Death at High Tide

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Hannah Dennison is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Death at High Tide, her first novel in the Island Sisters mystery series.

Welcome, Hannah. 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.

“Death at High Tide”, the first book in the Island Sisters Mysteries has been described as “Doc Martin” meets “The Durrells in Corfu” with a splash of Agatha Christie’s, “And Then There Were None.” This is my third mystery series, (I write the Vicky Hill Mysteries and the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries), all of which lean toward the lighter traditional mystery side.

I have always been intrigued by the dynamics of siblings and so, when I moved back to the UK after twenty-five years in California, I was over the moon about reconnecting with my sister again. Of course we had been in touch regularly and visited many times, but it wasn’t the same as living just half a mile from each other again.

“Death at High Tide” follows aspiring photographer, Evie Mead and her Hollywood producer older sister Margot Chandler, who unexpectedly discover that a crumbling Art Deco hotel on a remote island twenty-eight miles off the southwest Cornish peninsula has been mysteriously left to Evie in her husband’s will.

Margot surprises Evie with tickets for a weekend away at the Tregarrick Rock hotel, insisting they should go undercover to find out the 5 W’s –“Who, What, When, Where and Why.” Needless to say, murder and mayhem follow.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

The idea came from a good friend who was the HR director for a resort on one of the five inhabited islands on the Isles of Scilly. My friend claimed that seasonal workers often fled to the islands because they were running away from something or hiding from someone. This concept intrigued me and in many ways, it is true of Evie and Margot who are hoping to start a new life there.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

I always find that the theme presents itself after I have finished each book. And, without fail, even though I don’t intend to do it, I always write about reinvention. It’s in my two other series as well.

I’m fascinated by how those (including myself) have to start over following a loss— whether it’s through a death, a divorce or a serious illness, a big move to a new town or country and sometimes, it’s just starting a new job or becoming a parent. I’m interested in how people cope with what life throws at them.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favorite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

Of course writers are usually all their characters so I don’t really have a favorite! I keep telling my own sister that she is not Margot Chandler in Death at High Tide  (the sisters are both parts of me). I always start with someone I know and can visualize physically. Sometimes it could be someone I noticed on a train or just someone I spotted when I was out walking my dogs. Often it’s an actor – I just need to see their face. Once I have the visual and maybe a pronounced character trait e.g. a turn of phrase or a pet peeve, I will write a brief character bible with the usual questions that include motivation etc. I always give my characters – even the minor ones – a secret, something that they would hate anyone to know about, as well as what I would expect find in their trash bin. You can tell a lot about a person by what they throw away.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

If it truly exists, even if part of it is fiction, it’s critical that I visit the place. You can only get so much from Google, YouTube and travel shows. When I wrote an early draft of “Death at High Tide” I had not been to Tresco, (my fictional island is a mash-up of Tresco and Burgh Island off the South Devon coast). I had described everything as I had imagined it to be but when I actually got there, the visceral experience of smelling the fresh air, walking the wild northern part of the island (which is like the Scottish Highlands) or sitting in the Abbey Gardens (which is like the South of France), affected me deeply. And of course, who wouldn’t be affected by the history of the place with the dozens of shipwrecks that litter the surrounding ocean floor. The island was also a refuge for Royalists during the English Civil War.

Tresco itself is tiny. It only measures 2 miles by 1 mile wide and there are no cars, no streetlights and no police presence or hospital. There was a sense of isolation and remoteness that I hadn’t felt in my online research.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

I get completely sidetracked by research. It’s a blessing and a curse. I have to know the background to everything I write about. There is an abandoned lighthouse that is featured in the book so I spent ages just looking at photographs and reading diaries of lighthouse keepers! I can’t help it.

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

Yes! I must talk about the cat on the cover. His name is Mister Tig. He and I went through a lot during our seventeen years together – the death of my dad, my international moves, my daughter going off to college and of course, the trials and tribulations of launching my writing career. I never intended to put Mister Tig into a book but voila! Now he is immortalized on paper. Mister Tig has his own Instagram page if any of your readers are cat lovers. It’s mistertig_hotelcat.

Thank you for these questions.

It was my pleasure. Thanks for answering them, Hannah, and good luck with Death at High Tide, the first book in theIsland Sisters Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Hannah and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon     Barnes & Noble     IndieBound    Books A Million

About Hannah Dennison: Hannah was born and raised in Hampshire but spent more than two decades living in California. She has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant and Hollywood story analyst. For many years Hannah taught mystery writing workshops at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program in Los Angeles, California.

