Thursday, May 28, 2015

Welcome author Linda S Reilly!


Meow! My guest this weekend is Linda S. Reilly!


Raised in a sleepy town in the Berkshires, Linda Reilly spent the bulk of her career in the field of real estate closings and title examination. It wasn’t until 1995 that her first short mystery, Out of Luck, was accepted for publication by a national women’s magazine. Since then she’s had over forty short stories published, including a sprinkling of romances. Fillet of Murder is the first mystery in the Deep Fried series.

Welcome Linda! Tell us a little about your background – what got you interested in writing as a career?

I’ve loved writing since I was a little girl, but never thought I could actually get published. I remember having fantasies that I was asked to write a Nancy Drew book after the real author died. Fast forward to1995, when I decided to try to write a “mini-mystery” for Woman’s World. If I could just get one story published, I figured I could die happy. The first two stories were rejected, but then the third time was the charm. After that, I knew I would never give up writing, even if I never got another word published.

Tell us about your new series – the Deep Fried Mysteries – what inspired that?

Actually, my agent did -- it was her original concept. I wrote a synopsis and the first three chapters of book one, and was thrilled when I learned the project was accepted by Berkley.

Does the character of Talia resemble you at all?  Are you a fan of fried foods?

Physically, Talia is younger, skinnier, and blonder than I am, and also a lot more courageous. I’d faint if I encountered a killer. I can’t even tell you what I’d do if I stumbled onto a body. I do love fried foods, but I found out that it’s not that easy to make them at home. That’s what restaurants are for!

You also write the Apple Mariani series. Tell us how that came about.

 Mariani is actually a family name – the maiden name of my great-grandmother Filomena Mariani. Apple’s real name is Apollonia, after the character from The Godfather who married Michael Corleone. The series came about when I decided that my own job as a paralegal/title examiner might make a good profession for a cozy protagonist. In retrospect, I’m not sure that was enough of a “hook,” but I was thrilled when it was accepted for publication.

How do you “get to know” your characters before and while you’re writing the books?

I lie in bed at night thinking about these people, and when I wake up I’m still thinking about them. I prepare character sketches, but most of it stays in my head. I love getting to know secondary characters as they pop into the story.

How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?

 I definitely have to start with some form of synopsis so that I know where I’m headed. If I didn’t have that basic plot line, it would be like trying to drive my car to the mall with a dry gas tank. I do, however, revise it as I go along and find ways to make it better.

Which do you consider more important, plot or character?

They are both so critical, but in a cozy I think the characters rule. It’s those quirky, crazy, nutty characters that cozy readers love. But the main character has to solve a murder or two in each book, and to do that she needs a plot. So it’s a juggling act.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

 Trying to balance writing deadlines with my day job. I am pleased to report that by the eve of this year’s Thanksgiving, I will be officially retired from my day job and my life will be my own. I stay motivated by communicating with fellow writers and also with readers. I’ve learned that the cozy community is wonderfully supportive.

Do you have an “How I got my agent” story you want to share?

 Actually, it was another Berkley writer, the fabulous Jen Stanley, who was kind enough to tell her agent that I was interested in writing a culinary cozy. A few months later, Jessica Faust contacted me. She had read a portion of my first cozy, and offered representation. I floated on puffs of air that day.

What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

 I am working on finishing book three in the Deep Fried series. My future plans are not yet gelled, but I would love to continue the Deep Fried books after the third one (fingers crossed).

What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you devote to writing?

 I’m a morning person, so I write mostly in the mornings. Weekday mornings give me limited time, but on weekends I’m a writing machine. I’m not really an outdoorsy type, so I’m happy staying inside and pounding away at the keyboard. It’s hard to estimate the hours, though. It varies too much.

If you could take only three books with you for a year-long writing retreat in a gorgeous setting with no library, which three would you take?

I’d take my favorite suspense novel, Rebecca, and re-read it. Also, the complete works of Poe and a thesaurus.

