Spotlight - Murder is Binding - Giveaway

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett. This book is the first in the Booktown Mystery series and the Kindle version is currently on sale for only $1.99. If you like e-books now is the perfect time to pick up this book and start the series!

From the back cover:

Stoneham, New Hampshire, was a dying town until community leaders invited booksellers to open up shop. Now, its streets are lined with bookstores-and paved with murder...

When she moved to Stoneham, city slicker Tricia Miles was met with friendly faces. And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she was met with friendly competition. But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed with a kitchen knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial. Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased-and the locals think that someone is Tricia. To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one of her own mysteries-and hunt down someone who isn't killing by the book...

For more about Lorna Barrett and her alter egos Lorraine Bartlett and LL Bartlett, check out the following links:

http://www.LornaBarrett.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LornaBarrett.author

http://www.LLBartlett.com

http://www.LorraineBartlett.com

http://www.LLBartlett.typepad.com

http://astore.amazon.com/llbartlettcom-20

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Would you like a goodie bag filled with with bookmarks, postcards, and buttons? Leave a comment on this post telling us if you've read any of the Booktown Mysteries and what you'd think about living in a town filled with bookstores. Leave your comment no later than Monday, April 13, 2015 EST along with an e-mail address for a chance at this giveaway.

Introducing J.A. Lang & Chef Maurice with a Review & Giveaway

I'm so pleased to welcome J. A. Lang to the blog today. J.A. writes the Chef Maurice Mystery series. A prequel (Chef Maurice and a Rather Fishy Tale) was released last November, but the first full novel, Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle, was just released this week.

 

Kathy: Chef Maurice is a great new character. He is reminiscent of Hercule Poirot, Monsieur Pamplemousse and Charly Poisson, yet with a style completely his own. Are you a fan of these other characters?

JAL: I’m a huge Poirot fan. I’m currently collecting (well, amassing!) all the Poirot books in paperback, then after that it’ll be time to start on Miss Marple. I haven’t read the other two, but I like their surnames!

Kathy: I love food themed books, indeed, food themed almost anything (TV, film, clothing, ...) Do you consider yourself a foodie?

JAL: I think my friends and family would definitely class me as a raving foodie, seeing as I have food on the mind pretty much all the time! Whenever I plan a holiday, the first thing I look up is restaurants and local food producers. It’s a great way to get to know a region.

Kathy: Do you enjoy cooking yourself? How would you rate your cooking? 

JAL: I love cooking, though I wish I had more time to try more recipes and new cuisines. Rating my cooking? Eek! I attended culinary school in London a few years back, so I guess I should claim some level of competence, though my guests will have to be the judge of that! 

Kathy: I love Hamilton! How did you decide to tell some of the story from his point of view?

JAL: Good question, I don’t remember making any particular decision – I think he just turned up, butted me with his snout, and demanded to tell his part of the story! 

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

JAL: I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie, so cozy mysteries seemed the natural follow-on. I like the definition of cozies as ‘books to curl up with by the fire on a rainy Sunday afternoon’ – and who wouldn’t be drawn to that?

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

JAL: Not currently, but I’m reading a lot of period mysteries, especially Victorian ones, at the moment, so watch this space!

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

JAL: The Chef Maurice Mysteries are a series of culinary cozies set amidst the rolling hills of the Cotswolds, in which Chef Maurice, proprietor of a little French restaurant called Le Cochon Rouge, discovers a sudden appetite for solving crimes, leading to trouble all around for his friends, kitchen staff and, not least, the local constabulary...

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

JAL: I’ve got a soft spot for all of them, though of course Chef Maurice loves to hog the limelight!

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

JAL: I live in Oxford, near the Cotswolds, so the setting was an obvious choice. Otherwise, the characters just turned up one night in my head when I was trying to get to sleep, and that was it... 

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

JAL: I love the creative freedom of being able to have the final say about my books, whether it be the story itself or things like the design of the cover. Or perhaps it just means I’m a little bit of a control-freak!

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

JAL: Agatha Christie, Terry Pratchett, Colin Cotterill, Anthony Bourdain. Though I don’t know if they’d all get along!

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

JAL: A collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories and Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. 

