Interview at the Mansion With Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Janet Finsilver to the blog today. Janet writes the Kelly Jackson Mystery series. Murder at the Mansion is the second book in the series.

Kathy: Whale-watching season brings the tourists to town in Murder at the Mansion. Have you ever been whale watching?

JF: Yes, a number of times. I’ve actually touched gray whales! I go to San Ignacio Lagoon in Mexico. Small groups of people go out in 22-foot boats called pangas manned by local guides twice a day. They’ve been magical experiences. I hope to do it again this spring.


Kathy: Redwood Heights is a Victorian-style estate turned into a B&B. Is it based on a real estate, or is it entirely fictional?

JF: It’s fictional. However, the idea of using a mansion came after I spent a couple of nights in a historic home in Colorado called Cleveholm Manor when it was operating as a hotel. Construction on it started in 1897 and was completed in 1902. John Cleveland Osgood, the owner, spared no expense and the mansion was filled crystal chandeliers, hand-carved furniture, and marble fireplaces to name a few items. I really enjoyed seeing all the antiques and wanted to put some in one of my books.


Kathy: Kelly Jackson gets assistance from a group of brainy retirees. I'm always pleased to see older characters in mysteries, but why add the “Silver Sentinels" to the mix?

JF: When the manager has an “accidental” fatal fall from a cliff, I wanted a group of his caring friends to question what happened. They knew Bob, the manager, was a very careful man and familiar with the area. They’d been involved helping with small crimes in their community, so questioning rather than taking for granted was more their norm.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

JF: I like books that have an interesting plot, a beautiful place to visit, and people you want to spend time with. When I read something, I want to know I’m “safe” in terms of the images that will come into my mind. I do not like graphic violence. I want to know the people and animals I come to care about will not be harmed and will be back in the next book.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

JF: No. I’ve thought about writing young adult books centered around animals. Right now I’m enjoying being in Redwood Cove.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

JF: Kelly Jackson and the crime-solving group of senior citizens, the Silver Sentinels, team together to help their community when problems arise.


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

JF: No, I don’t. I spend most of my time with Kelly, so I feel the closest to her. I enjoy all of the Silver Sentinels and the other regular characters. With each book I discover more about them.


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

JF: I enjoy Murder She Wrote and wanted to write something along those lines. The dogs with special abilities started with an article about a dog trained to detect cancer. That’s how Fred the basset hound entered Murder at Redwood Cove. From there my research lead me to termite and bed bug finders Jack and Jill, the beagles in Murder at the Mansion. Princess, a Chihuahua and retired hearing assistance dog appears in Murder at the Fortune Teller’s Table.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

JF: Part of the fun of writing is sharing it with others. I also like to have new experiences and going through working with an agent, an editor, and the staff at Kensington Publishing Corporation has provided me with a whole new piece in my life.


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

JF: Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers, and Rex Stout.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

JF: I’m not reading anything. When I’m working on a book, I don’t want to put someone else’s plot into my head. I’ll be getting the copy edits back soon for Murder at the Fortune Teller’s Table. I want my mind to stay in that book right now.


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

JF: In college I trained dogs for field trials. My young Rhodesian ridgeback seemed to have a lot of fun on an agility course recently, so I’m thinking about working with her in that area. I love horseback riding and have enjoyed my trips to Bitterroot Ranch and Hunewill Ranch. I like to cook and am constantly saving recipes.


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

JF: Hot chili oil, Parmesan cheese, sesame oil, ice cream with the word chocolate somewhere in the name or in the description


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

JF: I’m letting the next book in the Kelly Jackson series began to take shape.


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

JF: I like the creative process. I enjoy spending time in Redwood Cove and visiting with Kelly and the Silver Sentinels and sharing their adventures.

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Spotlight & Giveaway - Die, Die Birdie

Die, Die Birdie

by J. R. Ripley
Cozy Mystery
• New Series
• Publisher: Kensington – Lyrical Underground
• (August 16, 2016)
•Paperback: 200 pages
•ISBN-13: 978-1601838315
• 288 Pages
• ASIN: B018CGZ1J8

For Amy Simms, hatching a birding shop in her hometown of Ruby Lake, North Carolina, hasn’t exactly been a breeze. But could a deadly discovery clip her wings for good?

