A Floral Interview

I'm pleased to welcome Beverly Allen back to the blog. Beverly writes the Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery series. Floral Depravity, the third book in the series, was released this past week!

Kathy: In Floral Depravity Audrey has to create the wedding bouquets for a medieval-themed, hand-fasting ceremony. Have you had the opportunity to attend a hand fasting? Or a medieval themed festival?

BA: Sadly, I have not. I was looking at a couple festivals, but I’d either just missed them or they occurred after the book was due to my editor. Fortunately, I have a friend who was quite involved in a popular re-creation group, so she was a great resource, both in planning and proofing. (Any mistakes are my own, but my little encampment is fictional.) And many re-enactors love taking You-Tube video, so I was able to attend the festivals vicariously and more than one hand-fasting via the folks on Pinterest. (https://www.pinterest.com/barbearly/medieval-wedding/) I also really enjoyed digging into Terry Jones’ Medieval Lives (http://www.amazon.com/Terry-Jones-Medieval-Lives/dp/B0010V4VJY/) to pick up a little more medieval flair.


Kathy: Audrey had to research period-accurate blooms for the wedding to appease the father of the bride. Is this information fairly easy to obtain or were more rigorous research methods required?

BA: It was easier to find than one might think. There are several books devoted to medieval flowers, and I hit the jackpot with The Medieval Flower Book, which not only talked about the flowers which were available at the time, but also their use in medicines any significance in religion and folklore. ( http://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Flower-Book-Celia-Fisher/dp/0712358943) Fascinating stuff. I really had to hold back trying to squeeze all the interesting tidbits into the book. The Cloisters also has a blog on medieval gardens. http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/


Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

BA: Several. The setting came when I was driving back from Pittsburgh after attending a writers conference with my friend who was involved in the medieval group. We passed right by the campgrounds where the event was held. I was in the process of brainstorming and really wanted an interesting location, while keeping the small town feel I know readers love. I had considered a Civil War, or even a Revolutionary War re-enactment group, but as we were chatting about her experiences, I realized I was much more interested in the medieval period. I could have a lot of fun with the setting: knights, horses, swordplay, big heavy dresses, and obsessive, anal historians clashing with those just out for a fun weekend.

But there’s other things going on in this story. Brad, her ex, is back. And Audrey’s long-lost father returns, which throws her life into turmoil. This is the third book in the series, and poor Liv is still pregnant. I needed to do something about that. There’s much about making peace with the past and moving ahead to new and exciting things. It was a fun book to write, and I hope readers enjoy it as well.


Kathy: Since writing the Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery series do you find you pay more attention to flowers?

BA: Yes and no. I’ve become a little obsessive about bouquets and flower arrangements when I see them on Facebook. I get upset if I can’t identify a particular flower, and I’ll drop everything until I figure it out. When I see bridal bouquets using flowers that have negative meanings in the language of flowers, I do cringe a little. Because of allergies, I don’t do much with real flowers myself anymore, and except for a few very hardy perennials and a horde of dandelions, I have none growing this year. My yard is pretty bare. I guess it’s like plumbers having the leakiest pipes.


Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pansters, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between?

BA: I’m most definitely a plotter. However, when I get going, the characters sometimes refuse to obey my plots. When that happens, their ideas are almost always better than mine, so I let them take over and I just sit back and type. It’s the closest I get to magic.


Kathy: Authors are required to do a lot of their own marketing, especially for a new release. What's your favorite part of marketing your work? What do you dislike about marketing?

BA: I love meeting readers. Recently at the Suffolk Mystery Author’s Festival I met a woman who was all excited to see my book. “You? You wrote Bloom and Doom?” It turned out she loved the book and used the language of flowers from the book in her wedding vows. I also like interacting with readers online, whether it’s Facebook or blog posts. Writing can be such a solitary process that it’s rewarding to hear from readers who liked my book. As far as dislikes, I don’t do a lot of the repeated “Buy my book!” posts and tweets. I think people tire of that anyway.


Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Audrey Bloom?

BA: I have all kinds of plans for Audrey Bloom, but many of those are in limbo at the moment. My publisher has yet to make a decision on whether there will be more books after this one. And yes, I’m sure there’s some number crunching going on. When readers pre-order a book or rush out to buy it as soon as it’s out, they’re really casting their votes saying, “I want this series to continue.” I know I’ve found a series late, loved it, only to realize that it ended at three books. I guess I wasn’t there to cast my vote.

Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

BA: My agent is shopping around one proposal set in a small town in Western New York, but I’m brainstorming other series ideas, as well. Now, ideas are pretty plentiful. There are a lot of stories I’d like to write. The challenging part of the process is finding that hook that editors know will draw readers. And it’s very competitive. It’s both an exciting and scary time to be a writer.

