Leslie Langtry: Mint Cookie Murder!

Leslie Langtry is the national bestselling author of the Bombay Family of Assassins Series & Merry Wrath Mysteries. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, two teenagers and a host of assorted animals. When not writing, she’s either reading or eating cake. 

                                     Mint Cookie Murder

Ex-CIA agent turned suburban scout leader, Merry Wrath, is just trying to live a normal, quiet life. But all that goes out the window when a convicted traitor (who’s inconveniently not in his prison cell) dies on her doorstep, and an obese cat, who bears a disturbing resemblance to Hitler, decides to move in. 

To make things worse, it’s time for the annual troop cookie sale, her new boyfriend’s old college flame shows up to win him back, and someone’s shooting at Merry in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. Is the assassin after her or the cat? Is Riley, her hot former CIA handler, hitting on her? Is Rex, her boyfriend, going to dump her? Will she sell enough cookies to take her troop to Winter Sniper Camp? If Merry doesn't find answer to these questions soon, it may be too late!

READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK

http://amzn.com/B010IZZYXE

Jan Schliesman: How often do you Get Lost In A Story?

Leslie Langtry:  All the time! I’ve been a reader since I could first pick up a book and I read every night for about 2 hours (my husband and children know better than to distract me during this time). My first love has always been mystery – starting with Nancy Drew & Agatha Christie, and I love mystery/romance and comedy, but I read across all genres. I’m grateful for my e-reader or my house would collapse beneath the weight of books. We’ve had movers vow never to work with us again because apparently, boxes of books are heavy.

Jan:  How long have you been writing? What was your first Big Break?

Leslie: I started writing stories in the 2^nd grade and all through school. But then I put it off for YEARS. It wasn’t until I was 38 that I finally said I was going to write a book. So I joined Romance Writers of America, joined a local critique group and it wasn’t until my 4^th book that I got it right. I met an editor at an RWA conference and pitched my story and sold it a couple of weeks later on my 40^th birthday. I started late, but am here to stay.

Jan:  What is your definition of romance?

Leslie: I don’t know if I really have one because it’s so different for everyone. I don’t really think of it as flowers, candlelight, and candy. It’s more of just clicking with someone. If they make you laugh, think and your heart go pitter-patter then you have romance!

Jan: I drink Dasani or hot tea and nibble on gummy bears when I’m writing. What about you?

Leslie: I like Earl Grey tea and Dove Dark Chocolates. I eat waaaaaaay too many chocolates. And now that we’ve had Halloween, there’s even more chocolate. I may have a problem…

Jan: It was love at first sight when I met my Mr. Wonderful. How did you meet your husband?

Leslie: I actually met him when I was dating one of his friends. You’ll laugh, but it was the ‘80s and I was dating a guy just because he looked like…are you ready for it? Daryl Hall. There wasn’t really any chemistry, but then I met this guy’s friend and the sparks flew. He was super smart, very funny and we hit it off immediately. We just celebrated our 26^th wedding anniversary on Nov. 3^rd and are shooting for at least 26 more.

Jan: What’s the most difficult part of the writing process for you?

Leslie:  Actually sitting down and starting. I’m a professional at finding other things around the house I need to do like dishes, letting the dogs out, folding clothes, letting the dogs in, etc. But if I just sit down and start, I’m good to go. Unfortunately, life interrupts, with two teenagers and a husband who works 3^rd shift and is home during the day. But somehow I manage to get books written. I’d really like a clone. Do you know if there are clones?

Jan:  Were you ever a Girl Scout?

Leslie: I was! I was a Brownie for a few years and a Girl Scout for a few more. I loved it – we always went camping, canoeing and hiking. When my daughter was in kindergarten, they had a meeting for scouts and somehow ended up the leader of her troop for 10 wonderful years. I have to admit – they gave me a lot of material to work with for my books. I still volunteer at our local Girl Scout camp teaching archery and facilitating zip line, low ropes and canoeing. I love it out there and I love working with the girls.

Jan:  What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

Leslie: I love research. I love finding bizarre material for my books. I’ve never really gone out and done anything crazy but I have had crazy experiences. Once I was locked in a hotel room for a week to write and I was working on a historical assassin collection of short stories. I ran out for pizza while the maid was in, forgetting that I’d left my books out on the bed. Books about how to assassinate people, assassinations through history, weird murders and deaths… The next day, I found out that the maid transferred so I had to have a new maid, because she was freaked out by my books. That was a learning experience.

