Please welcome Kendel Lynn!
ABOUT BOARD STIFF:
As
director of the Ballantyne Foundation on Sea Pine Island, SC, Elliott Lisbon
scratches her detective itch by performing discreet inquiries for Foundation
donors. Usually nothing more serious than retrieving a pilfered Pomeranian.
Until Jane Hatting, Ballantyne board chair, is accused of murder. The
Ballantyne’s reputation tanks, Jane’s headed to a jail cell, and Elliott’s sexy
ex is the new lieutenant in town.
Armed
with moxie and her Mini Coop, Elliott uncovers a trail of blackmail schemes,
gambling debts, illicit affairs, and investment scams. But the deeper she digs
to clear Jane’s name, the guiltier Jane looks. The closer she gets to the
truth, the more treacherous her investigation becomes: a brutal attack on her
own suspect and the murder of a witness. With victims piling up faster
than shells at a clambake, Elliott realizes she’s next on the killer’s list.
And now to get to know Kendel Lynn!
DONNELL: Woohoo, An Agatha nominee for Best First
Book, well done. Board Stiff sounds like
my kind of read--mystery. Is it cozy,
traditional, a series? Does it include
humor?
KENDEL: All of the above! It’s a
cozy (a mostly amateur sleuth, small town island setting, no major on screen
violence), traditional (crime and investigation rule the pages), humorous
(Elliott’s life really is all fun and murder), and a series (Board Stiff is the
first)! Whew. Who says you can’t do it all?
And thank you! I’m so very delighted
and honored with the Agatha nomination. Kind of a shocker. The good kind.
DONNELL: South Carolina. I was there last year, and it’s absolutely
beautiful. Is that home? Is Sea Pine Island an actual place? Why did you choose this setting and if it’s
fiction has it become real to you?
KENDEL: Sea Pine Island is a fictionalized version of
the lovely Hilton Head Island, which sits at the southern most part of South
Carolina, and only 30 minutes from Savannah. For those who’ve never been, it’s
quite like Kauai with abundant palms and flora and miles of shoreline, but
little development to preserve its beauty.
I lived on the island for three
years, and it proved to be ripe with quirky characters with nothing but time on
their hands. A perfect palette for misdemeanors and murders.
DONNELL: Talk about your protagonist, Elliott
Lisbon. A woman, right? In what way is she like Kendel Lynn, and how
is she different?
KENDEL: I love Elliott! She’s just like me: smart,
sassy, sexy, always says the right thing…Well, maybe not JUST like me. We’re
about the same age, so there’s that. And she eats junk food on a daily basis,
which is totally me (I could eat an In-N-Out burger every single day.) Elliott
really puts herself out there as the director of the Ballantyne Foundation and
as a PI-in-training. She drives her Mini convertible all over the island and
beyond, tackling trouble (and finding plenty more). I’m more of a sit at a desk
all day kind of girl. Though our sense of humor is identical…
DONNELL: Ha! Imagine that. I have it on good authority you wear a good
many hats. How do you keep organized?
KENDEL: Oh I wear hats! I’m a list
maker. I have a wall covered in checklists (not an exaggeration), plus a
notebook of daily to-do lists and a desk calendar. I monitor them daily: add
new, scratch off old, and circle items constantly (why didn’t I do this one
yesterday?!). My Henery work comes first (which is why Whack Job, the second
Elliott Lisbon mystery, got pushed of the schedule repeatedly), but I pencil in
writing time so maintain some balance.
DONNELL: What’s the most interesting thing you
discovered while doing research?
KENDEL: I love research! I volunteered at the
Sheriff’s Office for two years and boy, nothing beats hands on experience. You
simply can’t make some of this stuff up. And the crime! I had no idea there was
so much, and some pretty oddball scams and schemes. All book worthy.
DONNELL: I couldn't agree more. Volunteering. A win/win! Finish this sentence: If I could travel anywhere, I’d go to . . .
KENDEL: Disneyland! Still my
Happiest Place on Earth.
Kendel, now it’s your turn. Time to ask the reader a question.
Okay, readers, tell me this:
what’s your favorite junk food indulgence? Mine: The aforementioned In-N-Out
burger: with cheese, ketchup and spread only. A neapolitan shake if I deserve a
reward…
One commenter will received a signed
copy of BOARD STIFF and a signed ARC of WHACK JOB.
Thank you so much for having me,
Donnell. I’m a huge fan of your work, and an admirer of your spirit and
tenacity. You give so much to the mystery community and it’s appreciated!
My pleasure, Kendel. Thank you for being our guest!
Links http://kendellynn.com/
