Ice Cold Murder - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Michele Pariza Wacek to Cozy Up With Kathy. Michele writes the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series. Ice Cold Murder is the second book in the series and was released last week.

Kathy: In Ice Cold Murder Charlie Kingsley accompanies her friend Claire to the reading of her grandma's will. Have you ever been to the reading of a will? 

MPW: I have not. I’ve just seen them on TV and in movies.


Kathy: Charlie and Claire are required to stay at her grandmother's house, which is reputed to be haunted. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever been to a haunted location? 

MPW: I have! In fact, I even created a short fiction podcast on my blog called The Adventures of Riley Longhill, Ghost Hunter, so I of course needed to visit a bunch of locations as part of my research.


Kathy: A storm leaves the pair, along with Claire's estranged family, stranded and without power. Have you had to deal with power outages? What was the most difficult thing about it? 

MPW: Growing up in Wisconsin and now living in Arizona, I’m fairly used to outages. If it happens during a workday, not being able to access the internet and my laptop running out of battery become issues. At night, it’s more of a habit. We’re so used to turning on a light to read or watching TV, so we have to actively think about what we can do without electricity. (Although it’s probably good to be unplugged every once in a while).


Kathy: Charlie enjoys her teas, as do I. My favorite is lapsang souchong. Do you have a favorite tea? 

MPW: I do—I love lavender teas as well as Chai.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries? 

MPW: My mother loved them (although they weren’t called “cozies” back when she was reading them). I was such a huge reader growing up, I was always picking up books to read. Hands down, mysteries are my favorite. Even when I read other genres, such as fantasy or romance, I still want a mystery in there.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

MPW: Everything I write seems to turn into some form of mystery. Right now, I switch between psychological thrillers and cozy mysteries. (I know … opposite sides of the mystery spectrum.) 

 

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

MPW: The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries series is a spin-off from my Secrets of Redemption series, which is more psychological suspense. When we first meet Aunt Charlie, in the Secrets of Redemption series, she’s dead (no, this isn’t a paranormal book, although she does “talk” to her niece Becca in her dreams). In contrast, The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries is a funny, twisty, cozy mystery series that takes place in the 1990s.

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

MPW: Charlie. No question. She’s been the main driver of both series, quite honestly.

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

MPW: Well, the first book in the original series, It Began With a Lie, was supposed to be a standalone. It turned into a five-book series, and now I’m writing a spin-off series. Charlie is the main inspiration. Every time I think I’m taking a break and moving to a different project, she pops up again.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work? 

MPW: I taught myself to read when I was three years old because I wanted to write stories so badly. I got a little derailed over the years, starting my own copywriting company in 1998. It was my mother getting sick and dying from cancer that made me realize life is too short to not be writing and publishing fiction, as well.

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

MPW: Agatha Christie, Jane Austin, the Bronte sisters.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?  

MPW: The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher.

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

MPW: I love to hike and walk, especially with my husband and dog, and take hot baths or do hot Pilates (yes, I like to sweat). And I of course love reading.

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

MPW: Coffee and cream (non-negotiable) and my ingredients for my morning smoothie.

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

MPW: I’m currently working on Book 3 in this series, Murder Next Door, which is set to be released in April. Book 4, Murder in the Woods, is tentatively scheduled for an August release. In between those two books, I have a Charlie Kingsley story in a cozy mystery anthology called Mysteries, Midsummer Sun, and Murders set to be released in June and a psychological suspense book called The Taking set to be released in July.


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

MPW: It’s what I always wanted to do and be. I feel so grateful and honored that God has blessed me with my dream.

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 Ice Cold Murder (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries) by Michele Pariza Wacek

About Ice Cold Murder

Ice Cold Murder (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Love-Based Publishing (January 25, 2022)
Number of Pages ~250 

 

When Charlie agrees to accompany her friend Claire to her late grandmother's reading of the will, she assumes she is simply there for moral support.

She doesn't expect things to get so ... strange.

It’s odd enough that it takes place over a weekend, but that’s just the beginning ...

They also need to stay in Claire's grandma's supposedly haunted house with Claire's estranged family.

Things get even worse when a huge storm snows them in. No electricity, no phone, and no way out.

Throw a dead body into the mix, and there’s no question it’s now the world’s worst family gathering. Ever.

At least Charlie brought lots of tea, which she's going to need as she races to solve this closed-circle mystery before her friend’s dysfunctional family get-together results in anyone else being murdered.

Meet Charlie. Better known as “Aunt Charlie” from the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. She's back, making teas and solving cases in this funny, twisty, cozy mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin.

 

About Michele Pariza Wacek

When Michele was 3 years old, she taught herself to read because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories to be exact, ranging from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn't enough, she also hosts a virtual book club you can check out and join (for free!) at MPWNovels.com.

Michele holds a double major in English and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, she lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband Paul and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

Author Links: 

Website - https://mpwnovels.com/ 

Facebook - facebook.com/michelepwauthor  

Linked In linkedin.com/in/michelepw  

Twitter - twitter.com/michelepw 

Instagram - instagram.com/themichelepw  

Purchase Link - Amazon - 

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