Currently Moderating...

I'm sorry I'm tardy with today's feature, but I was out late last night moderating an author panel. Instead of sharing what I'm currently reading, I thought I'd share a little about the authors and books in the panel I was moderating.

Yesterday was the book birthday of one of the books-Floral Depravity by Beverly Allen. This book is the third in the Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery series and deals with a medieval handfasting ceremony. Well, a modern day version of one. Be sure to stop by the blog this Friday as Beverly is stopping by for an interview.

Alice Loweecey was another author on the panel. Second to Nun is the kind of second book in her Giulia Driscoll Mystery series (really first book had a different publisher, so the series was kind of restarted). In this installment, released September 22, we get haunted lighthouses and seances and such. Alice also writes horror stories under the name Kate Morgan. Did you visit the blog two Sundays ago? If you didn't you missed Alice's guest post. You can check it out by clicking here.

Sandra Block was the final author of the group. Sandra writes psychological suspense. Her series deals with a psychiatry resident who has some issues of her own. The second book in her series, The Girl Without a Name, was released September 8th.

I hope you check out these books and perhaps you'll be currently reading them soon.

Profile on Amy Spannagel - Guest Post and Giveaway

Profile on Amy Spannagel

Thanks for stopping by the DEADLY DYE AND A SOY CHAI blog tour! I’ve been profiling each of the five main characters in the Danger Cove Hair Salon series, and next up is the extremely practical but hopelessly romantic Amy Spannagal. Twenty-seven-year-old Amy moved to Danger Cove from Seattle two years ago following a job offer and the promise of meeting seamen.

Occupation:

Amy is the Assistant Librarian at Danger Cove Library, where she works tirelessly under Head Librarian Benjamin “Ben” Bardsley. When she was growing up, she really liked singing and dancing, but her mother wouldn’t let her pursue those talents because she said that they could lead to teen pregnancy or a job in theater.

Education:

She has a bachelor’s in Germanics with a minor in French from the University of Washington. She also has her master’s degree in library and information science and has finished the coursework toward her PhD. Amy originally wanted a PhD in mathematics, but her mother told her that those girls don’t find husbands.

Dissertation Title: You Can Judge a Book by Its Cover: A Critical Analysis of Contemporary Methods of Bookbinding

Personality:

Amy is something of a Renaissance woman. She crafts, makes her own clothes, and grows her own vegetables. She’s also a daydreamer and a hopeless romantic despite the fact that she wasn’t allowed to read books like Cinderella and other princess stories as a child because they have magic in them.

Bad Habits:

Amy loves to gossip, mainly because it makes her feel like she’s a part of things. Unfortunately, she also points out other people’s faults and poor choices but only because she wants to help.

Favorite Foods:

Thanks in part to her heritage, she’s passionate about German meat dishes. As Amy is quick to tell you, she makes a mean schweinebraten.

Main Challenges Amy Is Facing Now (in no particular order):

1. Finding a man.

2. Convincing Ben that she’s a hard worker and a devotee of the Dewey Decimal System.

3. Finding a man.

4. Helping Cassidi figure out what turned poor old Margaret Appleby so blue.

5. Finding a man.

Defense Mechanism:

As an academic, Amy tends to over rationalize and over intellectualize to the dismay of Gia, in particular. According to Cassidi, Amy and Gia are like beer and Chianti—they just don’t mix…

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For a chance to win your own e-copy of Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai simply leave a comment on this blog no later than 11:59pm EDT Monday, October 5, 2015 telling us what you'd like to drink while at the hair salon! Be sure to leave your e-mail as well so that I may contact you should you win!

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Plantation Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Ellen Byron to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Ellen writes the Cajun Country Mystery series. Plantation Shudders is the first book in the series.

Kathy: In Plantation Shudders Maggie Crozat returns home to her family’s plantation-turned-bed-and-breakfast. Is the B&B based on one you've visited, or is it purely derived from your imagination?

EB: It was inspired by a night my husband and I spent at Madewood Plantation on Bayou Lafourche in Napoleonville, Louisiana, in 1998. It was such an interesting experience that it stayed with me all these years. Although in my mind, Crozat Plantation looks like Ashland-Belle Helene, whose architecture I fell in love with in the mid-1980s. Ashland-Belle Helene is also where I met my friend Gaynell Bourgeois Moore, the tour guide who inspired the Gaynell in my book.


Kathy: The B&B is full due to a local food festival. I love food festivals! Do you have favorite food festivals that you attend?