It’s just days before Amy plans to open Birds & Bees on the first floor of her creaky Victorian house, but delayed seed shipments have prevented the fledging owner from stocking her shelves. And it doesn’t help that Amy’s best friend and business partner is out of town indefinitely. With locals skeptical about the niche shop taking flight, the last thing Amy needs now is a dead man in her storeroom-or for a crotchety tenant to catch her holding a bloody birdfeeder hook over his body . . .

Pigeonholed as a leading murder suspect by police and lacking a solid alibi, Amy’s delving into the victim’s ugly past and buzzing around Ruby Lake for clues on his killer . . . before she ends up like so many of her beloved feathery friends-trapped behind bars! 

About The Author

J.R. Ripley is the pen name of Glenn Meganck, the critically acclaimed author of the Tony Kozol mystery series. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, he has chaired the Edgar committee for Best Original Paperback novel and served on the Best Short Story Committee. As a member of the International Association of Crime Writers, he has served on the Hammett Award committee for Best Novel. When not writing books, Glenn is writing songs, often singing them to the consternation of his audience and neighbors, or involved in one of his many passions, none of which have involved any of the dead bodies that seem to keep cropping up in his mysteries. For more information about him, visit glennmeganck.com.

Author Links

• Visit the Author’s Website
• • Leave your Review on Amazon!
  • Leave your Review on Goodreads!

Purchase Links:
Amazon

• Read with Kobo
• Read with Google Play
• Buy at Barnes & Noble

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A Wolfman Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Susan Boles to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Susan writes the Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery series. Death of a Wolfman is the first book in the series and was released August 5th.

Kathy: Lily Gayle Lambert is a professional seamstress. Do you sew?

SB: Yes, I do. I learned some very basic sewing when I was about twelve and then had sewing in school in both eighth grade and ninth grade. Then, my original college major was Fashion Merchandising, so I took some clothing construction classes at that time. I used to make some of my clothes when I was in high school and college.


Kathy: Lily specializes in period dresses for convention attendees and re-enactment groups. Do you participate in these type of events? Are you a re-enactor yourself?

SB: I'm not a re-enactor. But I would love to do it! I have a friend who is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism and I have attended some events as her guest...and made costumes to wear for the events. Early Renaissance. I've attended costume parties a some writers conventions too. I have a beautiful satin and lace Renaissance ball gown that I made and also a chiffon mid-calf length fairy dress.


Kathy: What period of clothing has your favorite style?

SB: I love the clothing from the Renaissance. All those gorgeous lacings and wild sleeves! And I love Antebellum costumes too.The ball gowns from that period are gorgeous!


Kathy: Lily is also an amateur genealogist. Have you tried tracing your roots?

SB: Yes. I have been a amateur genealogist for about twenty five years. I've traced some of my family lines back to the early 1600's. It's one of the most interesting and frustrating things I've ever done. When the trail is hot, it can be amazing. But when it goes cold, it gets so frustrating that I could just scream.


Kathy: Is the Wolfman your favorite monster?

SB: I'm a fan of all the old monster movies. Dracula...."Look into my eyes!....the Wolfman, The Mummy. They kept me mesmerized as a kid. Watching them now, I see how corny/campy they are, but the memories are priceless. Sitting deep in the couch. lights off, with a blanket handy for when the scary stuff happened. But the Wolfman fit this story, so he is the one who got top billing.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

SB: I've been a fan of Agatha Christie for as long as I remember. I think that's true of a lot of cozy writers. She's the Queen of the genre. I also read all of the Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books over and over. Later, I loved watching Murder, She Wrote. I still love reading cozies and am always excited when I find new ones.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