Jan:  Tell me about getting your first fan letter/email/FB postJ

Leslie: The first fan email was THE BEST EMAIL EVER! Especially since it didn’t come from anyone I knew! The woman who wrote it told me she laughed out loud so much reading ‘SCUSE ME WHILE I KILL THIS GUY, that her husband was worried he’d have to have her committed. One of the more memorable emails was from a woman soldier who told me that even though things were rough in Iraq, my book made her laugh every day and helped her get through her time overseas. My husband has done 2 tours in Iraq – so that meant a lot to me.

Jan’s GOTTA ASK: 

Leslie’s GOTTA ANSWER: I LOVE ICE CREAM! You are SO LUCKY!!! In the summer, I eat it every night. I’d eat it every day if I could get away with it. My retirement dream job would be ice cream taster. As for favorite flavor – it’s chocolate. I know, soooo original…

FIND LESLIE LANGTRY:

Website: www.leslielangtry.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LeslieLangtryAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LeslieLangtry

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/562364.Leslie_Langtry

Pintrest: www.pinterest.com/leslielangtry/

Blogs: the 2^nd & 4^th Tuesdays at http://whodunitauthors.com/

UP NEXT: MARSHMALLOW S’MORE MURDER coming in March 2016 

SPECIAL THANKS to Leslie for stopping by the Get Lost In A Story blog today.  She'll be giving away TWO autographed copies of Merit Badge Murder! Follow the Rafflecopter below for you chance to WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Chase is on with Fat Cat at Large & Janet Cantrell

Get Lost in a Story Readers, if you love recipes and love cats as well, you’re going to love Janet Cantrell’s new series.  Please welcome Janet, author of FAT CAT AT LARGE!

ABOUT FAT CAT AT LARGE . . . .

When she’s not dreaming up irresistible dessert bars for her Minneapolis treatery, Bar None, Charity “Chase” Oliver is running after her cat, Quincy—a tubby tabby with a gift for sniffing out edibles. But what happens when this cat burglar leads Chase to the scene of a real crime?

The jig is up for Chase’s adorable plus-size cat, Quincy. His new vet says “diet”—that means no more cherry cheesecake bars. From now on he gets low-calorie kibble only. But one taste of the stuff is all it takes to drive him in search of better things. Quincy’s escape is the last thing Chase needs after the nasty run-in she has with underhanded business rival Gabe Naughtly.

Chase tracks Quincy down in a neighbor’s kitchen, where he’s devouring a meatloaf, unaware of the much more serious crime he’s stumbled upon.

Gabe’s corpse is lying on the kitchen floor, and when Chase is discovered at the murder scene, she becomes suspect number one. Now, with a little help from her friends—both human and feline—she’ll have to catch the real killer or wind up behind bars that aren’t so sweet.

Includes recipes for people and cats!

How can we resist THAT blurb.  Now, let's learn about Janet Cantrell

DONNELL:  Hi, Janet:  You’re no doubt a cat lover.  When I read your blurb, I had visions of a fat, That Darn Cat.  Do you remember that movie?  Tell us what inspired Fat Cats at Large.

JANET: My own Agamemnon, a rescued feral cat, all black, is my inspiration for Quincy and his antics. That little guy was as smart as could be. He would hook one claw over the lip of a glass, preferably a full one. Then he’s slowly tip it. Just before it went over, he would dash out of the way. He never got a drop on himself, but he soaked many couches, chairs, and rugs. He also put on some heft in his old age and had to go on insulin the last year or so. The world is a duller place without him.

DONNELL:  Love your protagonist’s nickname, a perfect name for an amateur sleuth.  I take it Fat Cat at Large is a cozy mystery?  And with names like Gabe Naughtly, I take it humor is involved?

JANET:  Absolutely! I love naming characters and like to put something about them into their names. I’ve made a habit of jotting down interesting ones when I see or hear them. Sometimes, changing one letter makes the name perfect.

DONNELL:  Obviously Chase is partial to cats, but is there a potential love interest for Chase in Fat Cat at Large?

JANET:  By the end of the book, she’s interested in a couple of men. In the very first chapter, she’s smitten by the vet Quincy is seeing. Sort of. The other guy, a handsome homicide detective with dark blue eyes, comes in later.

DONNELL:  I love books that provide recipes.  Are you a great cook, and are you saying you’ll provide recipes for cats as well?

