Heartbreak Hotel is a book of three interconnected mystery novellas, all having to do with Elvis! I posed the same questions to each of the authors, Terri L. Austin (Diners Keepers, Losers Weepers), Larissa Reinhart (Quick Sketch), and LynDee Walker (Dateline Memphis).
Kathy: What
challenges exists in writing interconnected mysteries? What are its perks?
Terri: I think the biggest challenge was making
sure our descriptions of the hotel lined up. And the drag queens we
used needed to be consistent throughout. But it was fun to see what
Larissa and LynDee had come up with. We each wrote our stories individually and
showed them to each other when they were done.
Larissa:
Writing Heartache Motel with LynDee and Terri was less challenging than you’d
think. I’d call it perkalicious. We sent emails back and forth, bouncing ideas
off of each other. Created a Pinterest board for sharing images. We had to
makes sure the motel and some of the characters were synchronized. But I can
honestly say it was mainly fun!
LynDee: I agree. I had fun with the whole
process. The challenge was triple-and-quadruple checking the descriptions. The
most fun thing for me was the brainstorming we did coming up with the motel and
the common characters in the stories. Those emails are a comedy gold mine!
Kathy: What makes
Elvis so special?
Terri: He's the king for a reason. His memory is
still alive and he has legions of fans. I was driving through the south a few
weeks ago, and at a large truck stop (I LOVE truck stops!!) there was a whole
section devoted to Elvis. T-shirts, keyrings, shot glasses. People love him.
Larissa: He’s
the King! This is just my opinion, but I think several things combined to make
him such an icon. He came from humble roots. He was extremely talented, but
also savvy. The music he sang wasn’t groundbreaking, but he made it mainstream.
He had a combination of humility and sexiness that made him extremely charming
and likable. And he opened himself to the public. I’m not any kind of expert on
Elvis. I love his music, but I never researched him until I wrote Quick Sketch.
He’s a very interesting man.
LynDee: Well, he's special to me
because my mom was a HUGE Elvis fan. But overall, I think it's a combination of
things. He came onto the music scene at a time when American teenagers were
ready for something exciting and new, and he gave them that. His music transcends
genre and crossed all kinds of boundaries back then, which fed his immense
popularity. And his good looks and talent didn't hurt, either.
Kathy: Do you have a
significant Elvis connection?
Terri: I didn't until writing this novella. But
after listening to several songs and watching a few movies, I'm hooked. Clambake anyone?
Larissa: My
husband and I were married in the chapel at the Coco Palms Hotel in Kawaii
where they filmed Blue Hawaii! That chapel was in the movie. After we married,
I think it was destroyed by a hurricane or something. Didn’t jinx us, though.
Still married.
LynDee: As I said, my mom was a
big, big Elvis fan. I grew up on his music and movies (Fun in Acapulco is still
my favorite. Followed closely by Kissin' Cousins. Pappy was hilarious!), and
I've been to Graceland. Is that significant? It is to me, anyhow. I had a blast
writing Dateline Memphis and getting to pore over photos and memories in the
process.
Kathy: What first
drew you to cozy mysteries?
Terri: I'm still not convinced I write a cozy
mystery. Maybe a new cozy with a little more violence, language and sex than a
typical cozy. I do love a good mystery, though. A heroine who is feisty and
won't stop until she finds the killer--it's great fun to write.
Larissa: I
like mysteries, but I’m not comfortable writing from the perspective of someone
who really knows how to solve crimes. I’m character driven. And I like humor.
And romance. So that puts me in the cozy crime group, I guess.
LynDee: Ditto what Terri said. My
Headlines in High Heels books are often categorized as cozy, and who am I to
argue? But they have a sprinkle of language and romance, and Nichelle is a
little edgier than the "typical" cozy sleuth. I love mysteries, no
matter the sub-category. I think, in some respects, all great stories are
mysteries. There may not be a dead guy in everything, but there has to be a
reason to get the reader to keep reading.
Kathy: Do you write
in any other genres?
Terri: I write smexy romance and urban fantasy as
well.
Larissa: I
read all kinds of genres, so I think that makes me want to write all kinds of
genres. I like writing Chick lit type romances. Romantic suspense with a kind
of paranormal twist. I’m working on what may be an urban fantasy. I have some
ideas for some Young Adult/New Adult stories, and actually the first manuscript
I wrote was a New Adult paranormal romance. To be honest, I just write and find
out what the genre is after the stories are written.
LynDee: I dabble in women's fiction
and magical realism.
Kathy:Tell us about
your series.
Terri: My Rose Strickland Series is about a
former-rich-girl-turned-waitress. She's loyal and that leads her into all sorts
of mystery-solving adventures. My romance series, coming out in May, kicks off
with HIS EVERY NEED. The series features three sisters and the British heroes
who love them.
Larissa: The
Cherry Tucker series is set in small town, Georgia, and features the adventures
of said Cherry Tucker, a classically trained portrait artist trying to make a
living as an artist. And not well. Because she can’t mind her own business she
often finds herself embarked on some dangerous caper that leads to solving
mysteries. And in the stories there is usually a goat, an old truck, and a
handful of good looking men.
LynDee: The Headlines in High Heels
books are about a smart, sassy crime reporter who gets into occasional trouble
poking around a story people would rather she stay out of. She has a fierce
work ethic, a weakness for great shoes, and a small circle of great friends.
