looks on the surface of it to be a people pleaser… but she knows how to work things the way she wants.
And then there’s Napoleon, or simply Leon, a Basset Hound with an attitude who makes his debut appearance in the first book in the series, The Watchman of Rothenburg Dies. And he possibly is my favourite character!
How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?
I’m a travel freak. I’ve been dreaming of travelling since I was a child. And I do not need to travel to exotic places; I’d much rather discover new people and places, even quite close to home. The important thing is to have the “Traveller’s attitude” – that is, curiosity and being a good observer. And a well-developed sense of irony comes in handy because when you travel, the strangest things are bound to happen.
So to answer your question, when you write about something you love, you’ve already brought it to life before you ask yourself the hows and whys.
What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?
Guess what? I travel. I love research trips!
Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?
Just that it’s giveaway time! If your readers would like to let me know which town intrigues them the most among the four shown on the covers of my books, I will pick a lucky winner to receive a free eBook of The Watchman of Rothenburg Dies, Book 1 in the brand-new Homeswappers Mysteries series.
Which of the four places featured on the covers would you like to visit and why?
1) Castelmezzano, a small fairy-tale town in Southern Italy perched up amongst rocky outcrops.
2) Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a medieval town in Germany with half-timbered houses in an array of pastel colours, ancient townwalls and mysterious watchtowers.
3) Mecklenburg, the land of 1,000 lakes and beautiful mansions in Northern Germany.
4) Aero Island, a small Danish island of cobbled streets and the most charming Christmas market.
Thanks for answering my questions, Adriana, and good luck with The Watchman of Rothenburg Dies, the first book in the Homeswappers Mysteries series. I’ve read the book and really enjoyed it. I’m sure anyone who reads it will fall in love with the characters.
Readers can learn more about Adriana Licio and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Bookbub pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.
The book is available online at the following retailer:
Amazon Free on Kindle Unlimited
About Adriana Licio: She loves loads of things: travelling, walking, good food, reading, small villages and home swapping. She runs her family perfumery and between a dark patchouli and a musky rose, she reads and writes cozy mysteries. She resisted writing for as long as she could but one day she found an alluring blank page and the words flowed in the weird English she learned in Glasgow.
Today Olga Werby is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about her historical novel Twin Time.
Welcome, Olga. I’ll turn the floor over to you:
Olga: I guess I should start with the fact that I was born in Russia. I lived in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) until I was thirteen and a half. I came to America as a refugee. So I have some affinity for the place my story takes place in and its culture, its language…its smell, its light, its trees, its flowers, its architecture, its temperature… I have fond memories of the White Nights and days when the sun never fully rose above the horizon. I left when I was already a pretty formed human and I had to make myself fit into a new place that was very foreign and scary, in many ways. I also didn’t really speak any English when my family arrived in New York City. I couldn’t even write my name down on a piece of paper in school. So the idea that I now use English as my primary language of telling fiction is crazy! I don’t think it would be possible if not for the Internet, my external brain and linguist. Add to that that I’m dyslexic and you can see how improbably the idea of writing and publishing books is for one like me. Yet, here we are.
But there’s more. My family, from both sides, had suffered incredible damage at the hands of the Russian government and during the WWII. But for this novel, “Twin Time”, I focused on my grandmother’s story, who lived an extraordinary life…mostly in secret. She was born into a wealthy (and titled) family just after the 1917 revolution. But she lived in a relatively small town and politics takes time to drift into the rural areas of the country. Years after the revolution, her life hadn’t changed much until one night, when a former student from her grandmother’s orphanage knocked on the door of their estate and told them to run. You see, the boy they raised and educated became a cop in the newly formed Soviet Union. He came to warn the family that was kind to him that the powers in charge were coming to burn down their house and kill everyone inside. So my grandmother, who was just a child at the time, and her family got on their horses and ran, leaving all of their possessions behind.
They ran for years, scattering into the four corners of the world. Eventually, my grandmother, her brother, and their mother met up in Moscow at a home of a former nanny. She gave them shelter. By then, the family was destitute. My grandmother remembers waiting for her mom to come home from work one evening. She waited for many hours and then went to the train station to find out what could have happened. Her mother was standing alone by the tracks. She went blind from hunger and couldn’t find her way home.
