The Peachy Tara Holloway

DEATH, TAXES, and PEACH SANGRIA

A Tara Holloway Novel #4

St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 1250023068

When it comes to exposing tax fraud, Tara and her partner Eddie are really cleaning up. From their brilliant takedown of the disappearing “Tax Wizard” to their perfectly planned downfall of the “Deduction Diva,” they’ve earned the respect of their peers at Criminal Investigations. Now Tara’s ready to celebrate with an ice-cold pitcher of peach sangria—even if her next case is totally the pits…

Tara’s looking forward to a challenge but, back at the office, everyone’s looking for love. Her boss Lu “The Lobo” Lobozinski and office virgin Josh Schmidt are signing up for an online dating service, and—to Tara’s dismay—so is her crush, Special Agent Nick Pratt. Tara’s trying to act chill. But when she learns that her next case involves cash-funneling to terrorists, it’s not just her love life that’s on the rocks. It’s her life, period.

EXCERPT

THE GAL BEHIND TARA

A CPA and tax attorney, Diane spent several years at an international accounting firm where she had the pleasure of working with a partner later convicted of tax shelter fraud. She also served a stint as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas under an AG who pled guilty to criminal charges related to the tobacco company lawsuits. Given this work history, Diane decided self-employment might be a good idea. She also realized her experiences with white-collar crime were excellent fodder for a novel. Her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her "Death and Taxes" mystery series.

Diane won the prestigious Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Award in 2009 and has earned over two dozen RWA chapter awards.

THE SHORT & SWEET

ANGI: What do you like about Tara’s love interest, Nick?

DIANE:  He’s straightforward. No BS. He’s also willing to set aside his pride for love. Not many men can-or will-do that. I also like that he appreciates a woman with some gumption and isn’t emasculated by a strong partner.

ANGI: Is there a picture of Nick (or the guy he’s based on)?

DIANE:  Nick is first introduced in Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte, book #2 of the series. I describe him there as a young Kurt Russell or Val Kilmer type.  He’s good looking, in a rugged, natural way. He’s not the type of guy who spends a lot of time primping. He’s got better things to do.

ANGI: Can you tell us about a real-life hero you’ve met?

DIANE:   I met a whole slew of them when I met the IRS special agents I interviewed for the series!  They were amazing.  Very smart and no nonsense. I found their mix of financial skills and law enforcement skills to be very intriguing.  They weren’t able to give me all the dirty details about their investigations, but it’s clear that they’ve faced down some pretty bad characters.  

ANGI: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?

DIANE:  Songs by women with strong voices. Pink comes to mind, as do Carrie Underwood and Shania Twain. Tara tends to listen to country-western music, especially the fun, fast songs.

ANGI: What was your most-favorite movie?

DIANE:  I saw Grease 27 times as a kid. I loved the mixture of romance, singing, dancing, and the theme of people discovering who they are and what lengths they will go to for love.

ANGI: Who’s a real-life villain (you might base a character on)?

DIANE:   I’m thinking about having a villain politician in my next case, one who improperly dipped his hand into his campaign funds and may have improperly dipped other body part elsewhere, if you get my drift.  The character might be considered loosely based on Tom DeLay, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and John Edwards.  I’ve heard that Jesse Jackson, Jr. is under investigation for alleged misuse, too.  Clearly this is a widespread problem that crosses party lines!

ANGI: What is your biggest vice?

DIANE:  Ugh! I’ve got so many!  Probably messiness.  I tend to be involved in a lot of things, and I constantly bounce from one thing to the next all day, leaving things partially finished.  My house is very cluttered all the time, though I can normally find things. It’s an “organized mess.”  I once heard that an immaculate house is a sign of a life misspent, and I agree!  

ANGI: Is there a “Blooper” in your story (it may have been changed before printing)?

DIANE:   I changed the ending of Death, Taxes, and Peach Sangria after the advanced reading copies were printed. The change only involved a few words, but let’s just say I think readers will be much happier that things turn out the way they do rather than how I’d originally written the scene.

