Kathy: Setting is very important to a story. Your new series is set in Savannah, Georgia. How did you choose this location?
Kathy: Allison dreams of running an old fashioned candy store. I could get in trouble in her shop; rock candy, candy buttons, marshmallow ice cream cones, root beer barrels, Charleston Chews, satellite wafers...Do you have a favorite old fashioned candy?
MK: I love licorice! When I was researching the book (what fun!) I discovered all kinds of delicious licorice, everything from peach to pineapple.
Kathy: I've always found the study of dreams and dream interpretation interesting. I wish I could film my dreams, sometimes they're even better than TV. Do you often remember your dreams?
MK: I do, and I always advise people to keep a notepad by their bed. If you wake up in the night, just write down a word or two about any dream you remember. Even a fragment helps, and maybe you can reconstruct the dream the next day.
Kathy: You've written a non-fiction companion to the series, Dream Interpretation. Can you tell us about this guide?
MK: It's only 99 cents on Kindle and all profits go to a wonderful animal rescue group, the Wayne County Humane Society in Lyons, NY. it's one of the few shelters in the country that rescues farm animals as well as domestic pets.
Kathy: How has your work as a clinical psychologist helped in your writing?
MK: It's made me more conscious of body language and speech patterns. It helps when I'm writing "tags" for a character.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
MK: It was a pretty natural progression. I'd written dozens of middle grade novels and young adult novels. They all were written in the first person. And I love to write humor, and I adore mysteries, so it seemed like a logical step.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
MK: I'm re-releasing three of my Penguin YA's this summer with new covers and new titles and adding a sequel to one.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
MK: The Dream Club is about a group of Savannah women who meet once a week to analyze their dreams, eat some delicious pastries and solve a murder or two! The Talk Radio Mysteries is about a psychologist who closes up her Manhattan practice to move to sunny Florida and become a radio talk show host like "Frasier." And she solves a murder in every book (like Jessica Fletcher). My agent sold the series to Penguin-Random House with five words: "Frasier meets Murder She Wrote." The two YA series are Hollywood Diaries and South Beach Tales. Hollywood Diaries is about a girl from a small New England town who finds herself starring in a Hollywood movie and later becomes a teen correspondent for an entertainment magazine. South Beach Tales are about a Miami beauty who learns that life in fast lane isn't all it's cracked up to be. They'll be on the website in the Fall.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
MK: I love Lola in the Talk Radio Mysteries, she's mid-fifties and a B-list actress still waiting for "her big break." I did modeling, acting and television news writing before turning to novels, so I know exactly how she feels.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
MK: I had a dream about a place where people could talk about their dreams--seriously! I thought, "It would be like a book club and the same people would meet every week, but instead of talking about books, they'd analyze their dreams. And then I thought, "Whoa--it would be even better if they solve a murder or two!"
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
MK: Someone offered me quite a bit of money to write a YA. That's exactly what happened. I'd worked as a copywriter for a rock radio station, and then written TV news for a CBS affiliate and I thought, "Why not?" It was a bit of a challenge because I'd just accepted a job as PR Director for a travel company the very same day and I only had 8 weeks to write the book. But it was for a Big Six publisher and they offered me money, so I said yes and signed on the dotted line!
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
MK: Oscar Wilde, Woody Allen, James Patterson and Janet Evanovich.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
MK: Currently reading Cliff's Edge by Carolyn Hart. It's set in first century Rome and is fascinating. Also reading Book Clubbed by Lorna Barrett and Never Tell by Alafair Burke.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
MK: My main (and very pricey) hobby is cat rescue. I love all animals, especially cats, and have 8 rescued (and highly neurotic) indoor cats. I've done my best to psychoanalyze them, but have failed miserably. They'll just have to be "charming neurotics." It's surprising how many writers are animal lovers. I support about ten animal charities and I donate all my speaking fees to a cat welfare group.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
MK: Dolphin-safe, water-packed tuna fish (for the cats). Gourmet salmon in tomato sauce (for the cats.) Fancy Feast (obviously for the cats) and CD vet food (again, for the cats.) I bet you're beginning to see a pattern here.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
MK: I hope to continue both the Dream Club Mysteries and the Talk Radio Mysteries,along with the two young adult series I've revived.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
MK: Meeting readers from all over the country, either by e-mail or social media the occasional book signing. I recently wrote a funny blog on The Cozy Chicks about some rather disastrous book signings. The Cozy Chicks are a group of seven "cozy" mystery writers and we take turns blogging each week. You can read it here. http://www.cozychicksblog.com/search/label/Mary%20Kennedy And I did a sequel the following Saturday, More Book signings from Hell.
