Sunday, September 29, 2013

Maple Syrup and Murder

I'd like to welcome Jessie Crockett back to Cozy Up With Kathy. Check out our previous post from June 9th. In addition to her Granite State Mysteries, we mentioned her upcoming new series. Well, that series is almost here and I, for one, can't wait to read about maple syrup and murder!

Kathy:  Drizzled with Death, the first Sugar Grove Mystery will be released October 1st. How are you celebrating?
JC: I have a standing Tuesday morning date with my sister to walk four miles. I will attend a soccer game for one of my sons. I hope to have sushi and champagne for dinner. And maybe cake. After all, I will have walked that morning!

Kathy: You write both the Granite State Mysteries and the new Sugar Grove Mysteries. How do you juggle writing two mystery series at the same time?
JC: I actively write on only one series at a time. For me, first draft is much more challenging than revisions so I can manage both if I am at different points in each manuscript.

Kathy: Dani Greene is a 4th generation maple syrup maker. What’s your favorite way to use maple syrup?
JC: I really love Sugar-on -Snow, which is a type of candy made by boiling finished syrup to the hard ball stage and pouring it onto a bed of clean snow to cool. But my favorite way to eat maple syrup right now is on a sandwich I call a Who'd a Thunk It? It is a knife and fork affair and involves caramelized apples. The recipe is included in Drizzled with Death.

Kathy: Trouble breaks out at a pancake eating contest in Drizzled with Death. Have you ever entered a food eating competition-or watched one?
JC: I have never entered a food eating competition but I have been awed by watching a televised broadcast of the annual hotdog eating contest at Nathan's on the Fourth of July. The winner consumed fifty hotdogs. It was astonishing! 

Kathy: The state of New Hampshire plays a big role in your writing. How would you describe the state for people unfamiliar with it? What makes it great?
JC: New Hampshire has an outstanding quality of life. We have natural beauty, an independent spirit, quirky characters and fascinating politics. We even have a low crime rate. Well, except in my mysteries.

Kathy: Aside from writing mysteries, you design bento lunches. Will you tell us about that?
JC: When you work at home it is really easy to stand in front of the refrigerator at lunch time and pick at unhealthy things because you didn't plan ahead. I like the way bento lunches look and I think they are fun to make. When I am at my most organized I make them for my kids and myself in the morning. I send them off to school with theirs and I pop mine into the fridge until lunch. >

Kathy: How did your interest in bento begin?
JC: A few years ago my mother hosted a delightful foreign exchange student from Japan for a year. She brought gifts for all of us including bento boxes, which are a type of lunch container. I was intrigued by them and a google search led me to a lot of culinary eye-candy. At the time my children were younger and interested in cartoon characters like Pokemon. There is a style of bento called charaben which means character bento. The food is shaped or assembled to look like recognizable characters by cutting cheese slices into faces or making hair out of julienned carrots. I had fun and the kids ended up enthusiastically eating their veggies. 



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Author Bio

         A nearly life-long resident of the Granite State, Jessie naturally adores black flies, 98% humidity, killing frosts in August and snow banks taller than the average grandmother. When not working on her next murderous adventure she enthusiastically combs the beach, designs bento lunches and throws parties. She delights in mentoring young writers at local schools. Jessie lives with her dark and mysterious husband and exuberant children in a village so small most other New Hampshire residents have never heard of it. Her debut mystery, Live Free or Die, was the 2011 winner of the Daphne DuMaurier Award for Mainstream Mystery.
 
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You can read more from and about Jessie Crocket at these websites:
Drizzled with Death,Berkley Prime Crime,October, 2013

Friday, September 27, 2013

New Life for a Classic-Interview/Review/Giveaway with Joanna Campbell Slan

I'm pleased to welcome Joanna Campbell Slan to Cozy Up With Kathy. Joanna has given an old literary friend new life and mysteries to solve.



Kathy: It's been a good many years since I read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, however, I remember enjoying it and it being one of my favorite "classics". Did you love the novel yourself?

