Murder is a Dirty Business - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Tricia L. Sanders to the blog today. MURDER IS A DIRTY BUSINESS is the first book in her Grime Pays Mystery series.

Kathy: In MURDER IS A DIRTY BUSINESS Cece Cavanaugh gets a job as a cleaner, specifically cleaning up a crime scene. If you were to get a job as a cleaner, would you rather clean up crime scenes, or more mundane places?

TLS: Yikes! Good question. I hate to clean. I also don’t have the stomach for gore, and blood makes me nauseous. Mundane all the way. I get distracted easily, so cleaning usually turns into organizing a closet or a drawer.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

TLS: When I was in fourth or fifth grade I read the Donna Parker Series by Marcia Martin aka Marcia Levin. Several of her stories were mysteries, and I was hooked. I’m not a blood, guts, and gore girl, so the cozy mystery is perfect for me to get my sense of mystery without all the icky served up. I don’t have to see the murder or the victim to want to solve the mystery.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

TLS: I have a women’s fiction travel adventure in process, and I have an outline for a historical. I have also written and published several non-fiction creative essays.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

TLS: When Cece Cavanaugh’s husband empties their joint bank account, steals her designer luggage, and runs off with a younger woman, Cece must decide whether to ask her manipulative mother-in-law for a handout or get a job. Her unlikely choice is cleaning crime scenes, which leads to ferreting out killers and dodging the advances of a handsome detective.


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

TLS: That’s tough. I love Cece, but I’ve grown fond of Nancy Lustbader, a non-traditional secretary, who dishes out the snark. Nancy walked into the book and will not leave. Between her gum-popping and inappropriate clothing choices, you never know what to expect with Nancy. Would I want her as a best friend? Not initially, but she has a way of growing on you.


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

TLS: Yes, I attend a conference several years ago and one of the female speakers cleaned crime scenes. In fact, she owned the business. I knew right then I wanted to do a series based on a female crime scene cleaner, only I wanted her to become an amateur sleuth who could not clean the crime scene without getting involved in the investigation.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

TLS: It seemed a logical conclusion after spending so much time writing the story. My critique provided greatly needed support and pushed me when the time was right.


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

TLS: Well, it will be an interesting party. I’d have Marcia Martin aka Marcia Levin for sure, since she introduced me to the love of mystery. Next would be Harlan Coben. He is a master of suspense, and I would love to learn his writing process. My third guest would be Shel Silverstein. Who could not invite someone who can write such lyrical prose? And last, but never least, the queen of the who-done-it, Agatha Christie. And I’m hoping there would be a mystery to solve, because I would be taking notes! Maybe Shel and I would be taking notes. Not sure how good he would be at solving a mystery. Of course, his notes would be poetic and published… Where the Crime Scene Tape Ends or A Body in the Attic.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

TLS: Alas, I am not currently reading. I am on deadline for my next novel. The last book I read was Harlan Coben’s, Don’t Let Go. I also have Lisa Wingate’s, Before We Were Yours, waiting for me on my Kindle.


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

TLS: I love to travel. As I answer these questions, I am in Doha, Qatar sitting on a balcony overlooking the Persian Gulf. Earlier this year, I flew in a hot air balloon over the Maasai Mara in Kenya.

I’m also an amateur photographer, which goes hand-in-hand with travel. I prefer landscapes, architectural subjects, and animals. Being an introvert, I’m not comfortable photographing people.


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

TLS: Chocolate for a reward when I meet a goal. Tea, because who doesn’t need a glass of iced tea. Popcorn for times when I don’t feel like cooking dinner. Apples, because they are nutritious and make me feel better about having popcorn for dinner.


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

TLS: I am working on Book 2 of the Grime Pays series. Book 3 is outlined and up next. Then I want to finish a women’s fiction travel adventure that I have in rough draft. I also have another cozy series outlined, and another cozy series in idea stage. I need more hours in my day.


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

TLS: I love hearing from readers and especially reading their reviews.



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