What advice do you have to offer to an aspiring author?

 Don’t give up, and don’t stop learning. I’ve taken so many terrific on line writing classes, and I don’t think any of them cost more than $60. Most were far less. Even now, I still take classes. I truly enjoy them and I still keep learning. Also . . . read lots of the types of books you want to write.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

A few decades ago I bought an old car, a 1959 Oldsmobile about a hundred feet long. Totally gorgeous, but I had no idea how to take care of it. Ultimately the brakes failed and I sold it. But while it lasted, it was a fun blast from the past.

What’s one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about you? That I have, quite literally, only drunk one sip of beer in my entire life. When I was about twelve, my grandfather let me sip the foam from his beer. I thought it was the most awful thing I ever tasted, and I never touched it again. Even now, the smell is a turnoff.

What question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)

 Oh heck, how about a fluff question: what’s your favorite band? Answer: The Beatles.

Where can we learn more about you and your books?

 The best place would be my web site: www.lindasreilly.com. But be forewarned, my life story is a bit of a snooze fest.


Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Day. I’m definitely a morning person.

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  Love dogs. ADORE cats. I regret that I can’t have either because of health issues in my household.

Beach or Pool?  Beach. I might see a bug in a pool.

Steak or salad?  Steak. As long as it’s ground into a cheeseburger dripping with melted cheddar. (Salad? Are you kidding me?)

Favorite Drink?  Coffee

Favorite Book?  Rebecca

Favorite TV Series?  Monk

Favorite Movie?    The Godfather

Favorite Actor:  Tony Shalhoub

Favorite Actress:  Meryl Streep

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? Both would give me a headache. How about a touch of chardonnay?

Hawaii or Alaska?  I’ve never been to either, but I know Hawaii has gorgeous beaches. On the other hand, I’ve always wanted to see the frozen tundra.

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. I’d have a pen and a lined pad at the ready, and I’d ask him a thousand questions about the mysteries of the cosmos.

If I had just one wish, it would be: A cessation of violence in the world; for people to be kinder to each other and to animals, and accept others as they are.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be: No one. I believe we are all put on this planet for a reason, and we have to fulfill our own destinies.





Linda will giveaway a  signed copy of Fillet of Murder, and a Deep Fried Mysteries embroidered tote bag (see photo). To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:



* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link:
https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link:
https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)


Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck! Contest ends midnight, May 31!




Monday, May 25, 2015

Author Kathy Aarons in ROCCO's hotseat!


 

Meow,  my guest today is author Kathy Aarons!

Kathy Aarons is the author of the national bestselling book, Death is Like a Box of Chocolates, the first in the CHOCOLATE COVERED MYSTERY series by Berkley Prime Crime. It was chosen by Mysterious Galaxy for their Fabulous Firsts Book Club and as a Top Book of 2014 by the San Diego Union Tribune. The second book in the series, Truffled to Death, will be out on June 2. Research for the series was such a hardship: sampling chocolate, making chocolate, sampling more chocolate, and hanging out in bookstores.

Kathy grew up in rural Pennsylvania, attended Carnegie Mellon University, and moved to New York City where she built her career in public relations and met her husband. They relocated to California where she became one of “those” moms:  running the PTA, fundraising for school foundations, helping with a high school writers conference, creating costumes for youth theater, building puppets, and cheering on her daughters in hundreds of swim meets and soccer and basketball games. She now lives in San Diego with her husband and two daughters where she wakes up far too early, and is currently obsessed with the Broadway Idiot documentary, finding the perfect cup of coffee, and Dallmann’s Sea Salt Caramels.

 

  • Welcome Kathy! Tell us a little about your background – what got you interested in writing as a career?

I started writing as a hobby when my second daughter went to preschool five mornings a week. I’d had a successful career in marketing and public relations so I had writing skills, but soon figured out that I had no idea how to write a novel. Luckily, my local RWA chapter was offering “back to basics” workshops and I took them all, bought all the writing books they recommended (and sometimes even read them), and wrote. Fast forward many years of writing workshops, classes and conferences, and I got my first contract by Berkley Prime Crime.