JCS: Absolutely. I found the book at the back of a bookshelf in my home. It must have been assigned reading for my parents, although neither of them directed me to the story. Since I grew up in a chaotic environment, with two alcoholics as parents, I turned to reading as an escape. I quickly identified with Jane, who was small and insignificant. Her story gave me hope.


Kathy: When deciding to write the series, which came first, the desire to see what happened to Jane after her novel ended, or the desire to write a historical mystery?

JCS: Since I read the book at an early age, I would have to say that I always wondered what happened next. Jane is a character for the ages, a woman you can’t forget.


Kathy: Historical mysteries in particular require a lot of research, not only research about the mystery itself, but the time period. Had you done a lot of research of this period before you thought to write the Jane Eyre Chronicles?

JCS: Yes, I sure did. Unfortunately, I researched the wrong period. The book was published Oct. 16, 1847, but it contains two obscure references that date the timeframe of the story to 1818-1820. So I was up to my eyeballs in stories about Victoria and Albert, when I should have been reading up on George IV. Sigh. Fortunately, some of what I learned didn’t change, especially regarding the plight of women who signed on as governesses and teachers.


Kathy: In Death of a Schoolgirl Selina Biltmore has ties to King George IV. While I'm a bit more familiar with him as Prinny and his time as Regent (yes, I enjoy Regency romances) and know of his proclivities, I wondered if Selina was based on a real person, or simply a "may have been".

JCS: She’s fictional, although Prinny did have many out-of-wedlock children, so a character like Selina could definitely have existed.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

JCS: I love that the reader can solve the mystery herself. In a police procedural, it’s up to the cops/techs to come up with the information, but in a cozy, the reader has all the pieces. It’s fun to match your wits with the author! I also appreciate that there’s no excessive violence or porn. There are some images I’d rather not implant into my head.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

JCS: I’ve written non-fiction, “how to” books, inspiration, and contemporary cozy mysteries. So far I’ve written twenty-two books.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

JCS: Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series—Agatha Award finalist—Contemporary craft cozy—Set in present day St. Louis—Kiki is a young single mother who takes a job in a scrapbook store to keep food on the table. The series follows Kiki as she grows from a doormat to a woman who knows her own worth. Includes papercrafting ideas, Zentangle® tips, and recipes. RT Book Reviews has called Kiki, “Our best friend with a touch of outrageous.”

The Jane Eyre Chronicles—Winner 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence—Historical romantic suspense—Set in 1820 England—The series begins where Charlotte Brontë’s classic left off. Jane is married to her beloved Edward. Even though she’s now a woman of privilege, Jane will never turn her back on someone in need, especially someone who lacks resources. So she becomes what Kirkus has called, “A surprisingly canny sleuth.”

The Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series—Release Fall/2013—Contemporary cozy—Set in present day Florida on the Treasure Coast—After her parents die and her son goes to college, Cara Mia Delgatto is suddenly free to live life on her own terms…as soon as she figures out what to do with her second chance at happiness. With two other women, she opens a store in Florida. The shop specializes in upcycled, recycled, and repurposed items. Includes DIY, trash-to-treasure, recipes, and historic lore.


Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

JCS: I’m probably the most comfortable with Kiki Lowenstein because she’s so much like me, and because I’ve written that series the longest. To date, there are 27 short stories. Group, Photo, Grave (the seventh full length book) will be released this October.


Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

JCS: It’s usually a combination of things. I see someone and think, “Wow, she would make an interesting character.” Or I hear about a local legend. Or I come across a fascinating factoid. All of it goes in, swirls around, and eventually appears on the page.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

JCS: I have always wanted to be a writer. As a kid, I stapled sheets of paper together and told people, “This is my book.”


Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

JCS: Pat Conroy, whom I’ve met and who is such a Southern gentleman!
Charlotte Brontë, for obvious reasons.
Daphne du Maurier, because I’d want to know what the name of the protagonist is in the book Rebecca.
Agatha Christie, because I lived six blocks from her house in Sunningdale, Berkshire, UK.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

JCS: Kathy Reichs’ book Deadly Decisions.


Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

JCS: I live on the beach, so I love walking the sand and picking up shells. Like my characters, I’m an animal lover. We have two geriatric dogs, Rafferty and Victoria. I’m a Certified Teacher of Zentangle®, although I really don’t have the time to teach it. I do enjoy it.


Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

JCS: Hummus, almond milk, instant oatmeal, tuna fish salad.


Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

JCS: I’ve worn the letters off of four keyboards. In fact, this one needs to be replaced! I intend to keep writing as long as I can. I love what I do, and I am blessed to have a loyal group of readers.


Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

JCS: I love setting my own pace. I can work as hard as I want, and I don’t have to wait for someone to approve my next project.

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Review

Death of a Schoolgirl By Joanna Campbell Slan
The First of the Jane Eyre Chronicles

Way back when I first read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte I rooted for Jane to get her Mr. Rochester. Well, she got him and in Death of a Schoolgirl by Joanna Campbell Slan we see what happens after the original novel ends.

Jane and Edward Rochester have married and are living quietly in Yorkshire away from society. Edward is recovering from the injuries received in the fire and Jane has recently given birth to a son. A worrisome letter arrives from Adele, Rochester’s young ward, who is at boarding school. Has she really been threatened, or are these just the histrionics of a young girl looking for attention? Determined to find out Jane must leave her husband, whose injuries prevent travel at the moment, her 6 month old son, and set off for London alone.
After a trying journey, Jane reaches the school only to find authorities removing the body of a dead school girl. With help from friends new and old Jane goes undercover as the German teacher to protect the children and root out the killer.

Death of a Schoolgirl is a well thought out mystery with a despicable victim. The plot seamlessly adds social commentary to the mystery and deepens the characterization. The book also adds a touch of humor. In this respect I’m especially fond of Adele. I loved what she wrote about the victim in an assignment. I laughed out loud when I first read it and giggle still when I think about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip back to 1820’s England. Author Joanna Campbell Slan manages to keep the integrity of these classic characters while bringing them new life and new adventures.

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Joanna Campbell Slan has graciously offered to send one of my readers a copy of Death of a Schoolgirl. To enter just leave a comment on this blog post telling what classic literary character you'd like to see with his or her own cozy mystery series, Be sure to include your e-mail address so I know how to get in touch with you. You have until the end of the month to enter: midnight EST September 30th. 

You also have the opportunity to enter to win a fantastic grand prize: a Lowood Institution Lacrosse sweatshirt, a “Being yourself is the key” pencil case, a Jane Eyre mug, and a small Jane Eyre quotations journal.” Just use the rafflecoptor below!


 
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Murder and Marinara by Rosie Genova. This book is the first in the new Italian Kitchen Mystery series. Mystery author Vic Reed is looking for a change. She wants to write a book under her real name, Victoria Rienzi, and not another mystery-a novel based on her family history. She returns to the Jersey Shore and her family's restaurant only to find her former boyfriend is the new sous chef and her family is protesting a reality show that wants to film in their community. When Victoria finds the producer dead, after eating at the restaurant, she also finds herself in the midst of a real life mystery.

I am really enjoying this book. It's fun, but with enough depth to make you care. In addition to wanting to discover the murderer, I'm also curious as to what will happen with the various romantic possibilities and if Nonna will ever teach Vic how to make a good sauce!

I'm actually reading an advanced copy of the book; you can pre-order yours now, it will be released October 1st. (Amazon actually has it on sale for only $4.79 at the moment-a great deal!) Make sure you stop by October 6th when I'll be interviewing the author, Rosie Genova.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

So You Write for Children Too? Guest Post by Amanda Flower/Isabella Alan

So You Write for Children Too?
By Amanda Flower

When I tell people that I have a children’s mystery releasing this month, many are excited, but some are also surprised. “You write for children too?” is a common question. What many don’t know is I have been trying to be published in children’s fiction for years. I wrote the very first draft of Andi Unexpected in 2005. That’s right, eight years ago. I had this novel completed five years before my debut novel, Maid of Murder, was published. I tried over and over again to have Andi published, but it was rejected so many times, I stopped counting. Eventually, I set it aside and concentrated on my other fiction love, cozy mysteries. Maid of Murder was bought, finaled for an Agatha, and the rest is history. All-the-while there was this children’s book I loved so dearly waiting on my hard drive, and I kept working on it even as my writing career began to take off and knowing that I was being branded as a cozy author. Part of me couldn’t let Andi go.