The nightmares didn’t end there. In May of 1927, British police made a bust of Soviet trade delegation in London. Under the cover of diplomatic immunity, the All Russian Co-operative Society was spying on the British, stealing some top-secret documents. For this, the men of ARCOS were expelled and diplomatic relations between the nations were dissolved for several years. The Soviets had to retaliate, of course. Shortly afterwards, they rounded up all British citizens living in Moscow and shot them. That was my family—my grandmother’s father was a British citizen. Fortunately, my grandmother, her brother, and her mother survived. Unfortunately, my grandmother had a very un-Russian last name (we have no idea if it was Lee or Leigh or Li or some variation there off—the spelling in Russian is all the same). To run from the authorities, my grandmother married an officer in a Soviet army and gained a very ordinary last name. She never talked about her family. Ever! What we learned about her past we learned when we did an interview in her late 80’s in a safety of my living room. And even then, she kept telling us that walls had ears and some things are just best forgotten.
For those who are interested in learning more about the ARCOS affair, please visit the Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Russian_Co-operative_Society
Some of the backstory of “Twin Time” is actually the story of my grandmother’s childhood. She lived in a similar pretty wooden house. Her family was the pillar of their community. Just like in “Twin Time”, there was an orphanage and a little church. I tried to incorporate as many details as I could into my story from my grandmother’s memories of her childhood. And of course the historical facts as presented in my story are all accurate.
My professional career took me from getting degrees in Math and Astrophysics (remember, I really didn’t know English back then and couldn’t go into fields of study that required solid control of language) to getting my doctorate in education. As a kid with learning disabilities, I am very interested in cognitive differences. I’ve diagnosed my first case of autism about twenty-five years ago. That child was non-verbal. Since then, I’ve come across many families that had children with “differences”. It is extraordinary difficult to raise a child who is different in this (or any other) country. “Twin Time” gave me a way of talking about autism and its costs to the family and friends. The time travel device opened up the possibility of giving a child with autism a voice. Again, everything you will read in “Twin Time” is carefully researched. When I discuss autism and family dynamics and therapies, I draw on actual research. For those who might think that I’ve meant to make anyone in Sasha’s family evil, that’s not true. There are no bad guys here really, there are just victims of circumstances and fate.
I did want my book, my story to have a happy ending. I wanted to show the possibility of love even in dire situations. And I wanted for my readers to love Sasha as much as I did. But to learn what happened, you’ll have to read my story.
One final thing, when my grandmother died, about a decade after my grandfather’s death, she insisted that her ashes were scattered in a different ocean from my grandfather.
Thanks for answering my questions, Olga, and good luck with Twin Time.
Readers can learn more about Olga Werby and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter. The book’s trailer is online here.
Olga Werby & Christopher Werby will be awarding two signed books to a randomly drawn winner (US only) via rafflecopter during the tour. Enter to win a signed copy of Twin Time by clicking here.
For more chances to enter the contest, readers can visit other stops on the tour. The tour dates can be found here
The novel is available online at Amazon.
About Olga Werby: Olga got her B.A. from Columbia University in Mathematics and Astrophysics and worked at NASA on the Pioneer Venus Project as a programmer. She received her masters from U.C. Berkeley in Education of Math, Science, and Technology and went on to earn a doctorate in education. Together with her husband and business partner, Olga conceives, designs, and creates products, ideas, websites, and exhibits. Along the way, she writes science fiction (sometimes, with her husband…and yet they are still married!).
Today Richie Hanley is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Undone in Uluru, the latest novel in the Traveler cozy mystery series.
Welcome, Richie. 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 Richard Hanley, the father of the main character, Naomi. I’m in Undone in Uluru, part of the Traveler Cozy Mystery series. This is Naomi’s third trip.
Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?
I’m on vacation so I’m go with the flow. But, I’m always prepared. From an early age, I taught Naomi to be prepared. She’s never been a great listener. Sometimes I wonder if any of my lessons have sunk in. I hope Naomi has learned a few things from me on how to be ready for any situation.
How did you evolve as a main character?
This is my first international trip with my eldest child, Naomi. She’s the main character of the series. My ex-wife, Deirdre, and my other daughter, Charlotte, have traveled with her earlier in the series. I’ve watched her relationships evolve, and improve, with both of them since their trips. The two of us have always been good so I don’t think we’ll have a major change in our relationship.
