Bloodline: An Interview, Review, and Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Vicki Vass back to Cozy Up With Kathy with her new series. BLOODLINE is the first book in the Witch Cat Mystery series and was released April 18th.

Kathy: You start a new series with BLOODLINE. Did you have a specific inspiration for your Witch Cat Mystery series?

VV: Yes, she is sitting on my computer right now. She begged me to share her story with my readers. She has an intensity to her so that when she stares at you, you know she is reading your thoughts.


Kathy: Is magick and witchcraft a particular interest of yours?

VV: It began when I was walking the Appalachian trail and the blue mist was rising off the Blue Ridge Mountains. There was something otherworldly about that part of the country. It’s one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, and the magic is deep there.


Kathy: Have you always had an interest in the Salem witch trials?

VV: Yes because it is such a fascinating period in our history. I have always loved history and found the drama associated with the witch trials interesting.


Kathy: What was your favorite part in writing this story?

VV: Creating the characters and watching them come to life. They proved to be a great deal of fun.


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?

VV: I probably fall within the middle. I don’t sit down and write a formal plot but have a general idea of where the story is going but otherwise I pretty much make it up as I go along with a lot of editing and moving sections around. In my first book, I changed the first chapter at least seven times before I was happy with it.


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?

VV: I enjoy connecting with the readers. I’ve had a lot of fun marketing, meeting readers by attending blog tours such as this one or live author chats. Probably the thing I dislike about marketing is the time it takes. My time is limited and when I am marketing I am not writing.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

VV: I am currently working on book five in my Antique Hunters series. It is taking longer than normal because we have two puppies. Atticus just turned one so he is calming down slightly. Tracker is still six months old and crazy. I forgot how much work puppies are!

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Review 

BLOODLINE by Vicki Vass

The First Witch Cat Mystery

In the year 1692 Terra Rowan was a 17 year old girl running for her life. With the screams of her mentor in her ears and not knowing the fate of her friends, Terra took the only chance she had, a chance of a new life, and drank the potion. The potion saved her life, but transformed her. Now Terra lives on the streets in modern day Asheville, North Carolina. The same day her good friend is murdered, a young woman comes to town, playing a song from Terra's past. Unsure if she can be trusted, Terra nonetheless befriends the girl, but both seem to be hunted by a malevolent force. Is this the evil that killed her friend? Will the ladies of the Biltmore Society be able to help, or are they part of the danger?

With rich detail about herbs and crystals, as well as the Biltmore Estate, Vicki Vass initiates readers into a new world, new, yet ever so old. While I had difficulty warming up to some of the characters, I absolutely fell in love with Pixel. His sweet innocence, bravery, and love of food, make him an endearing and immensely lovable character. He also reminds me of my ginger cat, Mariusz!

My enjoyment was profoundly marred, however, by the poor editing. I would be engrossed in the story, then abruptly pushed out of the fictional world by issues with grammar and typos.

BLOODLINE has an absolutely fascinating storyline. I hope that future books in the series develop and expand on the wonderful ideas present here.

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Currently Reading...

I'm still reading Bearly Departed by Meg Macy. This book is the first in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series and will be released May 30th.


Since last I wrote we learned more about the nasty murdered villain! Not only was Will Taylor planning on sending production of the teddy bears to China, he was planning on taking over the company and teaming up with the Silver Bear Shop and Factory's main competitor! In addition to business as a motive we also discover adultery, drugs, and an old vendetta.


Sasha has found more suspects, but while trying to prove her uncle's innocence she's also dealing with the Teddy Bear Picnic, a sick father out of state, and a horrible mother!

Historical Facts and Contrived Fiction - Guest Post

Historical Facts and Contrived Fiction

By Elaine Faber 

When mixing fictional characters with historical times or events, your character can be part of the action, but be careful to keep historical events accurate. For example: Your fictional character might live down the street from Benjamin Franklin, and one stormy night old Ben knocks on your character’s door and wants to borrow a kite. Or imagine that your protagonist is a high school teacher of Advanced Cooking and Homemaking 101. One of her students might be young Julia Child. In our examples, our imaginary character doesn’t discover electricity, nor does the teacher write best-selling cook books, but our fictional characters can be involved with the actual historical event in some small way that doesn’t change history. The borrowed kite and cooking classes could have happened the way I explained, right? Maybe?

When mixing historical facts into a fiction novel, the author must be aware of laws, copyright rules and infringements on privacy. If the book cover uses pictures of certain landmarks or branded products, i.e., written permission or purchased photos are required, such as available at Shutterstock or I-Stock. You cannot use the name or location of a public place, such as the Sacramento King’s Arco Arena without written permission. (Who knew?) If your character is going to interact with historical events or people, my advice is to stick with folks dead long enough who will not complain about using their names! And never besmirch or discredit a famous, historical or real person, either dead or alive. The dead could come back to haunt you and the live ones may sue for defamation of character!