Adult fiction is a tough market to break into. Children’s fiction is twice as hard. There are a few reasons for that, but the biggest is the story has to engage the child from the get-go. Because children have less patience than most adults, if a children’s book doesn’t grab the child, he or she won’t give it fifty pages or a chapter or two. The child will move onto something new and more interesting. And why shouldn’t they? That’s what’s so refreshing about children; they don’t pretend to like something. They don’t like it, they tell you. My niece certainly lets me know when she’s not into something.

However, it is no easy task to write for such a discerning group, and I think that’s the biggest reason Andi didn’t sell right away is I needed to be a better writer. The only way I could get better was through the experience of writing other novels, being critiqued, going through the editorial process with those books, and the passage of time.

The other pieces that had to fall into place for Andi were my agent and editor. They are the ones who fell in love with Andi too and could see her on bookshelves. I will always be grateful to them for making this happen. To have written a novel that was eight years in the making, now to be read by children across the country is a dream come true.

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It’s SUPER SEPTEMBER! Amanda Flower (also writing as Isabella Alan) has three novels releasing in September 2013. To celebrate, she is giving away an authentic Amish Quilt hand-stitched by Amish in Holmes County, Ohio.

Enter to Win an Authentic Amish Quilt from author Amanda Flower! Click here to Enter!

Follow Amanda on Social Media at: Facebook Twitter Goodreads Pinterest
Follow Amanda’s alter ego Isabella on Facebook

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In addition, I wrote a guest post on Amanda's blog and am having a giveaway of Pink Zebra products. Check out how I combine scent and mysteries!
Contest ends Tuesday, September 24 at 4pm EDT. Winner will be announced in the comments to this post on Wednesday, September 25.

Friday, September 20, 2013

A Working Stiffs Interview, Review, and Giveaway!

Wendy Delaney, author of the Working Stiffs Mystery series, joins me today. Trudy, Madly, Deeply, the first book in the series, introduces us to Deputy Coroner Charmaine Digby. But don't let that job title scare you, Charmaine and this book are a lot of fun! You have two chances to win a copy of Trudy, Madly, Deeply. Leave a comment on this blog post with your e-mail address by midnight tonight (Eastern Standard Time) and I'll randomly pick one comment to win an e-copy of the book. Also use the rafflecoptor to enter to win a print copy of the book.
Kathy: Charmaine Digby is a human lie detector. Are you adept at reading people? Could you be a human lie detector as well?
WD: Charmaine has a unique skill that emerged at an early age. She’s a fictional version of one of those very rare people who are extraordinarily attuned to detecting non-verbal cues. Because of my research in what I found to be very interesting subject matter, I think that I’m better at reading people than I used to be. But no one will ever hire me for my lie detecting skills, which is just as well—I’d much rather create fun stories about a human lie detector than actually be one.

Kathy: One of Charmaine's past careers was that of a pastry chef. Have you ever considered being a pastry chef? Or are you an avid home baker? Or do you just enjoy eating pastries?
WD: I would consider a career as a pastry chef seriously dangerous to my hips! I do love to bake though. I have ever since my grandmother, a pie baker extraordinaire, took me under her wing to show me the ropes, and oh, did we ever bake some of the best pies! The yummiest cookies, too! Yep, it’s no accident that I feature pies and cookies at Duke’s Cafe.

Kathy: I love Duke's diner. Do you have a similar place to go to when you need comfort food and coffee?
WD: I have a favorite coffee stand, but unfortunately, there isn’t a Duke’s kind of diner in the Seattle suburb, where I live.  Duke’s is the kind of small town diner I seek out when I travel, especially when my husband and I are in the mood for breakfast. I can always count on him ordering pancakes, and he can always count on me stealing a bite!