Neither of us do well in the romance department, so maybe that will change on this trip. I’m hoping she’ll find love soon. I’d like to be a grandfather!
Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?
We meet a nice young man, a solo traveler, Daniel on the trip. He spends a lot of time with us, during meals and day tours. Naomi and Daniel spend a lot of time together during our time in the Red Centre trying to find a missing person but I don’t mind. (See my previous answer!)
What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?
We’re in traveling to Australia. We’re in Yulara, to visit Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) and other sites in the area.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?
Traveling with Naomi may be different, complicated, and dangerous but it’s a lot of fun. There are lots of different of foods, drinks, people, places.
Thank you for answering my questions, Richie, and good luck to you and your author, A. R. Kennedy, with Undone in Uluru, the latest book in the Traveler Cozy mystery series.
Readers can learn more about Richie and his author, A. R. Kennedy by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, and Bookbub pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.
The novel is available online at Amazon
About A. R. Kennedy: The author lives in Long Beach, New York, with her two pups. She works hard to put food on the floor for them. As her favorite T-shirt says, ‘I work so my dog can have a better life’. She’s an avid traveler. But don’t worry. While she’s away, her parents dote on their grand-puppies even more than she does. Her writing is a combination of her love of travel, animals, and the journey we all take to find ourselves.
Today Summer Merriweather is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Little Bookshop of Murder, the first novel in the Beach Reads mystery series.
Welcome, Summer. 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’ve come home to Brigid’s Island because my mom has passed away. She left me her bookshop and I’m deciding what I should do with it, considering it’s not my favorite place and I’m completely broke. All I can say about the series is part is I hope so!
Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?
The writer controls it all—except the series decision! (That’s up to the publisher.)
How did you evolve as the main character?
At a beach trip with just my writer and a girlfriend, who were fantasizing about bookstores on the beach. The next thing I knew, my mom died, and I was heading back home.
Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?
I’m partial to my cousin Piper and my aunt Agatha. I grew up with Piper and she’s like a sister to me. Aunt Agatha is my mom’s sister and we are all very close.
What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?
Brigid’s Island is a small island off the coast of North Carolina. For years, we slowly simmered as a tourist destination. But suddenly it’s booming. And my mom’s bookstore, Beach Reads, is booming, too. It’s located right on the boardwalk and its specialty is romance and mysteries.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?
They tell me that Beach Reads is every reader’s dream store, with quiet nooks to read. Author signatures all over the store—on the walls and floor. Free coffee and tea all day long—and my favorite is the balcony, where you can sit with the sound of the waves in the background, reading.
Thank you for answering my questions, Summer, and good luck to you and your author, Maggie Blackburn, with Little Bookshop of Murder, the first book in the Beach Reads mystery series.
Readers can learn more about Summer and her author, Maggie Blackburn by visiting the author’s website. You can also follow her on Twitter (@molliecoxbryan).
The novel is available at the following online retailers:
About Maggie Blackburn: Maggie is the author of the Cora Crafts mysteries and the Cumberland Creek mysteries under another pen name. Her books have been selected as finalists for an Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as a Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman’s World. She has also been short-listed for the Virginia Library People’s Choice Award. She is the mother of two young women who are off following their dreams in the music business. She currently lives in Waynesboro, VA, and works at the University of Virginia as a development associate.
Today Sally Carpenter is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Hippie Haven Homicide, her latest novel in the Psychedelic Spy mystery series.
Welcome, Sally. Let’s get started, shall we?
Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.
“Hippie Haven Homicide” is book two of the Psychedelic Spy retro-cozy series. The year is 1967. Noelle McNabb is an actress at the Country Christmas Family Fun Park, the tourist draw of the rural town of Yuletide, Indiana. She gets involved with a super secret spy agency called SIAMESE (Special Intelligence Apparatus for Midwest Surveillance and Espionage).
Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?
