Tuesday, June 19, 2018

A Poison by Punctuation Interview & Giveaway


I'm pleased to welcome Kellye Kaye to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Kellye writes the Chalkboard Outlines Mystery series. Poison by Punctuation is the second book in the series.


Kathy: Emma Lovett is a high school teacher. Have you ever wanted to be a teacher? What grade would be your preference? 

KK: Haha I am actually a high school teacher by initial career choice. I taught high school English and Drama for almost 20 years, and then when we moved to California in 2011, I had the amazing opportunity to be a stay-at-home parent and now a writer! High school was ALWAYS my preference. I never taught middle school, and since I’ve now been volunteering in all grades during my sons’ elementary school careers, it’s become obvious to me that high school was the right choice!


Kathy: Your second Chalkboard Outlines mystery in entitled Poison by Punctuation. Are a stickler for proper grammar and punctuation?  

KK: Depends on the situation. If you are giving me a written document, then I will say heck yeah—everyone has the ability to proofread their work or ask someone who knows the rules to help. There’s no excuse, especially when one can duck their head into any public library and use a computer or a style book for free. If it’s just a note, then no. If it’s a text, then no. If you’re SPEAKING to me, the answer is no there as well, although I do have a few pet peeves. Ending a sentence with ‘at’ is a big one. Mispronouncing the word ‘nuclear’ is another one, although I guess that’s more elocution than grammar. Oh, yeah, speaking of elocution pet peeves—WHY DOES EVERYONE ON TELEVISION OR IN FILM OR IN PUBLIC USE THE WORD ‘PATRONIZE’ incorrectly? Seriously, I think that is something a director should look up! You paytronize an establishment. You do not paytronize a person by speaking in a condescending way to them—that’s paaaatronize with a short ‘a’ sound. It drives me bonkers! I should start a movement. Or at least make a bumper sticker.
Sheesh. I do laugh every time I see that Tshirt—“I am silently correcting your grammar.”—though. I can’t help it.


Kathy: Speaking of punctuation, what are your thoughts about the Oxford Comma? Fair warning I am staunchly in the Oxford Comma or die camp! 

KK: Bumper sticker #2: OXFORD COMMA OR DIE! I’ve always felt strongly about the oxford comma, to the point where I’ve gotten into arguments with my magazine editors because they, (along with the Chicago stylebook, I guess?) have now done away with it. I lost the argument, but I tried . . .  I love that deadly koala joke though, right? He eats shoots and leaves, or assassin koala eats, shoots, and leaves. I love it.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

KK: Cozies are more about character rapport than murder, and so am I. They always have a happy ending, and those are necessary for my emotional welfare. Plus, who doesn’t love anything made famous by Angela Lansbury, I ask you!?!


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

KK: My debut Young Adult Paranormal—Down in the Belly of the Whale—was released by Aionios Books on May 5. I have a non-fiction sort of memoir/self-help book called The A or B Principle-Unraveling the Chaos of Chronic Illness through Choice, that hasn’t been published yet. I’m looking for an agent.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.


KK: Emma Lovett flees the South because of a philandering husband, and embarks on a new career teaching high school English in the Mountain West. She meets a sophisticated colleague named Leslie Parker, and their love for the language unites them. Then, Emma finds a body, and the ladies discover another mutual love—solving murders.


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

KK: Emma and Leslie are both closest to my heart. I mean, all my teacher or writer characters are combinations of me and all the other teachers and writers I know, but these two. . . these two seem to have the most fun and experience the most intense emotions of all the characters in the series.


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

KK: I just thought high school and all of its quirky characters was the perfect backdrop for someone to kill someone. I mean, right?!? 😊


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

KK: I just love stories so much, I love reading them and I have so many stories in my head. SO MANY. I’d just like to share mine with some other people too.

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

KK: I need more than 4—okay? Please? William Shakespeare. Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, John Steinbeck, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Harlan Coben, Liane Moriarity, Louise Penny, Lee Child, Jonathan Kellerman


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

KK: Fredrik Backman My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. He’s the writer of A Man Called Ove—one of my favorites! This one is good so far, too.


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

KK: Haha besides reading and writing, you mean? I love anything to do with the arts and live performances of the arts—plays, musicals, concerts (our last concert was Metallica, our last musical was . . . oh, shoot, I’m not sure . . . maybe Guys and Dolls? I also like ballroom dancing and karaoke. And watching my little boys play baseball, basketball and soccer.


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

KK: Simple Mills almond crackers, Larabars, chocolate of any kind, fuji apples


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

KK: I’m currently working on #3 in the Chalkboard Outlines series, and I’m working on a first draft of the first book in a YA series called The Meld.


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

KK: I just love the stories, and the characters, so much. They feel so real to me. I have to be a writer, or my head might explode! 😊

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Poison by Punctuation (Chalkboard Outlines) by Kelley Kaye

About the Book

 
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series 
Red Adept Publishing, LLC (April 24, 2018)  
Print Length: 243 pages 

High school teacher Emma Lovett is finally recovering from her first year of teaching when she discovers another dead body. As if that wasn’t bad enough, this time, someone has killed a student, Kisten Hollis.
Emma and her best friend, Leslie, are desperate to solve this murder. But suspects abound. The perpetrator could be a teacher, an administrator, a member of Kisten’s zealous church community, or even another student.
Emma must juggle her teaching responsibilities, her new romance with handsome Hunter Wells, and interest from a hunky second suitor, all while searching for evidence to bring a killer to justice before someone else dies.

About the Author


“Kelley Kaye” taught High School English and Drama since 1992 in California, then Colorado and now Cali again, but her love for storytelling dates back to creating captions in her high school yearbook. Maybe back to the tales she created for her Barbie and Ken—whatever the case, the love’s been around a long time. She’s married to an amazing man who cooks for her, and they have two funny and wonderful sons.

Website - http://www.kelleykaybowles.com/  
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorkelleykaye/  
Blog - http://www.kelleykaybowles.com/kelley-s-blog2.html  
Twitter - https://twitter.com/kelkay1202  
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelley-kaye  
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Kay-Bowles/e/B00JJ9T7AC  
GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1380492.Kelley_Kay_Bowles  

Purchase Links Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play BookBub

a Rafflecopter giveaway

9 comments:

  1. New author for me, added to my TBR.

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  2. New author and series to me. Looking forward to reading.

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    1. Thanks Dianne! I’ve seen you on twitter now too. Thanks for supporting Indie authors!

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  3. Yay Grandma Cootie! Let me know what you think...Kelley

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  4. Thank you so much for being a stop on my tour, Kathy! Fun interview...🤗 yay, Books! 📚📚📚❤️

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  5. Sounds so good and being a former teacher this would be so fun to read and review . Peggy Clayton

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    1. Thank you Peggy! I hope you will read and review the whole series--that would make me so happy! Kelley Kaye

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  6. I really enjoy cozies. This sounds like a good one. Thanks for this Opportunity.

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    1. Thanks Nancy! I hope you win a copy...or decide to read them both anyway... ;-) Kelley Kaye

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