Kathy: Would you rather go to Tango Tuesday at the Senior Center or Friday night bingo?
WD: I think Tango Tuesday at the Senior Center would be a hoot. It certainly was when I wrote that scene. I’d be one more female in need of a Tuesday night dance partner though. Maybe we could talk Char’s cop buddy, Steve Sixkiller, into dancing with me. I doubt that he’d be crazy about the idea, but I sure like it! 

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
WD: As a lifelong lover of mystery and romance fiction, some of my favorite stories have been set in small towns or neighborhoods that are populated with quirky characters. When I first starting writing, all my stories were populated with multi-generational families, busy bodies, and picturesque small town settings. Plus, my themes were light-hearted.  Once I “killed” my first character, I knew the cozy mystery subgenre was the right fit for me. My small-town characters could feel at home there, and since all the blood and gore is “off-scene,” I as a writer, can breathe a little easier, too!

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
WD: I have two romance novels, one of which will never see the light of day. My romantic roots are strong and show up in Char/Steve relationship in the Working Stiffs Mystery series. I have a couple of romantic suspense book ideas that I’d like to pursue, but Char’s stories come first right now.  Maybe next year I’ll have information up on my website about a romantic suspense or new series, so stay tuned.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.
WD: Book One of The Working Stiffs Mystery series, Trudy, Madly, Deeply, introduces deputy coroner Charmaine Digby, a young woman with eyes for lies and a nose for trouble as she investigates her first murder case.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
WD: I love all my characters, but I have to admit that I have a special place in heart for Duke. He’s a man’s man with a salty exterior, but at his core, he’s my dad—no longer with me except in my heart and mind, and now in my books.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
WD: Book one was inspired by a Sixty Minutes feature about a doctor in the UK who had been very quietly killing his elderly patients. Shortly after that story aired, I met someone who was a “Truth Wizard” (a human lie detector). My brain didn’t take long to connect some dots and start cranking on a story idea. I set that idea aside to percolate while I worked on another project. Then, in the couple years that followed I had the good fortune to meet and interview a Prosecutor/Coroner in a neighboring county here in Washington State. Once she told me that she’d hire my character, Charmaine, I knew I had the makings of a mystery series. I then dropped everything else I had been working on and started writing.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
WD: I’d been working toward the goal of publication for fifteen years. After submitting to Corvallis Press and receiving an offer of publication, it was an easy decision.  With all the great reader feedback I’ve received on Trudy, it’s also a decision I’m happy to have made.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
WD: Janet Evanovich, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Diane Mott Davidson, and Richard Castle. Okay, Richard Castle is only a famous author on TV, but I love the guy and he’d be great fun to have at that dinner party.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?
WD: I have a huge TBR stack. I’ve been reading Pamela Beason’s The Only Witness. Next up is Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Lee Townsend.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
WD: Writing and baking are at the top of the list along with football. Go Seahawks! Plus, I love to travel—something my husband and I hope to do a lot more of in the coming years.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
WD: Milk, butter, mayonnaise and pickles. And I’m on a diet right now and can none of those but the pickles. Sigh….

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
WD: Yes, books two and three in the Working Stiffs Mystery series should come out in 2014 with two or three a year to follow. There are no plans for a new series as yet. Check back with me next year.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
WD: I love hearing from readers, especially when they tell me that I kept them up all night, reading. That means that I did my job!   :)

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Review

Trudy, Madly, Deeply By Wendy Delany
The 1st Working Stiffs Mystery

Charmaine Digby needs a new job. She’s returned to Port Merritt, Washington and is living with her grandmother and helping out at her great aunt and uncle’s diner, Duke’s Café. With the help of her special ability (having a knack for reading people, she’s a human lie detector) Charmaine gets hired as a deputy coroner. When a tip comes in that the deaths of older patients in the hospital may not be natural Char starts investigating on her own, especially since some of her relatives believe that something fishy is going on. In addition to her investigation Char has to contend with her flighty mom who has also returned to town (and kicked Char out of her room), her good looking childhood friend (who is also a detective with the police department), assorted friends and relatives, and Tango Tuesday.