Hannah writes the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries and the Vicky Hill Mysteries both set in the wilds of the Devonshire countryside where she now lives with her two high-spirited Hungarian Vizslas.

Posted in Archives, August 2020 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Crime and Cocktails

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Lucy Lakestone is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Risky Whiskey, her first novel in the Bohemia Bartenders mystery series.

Welcome, Lucy. 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.

Risky Whiskey is the first novel in the Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries, fun whodunits starring a team of bartenders who travel to different events to make craft cocktails. Of course, they find trouble and solve mysteries along the way. In the first book, Pepper Revelle joins the team at a New Orleans cocktail convention as they make drinks to promote whiskey for a distiller from their Florida town. When the bourbon turns out to be dangerously bad, they have to track down the villain trying to sabotage the distiller while dodging attacks and making thousands of cocktails. Meanwhile, Pepper, an energetic extrovert, is drawn to Neil, the lead bartender, a cocktail nerd who is almost entirely her opposite. The contrast between them makes for good comedy.

It’s a bit unusual for a cozy series in that the settings change, but the cocktail world is almost like a traveling circus. Familiar characters show up in each story. While the first novel is set at a cocktail convention in New Orleans, the setting for the second novel, Wrecked by Rum, is a tiki convention in Fort Lauderdale. Many of the same characters appear in each book.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

We’ve all heard about bad batches of liquor that can make someone sick, whether it’s a moonshiner’s still gone wrong or something a traveler picks up from a market vendor. I was interested in the idea of what might happen if a villain wanted a batch of “bad” liquor to appear to be an accident. The added appeal for me was re-creating the fun, color and energy of a cocktail convention like one I’ve attended in New Orleans, with its historic and storied bars, creepy cemeteries, great music and eccentric characters.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

One theme of Risky Whiskey is family and friendship. While my heroine, Pepper, who survived Hurricane Katrina while growing up in New Orleans, is mostly estranged from her parents, she finds a new family in the Bohemia Bartenders. I think a lot of us, even if we get along with our relatives, form lifelong bonds with people who love the same things we do. As Edna Buchanan said, “Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.”

The second theme is more of an idea: that cocktails have come into their own as a culinary art form, and there are dedicated artists in that world who are as skilled and creative as any great chef. They aren’t just slinging beers and pouring pink frozen drinks. The cocktail world is full of fascinating stories and characters that offer great inspiration for a series of books.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

Bartenders are intensely fun to write about, especially craft bartenders. They range from Pepper, who’s outgoing and fun and even a little edgy (yes, she curses occasionally, though she’s trying to stop), to Neil, a well-educated bar owner who’s written a cocktail book and is very serious about his work. He first appeared as a minor character in a romance series.

Pepper is sort of who I wish I could be. She’s up for anything. She loves the romance and history of New Orleans (as do I). And after seeing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in person, I was inspired to make that storm part of her backstory. It’s enjoyable to write about someone who is always ready to plunge in where angels fear to tread, often with funny results.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

New Orleans almost writes itself. I can close my eyes and see it, smell it, taste it. It’s beautiful and seedy and occasionally dangerous. It’s a rich and enticing city. All of my impressions of it go into Risky Whiskey.

The same could be said of Wrecked by Rum, which takes place in Fort Lauderdale, from the gorgeous tropical setting to the alluring 1950s-era Polynesian restaurant (inspired by the real Mai-Kai) where much of the action takes place. The tiki world is another world I love.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

I can get totally lost in research. I’m passionate about knowing my setting and details before I write, and sometimes I detour for an hour or two on the way looking up an elusive fact online. Ideally, I’ve experienced a place in person. I sometimes interview people to get a sense of my topic, and that’s a great way to get ideas that beget even more ideas and layers in my stories. One of the most enjoyable aspects of research for these books is tasting the cocktails.

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

I hope readers have as much fun reading Risky Whiskey as I had writing it. I wrote it and part of the second book before the troubled times we’re experiencing now, but I figure the Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries take place in the “before time” — or in a parallel universe where people still get together in large numbers and have fun. It’s a great escape for me, and I hope it will be for readers, too. There’s a bit of romance, a dash of heat and some cursing, as previously mentioned, so I want them to know what to expect and to get to love my characters as much as I do.