 JANET: I’m not a good cook at all! But I do love baking. I’ve had a lot of fun bringing in different versions of dessert bar recipes to my church choir for them to sample. They’re very willing to tell me which recipe is best. It’s taken a bit of research, though, to provide the healthy cat treat recipes. Cats have dietary requirements—lots of things they should and should not have.

 DONNELL:  The book is set in Minneapolis.  What’s a Texas girl like you placing a book like this in Minneapolis?

JANET: I was a Texas girl for quite a few years, due to Hubby’s employment, but we’ve now relocated to Tennessee. Like Johnny Cash, I’ve been everywhere. We lived in Minnetonka, near Minneapolis, for three and a half years. I love that part of the country and it’s a joy to be writing about it.

DONNELL:  Obviously mystery authors have to research.  What’s the most interesting/unusual thing you’ve discovered doing research?

JANET: So far, in this series, it’s been the history of butter sculpture, which I researched for Fat Cat Spreads Out, the second book, due out in June of 2015. Did you know that butter sculpture is an ancient Tibetan art form?

DONNELL:  If you’re not writing or cooking, where will we find you?

JANET: Sometimes playing, listening to, or writing music. Doing some hiking. Playing with and entertaining grandkids. Even sometimes working in the yard.

DONNELL:  You also write under another name.  Tell us about your alter-ego, Kaye George.  How are the two of you different, and why two names?

JANET: Kaye George has written lots of stuff over the years. Janet Cantrell is a pen name for this series only. Fat Cat is the only true cozy series I’ve attempted. Kaye George had three other series and some short stories to her credit.

DONNELL:  If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

JANET: I’ll have to switch to being Kaye George for this because I would love to time travel back about forty thousand years or so and meet a real live Neanderthal. I could check on what I got right and what I didn’t in the Neanderthal People of the Wind series.

DONNELL:  Janet, now it’s your turn.  Time to ask the readers a question.  And here you can list whether or not you’ll do a giveaway.  (note not every author does.) Yes to the giveaway.

 JANET WANTS TO KNOW:  I write several different types of stories and books and love to read fiction as well as true crime and biography. How many different kinds of books do you read? Fiction only, or non-fiction, too?

Thanks for being our guest today, Janet.  Interested in learning more about Janet/Kaye?  Check out these links.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fat-cat-at-large-janet-cantrell/1118663280?ean=9780425267424

http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Cat-At-Large-Mystery/dp/0425267423/

Kaye George/Janet Cantrell~~

National bestselling author of the FAT CAT series~~ Agatha Nominee & Silver Falchion Finalist~~ http://kayegeorge.com/ Want my newsletter? Email me and I'll put you on the list.

Get Lost in a Story Welcomes Nancy G. West

Get Lost in a Story readers, you can thank me later, but right now I’d like  you to meet an author guaranteed to make you smile.  Meet Nancy G. West, author of the Aggie Mundeen mystery series. We're discussing  the newest book in the series, Dang Near Dead, and her recurring characters. Please welcome Nancy G. West.

About Dang Near Dead: 

Aggie vacations at a dude ranch with Detective Sam (traveling incognito) and friend Meredith. When suspicious deaths, unlikely accidents and wranglers with shady pasts prod Aggie to dig for the truth, her creative sleuthing methods strain her dicey relationship with Sam. When she causes chaos at the corral and scatters a hornet's next of cowboys, more  than one hombre in the bunch would like to slit her throat. Sam is not happy with her, either.

Now Let's meet Nancy G. West!

DONNELL:  Hi, Nancy:  Thank you for joining us today.  I remember sitting at the audience at Left Coast Crime in Monterey, California, and listening to you on a panel.  A Lefty Nominee for best humorous novel, you’re soft spoken, intelligent, and dang everything, funny!  So here’s question number one.  Do you mean to be funny, or is this something intrinsic to your personality?

NANCY: Thank you, Donnell. I showed my husband what you said about my being “soft spoken.”       I like to think I'm a thoughtful person, but I do see humor in situations that some people don't find funny: like when my husband stepped in gasoline filling up our rental car before we arrived at the airport to board a flight. The airline authorities, smelling  fumes, wouldn't let us near the aircraft until he stripped. He had to board the plane wearing a jacket over long pajama bottoms and socks. He did not find that humorous. I walked way behind him trying to keep a straight face.  Even more weird, nobody seemed to notice his attire.