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

JAL: Oh dear. I think cooking, eating, reading and writing pretty much covers all my interests (and uses up all my time!) at the moment. I also love travelling, so long as there’s good food, good weather and, ideally, good wine. 

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

JAL: Tinned tomatoes. Soy sauce. Olive oil. Carrots. 

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

JAL: The second Chef Maurice book, Chef Maurice and the Wrath of Grapes, will be out this July. I think you can guess what this one might be about...

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

JAL: The freedom to set my own hours and work from anywhere I can plug in my laptop. And as a culinary cozy author, eating and cooking surely counts as research, right? *grin*

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Review

Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle by J.A. Lang
The First Chef Maurice Culinary Mystery

Are you hungry for a new culinary hero? Look no further than Chef Maurice, the man who whet my appetite in his prequel Chef Maurice and a Rather Fishy Tale. Take missing mushrooms, murder, and kidnapping. Heat with some messy romance and bungling break ins. Stir in some village characters and unsavory suspects. Add a dollop of humour and you have a recipe for a delightful mystery. While Chef Maurice and a Rather Fishy Tale was an amuse bouche Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle is a full course meal.

Chef Maurice is in trouble. He's running out of mushrooms and his supplier, Ollie Meadows, hasn't been seen in days. When Chef Maurice goes to Ollie's home he finds the delivery for his restaurant and he also finds a large bag of white truffles. Not quite the rare Alba truffles of Italy, these appear to have been grown in England-but how...and where? Chef Maurice is on the hunt with the help of his new business companion, Hamilton. However, it's not truffles they find, but the body of Ollie Meadows-murdered!

Chef Maurice is my new gastronomical hero. A man as determined to cook and eat a magnificent meal as to solve a mystery put before him. My favorite character, however, has to be Hamilton , the pig. Although I was a bit concerned when he entered the story (one must take pause when a chef adopts a live pig) the relationship that develops between Hamilton and Chef Maurice is a joy to witness. We also get to hear a little of the story from Hamilton's point of view-a decided treat, as is the commentary from the cow!

I am enamoured of this new series which delivers unique characters in a charming setting with a realistic restaurant background.

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For a chance to win this fabulous prize pack click on the following link to be taken to J.A. Lang's giveaway: http://www.jalang.net/chef-maurice-giveaway/

Contest open to US and UK residents over 18 years old.

Contest will end on April 30, 2015 at 11:59 PM GMT, and the winner will be chosen at random and notified by email.

Guest Post - Wrapped in Family - Review & Giveaway

Nothing better than friends and families and there are no families or friends closer than Southern families and friends. That’s especially true in Demise in Denim.

Mamma and KiKi were sisters. At birth the muses tangoed over auntie’s crib turning her into Savannah’s dance diva and they wrapped mamma in a blanket with little elephants resulting in this campaign and me getting the name Reagan.

Friendship means being there for each other when the chips are down, like when Walker Boone is wanted for murder.

            I looked at my ’57 red Chevy convertible parked at the curb. “Might as well put a target on my back trying to get away from the cops in this thing.”

           Reagan shoved her helmet at me. “Take Princess.”

          “A scooter? You want me to ride a pink scooter named Princess?”

            “Better than that being your nickname in the big house.”

And there are all kinds of friendships…friendships between guys…

                      “Dawg,” Big Joey said to me as I slip onto a stool next to his, everyone in the place giving Joey space. “Know you’d show.”

          Big Joey was built like a Mac truck, muscles buffed to jet black, gold tooth, ponytail and main man of the Seventeenth Street gang...my former home and forever family. He was my brother in every sense of the word except parental commonality.

Friendships between girls…

                        Footsteps skittered across the floor over our heads and I tore up the steps, with Auntie KiKi right behind me. We turned the corner at the top and faced a big guy with alcohol-infused breath and wild-looking bloodshot eyes that I could make out even in the dark. The guy took a swing at me and missed. KiKi threw the rest of her martini in his face and I added an added a cocktail shaker uppercut to his jaw.

                       “I give up! I give up!” The guy stumbled back against the wall and slithered down to the floor as I switched on the hall lights.

So who’s always there for you? Who always has your back come hell or high water? Let me know and I’ll give away two Demise in Denim lunch totes from the answers.