Trudy, Madly Deeply is a fun read filled with lots of laughs and characters you’d like to know better. Charmaine has the perfect blend of strength, determination, and self deprecation. Faced with quirky relatives, two gorgeous guys (who give conflicting signals), and a possible serial killer on the loose, Charmaine handles it all, with humorous results. There are laugh out loud moments, but enough solid characterization that the characters are still real and the story still compelling.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Relative Danger by June Shaw. Cealie Gunther has come to town to see her granddaughter, Kat, graduate high school only to find her former lover has opened another of his Cajun restaurants in town and since her granddaughter's mentor is under suspicion for murdering a custodian Kat has stopped going to school and may not graduate. Determined to see her granddaughter get her diploma Cealie decides to become a substitute teacher.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Scrap This-Interview with Christina Freeburn

I'd like to welcome Christina Freeburn to the blog today. Christina writes the Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery series. Designed to Death, the second book in the series, was just released September 10th. For those who must read their mystery series in order (like me) Cropped to Death was the first book in this series.

Kathy: I've enjoyed a few visits to West Virginia, the Morgantown, Weston area, and truly enjoyed my time there. What makes West Virginia the perfect setting for your series?

CF: West Virginia just has this “way” about it where it’s a part of who people are here. It feels like its own person, not just a place. It’s a unique blend of small-town life with “big city” dreams and ideals. I can have the small-town feel I wanted for this series but also bring in elements of bigger city life.

Kathy: People have been saving pictures and recording family histories for centuries. How did you discover scrapbooking?

CF: I attended a class taught by a Creative Memories consultant. I loved how it combined storytelling and photographs.

Kathy: I engage in several forms of paper arts, primarily cardmaking. Although I'm not a scrapbooker I know we use many of the same techniques. What's your favorite scrapbooking technique?

CF: Right now, I like inking edges to give dimension to embellishments.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

CF: Since I was in elementary school, I read mysteries. I liked books where justice prevailed and found I loved the mix of seriousness and humor that’s in cozy mysteries.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

CF: I also write inspirational romantic suspense.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

CF: Instead of finding adventure when she joined the military, Faith Hunter found a con man and returned home carrying a secret which could destroy her family. Knowing how it feels to be wrongly accused of a crime, and how much one person can make a difference, Faith feels obligated to help others in the same position.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

CF: I can’t pick a favorite character. It’s too hard and I’m afraid the others might stop “talking” to me if I say I like someone more.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

CF: For this series, it’s the hobby of scrapbooking and West Virignia.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

CF: Since I was in high school, I wanted to be a published author. Writing is a part of me, and to me part of writing is getting published so others might read my book(s).

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

CF: Edgar Allan Poe, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and Arthur Conan Doyle

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

CF: Right now, I’m actually between books. I just finished one and am having a hard time finding one that “fits”. When I’m working on a cozy I try to read something different. Though, I am kind of reading the Passporter Disney Cruise book. I’m working on a scrapbook album for a trip and looking up the names of some of the dishes we tried (as I have pictures of the food).

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

CF: Scrapbooking, photography, quilting, and I recently discovered I enjoy making diecuts with the Cricut and it’s slowly becoming an actual hobby. I have a collection of “cuts” in a drawer waiting to be added to a page or card.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

CF: Milk. Cheese. Yogurt. Jelly.

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

CF: I’m writing the third book, Embellished to Death, in the Faith Hunter Scrap This mystery series, and have a few chapters and brief notes for another series I’d like to write.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

CF: Meeting readers.

Interested in learning more about Christina Freeburn? Check out the following links!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.freeburn
Twitter: 
https://twitter.com/christinafreeb1
Goodreads: 
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5315723.Christina_Freeburn
Website: 
http://www.christinafreeburn.com/
Blog: 
http://theselfrescueprincess.wordpress.com/