Dead Letter Day

Today, I'm excited to welcome my good friend, Eileen Rendahl, a fellow blogger at Storytelling Rules, who's celebrating the release of Dead Letter Day, the third book in her highly acclaimed and bestselling Messenger series. If you haven't read this awesome urban fantasy series yet... Well, you should. :) 

Welcome Eileen!

Eileen Rendahl was born in Dayton, Ohio. She moved when she was four and only remembers that she was born across the street from Baskin-Robbins. Eileen remembers anything that has to do with ice cream. Or chocolate. Or champagne. In addition to the Messenger series, Eileen Rendahl is the award-winning author of four Chick Lit novels. In addition to the Messenger series, Eileen Rendahl is the award-winning author of four Chick Lit novels and also writes romantic suspense as Eileen Carr. She has had many jobs and lived in many cities and feels unbelievably lucky to be where she is now and doing what she's doing.

About Dead Letter Day

Dead Letter Day is the third book in my Messenger series. In it, Melina goes searching for her werewolf friend, Paul. He may be missing. He maybe just be taking a little werewolf “me” time.

The search leads Melina to a mermaid, a damaged and possibly deranged police officer and patterns for Norwegian doilies—finally bringing her to the realization that she may be dealing with the most powerful enemy she has ever faced.

"Dead Letter Day ratchets up the suspense and keeps the questions flying." RT Magazine

Read an excerpt here. 

Order now here.

Get to Know Eileen Rendahl

MAUREEN: What’s the first book you remember reading?

EILEEN:  My mother and I read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books together. Long after I could read myself, we’d snuggle up in bed every night and take turns reading to each other. Half the time, she’d fall asleep while I was reading to her rather the other way around!

MAUREEN: Do you believe in ghosts?

EILEEN:  Oh, this is so complicated. Most of the time, I will tell you no. Absolutely not. When we’re gone, we’re gone. That’s it. End of story.

I’ve had a few experiences, though, that make me doubt that hard line of non-belief. My husband passed away in 1999. He died at home, very early in the morning. I stayed in that house for the next year and several mornings each week at around 6:10 a.m., our phone line would go dead. I also could not keep a phone in the room where he died. They’d simply stop working.

An aunt who was very dear to me passed away a few months before my husband did. During the week before he died, she would appear at the end of my bed practically every night. Now, I might have been dreaming, but it always felt like I’d woken up and then seen her and not the other way around. I felt like she was telling me that she’d be there for him to help him when I couldn’t anymore. 

MAUREEN: Where in the world would you most like to visit?

EILEEN:  The answer to that used to be Paris, but I got to go on a dream vacation there this past summer. It was fantastic. I’m a little torn now between Florence and London.

MAUREEN: What’s next for you as an author?

EILEEN:  I have an Eileen Carr book coming out next year in June. The working title is Veiled Intentions. It’s still a suspense, but a lot more issue-oriented than my other Eileen Carr books. I’m very excited and very nervous about it.

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite hobby?

EILEEN:  I have to choose? Probably crochet, then. I find it soooooooo relaxing. Plus, I’m a little fidgety and it gives me something to do with my hands.

MAUREEN: What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on?

EILEEN:  That’s easy. This past summer’s trip to Paris. It was just my boyfriend and me. No kids. No parents. No siblings. We did what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it and there were so many things we wanted to do and see. It really was magical.

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite cartoon character?

EILEEN:  I’ve always had a soft spot for Betty Boop. I love the cheesecake-aspect of her. My least favorite, however, is Tigger. I absolutely cannot stand him. I think he’s a narcissist with anti-social tendencies and should probably be put on medication immediately.

MAUREEN: What hidden talents do you have?

EILEEN:  I can hang a spoon from the end of my noise and I do a pretty awesome rendition of Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah Song while accompanying myself on the autoharp, if I do say so myself.

MAUREEN: What sound or noise do you love?

EILEEN:  My kids laughing together in the next room. It just makes my heart glad.

MAUREEN: What book would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island?

EILEEN:  I think it would be the Joy of Cooking. It’s entertaining and there’s a lot of great information in there that would help me survive!

MAUREEN: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

EILEEN:  I have a very difficult time writing if the music has words in it. They distract me. So it has to be instrumental only. I put on Mozart a lot.

GOTTA ASK -- GOTTA ANSWER 

MAUREEN: You’re a private investigator as well as an author. Has that job helped your writing?

EILEEN:  It has helped my writing. Or at least I think so. First of all, I get to meet so many different people. I get a glimpse into their lives that I would never have otherwise. Secondly, people are weird. They do crazy stuff and getting to hear there rationales for their behavior and also what they chose to lie about and why is very interesting. Because I’m out there actually interviewing people rather than doing, say, surveillance, I get to hear about their motivations and see things through their eyes. It’s fascinating.

GIVEAWAY

Eileen will give away one copy of the paperback edition of Don't Kill the Messenger (the first book in the Messenger series) to one lucky commenter.