ANGI: How is it working with hot guys and sexy women all day?

DIANE:  Totally fun! Especially when I get to put them up against crafty, violent tax evaders and force them to bring their best game.

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: In your discussion topics for “a Sequined Clutch” you ask if readers believe in signs. Do you? If so, what signs have you received and what did they tell you?  

DIANE’S GOTTA ANSWER:   I do!  When my husband and I began dating, he mentioned that he had a cat. When I first saw the two of them together, and I saw that she was well taken care of, I knew it was a sign that he was caring, compassionate, responsible, and laid back. That cat told me so much without ever saying a word!  She was a furry sign that he was the guy for me.  

FIND DIANE

Contact   Website     Facebook   Twitter @DianeKellyBooks 

Goodreads   Killer Fiction   Previous GLIAS interviews

UP NEXT for DIANE: 

DEATH, TAXES, AND HOT PINK LEGWARMERS
A Tara Holloway Novel #5

St. Martin’s Press
June 4th 2013
READ ABOUT IT

PREVIOUS RELEASES by DIANE

DEATH, TAXES, AND A FRENCH MANICURE

A Tara Holloway Novel #1

St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 0312551266

READ THE EXCERPT

DEATH, TAXES, AND A NO-WHIP LATTE

A Tara Holloway Novel #2

St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 0312551282

READ THE EXCERPT

DEATH, TAXES, AND EXTRA-HOLD HAIRSPRAY

A Tara Holloway Novel #3

St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 0312551282

READ THE EXCERPT

DEATH, TAXES, AND A SEQUINED CLUTCH

A Tara Holloway e-book Novella #3.5

St. Martin’s Press

ASIN: B0091CAT7W

READ THE EXCERPT

PEACHY GIVE AWAY

DIANE’S giving away a copy of DEATH, TAXES, and PEACH SANGRIA to one North American  blog commenter leaving their email address.

Note: COMMENTERS are encouraged to leave a contact email address to speed the prize notification process. Feel free to email your contact information to Angi at GetLostInAStory@gmail.com instead. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

DON’T FORGET to follow us on Facebook  & Twitter #GetLostStories for a daily update on who’s visiting GLIAS and what they might be giving away! Join Alexa tomorrow when she hosts ELLE JAMES. Come back on Friday when Maureen kicks February off with Molly O’Keefe. ~Angi

DIANE WANTS TO KNOW: In Death, Taxes, and Peach Sangria, Tara enjoys a pitcher or two of Nick’s mother’s homemade sangria recipe. What’s your favorite drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and what do you think it says about you?

TAX ADVICE from Tara Holloway

ON TAX WEEKEND,there's not a more fitting story to feature or "person" to interview. Friday through Sunday, we'll be talking to TARA HOLLOWAY, tax investigator extradonaire!

You can catch another interview with author Diane Kelly on GLIAS.

ANGI: Who does your taxes? Your nails? Your hair?

TARA: I do my own taxes.  That’s why they don’t get turned in each year until the evening of April 15^th!   

My nails?  I’m a practical girl, so I look for coupons in my mailbox.  Whoever’s offering a special gets to do my nails. 

I’m much more picky when it comes to my hair.  Only my stylist, Nicki Boulder-Boyd, gets to touch my hair.

ANGI: What’s the weirdest thing someone tried to claim on their taxes for a business expense?

TARA: That would have to be cost of the 56FF breast augmentation surgery claimed by an exotic dancer named Chesty Love.  The IRS disallowed the expense, but Mrs. Love took the case to Tax Court and the judges permitted the deduction.  I’d bet the judges were all men.  You can see Mrs. Love and hear about her deductible ta-tas on this JerrySpringer clip.

ANGI: I know you love lattes, but what’s your favorite drink other than coffee?

TARA: In book #1, I was into merlot.  But in book #3 I’ll be introduced to homemade sangria.  I won’t tell you by whom because, well, I’m a tease.  I’ll love the sangria so much that book #4 will be named DEATH, TAXES, AND PEACH SANGRIA. 