My WWII humorous Mrs. Odboddy mystery/adventure stories take place in a fictional small town near the California coastline in 1942-43. Agnes is an eccentric elderly woman who fights the war from the home front. She is determined to thwart conspiracies and expose Nazi spies in her small town…or so she believes. Because her notions are usually wrong, she is often in trouble with her neighbors and her granddaughter, Katherine. However, Agnes is not deterred from “doing her duty” and exposing evil where she finds it. Agnes experiences dial telephones, driving a 1930 Model A Ford, lighting her oven with a match, baking a pie from scratch, planting a victory garden, the inconvenience of rationing, volunteering on the coast watch and knitting socks for the troops. In a later novel she deals with purchasing and selling War Bonds.

In Mrs. Odboddy, Undercover Courier, Agnes travels across country by train to Washington DC to join Mrs. Roosevelt on her Pacific Island tour (Why not?). Agnes is asked to hand-carry a package to President Roosevelt. She is convinced the package contains secret war documents! (Could happen) She expects Nazi agents will attempt to steal her package (It’s possible).

As fictional Agnes weaves her silly self through the novels, she’s exposed to actual historical events, but changes nothing. Mrs. Odboddy, Undercover Courier will amaze and amuse all the way from California to Washington, D.C. Expect not only a laugh, but new insights about the long lost elegance of cross country travel by train. Hope you’ll buy one of my books. Happy reading.

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Excerpt – Mrs. Odboddy Undercover Courier

Agnes hurried down the aisle before anyone else could beat her to the washroom. After brushing her teeth, washing her face, and smearing cold cream across her face, Agnes glanced into the mirror. She chuckled, noting that her white face now resembled a clown. Mid-chuckle, her smile faded. My purse! I left it in my berth, unattended, with the secret documents inside!

Agnes threw open the door and plunged down the aisle, cold cream smeared over her face. What had she done? Oh, Lord above. Protect this idiot from my foolish ways.

The empty berth shrieked its condemnation at her carelessness and neglect. Oh, dear God! Her purse was nowhere in sight.

Oh, nooooo! Where was the porter who was supposed to be on guard, watching their belongings?

Agnes raced toward the far end of the car and found the porter tipped back, his chair balanced against the wall, sound asleep, his head lolled to the side.

“Porter! Wake up!”

The young man jerked, the legs of his chair slamming to the floor. He jumped to his feet, his eyes blinking. “Yes, ma’am?” He straightened his back and touched his cap, his eyes scanning wildly from left to right. As he came to full wakefulness, he peered at Agnes, her cold-creamed face contorted in rage. His eyes looked like black marbles floating in pools of milk. He stepped back, his trembling hands outstretched. “I’s sorry. I won’t do it again!”

What’s wrong with him? “Porter! Did you see someone getting into my berth? I’m the second one from the end.” She pointed down the aisle.

The porter’s face turned several shades lighter. “No, ma’am. Sorry ma’am. I…I… I’m afraid I fell asleep.” He hung his head. “Are you going to tell my boss?” He lifted his head. “Is you a ghost?”

Agnes reached up and touched her cheek. “Oh, my goodness!” I didn’t even wash my face. No wonder I scared the living daylights out of him. She pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped at her cheeks. “I left the bathroom in such a hurry… But, then I discovered my purse missing from my berth!” Her heart raced as she uttered the dreadful words. And vanity clouded my good judgment! I’m such a fool.

His mouth trembled again. Was he more concerned about her purse or getting caught sleeping on the job? “Missing? You’re sure you didn’t misplace it?” He hurried down the aisle toward her berth.

Agnes followed on his heels.

The porter yanked back Agnes’s curtain and glanced around her bed. Only the Bible lay on her pillow–the purse was gone.

The porter slid the suitcases from side to side and tossed the pillow to the other end of the bed. “Have you checked in your suitcase?”

“Don’t you think I’d remember if I put it in my suitcase?” Agnes huffed. What kind of an idiot does he think I am? On the other hand, what kind of an idiot was she to leave her purse sitting on the bed with secret documents inside and run around the train with cold cream smeared on her face? Chill bumps raced up her arms as the realization of the loss hit home. She had failed the President of the United States of America on the first day out the door. She blinked to hold back tears as the porter rifled through both of her suitcases.

“Can you describe it, ma’am? What was inside?”

Agnes shrugged. “It was black…um…well, never mind what it contained. It had my wallet and my money and…and…my train ticket and passport.” Tears trickled down her cheeks.

“I’ll question the passengers before I make a report to the conductor.” The porter’s face contorted again. Weren’t they two of a kind? Both brought low by their own carelessness.

“I’ll finish up in the washroom while you look.”

The porter nodded and hurried off, leaving Agnes to return to her interrupted ablutions.

Agnes washed the cold cream from her face and stared into the washroom mirror. The wrinkles in her forehead had deepened over the past few minutes and the sparkle that folks said she carried in her eyes seemed to have abandoned ship.

Agnes straightened her shoulders and forced a smile. She gave her hair a final pat and stepped out the washroom door, climbed into her bunk and pulled the curtain. She laid her head back on the pillow, clutched the Bible to her chest and began to pray.


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About The Author :

Elaine is a member of Sisters in Crime, Inspire Christian Writers and Cat Writers Association. She lives in Northern California with her husband and four house cats (the inspiration for her three humorous cozy cat mysteries, Black Cat’s Legacy, Black Cat and the Lethal Lawyer, and Black Cat and the Accidental Angel).