DONNELL:  I read that in a novel, Nine Days to Evil, you intended to make the book serious, but then Aggie “Agatha” Mundeen showed up.  How far were you into the book at the time? Did you have writer’s block? I’m curious how someone so three dimensional appeared and just took over?

NANCY:  Nine Days to Evil is Meredith Laughlin's story. At age twenty-three, she is studying Abnormal Psychology and Shakespeare in graduate school. When she finds herself in a life-threatening dilemma, she uses what she's learned in class to try to escape. Meredith is serious, a bit naive and desperate. I think Aggie appeared to lighten Meredith up and put things in perspective. Meredith was pooped from being serious, and so was I. We both needed  Aggie. I'd write down something Aggie said or did and start laughing.  My husband, sitting across the room at his own computer, thought I'd flipped.

Aggie told me she wouldn't let me finish Meredith's story until I promised to write a series about her.

DONNELL:  Meredith, the character you intended to be your protagonist, is still in your series.  Did she feel slighted when Aggie took the lead?
                                                                                                                                                         

NANCY:  Nope. She's grateful. Meredith is thoughtful, deliberate and studious. Aggie is impulsive, creative and fearless (except that she's pushing forty and terrified of aging.) They balance each other.                                                                                           

DONNELL:  And now we have a detective named Sam.  I read some of your reviews.  Reader s like Sam.  Do we get to see him in future books?

NANCY:  You bet. Aggie's sleuthing methods drive Detective Sam crazy, and his lack of appreciation for her creative approach make Aggie doubt they can ever get together. Despite these obstacles, they become closer with each book. A friend told me she wanted to marry Sam. It's too late. Aggie has him in her sites.

DONNELL:  Are you more like Meredith or Aggie, and why?

NANCY: I'm a combination: I'm basically serious, but I get tired of that. I'm always seeing people and situations that make me laugh. We're a funny species in a crazy world. 

DONNELL:  Your series takes place in Texas.  Is that home?

NANCY: We've lived in St. Louis, Kansas and Florida and have traveled to many other places, but Texas is home. I just wish somebody would air-condition it.

DONNELL:  Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you self-publish your first novel, and then Henery Press picked it up.  I’m a huge fan of Henery Press and love their authors.  Whatever the case, congratulations, and tell us what comes next in the series.

NANCY:  I had sent Nine Days to Sara Ann Freed, award-winning editor at Mysterious Press and Warner Books, editor for Marcia Muller, Margaret Maron, James Patterson and many others. Sara Ann died in June 2003 at age fifty-seven, having been under treatment for leukemia. She had kept Nine Days for months and finally wrote me: “If this book were not so good, I would not have kept it for so long.” Mysterious Press turned it down. Buoyed by Sara's enthusiasm, saddened by her death and tired of waiting, I published the book.

The first Aggie Mundeen mystery, Fit to Be Dead, was named one of three finalists in a California publisher's mystery writing contest. They had financial reverses, and the book was published under a different title by a Texas publisher. I acquired rights to the book, edited it and published the sequel, Dang Near Dead. Henery Press acquired these two Aggie Mundeen mysteries and contracted for two more books in the series. Smart, But Dead comes out in 2015.

DONNELL:  When you’re not writing, where will we find you?

NANCY:  At Lake Placid on the Guadalupe River with family and friends, traveling with them or seeking music and art venues in San Antonio. Learning to play the guitar.

                                                                                                                                                                                   DONNELL: Authors have to do research, and I love to ask what’ the most unusual or interesting thing you’ve learned while conducting it?

NANCY:  Since Aggie gives advice on how to stay young in her column, I knew she'd be interested in the Human Genome Project and how genes affect aging. So I started writing Smart, But Dead, where Aggie returns to college to learn about genetics. While doing research, I found that genetics is a very difficult subject to explain in simple language, which has caused me to do a lot of work. I'm interested in a zillion  things, which can get me in trouble.

 The main thing I've learned  is that once you have the general idea for the book's plot in hand, do the research BEFORE you start writing.

DONNELL:  If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be, and why?

NANCY: I'd like to spend  two weeks with William Shakespeare accompanied by somebody who has read all his plays and can translate everything he wrote and everything he says now from sixteenth-century English to contemporary US English. Then I'd need another week with them to ask questions.

I'd also like to spend a day with Goldie Hawn and a day with Sandra Bullock. I can see one of them depicting Aggie's antics on screen.