Hugs, Duffy Brown

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Review 

Demise in Denim by Duffy Brown

The 5th Consignment Shop Mystery



I'm a stickler for reading book series in order. That being said, I don't always read the e-book only special editions that periodically pop up in a series. I did, however, read Dead Man Walker, an e-book short story released this February. (You can check out my review here.) I am so glad I did for the whole story of Demise in Denim started back in Dead Man Walker. We found our victim, got some suspects, learned some amazing truths, and found out why Boone is on the run! Plus we got the story from his point of view-a great way to discover what he's really thinking-especially about Reagan. So, although you can read Demise in Denim without reading Dead Man Walker, or indeed any of the previous books in the series, you'll really appreciate and get much more out of the book if you're up to date.

Now Duffy Brown really left me hanging at the end of Dead Man Walker and I was anxious to discover what would happen next. While I was, of course, interested in the mystery-who killed Conway Adkins-I was, and still am just as interested in the relationship between Reagan and Boone. The sparks between them, the will they/won't they combine to make one combustible book. To keep both police and killer, as well as the media away from Walker on the lam, Reagan pretends to hate him and wish him ill, which causes the ire of Walker's supporters, most of whom you'd rather not cross.

Demise in Denim is filled with Duffy's trademark humor and I laughed my way through Reagan's misadventures while rooting for Boone's name to be cleared so he can continue what he started at the end of Dead Man Walker.

Even though I am more focused on the relationship between Reagan and Boone, don't get the idea that there isn't a solid mystery here as well. Duffy Brown gives us a complex mystery with a multitude of suspects, all with great motive and some with evil intentions (aside from murder). There are red herrings and mysterious goings on all rolled up in a fast paced bundle of fun.

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Don't forget! Leave a comment on this post telling us who always has your back come hell or high water. along with your e-mail address no later than 11:59 pm Sunday, April 12, 2015 for a chance to at a lunch tote!

The Glassblower's Interview with Review & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Joanna Campbell Slan back to Cozy Up With Kathy. Joanna and I last spoke about her Jane Eyre Chronicles. You can check out that interview here. Today we're talking about her newly released short story.

Kathy: Even though I visited Versailles (many, many moons ago) I was totally unfamiliar with the story behind its mirrors. Were you aware of any of the history before you began writing The Glassblower's Wife?

JCS: No, I wasn't. Now I really want to go back and view the Hall of Mirrors with new eyes.


Kathy: I love reading fiction that's based on historical truths. The research behind such books must be quite thorough. What were your favorite research methods for this book?

JCS: I love the Internet. In particular, it's useful to follow links at the end of any particular article. Sometimes those links are more important than the article itself. I've also learned to print out my research because website get taken down. I also really enjoyed reading Daphne du Maurier's book because it was based on her own family's journey.


Kathy: You write a mystery series set in 19th century England. Why the change to a short story in 17th century France?

JCS: My sister stumbled over a reference to the Doge and the glassblowers. I found the idea totally captivating, so I pursued it. History was one of my favorite subjects in school. Oddly, once you start delving into a time period, you find yourself seeing more and more linkages. For example, I recently read a book about Madame Tussaud, the wax portraitist, and there were many references to Versailles in it. That book showed me how the palace was used by the King and Queen. In turn, that enhanced my understanding of the importance of the Hall of Mirrors. Everything builds on the foundations of the past—and everything in life is linked to a million other happenings. Nothing occurs in a vacuum.


Kathy: Aside from length, how does writing a short story differ from penning a full length novel?

JCS: A short story gives you less time to develop the characters and the setting. You can't go on as many tangents. Each word has more weight. I had thought about expanding The Glassblower's Wife, but everyone who read it loved it just as it was. There seemed to be a certain impact that might have been diluted if I'd made the story longer.


Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

JCS: My sister stumbled across a reference to the Doge and his assassins. Then I found the scholarly article suggesting that the glassblowers were Jews. Again, it was a building process. But that's often how I write. From an idea, I cast a wide net and see what I dredge up. Often there are really interesting tidbits that lead me to new ideas, and on and on.


Kathy: Do you have any future plans for any of the characters in The Glassblower's Wife?

JCS: I must admit, Ruth Telfin is a fascinating person, isn't she? I do wonder how her relationship with Esther will grow and evolve. Hmmm….