Thanks for answering my questions, Lucy, and good luck with Risky Whiskey, the first book in theBohemia Bartenders Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Lucy and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, Bookbub and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Apple iBooks – Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Google Play – Kobo

Lucy Lakestone is an award-winning author who lives on Florida’s east central coast, among the towns that serve as an inspiration for the hot romances of her Bohemia Beach Series and the jumping-off point for the Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries. She’s been a journalist, photographer, editor and video producer but prefers living in her imagination, where the moon is full and the cocktails are divine. 

See the book trailer

Posted in Archives, August 2020, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Step into the South old and new

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Claire Fullerton is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Little Tea, her novel of female friendship.

Welcome, Claire. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series?

Little Tea ( named after a character whose real name is Thelonia Winfrey) is a stand-alone story of those long-lasting female friendships that see you through a lifetime, wherein there’s shared history; language; and sense of humor. The narrator, Celia Wakefield spent part of her childhood at her family’s 3rd generation land in Como, Mississippi, where the cultural social mores concerning racial integration had yet to fully evolve. This premise sets the dynamic of a trajectory of events that impact her friendship with Little Tea and haunt Celia Wakefield decades later. When Celia reunites with two childhood friends at Greer’s Ferry Lake in Heber Springs, Arkansas, Celia’s past resurfaces for long-overdue resolution.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

In telling the story of three childhood friends who reunite after many years from the point of view of narrator, Celia Wakefield, who grew up in the Deep South but now lives in California, I wrote in the opening pages that she was hesitant to fly back home, yet the lure of friendship prompted her to brave her reservation. Twenty-five pages into Little Tea, I realized I had to answer to Celia’s hesitancy, so I began writing Celia Wakefield’s Back-story. I wanted to write about “the South as place” as accurately as possible to set the backstory and tell the reader about a tragedy that happened in her family’s history that Celia has yet to fully reconcile. Because Little Tea is told in two timeframes, the tragedy in Celia’s backstory is a build that unfolds, and I believe the reader will find it suspenseful.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story?

The unique ties that bind in long friendships and the idea of reconciling one’s own history in the interest of closure.

If so, what prompted you to write about it?

My desire to capture female friendships spawned Little Tea. I’ve always thought that when women friends get together to discuss the plight of one, the problems of the world are solved! Women have such intuitive insight and ability to conceptualize. The sage advice and profound wisdom of women that comes from what can only be called commiserative compassion is something I’ve always seen as uncanny. The way friends speak to each other when they’re uncensored has its own language, and typically there’s a shared sense of humor. All of this amazes me, so as a writer, my aim was to tell about that!

How do you create your characters?

In the case of Little Tea, I wanted to have one of the women have a problem. Ava Cameron is approaching fifty and in a marital crisis. And she’s drinking too much because a part of her can’t let go of her youth. I put this dilemma square in the center of Little Tea and created two friends so that the reader could have one problem seen through the eyes of three women. I loved the idea of one problem in the hands of three different women because of the differing vantage points.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

I am partial to writing about the way an environment feels, and for this, it’s best to write about what makes it unique. In the Deep South, the oppressive humidity affects everything from how one dresses to how one spends the day. In Little Tea, the three friends spend a long weekend at Greer’s Ferry Lake in Heber Springs, Arkansas—340 lakefront miles with sycamore, pin oak, and pine trees all around. They spend much time in a boat on the water, and water, as an element, is suggestive of fluidity and changing emotions.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

I’m so glad you asked! Because Little Tea takes place in part in Como, Mississippi, I flew to Memphis and drove 45 miles South to see Como for myself. I spent five hours with a fifth generation “gentleman farmer” named Sledge Taylor, whose forebears were integral to the development of the area. Let’s just say that the stain glass windows in Como’s Holy Innocence Church are dedicated to his ancestors. Sledge Taylor is an historian, artist, scientist, botanist, and owner of hundreds of acres of cotton and soybean fields. He was my tour guide in Como, and driving through town and Como’s wooded outskirts while he gave a running monologue only interrupted by my questions was one of the finer days I’ve ever spent. I took notes all the while, and all of the information I received from Sledge Taylor found its way into Little Tea’s story.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?

Little Tea is the story of female friendships and how one reconciles one’s familial history, but it is also a story that is attendant to Southern culture in terms of cause and effect. The three women friends reunite in modern time, but Celia Wakefield’s backstory is set in the 1980’s.  There are cultural repercussions having to do with 1980’s, regional social mores, and they figure into the story. The ending of Little Tea lays bare what I see as a satisfying ending.