AND NOW READERS, IT'S TIME FOR NANCY G. WEST TO ASK YOU A QUESTION: 

NANCY WANTS TO KNOW:  Although Aggie and Sam have issues from the past that can keep them apart and are both bullheaded, they grow  closer with each book – especially in Smart, But Dead. Here's what I want to know from readers: Should they marry? Live together? Live separately and travel together? Forget the whole “together” thing  and just work together occasionally? Give the “why” for your answer and say how you think it will affect their relationship and the series.

I'll be delighted to send a paperback copy of Dang Near Dead to the person who Donnell and I agree sends the best comment. Aggie and Sam's future could be in your hands.

REVIEWS:

            Well-paced and written, there are bursts of humor in this novel which had me roaring with laughter. A great read and highly recommended.

--Diana Hockley, Australian mystery writer and reviewer for NetGalley

                                                                                                           

I love this character of Aggie Mundeen. Nancy West does such a good job of making Aggie humorous, but with a brain.                                                                                                                                                                                 __Jennifer Gott,  Houston

 I found Dang Near Dead to be suspenseful, engaging, funny, and unique. I love a good mystery and a romance and this was both. You will fall in love with Nancy G. West's writing just as I have. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars. 

                                                           UniversalCreativityInc14               

FIT TO BE DEAD             Aggie Mundeen Mystery #1     Lefty Award Finalist Best Humorous Mystery                                                                                                     http://tinyurl.com/bgl4zbc     

Release video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShriTrVWFCM

DANG NEAR DEAD Aggie Mundeen Mystery #2  Romantic Texas Hill Country mystery.  “Must Read”- Southern Writers' Magazine.                                       http://tinyurl.com/am975kk 

                                                                                                                            

Release video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I23CVLKG67Y

SMART BUT DEAD  Mystery #3

Website: www.nancygwest.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorNancyG.West

Henery Press: http://henerypress.com/authors-humorous-mystery-series-authors/nancy-g-west/

Get Lost with Diane Vallere and Suede to Rest

 Get Lost in a Story readers, Suede to Rest?  How's that for a title.  Please welcome the talented and fabulously put together Diane Vallere to Get Lost in a Story.

Unraveling family secrets can be murder in Suede to Rest...

With her career as a dress designer in shreds, Polyester Monroe is looking forward to a fresh start. But as it all unfolds, the pattern to a new beginning looks a lot like murder.

When Poly Monroe was little, she loved playing in her family’s textile store. But after a fatal family tragedy, Land of A Thousand Fabrics was boarded up and Poly never expected to see the inside again. Now, as inheritor of the long-shuttered shop, she’s ready to restore the family business. However her two new kittens, Pins and Needles, aren’t the ones causing a snag in her plans...

Not everyone wants Poly back in San Ladrón, especially a powerful local developer pressuring her to sell—and leave town fast. But even when the threats turn deadly, she’s not ready to bolt. Because Poly is beginning to suspect that the murder behind the shop is tied to a mystery in her family’s unsettled past that she’s determined to solve before her own life is left hanging by a thread.

DONNELL:  Welcome to Get Lost in a Story, Diane, first of all, I am probably the world’s best fan of puns. I see puns all over your blurbs and writing, Suede to Rest, Pins and Needles.  These are adorable.  Do you just think this way, or is this hard to come up with?

DIANE: I am lucky. This is how I think! I’m sure it comes from my family. My dad is a big punster, and rarely a day went by when he wasn’t tossing out a zinger to my sister and me.  I have been known to come up with title puns and then decide to write a book because I liked the tile so much!

DONNELL:  How would you classify your writing?  Cozy, humorous? Do you ever incorporate dark?

DIANE: My writing style has a lot of humor to it, mostly because I do naturally see the humor in everyday life. In mysteries, it’s important to keep that humor in check at the appropriate times, though, because there’s still a murder and that has to be respected. SUEDE TO REST is the most cozy that I’ve written, and it was meant specifically for the Berkley Prime Crime imprint. This allowed me to dive into and create a wonderful little town and name lots of shops (where you’ll find even more puns!). I often say that I know there’s a dark story in me, but  I need to mature a bit before I can really expose it. For now, I love knowing that I can entertain and bring a smile to a reader’s life.

DONNELL:  For those of you just meeting Diane, she is a walking fashion statement.  She always looks so put together.  So, fess up.  What do you wear when you’re at home during an average day of writing?  (I would love it if we could put a picture of you in one of your beautiful outfits here.)