  • Tell us about your chocolate covered mystery series – what inspired that?

The idea actually came from a Berkley editor and my agent asked if I wanted to write a proposal. Who could resist that combination of books and chocolate? I wrote the proposal – three chapters and a synopsis -- and got the contract.

  • Are you a chocoholic in real life?

I would love to be, but I’d be as big as a house if I was a chocoholic! I do admit to eating chocolate for inspiration while writing.

 

  • Tell us about your latest release

Truffled to Death is second in the Chocolate Covered Mystery series by Berkley Prime Crime. Chocolatier Michelle Serrano and bookstore owner Erica Russell are hosting a reception celebrating the donation of Maya antiquities to the local museum. The party goes great, until the art is stolen on its way to the museum, and Erica is named as a suspect. Things go from bad to worse when Erica’s accuser turns up dead.

I had a wonderful time researching Maya antiquities and international art trafficking for this book.

  • .How do you “get to know” your characters before and while you’re writing the books?

In How to Write a Damn Good Mystery, author James Frey advises writing an essay from the point of view of your major characters, and that’s what I do for every integral character in the book. It goes beyond surface level and delves into beliefs and motivations.

As I write, I learn more and more about the characters. It was really fun to revisit West Riverdale, Maryland, and the fun cast of characters when writing Truffled to Death.

  • How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?

I plot with my wonderful critique group – Denny’s Chicks Barrie Summy and Kelly Hayes. Then I outline in detail and have many scenes in mind when I envision the plot. Of course, this changes a great deal as I’m writing.

  • Which do you consider more important, plot or character?

That’s a tough question! I think they are equal, because you need relatable characters and a reason to keep reading.

  • What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

My biggest challenge is fighting the worry demon. I spend far too long worrying about what I’m going to write before I get seriously started. I hope I’ve finally learned with the last book that once I’m actually physically writing, the worry goes away.

  • Do you have an “How I got my agent” story you want to share?

I love my agent story! I saw on Twitter that Jessica Faust was taking queries for new clients for one weekend only, so I went to her website and sent her exactly what her requirements called for. She emailed me to send the opening chapters, and soon after, the whole book. Then she called and started right away by saying she loved my writing, especially the humor and the characters, but she felt the book I’d sent her didn’t have enough of a cozy hook. Then she asked if I would be interested in starting a new series. Of course I said yes!

  • What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

I’m working on a proposal for a new cozy series, and I’m constantly fighting with myself not to write the other books I have in mind – a young adult fantasy, a zombie book, a cozy series set in Ireland. I hope to write all of those in the future.

  • What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you devote to writing?

Ideally is a lot different from reality. I wake up very early and love to have a couple of hours with my very strong French press coffee writing. After checking email and Facebook first. With both of my girls in college, I spend a lot of my day writing, but have other commitments, like my volunteer work with Playwrights Project and the Canyon Crest Academy Writers Conference.

  • If you could take only three books with your for a year-long writing retreat in a gorgeous setting with no library, which three would you take?

That is almost impossible to answer! Can one of them be the Harry Potter series? I’d take Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos, and Dating Dead Men by Harley Jane Kozak.

  • What advice do you have to offer to an aspiring author?

I did a few talks this year and the best advice I can give is to network with other authors, keep writing, keep learning, and don’t give up. But mostly, keep writing!

  • What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Not telling. J

  • What’s one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about you?

Perhaps that I don’t cook? My local chocolatier, Isabella Knack, provides all of the recipes found in the book. I try them a couple of times to make sure they’ll work for the lay person. But Isabella’s are beautiful works of art that taste delicious and mine are lumpy imitations that still taste great.

My husband is a wonderful cook and does most of the cooking in the house!

  • What question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)

Sorry! Don’t have any! Your list is great!

  •  Where can we learn more about you and your books?