Thanks for answering my questions, Claire, and good luck with your new novel, Little Tea.

Readers can learn more about Claire and her writing by visiting her website and her Instagram page.

The novel is available online at  Amazon 

About Claire Fullerton: Claire hails from Memphis, TN. and now lives in Malibu, CA. with her husband and 3 German shepherds. She is the author of Mourning Dove, a coming of age, Southern family saga set in 1970’s Memphis. Mourning Dove is a five-time award winner, including the Literary Classics Words on Wings for Book of the Year, and the Ippy Award silver medal in regional fiction (Southeast.) Claire is also the author of Dancing to an Irish Reel, a Kindle Book Review and Readers’ Favorite award winner that is set on the west coast of Ireland, where she once lived. Claire’s first novel is a paranormal mystery set in two time periods titled, A Portal in Time, set in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. She is a contributor to the book, A Southern Season with her novella, Through an Autumn Window, set at a Memphis funeral (because something always goes wrong at a Southern funeral.) Little Tea is Claire’s 4th novel and is set in the Deep South. It is the story of the bonds of female friendship, healing the past, and outdated racial relations. Little Tea is the August selection of the Pulpwood Queens, a Faulkner Society finalist in the William Wisdom international competition, and on the short list of the Chanticleer Review’s Somerset award. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Literary.

Posted in Archives, August 2020, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tea & Treachery

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Vicki Delany is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Tea & Treachery, her first novel in the Tea by the Sea mystery series.

Welcome, Vicki. 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.

Tea and Treachery is the first in the Tea by the Sea series from Kensington Books.  It’s a cozy series, set in a traditional afternoon tea room on Cape Cod. The main character is Lily Roberts, pastry chef and owner of Tea by the Sea. The tea room is located next to Lily’s grandmother’s B&B Victoria-on-Sea.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

Lily’s grandmother Rose has moved to North Augusta, on Cape Cod to fulfil her dream of living by the sea. Rose is looking for peace and quiet in her declining years, but can’t actually afford her dream home, so she turned the 19th century mansion into a B&B. When the owner of the property next door tries to sell it to a developer for a golf course and resort Rose vows to stop the project. One way or another. That’s a situation I see in the area where I live. We’re dependent on the tourist trade for income but people resent the actual tourists themselves and the infrastructure they require.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it? 

This is a cozy mystery so it’s not trying to say anything important about anything. I hope I’ve created interesting characters and put them into a fun setting and presented them (and the reader) with a challenging puzzle. Having said, that, yes, the conflict between growth and development and preserving a beautiful place is the idea behind the plot.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

My characters grow pretty organically. I had the idea of Lily, the pastry chef, and her grandmother Rose and as I started writing them, I just let them reveal themselves. My favourite character in this series is Lily’s friend Bernadette Murphy. Bernie is a writer (or she wants to be) but she’s far too impulsive to simply sit down and write her book. Perhaps I see something of myself in Bernie.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

I’ve been to Cape Cod and I’ve attempted to capture that seafront setting in the book. The main setting in the book is the tea room and I’ve tried to give it that frantic pace restaurants have.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

I have enjoyed afternoon tea in places as diverse as the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Prince of Wales Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I am a good amateur baker and I’ve given Lily several of my own recipes to make for the tea room.

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

Recipes! Food! Lots of tea tips and facts.

Thanks for answering my questions, Vicki, and good luck with Tea & Treachery, the first book in theTea by the Sea Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Vicki and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

Made with Repix (http://repix.it)

About Vicki Delany: Vicki is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than thirty-five books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, the Year Round Christmas mysteries for Penguin Random House, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.

Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. She is the 2019 recipient of the Derrick Murdoch award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. Vicki lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

Posted in Archives, August 2020 | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Be careful what you eat

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Sugar Calloway is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Quiche of Death, the latest novel in the Sugar & Spice mystery series.

Welcome, Sugar. 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.

Well, I live in St. Ignatius, a small town in Iowa. But I guess, St. Ignatius lives inside the Sugar & Spice Mystery Series. Don’t you just love that name? It’s called that after the cookbook business that I own with my best friend, blue-ribbon baker Dixie Spicer.

The story kind of starts just as we are starting our business. You see, we publish cookbooks. But not just any kind of cookbooks – these are community cookbooks. You know, the kind where the glee club or the church group or the soccer team collects recipes, puts them in a book, and then sells the cookbooks as a fundraiser. Dixie and I help them do that.