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

JCS: I have a full agenda for my work this year. I have three-quarters of a Kiki Lowenstein Mystery written. That book is Glue, Baby, Gone. My Beta readers will be getting it soon, and I rely on them to help me decide how to finish it. Then I want to write a textbook that authors can use. Its working title is Wow the Crowd and Sell Your Books. I also want to start a new mystery series set pre-WW1. The central character is a real woman, the first woman to die in WW1, but I shall be fictionalizing much of her life. I haven't decided what to call the first book in that series. Stay tuned!


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Review

The Glassblower's Wife by Joanna Campbell Slan

In 17th Century France King Louis XIV is creating his palace in Versailles with its magnificent Hall of Mirrors. At that point in time creating mirrors was a very specialized and secreted skill, of which very few glassblowers could craft. Indeed, the Doge of Venice moved all of the glassblowers to the island of Murano, making them captives so that only he was able to benefit from their skills and allow Venice to hold a monopoly on producing mirrors. However, 18 were smuggled out and moved to France and commissioned to make the 357 mirrors for King Louis' Hall of Mirrors. The Doge was not one to be crossed, however, and he sent an assassin to kill each of the Dix-Huit, as they were known.  

 The Glassblower's Wife gives life to these Jewish craftsmen. We meet Rabbi Saul Telfin, master glassblower, and his wife Ruth, as well as the assassin, and see how the Hall of Mirrors was completed. Joanna Campbell Slan weaves an intriguing short story around this little known nugget of history. Although the story is short, the she still manages to give us richly developed characters.

Looking for a quick read that will also give you some historical knowledge? Look no further than The Glassblower's Wife by Joanna Campbell Slan.

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For a chance to win an e-book copy of  The Glassblower's Wife leave a comment about this post no later than 11:59pm EST Tuesday, April 7, 2015. Be sure to include your e-mail address so that I may contact you should you win. Also be sure to enter the Rafflecopter Contest for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!


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Spotlight & Giveaway - Garden of Death

I'd like to shine a spotlight today on a new release. Garden of Death by Chrystle Fiedler is the third in the Natural Remedies Mystery series and was just released March 24th.

Suspicion is unearthed when an outspoken surgeon turns up dead in Willow McQuade’s medicinal herb garden.

A bitter battle has sprouted in the village of Greenport on the eve of the annual maritime festival: Willow McQuade has transformed a vacant lot alongside Nature’s Way Market & Café into a beautiful garden of healing plants—as much a tribute to her late aunt Claire, the shop’s beloved founder, as an enlightening educational center. The town board awarded Willow the plot fair and square, but that’s not how some folks see it—including Dr. Charles White, who invested in plans to develop a high-end hotel on the property. When the belligerent surgeon publicly threatens Willow during the festival, Willow’s boyfriend, Jackson Spade, ratchets up the hostile confrontation to defend the woman he loves, sowing seeds of guilt that take root by the time Dr. White’s corpse turns up amongst Willow’s chamomile and ashwaganda plants. To prove Jackson’s innocence, she must dig deep to bring a killer to light.


CHRYSTLE FIEDLER is the author of the previous Natural Remedies mysteries, Scent to Kill, and Death Drops, as well as six nonfiction books on natural healing and herbal remedies. Also a freelance journalist specializing in alternative health topics, her work has appeared in Natural Health, Spirituality & Health, Mother Earth Living, Green Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Vegetarian Times, and Remedy. She lives in Greenport, New York with her 3 dachshunds and 2 cats, three of which are rescues. Visit www.chrystlefiedler.com, or follow her on Facebook, and Twitter.

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The author has graciously offered a paperback copy of Garden of Death to one lucky reader. In order to be entered to win, simply leave a comment on this post telling about your favorite natural remedy. Be sure to leave your e-mail address to that I'm able to contact you, should you win. Leave your comment no later than 11:59 pm EST Friday, April 3, 2015. I look forward to reading about your natural remedies! Good luck.

Spotlight - Grimm's Furry Tail

Grimm's Furry Tail by Kathi Daley
The Third Whales and Tails Mystery
 

Caitlin’s friend Cody buys the old newspaper and discovers a previously unpublished edition that details a murder that occurred decades ago. The fact that the story was written but never published piques the curiosity of the friends, who decide to delve into a cold case that reaches back fifty years. When the truth is discovered they struggle with the ramifications of what they have uncovered. They know that revealing it will rock the small island community to its core. When they find the body of the only other person who knows the truth, they realize that the decades old mystery may be linked to a modern day plot with consequences too disturbing to even consider.