EB: I love New Orlean’s JazzFest. It’s the most phenomenal festival ever. Its full title is actually the Jazz and Heritage Festival, so in addition to stage after stage of musical acts, there are crafts and food. It’s where I first met a voodoo priestess who took credit cards (hence the character Helene Brevelle in my book, whom we don’t meet but we hear about) and where I ate the legendary pasta dish, Crawfish Monica. This dish inspired Ninette’s Crawfish Crozat, but my recipe is completely different. I put a spin on it that’s a bit more healthy because I’m always on a diet!


Kathy: Many years ago I spent a wonderful vacation in Louisiana and would love to return. Why choose Louisiana as your setting and what makes it the perfect location for your series?

EB: I fell in love with Louisiana as a student at Tulane University, and became fascinated by the Cajun culture. I first used it as the background for a character in my one-act play, Graceland. When I was musing about an interesting locale for a series, I was once again drawn to Cajun Country. I feel such a strong connection to it – even though I’m a New Yorker who now lives in Los Angeles. But my dream is to someday live at least one month a year in south Louisiana, and just meander all over the area.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

EB: I spent the summer before ninth grade commuting from the suburbs to Manhattan for a six-week program at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I needed books to read on the train to and from the city, and somehow landed on Agatha Christie. By the end of the summer, I’d read almost everything she’d written, as well as many books by Daphne Du Maurier. And I was totally hooked on cozies.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

EB: I began as a playwright, and have four published and produced plays. My day job these days is working as a television writer. I’ve been on series like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Still Standing. I have a writing partner for television, and we’re currently working on an animated series.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

EB: My Cajun Country series is set in New York. KIDDING! It’s set in Louisiana’s fabulous Cajun Country of course, one of my favorite places ever. My protagonist, Maggie Crozat, is an artist who moves back to her hometown, tiny Pelican, Louisiana – town motto, “Yes, We Peli-CAN!” She’s trying to get her art career going while working at two different plantations. She’s a tour guide at Doucet, which was owned by her mother’s ancestors and is now an historical site. And she works at Crozat Plantation, her father’s ancestral home, which her family operates as a B&B. However, when a murder threatens the family business, she forced to become an amateur sleuth.


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

EB: My favorite character to write is probably Grandmere (aka, Granmere or Gran’). On the surface, Gran’ is your classic Southern belle, but she’s sharp and totally self-aware. I can really have fun with her comebacks and character, but still use her to propel the story when necessary. Yet she doesn’t have to carry the story, like my protagonist Maggie does. There are actors who are perfectly happy playing second bananas for this very reason. When I wrote on Just Shoot Me, David Spade—whose snarky persona is an act, he’s a total sweetheart—would ask us not to build a story around him. He liked coming into a scene, landing jokes, and then moving on.


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

EB: I was inspired by my journeys through Cajun Country during and after my college years at Tulane.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

EB: I’ve always been a published writer, whether it was in theatre, journalism or TV. But I was also driven by my passion to share my love of south Louisiana with others. My dream would be that some readers finish my book and think, wow, I would love to visit this part of the world. Readers, if that happens, let me know how your trip goes! And if you contact me through my website, ellenbyron.com, I’ll happily share any tips I have for exploring the area. My family is going over Christmas break, so I’ll have some new insights after that trip.


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

EB: Charles Dickens, all the Bronte sisters (I’m counting them as one), Agatha Christie, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

EB: I recently did my first bookstore signing at the awesome Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, where I appeared with three wonderful cozy writers: Daryl Wood Gerber, Nancy Cole Silverman, and Diane Vallere. I bought all their new books and am reading them in alphabetical order.


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

EB: Absolutely! Reading is my number one hobby, but I’m also craftsy. I love to needlepoint, and just finished a Louisiana-themed Christmas mini stocking. I also make jewelry sometimes; recently I couldn’t find any necklaces that had a Mardi Gras color scheme to them, so I bought brooches online, and turned them into necklaces using crystal and glass beads. And I’m doing a decoupage demonstration at the upcoming mystery convention, Bouchercon, in Raleigh, NC.


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

EB: Mustard, pasta, sparkling water, and Weight Watchers 2 Point bars!


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

EB: I’m finishing up the second book in the Cajun Country series, Body on the Bayou, and have ideas for future installments. I also have a mystery I wrote called You Can Never Be Too Thin or Too Dead, set in a super-rich and elite Los Angeles high school, that I’d love to sell. And I’m tossing around an idea for series that would involve needlepoint.


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

EB: I love when the magic happens and I’m able to craft an image, a character, or a location in a fresh way. But I have another favorite thing about being an author – interacting with readers. I love to read, and I always have. I have a small scar on my forehead because when I was a teenager, I was reading while I walked and bonked my head on a tree. For me, reading is such a wonderful escape. To know that I’ve brought that experience to at least a few readers through Plantation Shudders means the world to me. And I love when readers reach out with thoughts or questions or comments. I respect and appreciate all of them.