Death is Like a Box of Chocolates and Truffled to Death are available at your local indie bookstore, at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. My local wonderful independent bookstore, Mysterious Galaxy (http://mystgalaxy.com/) in San Diego has signed copies – if you want, I can even personalize them.

Readers can visit my website (www.KathyAarons.com) or follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  .Day

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  Both

Beach or Pool?   Beach

Steak or salad?  Salad

Favorite Drink?  Pour over coffee

Favorite Book?  If I have to choose one, Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos.

Favorite TV Series?  The Walking Dead

Favorite Movie?  I don’t have a favorite all-time movie, but recently I really enjoyed The Imitation Game.

Favorite Actor: ?

Favorite Actress: ?

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? Pina colada

Hawaii or Alaska? Hawaii

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be __J.K Rowling_________________

If I had just one wish, it would be__to stop climate change_______________________________________

 Thanks Kathy! Folks, Kathy will give away one lucky commenter’s choice of a paperback or e-book copy of Truffled to Death!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

 


* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link:
https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link:
https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

 

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Contest ends midnight, May 27th! Good luck!

 

Friday, May 22, 2015

Welcome Our Weekend guest....Elaine Viets to the Blog!


          “Checked Out” is Elaine Viets 14th Dead-End Job hardcover mystery from Obsidian. South Florida PI Helen Hawthorne searches for a missing million-dollar painting in a Florida library with an organic mouse catcher and a ghost who may be all too real. The New York Times praises Elaine’s “quick-witted mysteries.”

“Shop till You Drop,” her first Dead-end Job Mystery, made the list of 16 Florida Must Read Books, along with John D. MacDonald, Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard. http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/flbooks/

Elaine recently took the MedicoLegal Death Investigators Course for forensic professionals, given by St. Louis University. She lives in Fort Lauderdale. She’s won the Anthony, Agatha, and Lefty Awards. www.elaineviets.com.


Q: Welcome Elaine! Tell us a little about your background.

A: Thanks ROCCO! I live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with my husband, newspaper reporter Don Crinklaw, and two cats, Harry and Mystery. I grew up in St. Louis and was a  reporter and columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for 27 years, and a syndicated columnist for United Media in New York. Then I started writing mysteries for Dell.

           My first four-book mystery series featured six-foot-tall newspaper columnist Francesca Vierling and was very dark. I have two other series, the cozy  Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper Mysteries (ten books) and the traditional Dead-End Job series (14 books), as well as short stories.

           I’m currently writing a new dark series featuring Death Investigator Angela Richman. Death investigators work out of the medical examiner’s office. At a death scene, the DI takes care of the body, measuring, documenting it, photographing it, etc. The police investigate the rest of the scene. Recently, I  took the MedicoLegal Death Investigator Training Course for forensic professionals, given by St. Louis University.


         

Tell us about your Dead-End Job series. How did that come about?

A: RandomHouse wiped out the division that published my Francesca Vierling series. While my agent looked for a new publisher, I went to work at a Barnes & Noble in Hollywood, Florida. When I was a bookseller, people treated me differently than when I was a columnist for a major newspaper. My time at the bookstore was the inspiration for my Dead-End Job mystery series, and I wrote Murder Between the Covers, the second Dead-End Job mystery.


Q:You also write the “mystery shopper” series.  Are you a shopaholic?

A: No, I’d rather shop on the Internet and avoid the mall. I don’t like big crowds – except at my book signings.

         

Q: How do you “get to know” your characters before and while you’re writing the books?

A: They seem to come alive for me as I write. I can see Helen’s landlady, Margery, with her gray hair and wild purple outfits, even smell her cigarette smoke. I hear her funny, sarcastic jokes. I imagine the sunset salutes by the pool at the Coronado Tropic Apartments, and hear Phil, Helen’s husband and PI partner, popping the top on another beer. The Florida  air is very soft and everyone is slightly sweaty.