Join Cait, Cody, Max, and Emily (the tiny kitten Tansy has sent to help) as the weed through the evidence and search for an answer. 

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For a chance to win a copy of Grimm's Furry Tail tell us what cold case you'd like to solve. Leave your comment, along with your e-mail address, on this blog post no later than 11:59pm EST Friday, March 27, 2015 for a chance to win.

 

Cozy Thrillers: All of the Fun with None of the Violence: Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

Cozy Thrillers: All of the Fun with None of the Violence

Gigi Pandian

I grew up devouring books by Elizabeth Peters. Her mysteries were a perfect combination of light-hearted adventure, romance, mystery, history, and humor. Globe-trotting historian Vicky Bliss and intrepid Egyptologist Amelia Peabody were my favorite characters of hers, though I also loved librarian-turned-romance-writer Jacqueline Kirby.

I never thought much about how to categorize her books until I became a mystery novelist myself. I learned, then, that my own mystery novels couldn’t be easily categorized. I thought back on those Elizabeth Peters novels that had inspired me to become a writer, and realized that although our books could fall into the cozy mystery category (a closed set of characters, and no gratuitous violence, sex, or foul language), with their adventure plots and foreign destinations they’re also novels of suspense. (In fact, new editions of Elizabeth Peters’ books call her books novels of suspense.)

Where did that leave me? Was I a cozy thriller writer? That combination of cozy-suspense made it a bit of a challenge to find a publisher at first, but I felt strongly about writing the stories I felt passionately about, so I stuck to writing my cozy adventures as I wanted to write them. And it paid off! Now that I found a wonderful publisher for the series (Henery Press), many reviewers have compared my books to Elizabeth Peters.

My Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Series is about an adventurous female historian who solves a present-day crimes linked to a historic treasures. All the books take Jaya and friends from San Francisco to a different foreign destination as she follows clues that lead to long-lost treasures.

In the new book, Quicksand, Jaya travels to Paris and the ancient fortress of Mont Saint-Michel. The previous two books – Artifact and Pirate Vishnu – were treasure hunts that led from San Francisco to the Highlands of Scotland and the southern tip of India.

You bet I’m having a lot of fun writing my cozy thrillers.

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Review

Quicksand by Gigi Pandian
The Third Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery

Once again I am swept away by Gigi Pandian. After five months with no word Lane sends Jaya a first class ticket to Paris to meet him. It's the start of the semester, she's fighting for tenure, how can she go? How can she not go? Instead of a romantic liaison, however, Jaya winds up in the middle of a con game, a major con, more dangerous than she could have imagined.

Filled with illusions, automatons, and history, we embark on another adventure, this time leaving San Fransisco for France, but with Indian history ever in the forefront. Secrets long thought lost or buried surface and there are questions of trust. Can people ever change? Do we want them to? Will the truth bring us closer, or further apart? What is it we really want? Jaya explores all of these questions, and finds something within herself as well.

I love the historical detail, even though some is fictional (and the author kindly points out fact from fiction in her author's note). The characters are so layered and discovering their truths even as they discover the truths about themselves and discover the truths about each other is fascinating. Fast paced, rich in detail, and with depth of character and story Quicksand is another great addition to the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery series. I can't wait to see what adventures lie ahead. 

 

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Spotlight - The Mad Catter & Giveaway

The Mad Catter by Kathi Daley
The Second book in the Whales and Tails Mystery series 

A Whales and Tails cozy mystery series is set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth generation islander Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her way as the economy and culture of the island evolves toward a tourism based industry. Cait lives in a cabin on her aunt's oceanfront estate where she helps her aunt run Harthaven Cat Sanctuary. When she isn't working with the cats, she helps best friend Tara, operate Coffee Cat Books, a coffee bar/bookstore/cat lounge.

Like all Kathi Daley Cozies, this series will include close friendships, a romance element, and recipes. This series differs from the others in that there is a ‘light’ paranormal element as Caitlin is helped in her investigation by Bella and Tansy, two very intuitive women who sell herbs and tell fortunes, and a series of extremely helpful cats who seem to show up and point her in the right direction at just the right time.