The series started with Game of Scones and then moved on to Risky Biscuits and I don’t know if I should broadcast this or not, but there were murders in both of those books. Which Dixie and I solved, by the way.

And now, here we are, in Quiche of Death. We are working on something a bit different – a cookbook for the Arbor family. And they have invited us to spend the weekend with them at a family get-together. The weekend gathering seemed like a good way to collect the recipes they wanted include and maybe pick up some colorful stories to include as sidebars in the book. But I have to say I can already tell, there are some weird dynamics going on with this group.

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

My writer is what I would call a control freak. She figures it all out ahead of time and expects me to stay in line. Though I don’t always do as I’m told.  So sometimes I like to throw a wrench in her well-oiled machine. For instance, she had not planned on a little explosion in the middle of the story. But I thought it was more fun than what she had in mind. And then there was the glue incident…

How did you evolve as the main character?

I’m not really sure. I guess I kind of like being in charge and so it just shook out that way. I’m not pushy, but when I decide to dig into something, I stay the course. I’m not snoopy, but I’m willing to keep asking questions. Plus, I’m the outlier. Most everyone in the books has lived in St. Ignatius most of their lives and I’m new to the town. Sort of an outsider.

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

Oh, my stars, where do I start? I adore my best-friend and business partner
Dixie Spicer. She has a heart as big as all outdoors. If you find yourself in any kind of trouble and need help, she’ll be there. Plus, she’s the best cook in the world and I get to taste whatever she’s cooking.

And then there’s Greer Gooder, my landlady and my role model. She is self-sufficient, no nonsense, unwaveringly upbeat. When I am eighty, I want to be just like her.

And I can’t forget, Max Windsor. Greer calls him Handsome Max and he’s all that and more. He’s an extremely talented professional photographer and we use to take photos of the food for the cookbooks. Why am I partial to Max? I like his intensity when he’s working. I like his vivid blue eyes. Most of all, I like that he gets me.

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

Do you mean place as in the actual location? Well, as I said earlier, I live in St. Ignatius, which I love.

I rent a house, though I have my sights set on buying it when Greer is ready to sell. It’s a beautiful Queen Anne Victorian on a big lot with a maple tree that turns a bright beautiful crimson red in the fall. The yard is bordered by lilac bushes and oh my, the wonderful smell in spring. The only drawback is my neighbor, Mrs. Pickett, who just plain doesn’t like me. I’ve tried and tried to be friendly, but no dice. I truly believe that one day I’ll break her with my kindness.

The town itself is a beautiful clean midwestern community with a town square that has a limestone courthouse at its center. The square is bordered on all four corners by local shops. One of my favorites is the Red Hen Diner, a chicken-themed restaurant where not only does everyone know your name, pretty much everyone also knows your business. A handy spot when I’m trying to solve a murder.

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

Well, one important thing to note is that though the books are focused around solving murders, we have a lot of fun, too.

Though I have to say, that’s mostly thanks to me. Remember what I said about the explosion. And the glue.

Thank you for answering my questions, Sugar, and good luck to you and your author, Mary Lee Ashford, with Quiche of Death, the latest book in the Sugar & Spice mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Sugar and her author, Mary Lee Ashford by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, Instagram and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Google Books – Apple Books

About Mary Lee Ashford: Mary is a lifelong bibliophile, and avid reader, and supporter of public libraries. In addition to writing the Sugar and Spice series for Kensington Books, she also writes as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey, author of the national bestselling Pampered Pets mystery series from Bell Bridge Books.

Prior to publishing Mary Lee won first place in the Daphne du Maurier contest, sponsored by the Kiss of Death chapter of RWA, and was a finalist in Murder in the Grove’s mystery contest, as well as Killer Nashville’s Claymore Dagger contest.

She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a past board member of the Mystery Writers of America Midwest chapter, as well as a member of Novelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death the RWA Mystery Suspense chapter, Sisters in Crime, and the SinC internet group Guppies. She loves encouraging other writers and is a frequent presenter for writers’ groups. Mary Lee has a passionate interest in creativity and teaches a university-level course in Creative Management to MPA candidates, as well as presenting workshops and blogging about creativity.

She currently resides in the midwest with her husband, Tim, and cat, Zoey. Her delights are reading and enjoying her two sons and daughters-in-law, and six grandchildren.

Posted in Archives, July 2020 | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Meet the Countess of Harleigh

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Dianne Freeman is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder, her latest novel in the Countess of Harleigh mystery series.

Welcome, Dianne. 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.

