I'm pleased to welcome Lois Schmitt to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Lois writes the Kristy Farrell Mystery series. Bearly Evident is the fourth book in the series and was released earlier this month.
KJK: Kristy Farrell is a wildlife reporter. Should you have that job, what would you most like to report about?
LS: I would like most to report on the current and continuing loss of wildlife resulting from poaching, the underground trade in exotic animals, and destruction of habitats through building and climate change.
KJK: In Bearly Evident, a body is found in the Happy Place Animal Sanctuary. Sanctuaries are so important. Have you visited any? Is this sanctuary based on a real one?
LS: I have visited two. Three years ago, during a family trip, I visited the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. Although this facility is now considered an accredited wildlife park, it started as a bear sanctuary, and all the bears, wolves, and birds of prey that live there now are rescued sanctuary animals.
Each bear here came after becoming too comfortable around people. When bears associate human presence with food, they become dangerous. Wildlife managers are required to intervene and the usual outcome is death of the bear. The bears at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center have been rescued from this fate.
The wolves here were all rescued from a facility that no longer wanted them. Having been living in captivity, they were incapable of surviving in the wild. The birds of prey were all injured and can no longer fly.
Several years ago, I also visited a small farm sanctuary on Long Island. This sanctuary was home for a cow named Annabelle, goats, sheep, alpacas, chickens and ducks.
The Happy Place Animal Sanctuary in Bearly Evident, is a composite of both sanctuaries as well as several others that I researched.
KJK: When it comes to sanctuary animals, do you have a favorite?
LS: I’ve always been fascinated by wolves and their social structure. But in terms of sanctuaries, any animal that comes from an abusive setting (circus, roadside zoo, abusive owner, etc.) has a special place in my heart.
KJK: In addition to issues at the sanctuary, a friend is a victim of a pyramid scheme. Have you ever had to deal with something similar?
LS: Yes. I worked for more than two decades as media spokesperson and education director for the Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs. During that time, we did deal with cases involving pyramid scams.
I’ve started including consumer scams as side stories in my books. In my last cozy, Playing Possum, my amateur sleuth’s daughter discovers her diamond engagement ring (which once belonged to her fiance’s grandmother) is a fake—ultimately discovering it had been switched during a cleaning. We had a case like this when I was at the consumer affairs agency. I intend to continue to add some sort of consumer fraud in my books.
KJK: What drew you to cozy mysteries?
LS: The puzzle and the characters. I started reading Nancy Drew as a child and then went to Agatha Christie. These books provide clues to help you solve a puzzle. I always loved to try and solve the case before the sleuth.
I also am attracted to the characters in cozies. They are everyday people who could be your co-workers or neighbors.
KJK: Do you write in any other genres?
LS: Years ago, I wrote a non-fiction consumer education book for children entitled Smart Spending. But I am currently only writing cozy mysteries. They are my favorite.
KJK: Tell us about your series.
LS: I describe my series as “murder, mayhem, and loads of animals.” My cozies feature Kristy Farrell, former English teacher, who gave up her tenured job to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a journalist, and now writes for a wildlife magazine. She is married to a veterinarian and her daughter (who often helps her in crime solving) is also a veterinarian.
KJK: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
LS: I love my amateur sleuth, Kristy Farrell. She had the courage to step out of her comfort zone into a new career. She is idealistic but practical. She is determined, loyal, and likeable. I also enjoy writing about her nemesis, the blustery Detective Wolfe. He is the bully that everyone knows. The banter between Kristy and Wolfe (with Kristy coming out on top) often adds comic relief to the story.
KJK: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
LS: My inspiration is my love of animals. I belong to several wildlife organization and in reading their publications, I discovered that the world of animals is laden with crime, such as poaching for ivory or skins, smuggling contraband such as drugs inside animals, etc.
KJK: What made you decide to publish your work.
LS: I felt I had stories that needed to be told.
KJK: If you had a dinner party and could invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
LS: Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (both write great puzzles with the clues hidden in plain sight), Laurien Berenson (her cozies involve dogs), and Victoria Thompson. (Her mystery series takes place in New York City in the late 1800s, and I am fascinated by that period.)
KJK: What are you currently reading?