Mrs. Odboddy’s character is based in no way on Elaine’s quirky personality. Two more Mrs. Odboddy adventures will publish in the near future. Many of Elaine’s short stories have appeared in magazines and multiple anthologies.

• Webpage/blog: www.mindcandymysteries.com
• Facebook, http://tinyurl.com/zm2j4n5

  Purchase Links - Amazon B&N

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A Perfect Manhattan Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Tracy Kiely to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Tracy writes the Nic and Nigel Mystery series. A PERFECT MANHATTAN MURDER, the third book in the series, was released earlier this month.

Kathy: In A PERFECT MANHATTAN MURDER Nic and Nigel Martini attend a Broadway production. Do you enjoy the theatre?


TK: I do! The first show I ever saw with a production of Annie at the Kennedy Center. I was about nine, and I fell in love with everything about it. I remember I had just gotten the Dorothy Hamill haircut and wasn’t sure about it. Then I saw the theater program, and I noticed that the lead actress (Andrea McArdle) had the same cut. As silly as it sounds, I suddenly thought I had the coolest haircut in the world. For several weeks after that, I danced around the house singing, “It’s a Hard Knock Life” much to the detriment of my parents’ sanity. I am not blessed with the ability to carry a tune. I am not even blessed with the ability to drag a tune. (As for the dancing, well, I’m just glad YouTube didn’t exist then.) Luckily, my desire to belt out show tunes faded over time, but not my love of the theater.


Kathy: Although I rarely make them myself, I do enjoy a good cocktail. When I was younger my drink was the bourbon Manhattan. Do you prefer bourbon or a blended whiskey in your Manhattans?


TK: I have to admit, I’ve never had a Manhattan. I’m not a big fan of hard liquor. I guess you could say that I’m in an exclusive relationship with Chardonnay.


Kathy: What, to you, makes the perfect cocktail? Do you have a favorite?


TK: Okay, so despite my previous answer, Chardonnay and I have taken a few breaks over the years. When we were in the British Virgin Islands a few years back, I discovered the Pain Killer. Maybe it was the locale (warm sun, good wind, and great sailing) but it made for a pretty perfect cocktail. (Pusser’s Rum, coconut cream, orange juice, pineapple juice, and a pinch of nutmeg.)


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?


TK: Like a lot of girls, I grew up reading Nancy Drew. From there, I moved onto Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Peters. By then, I was hooked. I always knew I wanted to be a writer; it never occurred to me to write anything other than a cozy.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?


TK: No, but I hope to try my hand at a chase thriller – something similar in tone to the movie Charade.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

TK: My books are an updated twist of The Thin Man movies (and by extension, Dashiell Hammett’s book of the same title). As you might have already puzzled out, they feature Nic and Nigel Martini – she’s the ex-detective and he’s the wealthy socialite, as well as Skippy, their feisty Bullmastiff. (For you Thin Man fans, Skippy was the real name of the dog that portrayed Asta in the movies.)


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


TK: I think Nigel is my favorite character. He has the kind of easy confidence that I wish I’d been born with.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?


TK: I’ve always wanted to write a mystery novel, and then one day I remember thinking, “Well, shut up and do it.” My first attempt failed (as so many first attempts do), but I decided to keep trying until I got it right. It took almost seven years, but I finally made it. It just goes to show, that you should (to quote Winston Churchill) never, never, never give up!


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


TK: Ohhh! Well, after I hired a caterer (see answer below about what’s in my cabinet), and had both the house (and me) professionally tidied, I would invite Elizabeth Mertz, (Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels), Dorothy Cannell, David Sedaris, and Jasper Fforde. And then I would make sure that somebody filmed the whole thing, because no one would ever believe me.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?


TK: I am currently reading THE WHITE QUEEN by Philippa Gregory.


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


TK: Are shoes a hobby? I say yes, but not everyone agrees with me. I guess, my second answer would be sailing. Most weekends (if there’s wind), we try and fit in a sail. Sans wind, I love watching old movies. Anything featuring Cary Grant or directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and I’m happy.


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


TK: You can always find Double Stuff Oreo cookies (my 13-year-old loves them), a box of thin spaghetti, Earl Grey Tea, and almond milk in my house. I realize that none of these items even remotely go together, which is why most evenings you can find me speeding through the aisles of Safeway searching for something to make for dinner.


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


TK: I’ve been toying with an idea for a standalone for over twenty years. When my husband and I were still dating, I would take the train from Washington, DC to visit him in Baltimore. On those rides, I came up with a Hitchcockian plot of sorts, involving a switched bag, mistaken identity, and a missing item for which all too many people are willing to kill to obtain. I think I’ve finally figured out what this mystery item is, and I’m ready to start writing. (For those of you keeping track at home, that’s twenty plus years to figure out a McGuffin; you can see why I gravitate towards cozies.)


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


TK: I think it’s talking to fellow authors and meeting other mystery fans. They’re a fantastic group of people, and I’ve made a lot of great friends.


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