I was watching a Peter Sellers movie from 1967, “I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!” (Alice B. Toklas is a euphemism for marijuana). In the opening scene, an East Indian guru was chatting about the meaning of life. I thought it’d be interesting if a sect of counterculture hippies invaded the conservative town of Yuletide. In the 1960s, Americans were exposed to non-Western spiritual thought such as Transcendental Meditation and ISKON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness, better known as the orange–robed Hare Krishnas). In the book, one of the cult members seemingly dies of a drug overdose, a common tragedy of the ’60s. Noelle is the only one who thinks the death was not self-inflicted.
Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?
I set my series in the 1960s because I find it a fascinating decade. I love the music, clothes, movies, TV, etc. of the time. There’s a spy agency because this was the James Bond era. Many of the ‘60s TV shows and movies were about spies. The Cold War was at its peak and American was in the space race with Russia.
As for an ongoing theme, Noelle discovers she’s related to a SIAMESE agent through an aunt she never knew existed. The aunt has a dark secret that will be explored more in upcoming books.
How do you create your characters? Do you have favorite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?
One of my fave TV shows is the “Mission: Impossible.” The spies played different characters on each mission. I made Noelle an actress so she could go undercover in various personas. I’ve been an actress, and I studied theater in college. Trevor, a friend of Noelle, is a newspaper reporter. I work at a newspaper so this was a no-brainer.
Destiny King the most interesting character. She’s a black woman who grew up in a single-parent household in the Chicago projects. She’s had a rough upbringing. She joined SIAMESE to have her criminal record erased. She had a lover who was killed. She’s seen the seamy side of life. Personality- and lifestyle-wise, Destiny is the opposite of Noelle, which makes a nice contrast. I’m more like Noelle than Destiny, so I like exploring the difference.
How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?
Details! I describe the food, clothing, cars, furniture, etc. It’s amazing how much has changed between the 1960s and modern day. Teens nowadays have never seen a rotary phone or a clock with hands.
I gave Christmas-related street and store names to Yuletide, which makes it unique and fun. The high school mascot is the Elves and school colors are red and green.
What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?
I grew up in the 1960s in a small town in Indiana, so some of Yuletide and its people are based on my remembrances and experiences.
I also look up every product, car, TV show and piece of music to make sure it fits in the book’s time frame.
I have a fun book called “The Hippie Handbook” that I used to build my hippie characters, Rambler and Moonbaby. Another book, “Images of American: Holiday World,” has photos of the Santa Claus Land theme park (yes, it’s real). I used that for designing the Yuletide park. A third book is “Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: Mid 1960s” with photos of women’s clothing from the old Sears catalogs—the type of clothes Noelle would wear.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?
The story line might sound deep, but it’s a fun read with humor and a lighthearted approach. Also, you need to read the book all the way through because what you think of some of the characters may change when you reach the end.
Thanks for hosting me on your blog! This was fun.
You’re welcome, Sally, and thanks for answering my questions. Good luck with Hippie Haven Homicide, the latest book in thePsychedelic Spy Mystery series.
Readers can learn more about Sally and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook and Goodreads pages.
The novel is available at the following retailers:
About Sally Carpenter: Sally is native Hoosier living in Moorpark, California. She has a master’s degree in theater from Indiana State University. While in school, her plays “Star Collector” and “Common Ground” were finalists in the American College Theater Festival One-Act Playwrighting Competition. “Common Ground” also earned a college creative writing award. “Star Collector” was produced in New York City and served as the inspiration for her first mystery series.
Sally also has a Master of Divinity and a black belt in tae kwon do. She’s worked as an actress, college writing instructor, jail chaplain and tour guide/page for Paramount Pictures.
The books in her Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series are: The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper (2012 Eureka! Award finalist for best first mystery novel), The Sinister Sitcom Caper, The Cunning Cruise Ship Caper and The Quirky Quiz Show Caper, all with Cozy Cat Press. Flower Power Fatality is the first book in the Psychedelic Spy series. She has short stories in three anthologies: Last Exit to Murder, Plan B: Omnibus and Cozy Cat Shorts. She penned chapter three of the CCP group mystery Chasing the Codex.
Today Andi Grace Scott is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Dog-Gone Dead, the latest novel in the Low Country Dog Walker mystery series. I first met her in Bite The Dust and she is a great person.
Welcome, Andi. 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 part of A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series set in Heyward Beach, South Carolina. Heyward Beach is a small coastal town that is partly on the mainland and partly a small island that’s only three miles long.
Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?
Jackie thinks she’s in control, but I periodically have to remind her who’s in charge.
How did you evolve as the main character?
Finding my first body turned my world upside down. The victim was my good friend and mentor. Years ago, my parents were killed in a hit-and-run accident. The driver was never caught, and I felt helpless. I was focused on raising my siblings at the time and wasn’t able to fight for justice. That all changed in Bite the Dust.
In Dog-Gone Dead, my brother is the primary focus of the investigation. There’s no possible way my brother killed a man. In this investigation, I plan to prove his innocence without annoying the sheriff’s department in the process.
Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?
Sunny, my German shepherd, is often with me. One good thing about running a dog-walking business is bringing her with me to visit other dogs. It helps socialization skills of many dogs who are home alone all day while their families are at work or school.
I’ve always looked out for my siblings, and I don’t mind sharing the story with them. There’s also a newcomer to our community, and I enjoy spending time with him. He’s smart and kind, and I admit to having a little crush on him.
What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?
Heyward Beach has plantations, public gardens, beaches, and one of my favorite places is Daily Java. The coffee shop has delicious baked goods too.
Sunny and I live on the island in a little beach cottage. My style is shabby chic, and while my home won’t be featured in decorating magazines, it’s comfortable.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?
If you like small towns, fun characters, tracking down clues, and dogs, you’ll like coming to visit me in Heyward Beach.
Thank you for answering my questions, Andi, and good luck to you and your author, Jackie Layton, with Dog-Gone Dead, the latest book in the Low Country Dog Walker mystery series. I’ve enjoyed the first two books in the series and I’m sure my readers will too.
Readers can learn more about Andi and her author, Jackie Layton by visiting the author’s website and her blog, as well as her Facebook, Bookbub, Instagram and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter (@Joyfuljel).
The novel is available at the following online retailers:
Amazon – Kobo – Barnes & Noble – Google – Apple
About Jackie Layton: Former Kentucky pharmacist Jackie Layton loves her new life in the Low Country. When she’s not writing, Jackie enjoys walks on the beach, bike rides and collecting shells. The first two books in Jackie’s Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series are Bite the Dust and Dog-Gone Dead. Jackie always enjoys hearing from readers.
Today Heather Haven is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Casting Call for a Corpse, the latest novel in the Alvarez Family Murder mystery series.
Welcome, Heather. Let’s get started, shall we?
Tell us about your novel.
Casting Call for a Corpse is Book 7 of the Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, but I like to think – and work at making – each book can function as a stand-a-lone. In fact, readers have often remarked they didn’t know a particular book was part of a series until they went to leave a review.
The story of Casting Call for a Corpse centers around a dead man wearing a tuxedo found in a clawfoot bathtub during a soiree for San Francisco VIPs. Home and tub belong to an internationally acclaimed actress who recently bought a famed Painted Lady on equally famous Alamo Square in San Francisco. The police believe the actress did the man in. One of her many romantic encounters, doncha know. She must be guilty. Or is she?
To the rescue is ace detective, Lee Alvarez, along with family, hubby, and Tugger the cat. Threatening letters, a sullen playwright, dead bodies, and a criminal web of jewel thieves all tread the boards of her friend’s latest musical. This is showbiz?
Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.
Yes. The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries take place in California’s sparkling Bay Area, namely Silicon Valley. This fun detective series revolves around Lee Alvarez, a combination of Sue Graftonʼs Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovitchʼs Stephanie Plum. Completing the Alvarez Family is Leeʼs Never-Had-A-Bad-Hair-Day aristocratic mother; computer genius brother; gourmet chef and beloved uncle; and her energetic orange and white cat, Tugger. Oh, yes! And she sports a brand new husband, a former Navy SEAL. When the Alvarez clan is not solving murders, they run Discretionary Inquiries, a successful detective agency that normally deals with intellectual property and computer software thievery. With a recovery/prosecution rate of over ninety-four percent, Lee thinks the phrase We Are Smokin’ shouldbe their motto. But her blue-blooded CEO mother would never put that on a business card. These whodunits have a crackerjack mystery while exploring familial relationships — the good, the bad, and the amusing.
Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?