Plus a couple of hotter-than-an-August-afternoon-in-Dallas guys who'd like to
be more than friends.
Kathy: Do you have a
favorite character? If so, who and why?
Terri: Probably Rose. She's a flawed character
with a big heart. Second would be Rose's best friend, Roxy. She says what
everyone else is thinking and she rocks crazy fashion while she does it.
Larissa: Red
the bartender. He’s not a big character, but he likes to tell Cherry how the
cow eats the cabbage. He watches a lot of daytime TV at the bar and loves to
psychoanalyze Cherry. I think it’s good therapy for her. I worry about Cherry.
LynDee: Nichelle, definitely. She's
so much fun to write. She's a good reporter with a big heart and a drive to
help people. She's also witty and fun and she can run in stilettos. I'd love to
go have a glass of wine with her.
Kathy: Did you have a
specific inspiration for your series?
Terri: I wanted to write about an underdog that
was torn between two worlds--her old, wealthy lifestyle and her new, hard-won
independence.
Larissa: The
idea for characters like Cherry and her family just popped in my head one day.
However, (not to be morbid) when my dad passed away, I stayed with my mom in my
very small hometown for three weeks and that fertilized that idea of Cherry.
And gave me the original idea for a story of an artist painting a portrait of a
dead guy.
LynDee: Mine probably grew out of
missing the newsroom. I loved being a reporter, but the hours were a little insane,
and I walked away when my first child was born. This way, I get to play in that
world and still be home with my little monkeys.
Kathy: What made you
decide to publish your work?
Terri: I think it's every author's dream to get
their book published. Once it was edited as tightly as I could manage, I
started sending it out to agents and publishers.
Larissa: Portrait
of a Dead Guy (the first Cherry Tucker mystery) was my second manuscript I had
written. I just felt it was publishable although I knew it needed help from an
editor. I didn’t feel that way about my first manuscript.
LynDee: What Terri said. Once I
finished the rough draft of FRONT PAGE FATALITY, I started researching
publishing. I discovered I had a lot to learn, but learn it I did, and I'm so
happy to have landed at Henery Press with Terri and Larissa. It's been an
amazing year.
Kathy: If you could
have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who
would you invite?
Terri: Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, Dave Barry,
and Jackie Collins. I chose the last two because they could entertain me while
Agatha and Jane acclimated themselves to the 21st century.
Larissa: I’d
invite my friends Terri L. Austin, LynDee Walker, Gretchen Archer, and then
Julia Child. Hopefully Julia will cook and entertain us with stories.
LynDee: Hmmmm. Laura Levine, Harlan Coben,
Joshilyn Jackson, and Stephen King. I think that would be the best dinner
conversation in the history of the world.
Kathy: What are you
currently reading?
Terri: CAGED WARRIOR by Lindsey Piper. It's
amazing
Larissa: Gretchen
Archer’s second Davis Way novel, DOUBLE DIP. It’s hilarious. I love Davis.
LynDee: GUESTS ON EARTH, by Lee
Smith. The research involved in a book like this boggles my mind. But she did
an amazing job.
Kathy: Will you share
any of your hobbies or interests with us?
Terri: I love to bead. Any bead, any time,
anywhere. They're so shiny.
Larissa: My
hobby is raising two daughters, two fish, two frogs, one dog, and a husband.
They are also my interest.
LynDee: When I'm not writing or reading
or doing laundry, I play with my little ones. They are my light. I love
scrapbooking and tennis, but there's no time for them these days.
Someday!
Kathy: Name 4 items
you always have in your fridge or pantry.
Terri: Rice, beans, salsa, chicken. I'm ready to
make a taco bowl at a moment's notice.
Larissa: Soy
sauce, mirin, Japanese rice, and beer.
LynDee: Ketchup (I have three small
children) Black beans, turkey sausage, and Popchips. Not that those would make
a great meal. But they're always there.
Kathy: Do you have
plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
Terri: I'm always thinking of new books. I have
several ideas for Rose, I have two more books coming out for my romance trilogy
and I just finished editing an urban fantasy. There's never enough time for all
the stories I have floating around in my brain.
Larissa: Thanks
for asking! My fourth book in the Cherry Tucker series, DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE,
should be out next summer. The third book, HIJACK IN ABSTRACT, just released
this November. And there’s all the other projects running around in my head.
LynDee: The third Headlines in High
Heels book will be out in April, and I just signed a three-book deal with
Henery for the fourth, fifth, and sixth books in the series. I'm working on #4
now and having so much fun with it. I have many more stories about Nichelle to
tell. And when there's time, I'm going to get back to my magical realism novel,
too. I need longer days.
Kathy: What's your
favorite thing about being an author?
Terri: Working in my pajamas.
Larissa: This
would make my husband laugh because I’ve always been more of an introvert, but
I really love connecting with readers. It’s so much fun. LynDee and I even have
a street team on Facebook called the Mystery Minions. I look forward to
chatting with them every day!
LynDee: Getting to be home with my kids and do
what I love. And yoga pants.
Terri: Thanks so much for having us on Cozy Up
With Kathy! It was a pleasure to be here!
Larissa:
Thanks so much for having us on! This was so much fun.
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