SB: I wrote a women's historical fiction titled Kate's Pride that is loosely based on the life of one of my Great grandmothers. She’s was one who I couldn't trace back. She was disowned by her family shortly after the Civil War and, by the time I came along asking questions, no one knew who here family had been. I'm still looking. So I wrote a book about what I thought might have happened to her in that time and place and in her circumstances. It's still available from Wings express. I also have a romantic suspense with a twist of paranormal. It's contemporary and set in Memphis, TN. Not based on any real life situations though.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

SB: Death of a Wolfman is the first book in the Lily Gayle Lambert mysteries. I have books two and three blocked out. I’m really looking forward to writing them. There are lots of adventures in store for Lily Gayle, Dixie and Miss Edna. I also have another cozy mystery series in the planning stages. The main character for that series will be Stella Mae Starlight.


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

SB: I have to admit, I kind of love Miss Edna. She's in her seventies and has a lot to say about life and love having lived so long. She's a great foil for Lily Gayle and Dixie. It helps that's she's an 'observer of human nature'. She sits on her front porch with binoculars and does 'bird watching' so she sees a lot of what goes on in town.


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

SB:I grew up in a small town setting where my family has lived for generations. At the time I was growing up it was a real nuisance. There was always someone to see you where you weren't supposed to be. And they weren't afraid to call your Mama and tell on you. But, looking back, I'm pretty nostalgic about it. It really gives a person a sense of roots to grow up that way. I wanted to portray that in this series.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

SB: All the way back to junior high school I wanted to be a published author. I have two friends who formed a group with me back then and we wrote short stories that we only showed to each other.


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

SB: Greg Iles - I love his lyrical southern writing.

Stephen King - Quirky mind

Jane Austen - I read her books over and over

Agatha Christie - I read her books over and over


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

SB: Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller. It's a great series about Bell Elkins who returned home to a small mountain town in West Virginia and became a prosecutor.


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

SB: I am all things crafty and DIY. I love fixing up my home but am on a somewhat limited budget. So I have done some tile work inside and am landscaping the backyard myself. I enjoy knitting and crocheting during the winter months but don't seem to want to work with yarn during the summer. I recently bought a Zoom Loom. It reminds me of those pot holder weaving frames I had as a child. I plan to Zoom Loom a bunch of squares and make some throws for my den this fall and winter.


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

SB: In the freezer, I am never without Haagen-Dazs chocolate and almond ice cream bars. In the pantry, Velveeta mac and cheese, red potatoes (I love homemade mashed potatoes and gravy), and Wolf brand chili with beans. LOL. Kind of a weird mix now that I'm looking at the list!


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

SB: I have books two and three broadly outlined in the Lily Gayle series and I have the broad strokes of the first book of another series with a character names Stella Mae Starlight.


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

SB: My day job is tracking regulatory changes in the investment industry. That's a very left-brain activity. With no room for creativity. Being an author opens the door to creativity as wide as I can swing it. I'm free to make up anything that I choose and run as far as my ideas will take me and my characters.

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading A Story To Kill by Lynn Cahoon. This book is the first in her new Cat Latimer Mystery series and will be released August 30th.

Leaving California for Colorado, Cat Latimer has returned to the home she once shared with her husband. Surprised that her ex left the house to her when he died, Cat is nonetheless excited to start a new chapter in her life. Along her her best friend Shauna, Cat is converting the Victorian into a writer's retreat. Inheriting the house is only the first unexpected event for Cat. She soon discovers that the handyman Shauna hired is none other than her old flame. Not wanting to appear rattled at his appearance, Cat busies herself preparing for her first set of guests, which include a famous author. Life has more curve balls for Cat, however, as she discovers that her guests are not quite what she expected and that while one guest is a major fan girl another another has a major grudge against that famous author. Cat goes to his room in an attempt to warn him only to find his murdered body!

Spotlight - Ukulele Murder

I'd like to shine a spotlight on a book that's been patiently waiting on my actual TBR pile. Ukulele Murder by Leslie Langtry is the first in the Aloha Lagoon Mystery series (A Nani Johnson Mystery) and was released last month.