The story started out as a homage to Dorothy Sayers’ Whose Body? where the character of Lord Peter Wimsey is introduced. But I wanted to combine the ongoing characters from the series with a few characters from a play I penned some time ago about an actress, her loyal assistant, and an over-the-hill playwright. I added a Scottish character in honor of my heart sister, who was adopted at birth and recently found her Scottish birth family. Then I threw in my take on life backstage of a professional theater, which was a large part of my existence in my salad days. I mixed them all together and came out with an entertaining story with a few tender, loving moments and some laughs. Never forget to laugh. It will keep you sane.
Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?
Yes, honor, family, and friends. It carries through in all my stories. Do the right thing, even when it’s not the easiest thing to do. Be proud of yourself, your heritage, and strive to be happy. The pursuit of happiness is even in the Declaration of Independence!
How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?
I often combine facets of people I know into a character I want to write about. A writer often has to be a psychologist. What makes a person tick? Do certain things? Are any traits in those near and dear to me what I need for one of my characters? For instance, Lee’s mother, Lila Hamilton Alvarez, is a Palo Alto blueblood. She’s based (loosely) on my boss at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, and my mother-in-law. Two strong, independent, single-minded women who are filled with courage and principles. But that can be a little hard for us poor mortals to live up to. Consequently, there is Lee Alvarez, trying to live up to the high standards of her mother. It creates a conflict, but one that can be warm, funny, and totally understandable by any woman who has admired her own mother.
How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?
I try to paint a picture with my words. I always try to include something of the five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. That usually does it.
What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?
I do tons of research. If one is creating a fictional world there has to be some anchor for the reader to hold onto. The characters and storyline are made up. Everything else should be based on facts, unless you’re writing SciFi or fantasy. Keep as much of it as real as you can. It’s called grounding the story. For instance, in this book a helicopter comes into play. I did enough research to make sure whatever the characters were doing with the helicopter was true to life. That’s something Thomas B. Costain would have approved of wholeheartedly. Growing up, Mr. Costain was my hero. He created characters who moved the world within the realities of their time. If you haven’t read The Silver Chalice, The Black Rose or The Tontine, you have a treat in store for you. Here was a writer who mastered research and what it could do for his central characters and stories.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?
I don’t use vulgarity or racy scenes in my books. To my way of thinking, they aren’t necessary in the world I write about. Sure, the characters have their troubles and conflicts. It’s not a perfect world. But they learn, grow, work things out, and move on. They try to do the right thing. But in a very human, non-preachy way, because who needs that? Humor, love, with the occasional piece of chocolate. That’s the way to go.
Thank you for answering my questions, Heather, and good with Casting Call for a Corpse, the latest book in the Alvarez Family Murder mystery series.
Readers can learn more about Heather by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page.
The novel is available online at Amazon
About Heather Haven: Heather moved to the Bay Area and studied creative writing at Stanford University. Previously, several of her comedy acts and plays were performed in NYC. Her novels include the humorous Silicon Valley-based Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, Manhattan-based Persephone Cole Vintage Mysteries, Love Can Be Murder Novellas, Snow Lake Romantic Suspense Series and standalone mystery noir, Murder under the Big Top, based upon her mother’s stint as a performer with Ringling Brothers’ Circus. There is also her anthology, Corliss and Other Award-Winning Stories. Her favorite protagonist is in Corliss, one of the featured short stories, but don’t tell anyone!
Do you remember that I told you several weeks ago that Mystery Follows Her, the multi-author cozy mystery collection, I put together with eight other writers, was launched in late July? I invited you to follow our authors and their stories through dangerous city streets, quaint villages, and locales across the globe to uncover the clues to a multitude of crimes with feisty female sleuths of various ages.
Today Mystery Follows Her is heading out across cyberspace on a virtual book tour. For the next two weeks you can follow our journey, and read interviews and guest posts with our authors, as well as reviews of the book at each of the blog stops. There’s also a contest to win a paperback copy of Mystery Follows Her (US only). You can enter the contest at most of the tour stops.
So, will you hit the road with us? Stop by some or all of our blog tour stops (don’t forget to enter the contest if you live in the US).