ANGI: How did you get into investigative work for the IRS?

TARA: I used to work at one of the large regional accounting firms.  It wasn’t a bad job, but it simply wasn’t for me.  I grew up roaming among the woods and lakes of east Texas and couldn’t stomach life in a 5’ x 5’ cubicle.  I felt caged.   

One day an IRS special agent came to the office to look over some files I’d been working on.  I’d noticed some odd discrepancies, and apparently the IRS had caught on to them, too.  The client was involved in all kinds of financial shenanigans.  I noticed a gun holstered at the agent’s hip and had to know more about his job.  I pestered the poor guy until he gave me the nitty gritty. 

Being a special agent sounded like a fun way to make a living!  Special agents get out and about more than the typical CPA, and it’s a fun challenge to search for clues and put the evidence together to nail a tax cheat.  

ANGI: Can you tell us anything about the cases you’re investigating?

TARA: I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.  

Just kidding!   

In DEATH, TAXES, AND A SKINNY NO-WHIP LATTE, my partner, Eddie, and I are assigned to go after a man named Marcos Mendoza.  His business associates have a history of disappearing . . . and resurfacing in body bags.  Rumor has it that Mendoza bought off an IRS special agent named Nick Pratt, who was assigned to investigate him three years prior.  Pratt is now living beachside in Cancun, Mexico.  Tough life, huh?  But Eddie and I are bound and determined to bring Mendoza down.  He’s a potential loan shark, money launderer, and credit card counterfeiter.  It looks like he might be running an illegal gambling operation too.  This guy’s got cajones.  It’ll be fun ripping them off! 

In DEATH, TAXES, AND EXTRA-HOLD HAIRSPRAY (to be released in late June), I get to team up with a hot male agent to pursue Noah Fischer, the unscrupulous preacher of a mega-church.  Fischer may not worship a golden calf, but he’s treating the church like his own personal cash cow and has no qualms financing his lavish lifestyle via the church collection plates.  Hasn’t the guy ever heard of “thou shalt not steal?”  He may have forgotten a few of the other Commandments, too!   

ANGI: Were you ever scared in an interview with a tax-evader? On the other hand, were you ever tempted to let one go because he was too good-looking?

TARA: I’m always a little scared in interviews, more scared the longer I do this job.  I’ve learned – the hard way –  that people are unpredictable.  When cornered, they’re liable to make desperate moves. 

But letting a scofflaw off the hook because he was good looking?  Nah.  Not my style.  I might drag the case out, though, just to get more time to “inspect his assets.”  Hee-hee.

Thanks for this interview!  It’s been lots of fun talking with you! 

THE GAL BEHIND TARA

A CPA and tax attorney, Diane Kelly spent several years at an international accounting firm where she had the pleasure of working with a partner later convicted of tax shelter fraud. She also served a stint as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas under an AG who pled guilty to criminal charges related to the tobacco company lawsuits. Given this work history, Diane decided self-employment might be a good idea. She also realized her experiences with white-collar crime were excellent fodder for a novel. Her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her "Death and Taxes" mystery series.

Diane won the prestigious Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Award in 2009 and has earned over two dozen RWA chapter awards.

DEATH, TAXES, AND EXTRA-HOLD HAIRSPRAY
A Tara Holloway Novel #2

St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 0312551266
JULY 2012

READ THE EXCERPT

DEATH, TAXES, AND A FRENCH MANICURE

A Tara Holloway Novel #1
St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 0312551266

READ THE EXCERPT

READERS CAN FIND DIANE

Contact    Website      Facebook    Twitter   Killer Fiction

TARA & DIANE will be drawing for 3 commenters to receive DEATH, TAXES, AND A FRENCH MANICURE.
READERS DON’T FORGET to follow us on Facebook & Twitter (#GetLostStories) for a daily update on who’s visiting GLIAS and what they might be giving away! . ~Angi

~ There's only one question fitting for this weekend ~

Have you filed your taxes yet? Got a story to share?