From the back cover:

Nani Johnson thought she had it made when she moved from Kansas to the resort town of Aloha Lagoon, Kauai. In spite of her certifiably crazy mom, Nani is determined that nothing will stop her from becoming a ukulele virtuoso! Unfortunately her Julliard training doesn't help her break into the local music scene due to some heavy competition from the terrible Trio-three hostile, local musicians. The only work she finds is a few bar mitzvahs and gigs at the kitschy Blue Hawaii Wedding Chapel.

But when one of Nani's competitors drops dead right after a public feud, Nani becomes the police's main suspect. A missing murder weapon, mysterious threats, and a heck of a frame-up job all have Nani worrying she'll be trading in her flowery muumuus for prison orange. Enter hunky local botanist Nick Woodfield, who just might be able to help her clear her name...that is if he doesn't have secrets of his own. With the bodies stacking up, the danger closing in, and the authorities circling, Nani must track down a killer...before she ends up the latest victim of the Ukulele Murderer!

Spotlight and Giveaway - Costume Catastrophe

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on Costume Catastrophe by Kathi Daley. This book is the 21st book in the Zoe Donovan Mystery series and was released this past Friday. I don't know about you, but with all this heat I'm looking forward to the fall. Thanks Kathi for bringing it early!

It's Halloween in Ashton Falls and that means Haunted Hamlet and the annual haunted house. Zoe is determined not to have her plans for this annual event ruined this year especially since it is also the weekend of the big game and a lot of old friends are in town. Things look as if they are on track for a spooktacular good time, until Zoe receives a message from an anonymous source predicting a death. At first Zoe and the gang think the note is a prank until one of the friends Zoe went to high school with actually turns up dead. Once Zoe realizes the note might not be a prank, she sets out on a race against time before someone else dies.

Recipes Included.

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Kathi is giving away a copy of  Costume Catastrophe to one lucky reader. US readers may choose between a Kindle or Paperback copy while NON US readers will receive a Kindle copy. Simply leave a comment on this blog post telling us your thoughts on Halloween haunted houses no later than 11:59 pm Monday, August 15, 2016. Be sure to leave your e-mail address so that I may contact you , should you be the winner. Good luck!

Review - Death Among the Doilies

Review

DEATH AMONG THE DOILIES by Mollie Cox Bryan

The First Cora Crafts Mystery

Cora Chevalier decided she needed a major change in her life and, leaving her job as a counselor at a women's shelter, moved to the small town of Indigo Gap. Now she's converted a Victorian property into a craft retreat center and she's preparing to welcome her first guests. What she's not prepared for is the police taking her best friend in for questioning for the murder of the school librarian!

DEATH AMONG THE DOILIES touches on some serious issues; Cora was a counselor at a women's shelter and seeing some of the atrocities those women had to face left her suffering from panic attacks, hence the desire to move and start a new life. Characters here have dark secrets and troubled pasts and newcomers aren't always welcomed. These are themes not often seen in cozies, but are a welcome addition that creates a more realistic story. The concept of a retreat also helps with realism in that new characters will be coming and going providing new and unique victims and suspects on a regular basis.

Bryan uses an interesting writing technique in DEATH AMONG THE DOILIES. Though the book is written in the third person, the point of view shifts back and forth between Cora and her best friend, Jane. By doing so readers are able to gain more insight into one of the suspects (Jane) and a more well rounded view of the events going on. Although it may sound disconcerting, and at first it gave me pause, Bryan uses the technique adroitly and it reads as a natural progression.

Mollie Cox Bryan creates a new environment in DEATH AMONG THE DOILIES. I can easily picture that gorgeous Victorian with all it's outbuildings being lovingly restored. I want to attend one of Cora's retreats to get away from my reality and learn new crafts. I suppose I"ll just have to console myself with the fact that I can enjoy the activities vicariously from the comfort of my own home as I read. While I won't get a real vacation, odds are much less likely that I'll get involved in a murder investigation! 

Crafting Tips Included.