In book 2 of the series, a beautiful white cat named Alice comes into Caitlin’s life. Although Cait is expecting Alice’s arrival, she is unprepared for the fact that the fury feline is about to lead her down a rabbit hole in which nothing is quite what it seems. Not only does Cait find out that a very unlikely person is behind her Aunt Maggie’s illness, but when a body is found in the church, the only real suspect is someone Cait’s heart tells her couldn’t possibly be a killer. 

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I'm a huge Alice in Wonderland fan and have lots of Wonderland themed goodies. For a chance to win a copy of Kathi Daley's The Mad Catter leave a comment here telling us your favorite Alice in Wonderland moment or character. Be sure to include your e-mail address and leave your comment no later than 11:59 EST Sunday, March 15th.

A Ghostly Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Tonya Kappes to the blog today. In addition to her Magical Cures Mystery series, Tonya writes the Ghostly Southern Mystery series, the first of which, A Ghostly Undertaking, was released February 24th.

Kathy: Do you believe in ghosts?

TK: Yes I do. I believe there are spirits more than ghosts.


Kathy: After an untoward accident Emma Lee Raines is able to hear ghosts. Have you ever had a ghostly encounter?

TK: I have had an experience with a ghost/spirit that lasted for five years when I owned a home in the historic district of our community. In fact, I was interviewed by on of the host of the Travel Channel’s TV show Ghost Adventures about it. It was a ton of fun!


Kathy: Emma Lee Raines is an undertaker. I went to high school with someone who wanted to be an undertaker-and it wasn't the family business. Do you know any undertakers? Have they influenced Emma?

TK: I grew up in a small town similar to Sleepy Hollow and there were two funeral homes run by two local families with kids my age. So I do know how families take part in it. Today I have a friend that is an undertaker and her family owns the funeral home. Her son is even in mortuary school now!


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

TK: I like the small town feel, the close connections, and the light mysteries in the cozy genre. I thought I wrote cozy, but my publisher informed me my novels are mystery and that is how they shelve them at the bookstore.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

TK: I started my writing career in the women’s fiction genre but dead bodies continued to show up. It wasn’t until one of my friends, Melissa Bourbon~cozy author, said to me “hello, mystery author.” Ha!


Kathy: Tell us about your series.A Ghostly Southern Mystery series was so much fun to write. Emma Lee Raines is an undertaker and owner of Eternal Slumber Funeral Home in the small southern Kentucky town of Sleepy Hollow. Of course everyone knows everyone and gossip travels fast. Emma can communicate with people who have been murdered and they haunt her until she can get them to the Great Beyond, Big Guy in the Sky! Plus she dates the hunky sheriff, jack Henry Ross, which adds a little spin on how she can investigate without people in the town thinking she's nuts!


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

TK: Oh! I love the quirky characters the best. All of my novels has that one strange bird. Those are the characters that I can let anything happen with and it be okay. Not so much for the main character.


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

TK: All the names in the series are from my past. Ruthie, the ghost, was taken from an old neighbor of mine who was very feisty for 90 years old. In A Ghostly Grave, Chicken Teater is the ghost and he is male. In real life I knew a Chicken Tudor, female bootlegger from my hometown!


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

TK: Years ago I was telling a story to my book club and one of them said I should write a book. My hubby had been telling me that too. It was those two people who encouraged me to follow my dreams. A little encouragement goes a long way.


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

TK: I have four boys (21,17,17 and 15). I have little time for hobbies between sporting events. Reading and writing takes up any free time I have.


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

TK: Weight Watcher Brownies, String Cheese, and plastic containers of cotton candy.


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

TK: HarperCollins is releasing the first four books in the series this year. That way there is NO waiting a year between books. I’m thrilled they are doing this!

A Ghostly Grave (3/31)

A Ghostly Demise (8/19)

A Ghostly Murder (9/28~which is a Monday because I’m doing an event that day put on by HarperCollins in Chicago.)


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

TK: Meeting my readers. I host a lot of reader events all over the United States. In October I rented out a murder mystery train in Toledo! I’m so excited because it’s turned into a mystery weekend for me and my readers! Murder on the Toledo Express! Doesn’t that sound fun? I’m fortunate because my publisher is behind me all the way.


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