LS: Murder in Rose Hill by Victoria Thompson
KJK: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
LS: I love all types of puzzles: sudoku, hidato, cryptograms, jigsaws, and, of course, figuring out “whodunit” before the sleuth in a mystery. I also enjoy anything relating to animals such as reading about them, watching documentaries, and encountering them at wildlife parks. Another fun hobby is painting Halloween pumpkins. I don’t do faces but create scenes on large pumpkins such as haunted houses, graveyards, and skies with big moons and witches.
KJK: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry?
LS: Cheese, jams, chocolate, and coffee (lots and lots of coffee).
KJK: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new serties?
LS: Yes. I have begun research for my next book in the series, tentatively titled Crying Wolf. Part of the story will take place on an Alaskan Cruise, but will continue back on Long Island.
KJK: What is your favorite thing about being an author.
LS: I think my favorite thing is formulating the plot. I also enjoy naming characters. Names help us create images. I love the way JK Rowlings uses names in her Harry Potter series. Lucien Malfoy sounds like a villain. I try to give names that help the reader better picture the character.
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BEARLY EVIDENT
by Lois Schmitt
September 9 - October 4, 2024 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
A Kristy Farrell Mystery
When a body is found in the Happy Place Animal Sanctuary, wildlife reporter Kristy Farrell is on the case. She soon discovers this was no accident. It was MURDER!
Five people were present at the sanctuary when the death occurred. As Kristy digs deeply into the victim's past, she uncovers dark secrets affecting each of these five suspects--powerful motives for murder.
Meanwhile, life is anything but calm on the home front. The best friend of Kristy's widowed mother is a victim of a pyramid scam. Kristy, assisted by her veterinarian daughter, is determined to expose the fraud although it may be at great personal risk.
Back at the sanctuary, things are spiraling downhill. Wolves escape and another body is found. With the bad publicity, the sanctuary may be forced to close. And a killer is still on the loose!
Despite being thwarted at every move by her nemesis, the blustery Detective Wolfe, Kristy uncovers a major hole in the alibi of a key suspect. But as she gets nearer to closing in on this killer, it looks a if she might become the third victim.
Book Details:
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Encircle Publications
Publication Date: September 4, 2024
Number of Pages: 280
ISBN: 9781645995609 (ISBN10: 1645995607)
Series: A Kristy Farrell Cozy Mystery, 4
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Encircle Publications
BEARLY EVIDENT
I started back for my appointment with the sanctuary’s business manager when I heard voices coming from behind a desk. I recognized one of the vices. I snuck behind to look and listen.
“I know you want her job, and to tell the truth, I’d much prefer you,” Nick Lamonica said.
“Why can’t you fire her?” asked the other man. I couldn’t see his face, but he wore orange leather boots.
“Be patient,” Nick answered, “She may be gone sooner than you realize.”
A woman’s scream pierced the air.
Nick and the man in orange boots sped off in the direction of the scream. I raced after them.
The screams had come from Gina Garone, the sanctuary director. She pointed to one of the animal habitats. Spread across the grass was a body.
Hovering over the body was a mountain of fur with fangs.
Bella the bear.
***
Excerpt from Bearly Evident by Lois Schmitt. Copyright 2024 by Lois Schmitt. Reproduced with permission from Lois Schmitt. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
A mystery fan since she read her first Nancy Drew novel, Lois Schmitt combines a love of mysteries with a love of animals in her series featuring wildlife reporter Kristy Farrell which includes Monkey Business, the first in the series, Something Fishy, 2nd runner-up for the Killer Claymore Award, and Playing Possum, Silver Falchion Award Finalist. Bearly Evident is the fourth in the series, but each book can be read as a stand alone.
She is a member of several wildlife and humane organizations as well as Mystery Writers of America and the Long Island Author's Guild. Lois worked for many years as a freelance writer and is the author of Smart Spending, a consumer education book for young adults. She previously served as media spokesperson for a local consumer affairs agency and often incorporates consumer scams into her books. She also taught at Nassau Community College.
Lois lives in Massapequa, New York with her family which includes a 120 pound Bernese Mountain dog. This dog bears a striking resemblance to Archie, a huge dog of many breeds, featured in her mystery series.
For latest news on Lois visit :
LoisSchmitt.com
Goodreads
Instagram - @LoisSchmittMysteries
Facebook - @LoisSchmittAuthor
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This was a great interview! Very interesting.
ReplyDelete"Crying Wolf. Part of the story will take place on an Alaskan Cruise" ~ Well this sounds like it will be good!