I write the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series set in late Victorian London. The central character, Frances Wynn is a former American Heiress, now widow to the Earl of Harleigh. When the series begins, Frances has just finished her mourning period for her late husband and moved to a posh neighborhood in London to start a new life for herself and her young daughter. The ghosts of her old life follow her however, and she finds herself a suspect in a case of murder.

In A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder, the third book in the series, Frances is planning a simple wedding in the countryside for her sister, Lily. Everyone is having a lovely time until the servants, the wedding party, and even the guests begin to fall victim to mysterious “accidents.” The injuries are bad enough, but when someone dies, Frances is driven to find out if someone is trying to put an end to this wedding—or just to the groom.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

A Victorian house party personifies the British upper-crust for me—all those aristocrats at play and behaving badly. What better place to set a murder mystery? Even with a murderer on the loose, it would be an egregious breach of manners to leave before the designated date, so the only choice is to find the killer.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

When she was eighteen, Frances married the man her mother chose for her. It was an exchange of money for a title. Now, ten years later, her mother is interfering with Lily’s choice for a husband, so their mother/daughter relationship and how they come to an understanding plays a role in the story.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

My characters come to me pretty well formed. I learn to understand them by examining their pasts. I don’t write biographies for them. I rely on one or two experiences that shaped their lives. Frances plays the leading role because she’s my favorite. She has so much to learn and so much to give and she’s always willing and eager to do both. She adopted the British “stay calm and carry on” attitude, so even when everything is chaotic, she remains unflappable.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

I don’t enjoy a lot of description myself, so I tend to stay away from it. However, letting the characters interact with the setting will let readers experience it through the character’s eyes, or ears, or nose.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

Historical fiction requires a lot of research. I spend much of my time in the pages of the British Newspaper Archive. The news stories let me know if any major event took place during the time of my story and what interested the people of that time. There were newspapers that dealt specifically with crime so I can learn not only what type of crime the people of London were dealing with, but how the police managed to solve and prosecute the cases. Even the classified ads help in determining things like where my characters can afford to live and how much their servants can expect to earn.

For A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder I needed to learn about the leisure activities of the late Victorian era—the types of pastimes one might find at a country house party. I also needed to find a country house, something I could use as a model for Risings, George Hazelton’s family seat. Fortunately, I enjoy research and hope these details transport the reader to another time.

Thanks for answering my questions, Dianne, and good luck with A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder, the latest book in theCountess of Harleigh Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Dianne and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook and Goodreads pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Books – IndieBound

About Dianne Freeman: Dianne is the acclaimed author of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. She is an Agatha Award and Lefty Award finalist, as well as a nominee for the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award from Mystery Writers of America. She spent thirty years working in corporate accounting and finance and now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband now split their time between Michigan and Arizona.

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From Beer to Eternity

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Chloe Jackson is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about From Beer to Eternity, the first novel in the Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon mystery series.

Welcome, Chloe. 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. Hi, I’m Chloe Jackson and this is my debut in the Sea Glass Saloon mystery series. So I’m excited (and a little nervous, but don’t tell anyone!) In From Beer to Eternity I work at a beach bar – the Sea Glass Saloon in the panhandle of Florida. Normally, I’m a children’s librarian in Chicago so this has been a scary change for me. The worst part is the woman I’m here to help (my best friend Boone’s grandmother) doesn’t want me here! But I promised Boone I’d help her so you can see what a terrible situation I’ve been thrown into. (Looks at writer – shakes fist.) And then I found one of our patrons dead behind the bar. Let me tell you that was no fun at all. Next thing I know Boone’s grandmother is suspect numero uno and the only way I’m ever going to make it back to Chicago is to find the real killer. If I make it out of this mess there are more books in the series – she’s writing the second one, A Time to Swill, now. From page one she is putting me through a lot.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too? Between us, I let the writer think she’s in control. It’s just easier that way, but we all know who is really calling the shots – me!