****** UPDATED ********You now have more time to enter! *****************
Mary has generously offered a signed ARC of Nightmares Can Be Murder to one lucky reader. In order to qualify all you have to do is leave a comment here by Thursday night, July 31, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST telling us about your dreams. Are they vivid? In color? Do you remember them? Would you like to learn more about them? I'll use random.org to pick the lucky comment. Be sure to leave your e-mail address as well, so that I'm able to contact you should you win!
For more information about Mary and her books, check out the following links:
http://www.marykennedy.net -visit Mary's website.
Nightmares Can Be Murder, the first in The Dream Club Mysteries, available as pre-order right now! http://www.amazon.com/
Be Mary's Facebook friend https://www.facebook.com/mary.
Follow Mary on Twitter https://twitter.com/
Link with Mary on Linked In http://www.linkedin.com/
Mary blogs every Saturday with the Cozy Chicks. http://www.cozychicksblog.com
As I recall, my dreams are always in color, I (often) remember them and (thankfully) I don't, often, have nightmares. "Nightmares Can Be Murder" sounds much more exciting than my dreams, though!
ReplyDeletepatucker54 at aol dot com
I do dream and many are in black and white and sometimes foggy as well. I have nightmares occasionally which are disturbing and upset my sleep. This book sounds fascinating. thanks. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI typically do remember my dreams. I have very vivid dreams that always amaze me how I come up with these things in my sleep. Would love a chance to read this book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway.
Kimberlee
girllostinabook@hotmail.com
www.girllostinabook.com
my dreams are in color, i do not remember many of them, and there is always a re-occuring kind where i am lost and can't find my way home, can't find something i lost, can't find my husband, etc.
ReplyDeletejslbrown2009(at)aol(dot)com
Hi Kathleen, thank you so much for featuring me on your blog!! I am honored to be here. Love this site and a big thank you for everything you do for authors.
ReplyDeleteThank you-know that you're always welcome at Cozy Up With Kathy.
DeleteI hope everyone is having good dreams, not nightmares! Lisa, the "being lost" dream is very common. Usually happens when there is stress in your life (as one of my friends says, "when isn't there stress in my life?"). She has five kids and a full-time job so I see what she means.
ReplyDeleteI always dream in color, and have very vivid dreams. Very real. Thank you for the chance to win. I am very excited about this book!
ReplyDeleteDnrocker@yahoo.com
Hi Dawn, I'm glad you're interested dreams. Dream clubs are big here in the northeast, but I wasn't sure if their popularity had spread.
DeleteI used to have dreams of a mutant spider coming after me. Not sure where that comes from.
ReplyDeleterjprazak6@gmail.com
Becky Prazak
Becky, it sounds like a great plot for a movie!
DeleteGreat blog, Kathy. I love Mary's Talk Radio series and, I highly recommend it. I am anxiously waiting for the Dream Club series (already pre-ordered). I've also read the Dream Interpretation guide and it was a fun read (plus when people order it, animals benefit). Mary is an awesome writer and a great person. We have cat rescue and animal welfare interests in common, and I enjoy following her on Facebook. I have not been able to remember my dreams for quite a while, but years ago I had two recurring types. One was being in a car that drives over a cliff. There is the sensation of consciously falling but no fear involved - never hit bottom. The other was more disturbing. I was in my home (sometimes different ones) and someone is trying to break in. I try to scream and could never make a sound. It was very disturbing - and fortunately I haven't had either of those dreams for quite awhile. Anyway - I highly recommend that people follow Mary on Facebook and check out her books.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Those are frightening dreams-I hate those sensations.
DeleteLynda, I have had those same dreams, they are awful. Classic anxiety dreams. The out of control car is a particularly vivid one. And the 'not being able to scream" sounds like a form of sleep paralysis. One of the characters in the Dream Club has the same problem. So glad you stopped by and thank you for the kind words about the books!
DeleteUnfortunately for me, most of the dreams that I remember are nightmares. Apparently my subconscious is filled with awful horror movie plots! LOL!
ReplyDeleteBe sure to write them down ,it sounds like you have a goldmine of "material."
DeleteMy dreams are always in color and they are very vivid. Sometimes I see people I don't know but I would recognize them if I saw them in person. I have had a few dreams about people that ended up happening. I saw a dream that my daughter in laws sister got engaged. About a week later she told me her sister got engaged. My mother had dreams like that. When I was young my mother told me not to get into any green cars. A week later my brother was in an accident and one of the people died. The car was green. She also had a dream her sister had died. She received a phone call a few days later and it had happened.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Dreaming vivid dreams seem to run in families, that's interesting that your mother had the same kind of dreams. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI am weird, I rarely remember my dreams, I know they say we dream every night but I might have one that sticks with me every 6 months or so, I think they're in color when I do remember them.
