Today Shelly Frome is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Miranda and the D-Day Caper.
Welcome, Shelly. 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.
SF: Miranda and the D-Day Caper is a standalone meaning that it centers on a singular issue or dilemma, follows all the ups and downs in a certain trajectory and finally resolves.
Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?
SF: In a sense, the mystery is a hunt for the endgame–what is this subterfuge all about? What dire event eventually has to take place or be thwarted and why? What truly is at stake here well beyond the abduction of a stray cat which, in effect, is only an initial clue?
Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?
SF: Underneath it all is a battle between small town virtues that currently seem to have been lost along the wayside, like truth, decency and integrity as opposed to ultra right-wing machinations in service to the retention of power at any cost. I suppose the dubious tactics of the current administration finally got to me as I began longing for the days of my childhood when radio programs and comic books gave me something to believe in: heroes and heroines I could identify with, leaders I could trust, noble lost causes that were worth fighting for.
How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?
SF: As a former professional actor I am able to inhabit all my characters who, in a way, are a composite of roles I have played, countless movies I’ve seen, plays I’ve watched, radio shows I’ve listened to, and colorful people I have met. In effect, they just come to me in terms of who can drive this tale forward and who can provide conflict and a viable counterpoint. And, as a former professional actor I love all my characters, even the cat, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to bring them truly to life. They would be just pawns.
How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?
SF: The setting is vital. Places and cultures I know all too well. Even the weather patterns. All of it affects everything that happens. My innate sense of truth guides me in terms of what would happen in these given circumstances when, for instance, Miranda approached the reopening of the tailgate market in Black Mountain on a crisp, vibrant Saturday morning in April? What mood would she be in and how would she great the venders in their popup tents?
What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?
SF: There are realities I know absolutely nothing about like, in this instance, detonating devices that are, on the face of it, hard to detect. In this case, Vin, my anti-hero knows all about such things and to “play him” I have to obtain this knowledge and use it like it was simply every day, received wisdom.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?
SF: Miranda and her cousin Skip have an antic, loveable quality that I’m sure will see readers through. They may even find themselves rooting for Duffy the stray cat.
Thanks for answering my questions, Shelly, and good luck with Miranda and the D-Day Caper.
Readers can learn more about Shelly and his writing by visiting his Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub and Instagrampages. You can also follow him on Twitter.
The novel is available at the following online retailers:
Amazon B&N Kobo Apple Books IndieBound IPG
About Shelly Frome: Shelly is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at the University of Connecticut, a former professional actor, a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He is also a features writer for Gannett Media’s Black Mountain News. His fiction includes Sun Dance for Andy Horn, Lilac Moon, Twilight of the Drifter, Tinseltown Riff, Murder Run, Moon Games and The Secluded Village Murders. Among his works of non-fiction are The Actors Studio and texts on the art and craft of screenwriting and writing for the stage. Miranda and the D-Day Caper is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
I met many interesting people, such as Matthew Harkin and his Aunt Mayme. Then there is Barney Pipe, one of the policeman who has eyes for the medical examiner, Lila Henshaw. One of my favorite people is Eudora Brown. At least she became that once I got used to her tapping me with her cane.
About Julie Seedorf: Julie has worn many hats throughout her life such as working as a waitress, nursing home activities person, office manager and finally a computer repair person eventually owning her own computer sales and repair business. She never forgot her love of writing and quit her computer business in 2012 after signing a contract with Cozy Cat Press for Granny Hooks A Crook, the first book in her Fuchsia, Minnesota Series.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I wanted to become a detective down in LA—but that would be a very different process. I would work with an experienced partner and have all the resources of the biggest police department in the country.
About Elena Taylor: Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, written under the name Elena Hartwell, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime-fighting duo. With All We Buried, Elena returns to her dramatic roots and brings readers a much more serious and atmospheric novel. Located in her beloved Washington State, Elena uses her connection to the environment to produce a forbidding story of small-town secrets and things that won’t stay buried. Elena is also a senior editor with Allegory Editing, a developmental editing house, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish manuscripts, short stories, and plays. If you’d like to work with Elena, visit 
BB: I was born on a boat in a small marina. Like my good friend, Logan, I’m tall and have red hair. People often assume we’re related. My cat, Macavity, and I both have two different colored eyes. That’s why I adopted him when I went with a friend to find a cat for her. I never wanted a cat, but now I can’t imagine my life without him. Logan is my soulmate, Macavity is part muse part familiar, and Sophie is my best friend and has been since we were kids. Together we manage to bump into disturbing situations and solve mysteries.
