Kathy: In Glitter, Glam, and Contraband the Falcon Investigations team is hired to find out who is stealing from the talent at a local drag show. Have you ever attended a drag show?
HW: I did. I went with my author pals, Tina Glasneck, Fiona Quinn, and Rosemary Shomaker. It was a lot of fun and great research. I’ve attached a photo. It’s from Godfrey’s in downtown Richmond. They have a great brunch. I had Bananas Foster French Toast. It was almost like having dessert for brunch.
Kathy: Delanie Fitzgerald was involved in uncovering hidden valuables from a 100-year-old crime with a Poe connection. I'm a huge Edgar Allan Poe fan and am intrigued by his life. Are you a Poe fan too?
HW: I have been a Poe fan for many years, and I’m so excited that we have the Poe Museum here in Richmond. My Sisters in Crime chapter has done several signings there for the Poe Birthday Bash each January and the “Unhappy Hours.” Poe’s mother is also buried here at St. John’s Church. The highlight of one of my earliest book signings was that Dr. Poe, a distant relative from the author’s father’s side bought the anthology that I got to sign for him. If you’re ever in Richmond, make sure to see the Poe Museum and the two feline ambassadors, Edgar and Pluto.
Kathy: Delanie's partner is computer hacker Duncan Reynolds. Are you adept with a computer, or is it just the basics for you?
HW: I’m a software girl. I started out in IT many years ago during the dotcom boom as a technical writer. I wrote manuals and web content. Over the years, I moved to Quality Assurance and Testing. I now manage the Quality Assurance and Governance operations for our division. And I know a lot of cool engineers and analysts who make sure that I get the tech right. I love hanging out with the security engineers at lunch. They tell the best stories, and I always take notes.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
HW: I have been a fan of Agatha Christie for a long time. My mystery habit started with Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. And that led me to Poe, Christie, and Hitchcock. I love the British traditions in mysteries, and the cozy world was a perfect fit. I’m working on a new cozy series, set near Charlottesville, VA.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
HW: I’ve done some non-fiction work and articles over the years (and hundreds of technical manuals), but I stick to mysteries now. I write short stories, novellas (in the Mutt Mysteries series), and novels. My Delanie Fitzgerald series has three novels to date, and I’m working on two in another cozy series.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
HW: Delanie Fitzgerald is a sassy private investigator from Central Virginia, and she gets in way more trouble than I do. She spends a lot of her investigative time getting herself in and out of humorous situations. Her partner at Falcon Investigations in Duncan Reynolds, and he has a sidekick, Margaret the wonder dog. This series is set in Central Virginia.
I’m also working on a new series with an amateur sleuth. It’s set in Fern Valley near Charlottesville, VA. I’m spending this holiday season wrapping up the first draft of the second book in that series. (The first one is with my agent now, so I’m hoping for some good news in 2020.)
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
HW: Secret Lives and Private Eyes was my first published novel, so Delanie will always have a special place in my heart. We have a lot in common, but she’s not me. I run away from blood and dead bodies. She runs toward them. Margaret, the English Bulldog, is also a fun character. She’s in all the Delanie books and stories. And then there is Chaz, the strip club owner. He is gross and has terrible manners, but he grows on you after a while. Originally, he was going to only appear in book one, but my beta readers really liked him, so he’s been back in every book too. He’s also a fun character to write.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
HW: I’m a CK (cop’s kid). We always talked murder and mayhem at the dinner table. It wasn’t until I got to high school/college that I realized that this was not everyone’s dinner conversation. I also met a female private eye at one of my Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia programs. Her talk about her work sparked an idea for a character, and Delanie was born.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
HW: I have always wanted to be a writer. I love reading mysteries, and I wanted to write them. I’m also very fortunate that my dad is a retired police officer, and he’s a great resource. There are just some things you don’t want to Google. I really didn’t start writing seriously until I joined Sisters in Crime. Actually, my first published short story was in one of their anthologies, Virginia is for Mysteries. I learned a lot about the publishing process from that project, and I met my first publisher that way.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
HW: That’s a tough one. There are so many. Let’s see. I’d pick Agatha Christie, Edgar Allan Poe, Dashiell Hammett, and Robert B. Parker. And if any couldn’t attend, I’d add Alfred Hitchcock.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
HW: This week, I finished The Guardian by John Grisham and The Blond Leading the Blond by Jayne Ormerod. Right now, I’m reading One Taste Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
HW: I like to read, write, and travel. I occasionally like to craft. And much to my two crazy Jack Russell Terriers’ delight, we just moved to a neighborhood with walking trails by the reservoir. Hopefully, we’ll get the kayaks in the water this spring.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
HW: Chocolate, iced tea, Coca Cola, and popcorn
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
HW: I’m working on two cozies in a new series. I have a dog-themed novella coming out in March in To Fetch A Scoundrel (part of the Mutt Mystery series). I’ll also have a short story in an upcoming anthology, Mystery by the Glass. For the third Mutt Mystery, To Fetch A Villain, there will be a dog mystery starring Margaret and Duncan from my Delanie Fitzgerald series.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
HW: I love to tell stories, and I love to meet readers. It is so much fun to talk mysteries and books.
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Glitter, Glam, and Contraband: A Delanie Fitzgerald Mystery by Heather Leigh Weidner
About Glitter, Glam and Contraband
Traditional Mystery/Female Sleuth/Humorous Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher: Sandpiper Productions (November 19, 2019)
Paperback: 240 pages
Private investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, and her computer hacker partner, Duncan Reynolds, are back for more sleuthing in Glitter, Glam and Contraband. In this fast-paced mystery, the Falcon Investigations team is hired to find out who is stealing from the talent at a local drag show. Delanie gets more than she bargains for and a few makeup tips in the process. Meanwhile, a mysterious sound in the ceiling of her office vexes Delanie. She uses her sleuthing skills to track down the source and uncover a creepy contraband operation.
Glitter, Glam, and Contraband features a strong female sleuth with a knack for getting herself in and out of humorous situations like helping sleezy strip club owner, Chaz Smith on his quest to become Richmond's next mayor, tracking down missing reptiles, and uncovering hidden valuables from a 100-year-old crime with a Poe connection.
About Heather Weidner
Glitter, Glam, and Contraband is Heather Weidner’s third novel in the Delanie Fitzgerald series. Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, and Deadly Southern Charm. Her novellas appear in The Mutt Mysteries series. She is a member of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, Guppies, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers. Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers. Heather earned her BA in English from Virginia Wesleyan University and her MA in American literature from the University of Richmond. Through the years, she has been a technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager.
Author Links:
Website and Blog: http://www.heatherweidner.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWeidnerAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_mystery_writer/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121854.Heather_Weidner
Amazon Authors: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HOYR0MQ
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HeatherBWeidner/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-weidner-0064b233?trk=hp-identity-name
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-weidner-d6430278-c5c9-4b10-b911-340828fc7003
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/profile/heatherweidner/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBjyB0zz-M1DaM-rU1bXGA?view_as=subscriber
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Thank you so much for the great interview! I had fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by.
DeleteI really enjoyed the description of the book. Sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the introduction to Heather Weidner and her book, Glitter, Glam and Contraband. My fingers are crossed I may be lucky and win the rafflecopter giveaway.
ReplyDeleteNew author to me. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! I'm so excited that Heather has a new cozy series! I can't wait to read it. If it's anything like Delanie and her friends (and I do love Chaz), I know I'll love it. Congratulations on the new release and best wishes for a million sales!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm keeping up with Private Investigator Delanie Fitzgerald and all her cases. I'm about 1/2 through this new book.
ReplyDelete