ReplyDeletemomzillasteel at gmail dot com
HI Debbie, something you have to see or hear something the next day and the whole dream comes back to you. That happens with me all the time...
DeleteGood!!! I knew about taking a pad to bed and recording your dream as soon as you wake up, but now I am not well and can hardly remember dreaming - or sleeping, for that matter! You probably know about "lucid dreaming", not easy to accomplish. Have you tried it?
ReplyDeleteHi Martisima, yes, lucid dreaming takes a certain amount of skill. I talk about it in a little 17 page dream guide I wrote--it's 99 cents on Kindle and all (100%!) of the money goes to the Wayne County Animal Shelter. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI remember most of my dreams. I even "pick up where I left off" the night before. :)
ReplyDeleteTonya, that's really interesting, some people can train themselves to do this. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI don't know if my dreams are in color or b&w.....can never tell........
ReplyDeletehowever, sometimes, I can 'feel' a certain person in the dream, even if I don't see them.....
other times, I can dream a sequel, but I will only remember the 1st part of the dream, AFTER I dreamed the sequel.....but once I remember the dream (any dreams), I don't dream them again............
sometimes, when I try to remember a dream, the harder I try to remember, the faster they fade into nothingness......
cyn209 at juno dot com
That's true, the harder we try to recall them, the more they slip away! Thanks for stopping by/
DeleteHi Mary - Is your dream interpretation guide an Amazon exclusive or will it be available for Nook at some point?
ReplyDeleteHi Becke, I had some trouble loading it on B and N (it was supposed to be up there). It is on amazon, smashwords and Kobo...I need to try again with B and N.
ReplyDeleteI have trouble remembering dreams lately, though I used to be able to remember them vividly. I guess being in my 30s has taken them away from my memory lol.
ReplyDeletebrookeb811 at gmail dot com
HI Brooke, I bet you miss the vivid dreams! I always like to analyze them and see what happened during the day that triggered those images...etc. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI've really been looking forward to this book! I do remember some of my dreams. They are always in color. One was so vivid that I wrote a poem based on it.
ReplyDeleteLisa, I hope you post your poem!! I would love to read it.
DeleteMe too!
DeleteI dream everynight. I remember a lot of dreams. They are different kind of dreams and I´d like to learn more about them. I see a lot of dreams of animals :D
ReplyDeletemmyheartishere@gmail.com
I dream about animals, too! They are usually "rescue" dreams. I'm somewhere in a strange city, late at night, and for some reason I've brought some of my 8 cats with me. (yes, it sounds crazy, I know). I wonder how in the world I am going to get them back home safely.
DeleteI try to capture my dreams. Some are in such vivid color I can not help but notice. Sometimes I dream in German, a language we have not used at home for decades.
ReplyDeleteDogsMom, that is a great idea, I always recommend it to my clients. That is really interesting that you dream in German. I'm giving a presentation to a group of psychologists at the International Assoc for the Study of Dreams, and I will include that in my talk, thanks!
DeleteI think my dreams are in color---but I usually forget them so quickly after I was up that I couldn't be absolutely sure of that.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Sue, I know what you mean, unless they come to you as soon as you wake up....they seem to disappear. Thanks so much for stopping by
DeleteIt has been so long since I've been able to remember my dreams, but reading comments and the replies I have them when I am stressed out or anxious. I've been taking CeleXa for almost a year so maybe that is why. I do remember the "feeling like falling over a cliff" so now it makes sense. Thank you & I will look forward to reading your books!
ReplyDeleteHI MamaC, a lot of meds suppress dreaming, I wonder if that is the reason? you have stopped dreaming. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteMy dreams are in color. Sometimes they're very detailed, and I remember them well. Sometimes, I don't feel like I dreamed at all during the night. I rarely have nightmares, either. Thank God! I'm looking forward to this new series, Mary. chatcozy1 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Linda, that is cool that you dream in color!
DeleteIn my dreams, people I don't know in real life are my best friends. Sometimes my nightmares consist of things that have happened but get escalated to a whole new level. areewekidding@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what our subconscious comes up with...dreams are like "play time" for the brain--they can come with all sorts of interesting scenarios. Thanks for stopping by
DeleteMostly my dreams are about mundane things, so much so that they would be boring in the telling. For example, a few nights ago I dreamt that I made three varieties of rice pudding for a local restaurant; plain with cinnamon, raisin and a tropical fruit topped dish. That one had banana slices, cherries and a pineapple wedge. My big dilemma was whether or not to offer whipped cream. I also have classic anxiety nightmares once in a blue moon. They're all in color.