How did you evolve as the main character? I was the obvious choice even though the writer had a lot of trouble naming me. I was like “hello, I’m Chloe” but she didn’t pay any attention. When we finally got over that hurdle we had to pick a car (vintage red Volkswagen Beetle), find a place for me to live (she really put me through the paces with that one), and agree on my backstory. Native Chicagoan that had a tragic incident happen when I was ten that pretty much shaped my entire life. She also saddled me with two older brothers – go figure. Everyone has different ways of dealing with their tragedies, but I’m still trying to figure all of that out.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them? Joaquín Diaz – fisherman by morning, bartender the rest of the time. He has more moves than Elvis and Ricky Martin combined. He’s my first friend in Emerald Cove and he’s the pacifier to the oil and water that defines the uneasy relationship between Boone’s grandmother and me.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story? It is stunning! White sandy beaches, aquamarine water in the Gulf of Mexico. And even though the bar I work in is called a “saloon” it’s more tiki hut than western bar. The view is spectacular. There’s a reason they call this area the Emerald Coast. Tourists flock to the place so the traffic can be iffy.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book? I quickly found out that dealing with drunks and toddlers wasn’t that different. My librarian voice works well with bar patrons. And whew, am I glad I took the self-defense course for librarians when it was offered. I didn’t think I’d ever need it, but I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Thanks for answering my questions, Chloe, and good luck to you and your author, Sherry Harris with From Beer to Eternity, the first book in the Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Sherry and her writing by visiting her publisher’s website, her website and her Facebook page.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Books – IndieBound

About Sherry Harris: Sherry is the Agatha Award-nominated author of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series and the upcoming Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mysteries. She is a past president of Sisters in Crime, and a member of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, the New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers.

In her spare time, Sherry loves reading and is a patent-holding inventor. Sherry, her husband, and guard dog Lily are living in northern Virginia until they figure out where they want to move to next.

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Larceny at the Library

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

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Today Kit Marshall is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Larceny at the Library, the latest novel in the Washington Whodunit mystery series.

Welcome, Kit. 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.

“Larceny at the Library” is set at one of my favorite places in the world, the Library of Congress. My husband works at the Library of Congress, and that fact makes it a convenient setting for this book.

I’m a full-time congressional staffer in Washington, D.C. and a part-time sleuth. This is my sixth murder mystery, and I’m starting to get the hang of it.

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

LARCENY AT THE LIBRARY_Front CoverMy writer (or my “creator”) has the final say, but sometimes I offer my opinion about how I would react to a situation or how I might respond to a snarky comment. I’m not shy about sharing my opinion.

How did you evolve as the main character?

When I first started solving murder mysteries, I wasn’t very confident in my skills to investigate. Over time, I’ve become more confident. I didn’t have a high degree of self-possession in those early stories, but now I’m in charge and I know what to do when a dead body shows up!

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

Of course, I’m partial to my husband Doug, who directs the scholarly center at the Library of Congress. Also, my best friend Meg, who works with me in Congress – she’s always doing something crazy. There’s also my younger brother Sebastian, who recently moved to Washington, D.C. and my beagle mutt Clarence. I’m lucky to have so many family members and friends help me solve the mysteries that materialize right in front of me!

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

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the word. It’s also one of the most beautiful buildings in Washington, D.C. Thousands of really smart people work there, and it’s considered a national treasure by our elected officials who serve in Congress. If you’re visiting our nation’s capital, you need to go to the Library of Congress to experience it for yourself!  Or, go online at www.loc.gov for a virtual visit.

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

I worked at the Library of Congress for over a decade in a variety of positions, and I’m really excited for the debut of “Larceny at the Library.”  It has special meaning for me. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it.

Thank you for answering my questions, Kit, and good luck to you and your author with Larceny at the Library, the latest book in the Washington Whodunit series.

Readers can learn more about Kit and her author, Colleen J Shogan, by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook and Goodreads pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N

Shogan 2019About Colleen J. Shogan: Colleen has been reading mysteries since the age of six. A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American politics at several universities and previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate and as a senior executive at the Library of Congress. She is currently the Senior Vice President of the White House Historical Association.

Colleen is a member of Sisters in Crime. “Stabbing in the Senate” was awarded the Next Generation Indie prize for Best Mystery in 2016. “Homicide in the House” was a 2017 finalist for the RONE Award for Best Mystery. “Calamity at the Continental Club” was a 2018 finalist in the “best cozy mystery” at Killer Nashville. She lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Rob and their beagle mutt Conan.

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Nine New Stories Available Today

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Mystery FB

Today is an exciting day for me. I’ve been working with several other authors this year on a collection of cozy mystery short stories and novellas and today is launch day for Mystery Follows Her.

Nine new cozy mystery stories for only .99 cents or pence (depending where you live). And more than 400 pages to read. 

Mystery Follows Her is a collection of intriguing and light-hearted stories written by authors from across the globe, including two NYT Bestselling authors.

