I'm pleased to welcome Eva Shaw to Cozy Up With Kathy. Eva's most recent release is The Seer, a historical mystery.
Kathy: The Seer is set in New Orleans during World War II. How did you decide on this time period and setting?
ES: I enjoy reading period novels and find it fascinating when the characters can’t rely on our current technology to solve problems. I am a long-time student of history and after visiting the incredible World War II Museum in New Orleans many times, I started asking locals (all marvelous friends) about what their grandparents told them about the city at that time. New Orleans was a powerful hub of transportation and many feared an invasion via the Mississippi River. Suddenly I knew my second hometown had to be the location for my novel.
Kathy: There has been much research and speculation into Adolph Hitler's belief in the occult and New Orleans is known for its mysticism. Did these facts encourage you to make Beatrix Patterson a psychic?
ES: No, not at all.
Kathy: What first drew you to historical mysteries?
I enjoy reading all sorts of mysteries from the cozies to those in the thriller genre. When historical mysteries are written so I can feel the pulse of the time, I’m right there in my mind and always interested in the historical events that alter lives.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
ES: Yes, I am a ghostwriter and specialize in writing life stories and memoirs. As I interview and write for my “authors” I see history through their eyes. About three years ago I had the privilege of ghosting the life story for a gentleman who was 104. He’d lived through the Roaring Twenties, plowed fields using horse power and not machine, nearly starved during the Great Depression, saw the Dust Bowl’s destruction, worked with America’s top scientists on the Manhattan project, and felt blessed to have an incredible family and marvelous life partner. I witness these things through the interviews and while ghosting his stories. It was thrilling.
Kathy: Tell us about your book.
ES: It’s February 1942. War grips the world. Asian hate runs rampant, and New Orleans is a dangerous place for Chinese-English scientist Thomas Ling as he collides with self-proclaimed psychic Beatrix Patterson. She's a good liar with an excellent memory, which in truth is her only gift-well, that and conning the well-heeled out of their money and secrets. Together they must flesh out Nazi cells and stop homegrown terrorists from invading the city. -- Yes, I’m working on the sequel right now, this time set in Santa Barbara, where I grew up. The time period is right after the war. Beatrix uses her investigative skills to expose a cult that indoctrinates unsuspecting women who are then trapped in prostitution and as with The Seer, the new book called “The Pimp.” everything is not what it seems. Thomas and she are to be married but even that is thrown in jeopardy as murder hides around every corner.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
ES: I love Beatrix and yes, I love the fashions she wears, too. My favorite character is Thomas and I’ve been told that I have his personality. He is smart and all the scientist, but his imagination gets away from him.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your book?
ES: I love New Orleans. I think it’s impossible to have a bad meal there. Oh, and the people and music are just marvelous. I think of the city like a great aunt who wears too much perfume and makeup and when you visit you know you’ll do things you shouldn’t, but you cannot wait. And the history there is incredible. Just walking through the French Quarter, the stories swirl around and whisper in voices from the past. It’s mysterious and fascinating.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
ES: TorchFlame Publishing is the publisher. I felt comfortable and valued as a Christian working with Christian publisher, although The Seer is not in any way a Christian book. I sent the manuscript to TorchFlame on January 13, my late mama’s birthday, and a week later we had a deal. This does not happen in publishing, so I knew it was right.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite? --
ES: What a fun question and that really got me thinking. I’d invite Louise Penny, John Steinbeck, Agatha Christie, the Apostle Paul from the New Testament. Now that’d be a riot.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
ES: “The Madness of Crowds,” by Louise Penny. I am a rabid Louise Penny groupie. She is the finest wordsmith I’ve ever read.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
ES: I love to read, take Coco Rose for long walks, work in my rose garden, shop (that is a hobby, right?), paint (canvases not houses, specializing in whimsical work and California Impressionism), and play the banjolele. The banjolele is a hybrid between a ukulele and a banjo, invented in 1916 and the music sounds like you’d hear in a honkytonk bar. It’s a hoot. I’m just beginning but learning to play a stringed instrument was on my pandemic bucket list and I’ve been playing nearly a year. It’s relaxing, challenging, although I’m not that good yet, even though I’m taking private lessons. I play sitting in my garden in the afternoons and the neighbors haven’t complained. Yet. Although after a long session, sometimes Coco lies down on top of my music to get me to stop.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
ES: Hummus, celery, pita chips, and coffee. Just typing those foods makes me hungry and want a good cup of coffee.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
ES: Yes, and tentative the next book is called The Pimp.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
ES: Sharing stories, either the ones in my head, when I write fiction, or helping my “authors” tell their life stories as I do when I ghost. Humans love stories and I get to make some up and share the real ones. Every day is different and I’m blessed beyond measure.
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EVA SHAW is one of the country’s premier ghostwriters and is the author of more than award-winning 100 books. Novels with her byline include these faith-based Amazon best sellers: Doubts of the Heart and Games of the Heart. Nonfiction best sellers include: Ghostwriting: The Complete Guide, Writeriffic 2: Creativity Training for Writers, Write Your Book in 20 Minutes, Garden Therapy: Nature’s Health Plan, and What to Do When A Loved One Dies. Visit Amazon, Good Reads and other sellers for reviews.
Eva teaches five university-level writing courses available online at 4000 colleges and universities worldwide. A breast cancer survivor, she's an active volunteer with causes affecting women and children and with her church. She loves to travel, read, shop, garden, play the banjolele and paint, focusing on folk art and California landscapes. When not at her desk, she’s probably enjoying the beach village of Carlsbad, California with Coco Rose, a rambunctious 2-year-old Welsh terrier.