ReplyDeleteYou have very detailed dreams!! I wonder what the three versions of rice pudding represented--maybe a choice in life. That's very interesting. The Dream Club would love to analyze that!
DeleteWhen I was in college, I worked part time in a retail store and I occasionally worked with an older Jewish gentleman. This gentleman had been home ill for several days and one night, I had this strange dream about him. In the dream, his two older sisters were gathered around his bedside telling him it was not his time. I remember how real the sisters seemed to me, and at the time, could even remember the clothes that they wore, longer old fashioned dresses and kerchiefs on their heads. He returned to work several days later and I casually mentioned the unusual dream to my manager. She told me that he had two sisters but he never talks about them because they died in camps during the war. This really creeped me out! kuzlin(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteKuzlin, that is wild--the power of dreams!! Things like this happen in Nightmares Can Be Murder. Maybe not that extreme, but along those same lines. I think you would enjoy this book.
DeleteLooking forward to it.
DeleteI am adding your book to my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, I really appreciate it!
DeleteI usually remember what I was dreaming when I wake up. sometimes I'd rather not remember. thanks for the chance to win what sounds like an interesting book.
ReplyDeletetxmlhl@yahoo.com
I know what you mean--I think we all have dreams we would rather forget!! Especially if they are disturbing dreams and we have them over and over...
DeleteI don't remember my dreams at all, not sure what that says about me.
ReplyDeleteSome people report that they don't dream, but if they cycle into REM sleep every 4 hours (as most people do) then they really *are* dreaming, they just don't remember them. I have a few clients who report they don't dream at all...
DeleteMy husband does not remember his dreams at all. I on the other hand have very vivid dreams, they seem so very real. Sometimes I think that is why I am tired when I wake up...because I did so much while I was dreaming! LOL!
ReplyDeletemisstree1963@gmail.com
Did you know that our bodies feel the same stress from a nightmare that they would from a real-life experience. So if someone is chasing you down a dark alleyway in your dreams, your blood pressure soars, you're pulse goes up, etc. Try to dream sweet dreams!
DeleteMy dreams seem to vary between color and black and white - although the ones that seem to be b/w also seem to be in the wee hours. I remember bits and pieces but rarely the whole, but I find myself brought up short when something happens that I remember from a dream and I know what will happen next.
ReplyDeletelizc@mac.com
Some of my clients report having really stressful dreams in the early morning hours...say around 5:30. They try to go back to sleep and then end up with nightmares...not sure why this is so..
DeleteI usually can't remember my dream once I'm fully awake. My mom used to get up at night and write down her dreams in a diary log. I it's interesting to read them now that she has died . Her grandchildren feel that they know her better by reading her words. Should make for an interesting book series!! Ronnalord(at)msn(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThat would be interesting to read!
DeleteRonna, that is fantastic that your mother kept a dream diary. What a wonderful keepsake!
DeleteI call my early morning dreams my action adventure dreams. Some mornings, I feel like I've done all the running/jumping/etc. that was in my dreams.
ReplyDeleteI loved theTalk Radio series and am looking forward the first Dream Club book!
HI Janet, so glad you like the Talk Radio series...it is coming back to life!! In book 4, Maggie attends a psychology conference in Palm Beach and Vera Mae and Lola tag along. The pompous keynote speaker is murdered...and well, you can imagine what happens next. Maggie and her team spring into action to solve the crime! Love the term "action-adventure" dreams. I am picturing you and Tom Cruise hanging out of a helicopter!
DeleteI hardly recall my dreams, at night when I am starting to doze off, little flickers of the previous nights dreams appear, than disappear again. Sad really, I would like to remember my dreams.
ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting that you can recall bits of the previous night's dream!! I would love to be able to do that (especially if it was the dream where I'm relaxing on a desert island and Brad Pitt is serving me a mojito!)
DeleteI have mainly nightmares unfortunately , luckily I forget them soon after waking. kphans08@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteHI kiki, sorry to hear you have nightmares! They're stressful...but I'm glad you forget them soon after waking. Some people report that the "bad feelings" stay with them for hours...
ReplyDeleteI have some narcolepsy with night terrors. Those are bad, can't tell whether they're real or not sometimes. Medication helps and then no dreams though.
DeleteI don't have dreams at all, or at least not that I remember. When I was a child I would have a recurring dream of being chased by a very large spider. pp92596 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeletePink 2...that is indeed a scary dream--like something out of a horror movie..glad you no longer have dreams like that! Here's wishing you "sweet dreams."
DeleteHi Kathy, I just messaged you on FB...mary
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Debbie S. You are the winner. Be on the look out for an a-mail from me!
ReplyDeleteHI Debbie, sending your book out today1!
Delete