Kathy: Corrie Locke is a newly minted lawyer who is taking a break from doing any PI work. Would you rather be a lawyer or a private investigator?
LS: Her breaks from PI work never last long, by the way. :) If I had a late, great PI dad who taught me the ropes (like Corrie), and if my gene for caution was a recessive one, (again, like Corrie), I’d go for the PI work, for sure. She's helping to catch bad guys/gals doing bad things to good people. Who can resist that type of public service? Since I don’t know the ropes and my genes land on the more sedate side, being a non-profit lawyer (these days) works fine for me.
Kathy: Corrie has her dad's cache of illegal weaponry. Do you have an interest in weapons? What's your favorite?
LS: I don't have any interest in weapons and don't own any (does a glass nail file count?), but I am fascinated by the Japanese throwing star or shuriken, which is Corrie's illegal weapon of choice. It's a weapon of distraction, not destruction.
Kathy: In MURDER GONE MISSING Corrie works to clear her friend Michael who is suspected of killing his bully of a boss. Have you ever stuck your neck out for a friend?
LS: Not to the extent of helping them to avoid arrest until the real culprit is captured, but when my friends or family need help, I'm there. Mostly within legal boundaries, of course.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
LS: Like many mystery writers, I started out by reading Nancy Drew books (the tweed covered editions from the thirties and forties). I loved them! And loved that Nancy was a young woman of action with many accomplishments. She was persistent and got the job done. She was also smart, talented, and brave. And was courteous and dressed very nicely. The perfect heroine. Even Nancy's lawyer dad went to her for help. She was no damsel in distress and I found that highly appealing.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
LS: I started out by writing historical fiction. But I never got past a few chapters. That's because I realized a light-hearted mystery was what I really wanted to write.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
LS: Corrie Locke is a newly minted lawyer in my Southern California Mystery series who spent most of her adolescence trailing her late, great PI father. She eventually helped him crack a few high-profile cases. After he was out of the picture, everyone assumed she'd inherited his sleuthing genes. But did she?
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
LS: That's like asking if I have a favorite child. :) But really, they are all my favorites. If they stop being a fave, I just won't bring them back for the next book.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
LS: I don't think I have any one inspiration. I started out writing to carve an escape hatch from my day job (I run a legal non-profit that provides assistance to those who don't know where to turn). My days can be grueling, so I make sure my writing is fun. You can say that listening and trying to figure out distressing situations inspire me to write a positive and light-weight read.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
LS: It was a long, I mean LONG time dream. My objective was to reach The End with my first draft. The next objective was to polish it 'til it shined, which meant I didn't want to feel any embarrassment when someone else read it. When I got to that stage, publication was the next objective.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
LS: That's tough because there are a lot more than four I'd like to invite. For starters: Margaret Mitchell (GONE WITH THE WIND) so I could find out if she truly planned a sequel and does Scarlett win back Rhett? Next, Harriet Beecher Stowe (UNCLE TOM'S CABIN) for making such a powerful case against slavery during a time when most did not express their opinions, let alone write such weighty content. And finally, I'd include two modern day authors: Janet Evanovich and Alexander McCall Smith, because I'm a fan of each.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
LS: Unfortunately, I don't have the time I'd like to read, but next on my list is to read CATNAPPED by Elaine Veits.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
LS: Certainly - I volunteer with rescue dog organizations (and love hanging around with my own two wonderful canine friends), and I enjoy feel-good films from the thirties and forties.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
LS: Colorful eggs (from our own little flock of hens), homemade yogurt, jam (raspberry or apricot) to have with my yogurt, and chocolate chips because I love to bake cookies.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
LS: Yes, I'm currently working on Number Three in the Southern California Mystery series, which continues the misadventures of Corrie Locke and her pals.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
LS: All the wonderful people I've had the pleasure to meet - readers, other writers, librarians, booksellers, conference and blog tour hosts -- just to name a few. Such a supportive group out there. They are fantastic!
*************************************************************************
Murder Gone Missing: A Southern California Mystery by Lida Sideris
About the Book
Cozy Mystery/Soft Boiled Mystery
2nd in Series
Level Best Books (April 10, 2018)
Paperback: 262 pages
Newly minted lawyer Corrie Locke has taken a vow of abstinence. From PI work, that is. Until her best friend Michael finds his bully of a boss stabbed in the back after confronting him earlier that day. Michael panics, accidentally tampering with the crime scene...which could lead the cops to Michael instead of the real culprit. He turns to Corrie to track down the killer. She doesn't need much coaxing. Her late great PI dad taught her the ropes...and left her his cache of illegal weaponry.
They return to the scene of the crime, but the body's missing. Racing against time, Corrie dredges a prestigious Los Angeles college in pursuit of clues. All she finds are false leads. Armed with attitude and romantic feelings toward Michael, Corrie dives into a school of suspects to find the slippery fugitive. Will she clear Michael's name before he's arrested for murder?
About the Author
Lida Sideris is an author, lawyer and all around book enthusiast. She was one of two national recipients of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America scholarship for her first novel, MURDER AND OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS
. MURDER GONE MISSING
is the second book in the Corrie Locke series. Like her heroine, Lida worked as an entertainment attorney in a movie studio. Unlike her heroine, she keeps her distance from homicides. To learn more about Lida, please visit her website: www.LidaSideris.com
. MURDER GONE MISSING is the second book in the Corrie Locke series. Like her heroine, Lida worked as an entertainment attorney in a movie studio. Unlike her heroine, she keeps her distance from homicides. To learn more about Lida, please visit her website: www.LidaSideris.comWEBSITE: http://www.lidasideris.com/
BLOG: http://www.lidasideris.com/blog/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lidasideris
TWITTER: @lidasideris
GoodReads:http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26139837-murder-and-other-unnatural-disasters?from_search=true&search_version=service
Purchase Links AMAZON B&N
Thank you for being part of the book tour for "MURDER GONE MISSING" by Lida Sideris.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy learning little tidbits about the authors and to see how they got to where they are in their writings. It's the little things like learning that she loves to bake cookies too that make them more personable to me.
Love this intriguing cover and would great appreciate the chance to read the book.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Thank you so much Kay for the visit! I'm so glad you liked the interview and, once again, really appreciate the comment. :)
ReplyDeleteKathy, thank you for hosting me today, and many thanks also for the excellent interview questions. I had fun answering them!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. I'm glad that you had fun with my questions!
Delete