DIANE: Today’s “beautiful outfit”:  T-shirt from a Palm Springs Midcentury Modern vacation rental business and yoga pants! (Never fear, I would never leave the house like this.) I do like to go to the public library to write, which serves the dual purpose of getting me away from the never-ending pile of laundry and gives me a reason to put on real clothes.

DONNELL:  You’ve written a couple of series now for different publishers.  Tell us about them.

DIANE: I write the Style & Error series, featuring former fashion buyer Samantha Kidd, who has given up her successful and glamorous life in order to move back into the house where she grew up. Each book puts Samantha in a different fashion-related job in her new small town.

I also write the Mad for Mod Mystery series, featuring a midcentury modern interior decorator who has modeled her life after a Doris Day movie, while continuing to be a modern, independent business owner herself.

DONNELL:  If you’re not writing, where will we find you?

DIANE:  I like to see old movies in the theaters, which fortunately is something very doable in Hollywood. I also like to attend fashion and costume-related lectures and events, and I’m a definite fan of all things midcentury. And because of this series, I’ve been spending more time at fabric stores planning new sewing projects.

DONNELL:  What is the most interesting or unusual thing you’ve discovered doing research?

DIANE:  I don’t know that I can come down to just one! I am a huge fan of Forensic Files (sometimes called Mystery Detectives), and often I’ll pick up a little piece of knowledge from that to use in a book. I picked up lots of fascinating information when researching arson for my next Style & Error book (SOME LIKE IT HAUTE), and learned all about the early citrus trade in San Dimas, California, when researching the third book in the Material Witness series. (San Dimas is the template for my fictional town, San Ladrón.)

DONNELL:  What is something you want readers to know about you, but no one has ever asked?

DIANE:  This question has completely stumped me! How about: Q: Can you list all of the state capitals? A: Yes.

DONNELL:  Favorite TV Show?

DIANE:  I adored Alias and can watch those episodes over and over.  I recently discovered Veronica Mars and I binge-watched the entire series over a few days! I canceled my cable TV subscription last year and the only two things I miss are Project Runway and Dancing With The Stars.

 DONNELL:  Who inspires you?

DIANE:  Isaac Mizrahi, who has experienced major ups and downs in his career, but continues to be relevant. Watching UNZIPPED can get me through any creative block. Woody Allen, who has made a movie a year since 1977, despite personal highs and lows and the opinions of critics. Meg Cabot, who is exactly 13 days younger than I am but who has published 80 books. (SUEDE TO REST is my 7^th). 

Diane, thanks for being our guest today!  Now it’s your turn.  Time to ask the readers a question: 

DIANE'S QUESTIONS FOR READERS:  Okay, readers! In SUEDE TO REST, Poly inherits a boarded up fabric store. A lucrative offer to buy the place is on the table. What would you do? Stick around and consider changing up your life to reopen the place, or take the money and run?

A copy of SUEDE TO REST goes to one lucky commenter!

Links and contact information

www.dianevallere.com

t: @dianevallere

f: facebook.com/dianevallereauthor

p:  pinterest.com/dianevallere

Buy Links at: http://www.penguin.com/book/suede-to-rest-by-diane-vallere/9780425270578

Get Lost in a Story welcomes back Larissa Reinhart

Get Lost in a Story Readers.  I’m very pleased to have Larissa Reinhart visit Get Lost in a Story again.  I can’t believe her heroine Cherry Tucker is on book four.  (I thought she’d be long dead by now), but here she comes again.  I know you’ll love Cherry as much as I do.  Let’s learn about Larissa Reinhart and why she’s determined to keep tormenting Cherry!

ABOUT:  DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE, A Cherry Tucker Mystery #4:

In Cherry Tucker’s fourth mystery, the curtain rises on Cherry’s debut as a high school set designer at the posh, private Peerless Day Academy. Cherry’s been hired to design scenery for an avant garde adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, but the theater teacher's hoping Cherry can also turn the spotlight on a malicious bully who’s sending poisonous texts to the faculty. The director’s got his own drama to hide, and the phantom texter seems eager to spill school secrets. When a school secretary's death is ruled a suicide, Cherry suspects foul play. The phantom bully may be using blackmail to rid the school of unwanted staff, urging a Montague-Capulet styled showdown.
 