You’ll find all our tour stops listed at the bottom of this page: https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/mystery-follows-her-a-multi-author-cozy-mystery-collection-by-dianne-ascroft-ellen-jacobson-sarah-biglow-aubrey-elle-beate-boeker-adriana-licio-vikki-walton-a/
We’re starting our tour today at How It Happened and Maureen’s Musings.
Today Jean Gallant Marcoux is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about his debut historical novel, Our Time Will Come.
Welcome, Jean. Let’s get started, shall we?
What prompted you to write about this historical event?
Years ago, I learned about the two WWII Québec Conferences of 1943 and 1944, where President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and their military advisers met in Québec City, my hometown, to make plans for D-Day. I even saw newspaper pictures of Churchill touring the city in an open-convertible limousine. At one point, the limo stopped in front of City Hall, and Churchill stood in the car to salute the dignitaries and the immense cheering crowd filling the street. I wondered why the Nazis didn’t use the opportunity to assassinate the British Prime Minister. Or did they try?
Once I retired from practicing medicine, I planned to write a spy novel on the subject, and I read all I could find about the events occurring in Europe and in Québec, just before and during WWII. I also read online, French and Canadian newspapers of the era.
I soon realized that a typical story of a Nazi spy coming by U-boat from Europe to assassinate Churchill during the Québec Conference, didn’t make historical sense. The planning of the Conference was kept secret almost until the day it started, and Churchill was NOT supposed to be exposed to the public. It’s only the Prime Minister’s daredevil nature, coupled with daily hordes of Quebecers in front of the Chateau Frontenac hotel clamoring for Churchill, that produced the last-minute decision of the open-convertible tour.
My spy novel became a love story, and I’m glad it did, because “Our Time Will Come” is a story that fans of historical novels should enjoy, as it explores a Canadian angle on WWII. Romance being a central theme of the book, it should also satisfy readers of that genre.
How closely did you stick to the historical facts?
All the historical facts in Our Time Will Come are accurate as to the date and place they occurred. Several minor characters are real-life figures. When they appear, the situation, incident and dialogue are product of my imagination.
What research did you do for this book?
I read all the books I could find regarding U-boats in Canadian waters, and German spies on Canadian soil during WWII. I also read online, French and Canadian newspapers of the 1938-1943 era to have the historical timeline right, and find out the mind set of the people at the time.
Do you use a mixture of historic and invented characters in the novel? Which is more difficult to write?
All the major and secondary characters in Our Time Will Come are fictitious. Winston Churchill, a minor character in my book was historically where I describe him to be in the book. His letter to my protagonists, however, is the fruit of my imagination.
In a historical novel you must re-create a place and people in a bygone era. How did you bring the place and people you are writing about to life?
The places I describe in Paris and Québec City, haven’t changed much since the 1940s. As mentioned above, reading newspapers of the era gave me a sense of what were Québecers concerns at the time. Conscription of young men, lack of available stuff, and food rationing were top on the list. The crowds gathered in front of the Chateau Frontenac Hotel begging to see Churchill, triggered his unplanned open convertible limo tour of the city.
There often seems to be more scope in historical novels for male characters than female characters. Do you prefer to write one sex or the other? And if so, why?
It is easier for a male to write from a male POV. However, to understand Hans, my German male protagonist’s decision to report to his army unit rather than escape to Canada with Hélène, his love in 1939, I had to go read historical books of the era. I found that ordinary German men, not only Nazis felt it was their duty to fight for the Fatherland.
For my female protagonist, Hélène, I imagined what my mother and aunts, who were her contemporaries, and like her educated by nuns, would have done if placed in her circumstances.
Thanks for answering my questions, Jean, and good luck with Our Time Will Come.
Readers can learn more about Jean Gallant Marcoux and his writing by visiting his website, his blog and his Facebook page.
Jean Gallant Marcoux will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Enter to win a $20 Amazon/BN GC by clicking here.
The novel is available at the following online retailers:
Amazon.com – Barnes & Noble – Indigo
About Jean Gallant Marcoux: He was born in Quebec City Canada, where he earned an MD degree from Laval University. As a board-certified allergist, he practiced in Quebec City from 1970 to 1977 after which he continued his career in Houston Texas until his retirement in 2007.
Passionate for history, he has published articles for historical society magazines in his native Quebec. This is his debut novel. Dr. Marcoux lives in Houston with his family.
dianneascroft.com 