I'd like to welcome Deborah Garner to the blog today. Deborah writes the Paige MacKenzie Mystery series, the second of which, The Moonglow Café, was just released April 28th.
Kathy: Paige MacKenzie is assigned to research unique Yogo sapphires. Sapphires are one of my favorite gemstones. Do you have a favorite?
DG: Before writing The Moonglow Café, I would have said emeralds. There’s something about shimmering green that is so soothing. But writing about Yogo sapphires has swayed me. Color me blue, sparkling blue.
Kathy: Speaking of gemstones, your title, The Moonglow Café, reminds me of The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Is there any correlation?
DG: None at all, though both books involve precious stones. But that’s where the comparison ends.
Kathy: In The Moonglow Café an old diary is found hidden in the walls of a historic hotel. I always enjoy hearing about exciting finds like that. Have you ever made an unusual discovery?
DG: Oh, I wish I could say I have! As a child, I always wanted to find something unique – a stone with magical powers or a hidden staircase. But I’m still waiting for that to happen. For now, I’ll have to be content with Paige’s unusual discoveries. Fortunately, she seems to stumble into them often.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
DG: I was always the girl with her hands over her eyes in the movie theatre. I still am. I don’t like violence. I scare easily. I get nightmares. I’ve always been drawn to calmer entertainment, whether books, movies or television shows. I don’t want to be shocked; I just want to relax and enjoy. So I think the genre of cozy mysteries was just a natural landing place for me.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
DG: Not in fiction. I’ve done a lot of travel writing. I have a compilation of travel writing stories that should be published within the next year. I say “should” because I’m juggling several projects at once.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
DG: New York reporter Paige MacKenzie writes articles about the Old West for The Manhattan Post. Her assignments are straight-forward, but her curiosity always sidelines her into local mystery and trouble. Not to mention the distraction caused by her favorite handsome cowboy, Jake Norris ;)
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
DG: Yes, definitely. I adore Mist, the owner of the café. She is calm, centered and ethereal, very unusual and very strong in a quiet sort of way. She is really the glue that holds the town together and she does it so effortlessly that it’s not even recognized by those closest to her. Not right away, at least.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
DG: Travel always inspires what I write. The first Paige MacKenzie mystery, Above the Bridge, is set in Jackson Hole, WY. It evolved because I passed through there myself while on a cross-country road trip. The Moonglow Café takes Paige to a fictional town in Montana that is based on a town I visited. Each of Paige’s assignments will likely be in towns I’ve discovered through travel.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
DG: Life is full of challenges and reading is one way to escape, to ease stress. We all need stories that can give us mini-vacations. Publishing allows us to share stories with a wide audience. Besides, Paige kept bugging me to do it. It’s hard to say no to her. She’s stubborn and persistent.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
DG: There are so many I’d love to invite, to hear them exchange ideas with each other. But if I had to limit it to four, I’d say Tracy Chevalier, Joanne Harris, Anita Shreve and Amy Tan. And then I’d set up a second table and add Barbara Kingsolver, Anita Diamant, Willa Cather and Maya Angelou. Then I’d set up a third table…
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
DG: I’m in between books now because of the last few days of new release activity, but I have a TBR list that is so high I can’t even see the top. I believe The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, and The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, are right on top. I’ve waited to see the movies, wanting to read the books first.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
DG: I love back roads travel and photography. A perfect weekend for me would consist of filling the car with gas, loading up my camera equipment and driving off in an unknown direction. I’m also very involved with animal rescue and try to help local shelters with transport whenever I can.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
DG: Diet Coke, Crackers, Cheese, Hummus. A balanced diet, if I do say so myself.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
DG: Absolutely. Paige MacKenzie has another adventure in the works that won’t be out until next year. But I have a standalone book in final revision that should be out before Christmas. Not giving any details about it quite yet, but it is likely to result in a spinoff series involving a rather flamboyant senior sleuth. She’s quite a kick, that new character. I think readers will like her.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
DG: I love not being held to the confines of reality. Imagination is such an amazing playground, with no barriers or limits. Being an author lets me step beyond everyday life and into other worlds.
Contact and Purchase Links for The Moonglow
Cafe
You can find Deborah Garner at:
https://www.facebook.com/deborahgarnerauthor
Twitter
Website
Amazon
Goodreads
Book
Purchase Links for The Moonglow Cafe
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1iiokZn
Barnes & Noble Nook: http://bit.ly/1jHitbg
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1mYmIDz
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