Mystery small fileThe stories will lead you through dangerous city streets, quaint villages, and locales across the globe. Uncover the clues to the crimes with feisty female sleuths of all ages.

My contribution to the collection, Thanksgiving and Theft, takes Lois Stone, the main character in the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries series, back to Toronto to visit friends for Thanksgiving weekend. Wandering through her old neighbourhood, she interrupts a mugging in the same park where her husband was attacked and died three years previously. Lois’s heart goes out to the victim when she learns that the woman’s last gift from her deceased husband is one of the things the thief has stolen. Knowing this, she has to help find the mugger and get that gift back. And so begins a mystery filled weekend.

The collection is officially launched today and copies are available from the following retailers:

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/mystery-follows-her

AMAZON EBOOK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BTN6HN2

BARNES & NOBLE:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mystery-follows-her-dianne-ascroft/1137236707

APPLE BOOKS:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1520314527

It’s also available in paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/8832249138

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Travel Can Be Murder

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

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Today Jennifer S. Alderson is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Death by Windmill, her latest novel in the Travel Can Be Murder mystery series.

Welcome, Jennifer. 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.

In Death by Windmill, tour guide Lana Hansen must sleuth out who killed one of her guests, in order to set her own mother free.

Death by Windmill is the third book in my Travel Can Be Murder cozy mystery series. In this book, tour guide Lana Hansen is leading a Mother’s Day-themed tour through the Netherlands when one of her guests either plummets from, or is pushed off of, a windmill. Lana’s mother is arrested for the crime, but Lana is certain she did not do it, and must figure out who did before her tour through the Netherlands is over!

In my Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series, Lana Hansen leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that, unfortunately for Lana, often turn deadly. Making travel a central part of the series means each story is set in a different location, instead of the same small town. However, because I don’t want these novels to turn into travelogues, the confrontations, eavesdropping, and sleuthing take place during the group’s day tours, so readers get a mystery and trip in one.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

DEATH BY WINDMILLThe murder in Death by Windmill came to me while visiting the Zaanse Schans, a tiny village famous for its windmills that is quite close of Amsterdam. When I was standing up on one of the windmill’s observation platforms – a wide balcony skirting the outside – and watching the massive blades swooshing by, all I could think was what a great way that would be to kill someone. Luckily, my husband – who was accompanying me at the time – knows that I only murder on paper!

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

Each story is set during a different holiday, which helps give readers a point of reference and me a way to tailor the murder and storyline to another theme. These holidays also help me to choose the location of each book.

For example, Death on the Danube: A New Year’s Murder in Budapest, the first book in the series, takes place in Budapest during New Year’s Eve. Because the city is famous for its fireworks shows and winter markets, I thought this would be a wonderful setting and holiday theme to start the series off with.

In book two, Death by Baguette: A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris, Lana is accused of murdering her boyfriend in the City of Love. In Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam, Lana’s mother is the prime suspect in a tourist’s death. I figured Amsterdam, the flower capital of the world, would be a good setting for this story!

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

The older main characters in this series are inspired by my own extensive family, or at least partially so. Lana’s boss, Dotty Thompson, may be my favorite because she is based on two of my favorite aunts – Jean and Dutch, two incredibly strong, wonderful, and independent women who I greatly admired. Unfortunately both are now deceased. Writing the dialog between Lana and Dotty is like going back in time for me, as I try to think of how my aunts would have responded. It’s quite fun to do!

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

I bring the locations to life by including what readers would see, smell, taste, and hear while visiting those cities. It does help that I have personally visited each of the locations I am describing, often multiple times.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

Though I choose settings I have already visited, in some cases it has been several years since I’ve been. And as we all know, cities are constantly evolving! To start writing the descriptions of place, I revisit my old photos, maps, and journals and draw from my own memories. Once I’ve finished that process, I do read recent travel blogs to ensure that the places I am describing still exist and have not been significantly altered since my last visit.

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

I know a book can never truly replace the experience of travel, yet I do hope my cozy mysteries help sate readers’ wanderlust during these turbulent times!

Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog!

Thank you for answering my questions, Jennifer, and good luck with Death by Windmill, the latest book in the Travel Can Be Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Jennifer and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads, and Bookbub pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – Barnes and Noble

About Jennifer S. Alderson: Jennifer was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and JenniferSAlderson_thumbcurrently lives in Amsterdam. Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and standalone stories.

After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she moved to Darwin, Australia, before settling in the Netherlands. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels. When not writing, she can be found in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.

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