          My great-uncle saw people in his mind and they talked to him, and he lived in a nice, padded room in a big building. But I get paid for my fantasies.


Q: How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?

A: I outline, but that outline is a road map, not a superhighway. If I get deep into the book and the plot outline isn’t working, I turn off that road and go in a different direction.

I agree with Sue Grafton who said she wrote seven novels before she started writing mysteries because mysteries have complex plotting. In traditional mysteries, all the clues to the murder must be there, with enough red herrings to lead readers to the wrong conclusion while they enjoy a satisfying ending.


Q: Which do you consider more important, plot or character?

A: Character. If readers don’t like your characters, they won’t care about your plot.


Q: What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

A: My first series, which featured newspaper columnist Francesca Vierling, was cancelled after four books in 1999. I was devastated. That’s when I went to work at a bookstore selling other authors’ novels. And discovered “clerk abuse.” If customers had had a bad day at home or at work, they’d take it out on the bookstore clerk. Working there was the inspiration for my long-running Dead-End Job mysteries.

My motivation? I love spinning tales and hope my readers enjoy them.


Q: What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

A: I’m starting my next Dead-End Job mystery, The Art of Murder. The fifteenth Dead-End Job mystery takes place at an offbeat museum with a romantic history. I’m also writing a short story and working on the Angela Richman Death Investigator series.


Q: What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you devote to writing?

A: I get up about eight, have breakfast and start work about ten a.m. I write until noon, when I stop for tea, then go back to work until three o’clock when I have lunch. I write from four to seven p.m., then go for a walk along the water or work out at the gym. I write seven or eight hours a day, seven days a week.

Q: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

A: You want me to mention that here? No way, Rocco.


Q: What’s one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about you?

A: I wanted to become a contemplative nun, a Pink Sister. Those are German nuns who spend their days in prayer and silent contemplation and wear very cool pink habits. I was the only girl in a house with three younger brothers. A life of absolute silence seemed like a good idea – until I discovered boys who weren’t my brothers.


Q:What question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)

A: You’ve asked me about everything but my shoe size. (It’s 11B.)


Where can we learn more about you and your books?

On my Website, www.elaineviets.com.

I blog for the Femmes Fatales with eight mystery writers, including Charlaine Harris, Dana Cameron, Catriona McPherson, Donna Andrews, Dean/Miranda James, Hank Philippi Ryan, Toni L. P. Kelner, Mary Saums, Marcia Talley, Kris Neri at  http://www.femmesfatales.typepad.com/

And I’m one of 11 writers who blogs for the award-winning The Kill Zone. http://killzoneblog.com/


Just for Fun:

Night or Day? Night

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully) Two cats, a pedigreed French Chartreux named Mystery and Harry, my striped rescue tabby.

Beach or Pool?   Beach

Steak or salad?  Salad

Favorite Drink?  Dragonwell Green Tea

Favorite Book? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

Favorite TV Series?  Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Favorite Movie?  Burn! with Marlon Brando

Favorite Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio

Favorite Actress: Helen Mirren

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? Pina Colada

Hawaii or Alaska? Hawaii

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be Mark Twain.


Where you can find Elaine:

Usually at my desk in Fort Lauderdale, writing, assisted by my two cats, Harry and Mystery. But I’m on tour May 1-12, traveling from Maryland to North Carolina to St. Louis. Then I come home for more signings in South Florida. To find out where, click Events at www.elaineviets.com

Online, you can find me at:

Facebook: ElaineVietsMysteryWriter

Twitter: @evmysterywriter



Folks, Check out the free “Libraries Are Like Vegas” poster and her monthly book giveaway Contest  at www.elaineviets.com

Thanks to the good folks at Berkley, we have one copy of Elaine's latest book to give away!  to enter, leave a commnt with your email address below!  The winner will be chosen by random.org.  Contest ends midnight, May 25.  For extra entries you can:

FB about this contest
Tweet about this contest
Friend me on Facebook
Follow ROCCO on twitter @RoccoBlogger


Good luck!