I'm happy to welcome Lily Luchesi to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Lily writes the Paige Pappillon Mystery series.
Kathy: When Paige Papillon was unable to make it through the police academy, she decided to become a private detective. If you had the choice would you rather be a police officer or a private detective
LL: Neither! I’d be the quirky best friend who helps the PI if anything.
Kathy: When you decided to write mysteries, what made you decide to give them a paranormal bent?
LL: I’ve been fascinated with the occult since I was a little girl. Vampires, ghosts, magic, legends, all of it. Most of my writing is paranormal, and it adds a little something extra to an already high-stakes genre.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
LL: My mom! She gave me her Nancy Drews when I was little (much like Paige’s mom did for her in the books). And from there I went on to read the Baby-Sitters Club mysteries, Sherlock Holmes, and others.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
LL: Yes! I write urban fantasy (still with a slight mystery bent), horror, and YA fantasy. Under the pen name of Samantha Calcott, I write romance for adults.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
LL: Paige Papillon Paranormal Mysteries follows the titular character as she discovers the paranormal world is real, and it sometimes needs her help. There used to be a place called the Paranormal Investigative Division, but since it shut down, paranormals had no one local to assist them.
Speaking of the PID… That is from my first series, The Paranormal Detectives. This is more for an older audience due to violence and language. If you read Paige’s books, there’s a “fictional” series called The Angel Files. The Paranormal Detectives Series is basically TAF in real life.
And finally, The Coven Series. Suitable for ages 12+, it’s a great YA fantasy alternative if you’ve been soured on certain series/authors recently. It follows a teenage witch as she attends her local Coven school and fends off various magical evildoers, all while finding her family, love, and discovering hidden powers.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
LL: Vera, because she’s the one who is hiding the most secrets, and writing her while keeping them is so much fun!
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
LL: Not at all. I knew I wanted to write paranormal cozies one day, but the inspiration for this series technically began when I had a dream about book 5. And then everything else came to me naturally.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
LL: I’d been querying my books since I was 16! When I was 21, I received a contract for The Paranormal Detectives Series. Ever since I was 8 I wanted to be an author; it was my dream. And I knew that, come Hell or high water, I was going to make that dream come true.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
LL: Stephen King, Charlotte Bronte, Darren Shan, and Edgar Allan Poe.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
LL: I’m reading some books for work (I’m a full-time editor for other authors), but I can’t discuss those. For pleasure, I just finished Later by Stephen King (another great paranormal mystery!), and I am about to begin Demian by Herman Hesse.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
LL: Cooking, reading (of course), getting tattoos, going to concerts, watching anime, and comic books.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
LL: Chicago-style giardiniera, kimchi ramen, coffee, and pasta.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
LL: I will have book 3 for Paige out in March, with 4 and 5 to follow this summer! February 1st, I am also releasing a limited collection of short horror stories for Women in Horror Month.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
LL: Reader reactions. When I get a review or email from a reader about how much they loved the book, it feels like everything is right in the world, just for a little while.
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Daunting Darkness & Freaky Familiars (Paige Papillon Paranormal Mysteries) by Lily Luchesi
About Daunting Darkness
Paranormal Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Partners in Crime Book Services (January 7, 2022)
Print length: 289 pages
Following your dreams can become a nightmare.
Paige Papillon has always loved mysteries. So much so, she enlists in the Police Academy to one day become a detective.
But when she washes out of training, her Sergeant inspires her to go another route: become a private investigator.
After a few boring cases, she receives an envelope full of cash and mysterious clues that lead to the discovery of a cover up of paranormal proportions.
Worse, the Sergeant's wife is at the center of it. Can Paige solve the mystery and stay alive, or will she become a midnight snack for a monster?
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About Freaky Familiars
Paranormal Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Publisher: Partners in Crime Book Services (January 7, 2022)
Print Length ~140 Pages
No time for a catnap for this paranormal detective!
Now aware that things that go bump in the night exist, private investigator Paige Papillon has expanded her business to include clients of all species.
Assisted by a former detective and his mystery writer wife with a checkered past, she begins to settle into her new job as Chicago's premier paranormal PI.
But when her best friend's cat goes missing, Paige realizes how much she still doesn't know about the supernatural world. It's a race against the clock to save a shapeshifter and prevent a witch's familiar from being sold to the highest bidder.
About Lily Luchesi
Lily Luchesi is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of the Paranormal Detectives Series.
Her young adult Coven Series has successfully topped Amazon's Hot New Releases list consecutively.
She is also the co-owner of Partners in Crime Book Services, where she offers a myriad of services alongside her business partner Annie Smith, including editing.
She was born in Chicago, Illinois, where many of her stories are set. Ever since she was a toddler, her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things "dark". At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle. She is also an out member of the LGBT+ community. When she's not writing, she's going to rock concerts, getting tattooed, watching the CW, or reading comics. And drinking copious amounts of coffee.
She also writes contemporary books for adults as Samantha Calcott.
You can also keep up with Lily via her newsletter … and receive a free e-book as well!
Author Links:
Website - https://linktr.ee/lilyluchesi
Newsletter - https://lilyluchesibooks.wixsite.com/lilyluchesi
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lilyluchesi/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/lilyluchesi
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LilyLuchesi/
Amazon - https://amzn.to/3xwSORc
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lily-luchesi
Purchase Links - Daunting Darkness - Amazon Freaky Familiars - Amazon
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These book covers are great. Love them, the title, review/interview. Looking forward to learning more about the and their books. Love books like this.
ReplyDeleteWould love too read & review books in print format.
This series looks like fun reads.
Hope I Win
Thanks for chance