About Charlotte Stuart: In a world filled with uncertainty and too little chocolate, Charlotte Stuart, PhD, has taught college courses in communication, gone commercial fishing in Alaska, and was the VP of HR and Training for a large credit union. Her current passion is for writing lighthearted mysteries with a pinch of adventure and a dollop of humor. She is the VP for the Puget Sound Sisters in Crime. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys watching herons, eagles, seals and other sea life from her Vashon Island home office.
I’m pretty good at spelling, grammar and punctuation. I won a spelling bee at my school when I was nine or ten. I was also an English teacher, for gosh sake. That said, I always find errors. Sometimes my brain works faster than my fingers as they pound away at the keyboard; I make mistakes. During that phase in the book I read carefully and very slowly; I don’t want my publisher to think I am illiterate or careless, heaven forbid.
About Karen Shughart: Karen studied English Literature at S.U.N.Y Buffalo, received a B.A. in Comprehensive Literature from the University of Pittsburgh and completed graduate courses in English from Shippensburg University. In addition to Murder in the Cemetery (book two of the Edmund DeCleryk Cozy mystery series), she is also the author of Murder in the Museum (book one of the series), two non-fiction books and has worked as an editor, publicist, photographer, journalist, teacher and non-profit executive. Before moving to a small village on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, Karen and her husband resided in south central Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg.
TT: The idea for this mystery stems from my love of watching paranormal investigators on the Travel Channel and constantly asking myself, is they for real? I have a passage in the book where the ghost hunters have garbled background noise and attribute to a full-blown sentence. Yeah, right. I believe in the paranormal because I’ve lived in a couple of haunted houses, but that doesn’t mean I’m a patsy for every “investigator” with an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) recorder.
About Teresa Trent: Teresa writes cozy mysteries that take place in small towns in Texas. The Piney Woods Series came to be because her older brother worked in the hotel industry for over twenty years and would relate all the things and people he had experienced. Because Teresa loves history and a little bit of the paranormal, the Tunie Hotel was born! Teresa is also the author of the Pecan Bayou Cozy Mystery Series.
ARK: It came to me when I was on safari, having dinner with a guide and fellow travelers. I was surprised why escorts were needed on the lodge’s grounds at night. From there, the idea was born for a murder on a safari. (You have to read the book to find out why escorts are needed!)
About A. R. Kennedy: She 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.
AW: I love thrift shops! You can always find something unusual, rare, or unique. Occassionally, I also find a thing or two that makes me ask: What is this? Maybe it’s something magical. And maybe there are customers out there who know just what to do with these magical items.
About Astoria Wright: She is a cozy fantasy author and a poet who is inspired by rainy days, good books, and positive people. She is often found sitting by a window or in her backyard sipping tea or coffee and writing or reading cozy mysteries, fantasy novels, or poetry. Join her mailing list at 
Roberta is a flawed yet sympathetic character. She is both cynic and romantic, jaded and enthusiastic, willfully ignorant and prescient. My goal was to create an unlikeable character, one who is self-absorbed and angry, and then transform her into someone we can all identify with. To accomplish this, I employed classic fairy tales, which are rich in symbols and archetypes. Insight into the meanings of these tropes and classic roles allows the reader to understand the tales, and therefore life, on a deeper level.
About Phyllis M. Newman: Phyllis is a native southerner. Born in New Orleans, she spent formative years in Florida, Iowa, Mississippi, and on a dairy farm in Ross County, Ohio. After a long career in finance and human resources at The Ohio State University, she turned her attention to writing fiction. She published a noir mystery, “Kat’s Eye” in 2015, a Gothic mystery, “The Vanished Bride of Northfield House” in 2018, and the suspense thriller “Clearing in the Woods” in 2019. Today she lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and three perpetually unimpressed cats, none of whom venture far from home.
NJC: Easter Hair Hunt is #16 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries. Hairstylist Marla Vail solves crimes in sultry South Florida in this series that Publishers Weekly calls “fast-paced and jaunty.” Besides the 16 full-length novels, this series includes a short story, novella, and cookbook.
About Nancy J. Cohen: Nancy writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won a Readers’ Favorite gold medal and a RONE Award, earned first place in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third place in the Arizona Literary Awards. Nancy’s instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery, was nominated for an Agatha Award, earned first place in the Royal Palm Literary Awards and the TopShelf Magazine Book Awards, and won a gold medal in the President’s Book Awards. A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, Nancy is a past president of Florida Romance Writers and Mystery Writers of America Florida Chapter. She is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. When not busy writing, she enjoys cooking, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.
dianneascroft.com 