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Currently Reading...

I just started reading Knock on Wood by Linda O. Johnston. This book is the second in her Superstition Mystery series and will be released next week! When I say I just started reading this book, I really meant just started. I haven't even finished chapter one! But here's what's going on so far: Rory is settling in to the town of Destiny, managing the Lucky Dog Boutique and even contemplating moving out of the Rainbow B&B to rent an apartment, or even buy a house.She's also excited that her best friend Gemma is coming down for a visit. However, a troubled Gemma arrives a day early. Something is wrong...and while Rory will give her space for a moment, she'll soon find out the problem and look for a solution.

Review - Wouldn't it be Deadly

Review

Wouldn't it be Deadly by D.E. Ireland
The First Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Mystery

This book is the first in the Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Mystery series and was published last year. D.E. Ireland takes the wonderful characters created by George Bernard Shaw and expounds on their lives after the Embassy Ball in 1913. Higgins and Colonel Pickering have gone on two month tour of Spain, studying dialects. Upon their return to London Higgins discovers that Eliza has become the assistant of Maestro Nepommuck, giving diction lessons herself. Not only that, Nepommuck has been advertising is was he who transformed this Cockney flower girl into a lady. Seeking to give the blighter his comeuppance, Higgins delves into the Hungarian's shady past-and gives the information to the papers. What Higgins didn't expect was for someone to then murder the Maestro and for Eliza to find the body! Now Higgins is the number one suspect and Eliza is out to clear his name. 

It takes courage and a bit of nerve to take well known and well loved characters and give them new life. Things could go horribly wrong. However, in Wouldn't it be Deadly things go wonderfully right. D.E. Ireland has taken George Bernard Shaw's wonderful characters and brought them to the world of the cozy mystery.

Having played the character of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion I feel quite an affinity toward her. Reading this book is like reading my story and I was not disappointed. Eliza remains the smart independent woman she's always been. What's also fascinating is watching her relationship with Professor Higgins. Although some critics of the original claim that there is no romance between them, it's hard to deny that there is something there. One can't say what exactly that something is, but there is something; a complicated relationship to be sure.

In Wouldn't it be Deadly we get the familiar characters we know and love thrust into new circumstances with a fine mystery to solve. As for the mystery itself-a victim with a scandalous past providing multiple people with plenty of motive. D.E. Ireland combines familiar characters with historical accuracy and cozy mystery fun in this delightful book.

Saving my Writing Bacon - Guest Post & Giveaway

Saving my Writing Bacon

By Alice Loweecey

I’m a writer. I create. My readers want more mysteries from me, so I brew some Seattle’s Best No. 5 and grab my laptop. Allons-y!

That is, until I’m staring at that blank white Word doc and nothing’s coming.

A creature called “Deadline” likes to appear on my desk right about then. It usually looks like the outcome of several illegal horror movie experiments mixed with wolf spider DNA. Google “wolf spider” if you don’t need to sleep tonight – I’m not going to insert a picture here. (You’re welcome.)

When I’m being menaced by that creature and my creative mojo is binge-watching Firefly on Netflix instead of, you know, creating, I reach for my “Save My Writing Bacon” list.

 (source 20th century fox television)

1. Set a goal with a reward. For example, when I reach 500 words, I will then allow myself to watch one episode of Firefly. The words don’t have to be creative, but they do need to be productive. Which ties into bacon-saver number two:

2. Research. I love research and can get lost in it for hours. I like to front-load my research so all of it is at my fingertips as I'm writing. I’m a visual writer, so I screencap maps, house floor plans, real estate listings, poisonous plants, anything that I’ll need for when I’m deep in the murderer’s head. 

(source:learntarot.com)

 

3. Turn your usual process upside down.  Write a 2-page synopsis if that's something you usually do after the first draft is complete. Outline if you’re a pantser. Front-load the research if you usually research on the fly. Sometimes turning things back-to-front gives my brain the kick in the butt it needs. 

(source: The New York Post)

4. Rethink the inciting incident. If you discover you’ve started the book with the wrong inciting incident—this happened to me—I trolled news stories past and present. After a few hours I ended up using the news like a buffet: One element from here, part of a subplot from there, a quirky character from a third article. I now have a file of articles labeled Plot Bunnies.

5. This final bacon-saver is a version of reversing the process. Write in longhand if you usually write on the laptop, or write on the the laptop if you prefer longhand This  works for any draft I’m in, regardless of deadline. Because if the words aren’t flowing onto. keyboard, it doesn’t matter if I write faster on my laptop. I need to write, period. Sometimes my brain needs the visuals of lots of ink on paper. 

There. 500 words. Firefly, here I come!

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