With Deputy Luke Harper wanting to return as Cherry’s leading man, he’s eager to assist her efforts in fingering the phantom culprit, but Cherry fears family secrets may doom them to the role of star-crossed lovers. Offstage, Cherry’s searching for her missing brother who’s fixed on a vendetta against Luke’s stepfamily, so she instead turns to the local, foreign racketeer, Max Avtaikin, for assistance. With the bully waiting for a murderous encore and her own family skeletons to hide, Cherry scrambles to find her brother and the mysterious texter before the phantom decides its curtains for Cherry and forces her to take a final bow. 

And now let's learn more about Author Larissa Reinhart!

Larissa Reinhart

 

DONNELL:  Larissa, I'll be redundant and say welcome back again, and ohhhh, I can’t wait to read this one.  You’re dealing with a bully – love to root against bullies.  But poisonous texts?  You want to expand on that a little one?

LARISSA: I wanted to write a poison pen mystery, but for this day and age it seemed texting or emails would be more apropos. And where do you see the most texting? In a high school. Also a good place to find bullies. However, this is no Young Adult yarn, so there’s a twist on the cyberbullying. It’s happening among the faculty. And as a ex-high school teacher, I had fun setting the story in that wheelhouse.

DONNELL:  Your books are fairly humorous and cozy?  Do I use the right word.  This sounds rather suspenseful.  True/false?

LARISSA: Yes, yes, and true? The term cozy mystery means a lot of things right now. A lot of humorous mysteries are considered cozy, because they’re not detective stories, nor romantic suspense, and not really a traditional mystery. However, this new breed of humorous romantic mysteries aren’t the typical Agatha Christie cozy. I was at a mystery conference in January where one author called them the “modern cozy.” I like that term. It’s more like Stephanie Plum meets Miss Marple.

DONNELL:  I love Luke Harper.  Every girl should have a Luke in her life.  Describe how you see him, vs. how Cherry sees him.  Then, how do your fans see him?

LARISSA: I see a good looking veteran who had big plans to become a big city police detective, but because of his family situation, has been forced to settle into the role of a small town deputy. He really struggles with the resentment he has for his stepfamily and also struggles with his feelings for Cherry. He’s incredibly attracted to her, has been since he was a teenager, but she’s so reckless and impulsive, she really drives him crazy.

Cherry sees Luke as tall, dark, and moody. She finds him uncommunicative and often crabby, particularly when he’s trying to stifle her free spirt because he’s worried about safety. She also sees Luke as the perfect model for painting (which he won’t do) with the body of a Greek hero, V-cut and all, stormy gray eyes, and demonically sexy dimples. Luke’s a real weakness for her. Her first love. She resents that, yet still wants him pretty badly!

DONNELL:  Cherry is highly craft-oriented.  Do you do crafts, and what’s your favorite?

LARISSA:  I am not a good crafter! I lack the patience and ability to measure correctly. I did take art classes in university and do like to draw and paint if I have the time. I also enjoyed design and photography, although they were a lot lower-tech back in those days. Writing is enough of a craft for me now. But I love art. I majored in art history in grad school. It’s a treat to be able to use my art history books for Cherry Tucker research!

DONNELL:  This is a two part question.  I’m most comfortable when I’m . .   If you want to see me out of sorts make me do this . . . .

LARISSA: Most comfortable when I’m propped on the couch with a book, knowing my to-do list is done (which doesn’t happen nearly enough). If you want to see me out of sorts …make me go to a party where I don’t know anybody.

DONNELL:   Early bird or night owl?

LARISSA: Night owl, most definitely, but forced into early birdness by my children.

DONNELL:  What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned doing research?

LARISSA: That’s a hard one. I’ve learned so much trivia! Recently I’ve been doing a lot of research on feral hogs, Civil War swords, and bow hunting. Did you know General Grant’s presentation sword had a diamond encrusted monogram and was bought by a private collector in Texas recently for more than a million dollars? I thought that was interesting.

DONNELL:  I'll say that's interesting.  Larissa, thanks for being our guest today.  Now it’s your turn.  Time to ask readers a question and explain whether or not you’ll do a book giveaway.

LARISSA: Thanks so much for having me here!

LARISSA WANTS TO KNOW:Cherry loves to bling out her clothes with DIY accents. I’m always looking for some interesting craft ideas.   I’d love to know about the arts and crafts your readers do. I’ll randomly pick a commenter to give away any Cherry Tucker e-book of their choice!

 Contact Links.

www.larissareinhart.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RisWrites

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/LarissaReinhart/

Twitter: @RisWrites

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/LarissaReinhart