Interveiw and Giveaway with Tina Whittle

I'm happy to introduce you to Tina Whittle. Tina and I were on a panel together at "Mystery Goes South" in Atlanta, GA. We both write cozy mysteries that incorporates history into the story. Tina has been gracious enough to give away one of her books. You must be a follower of the blog, leave a comment and leave your email address so we can contact you. Let's get started on learning more about Tina.



1. Tell us a little about yourself.
   Well, I’m a full-time mystery novelist living and working in Southeastern, Georgia. I’m a wife and mom; I love reading and writing and almost all things Southern (the food and the language and the people, yes, the choking hot summers, not so much). I share my lap with a neurotic Maltese named Cloud and my backyard with four bossy chickens named Pansy, Maleficent, Onomatopoeia, and Chicken Whittle. My research interests are varied – neuroscience, SWAT procedures, the American Civil War – but my favorite kind of learning is hands-on (which is why you’ll find me at Writers Police Academy every year.
    
2. Tell us about your most recent book/or the book we are focusing on.
   I write the Tai Randolph/Trey Seaver series, which is an amateur sleuth traditional mystery series. The series itself is based in Atlanta, but for the most recent book – Blood, Ash and Bone – I moved the action to Savannah, where Spanish moss, cobblestones, and ghost stories soak the atmosphere. There’s kissing, bickering, and clue-finding as Tai, the owner/operator of a Confederate-themed gun shop,  and Trey,  her ex-SWAT corporate security agent boyfriend, look for a priceless Civil War artifact and instead find stalkers, moonshiners, unreconstructed rebels, alligators, wolves, KKK Grand Dragons, snipers, bikers, buried treasure and a ruthless killer. You know, just another day in the Deep South.
    
3. Why did you choose this particular genre?
   They say that romance is the genre of emotion, sci-fi the genre of ideas, and mystery the genre of justice. Real life, unfortunately, is a more tattered reality. Mystery allows readers – and writers – a way to experience a world where order is restored, and the good guys win (at least most of the time). I especially enjoy an amateur sleuth novel, because I get to pretend that someone like me (okay, someone a little more adventurous) might actually be able to solve a crime.
    
4. What was your journey to publication like?
   Arduous. I’m glad, though; that gave me a chance to practice two important skills – patience and detachment – that have become crucial to my career now. Submitting (and all the work that comes along with it, the research and querying) is a job in its own right. I had to learn to balance that part of being a writer with the actual, you know, writing. And now, I have to balance PR and promotional work with actual writing. So I also learned balance and perseverance. I am grateful now for the rejections too – they taught me to understand the difference between the kind of critical feedback that is useful, and the kind I need to ignore.



 

1. What is a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now?
   I’m reading your book, Terror on Tybee! I love Southern mysteries, both the ones that let me explore new ground and the ones that return me to familiar territory. For me, the past is like an undiscovered country, so I enjoy historicals of all stripes. I just finished a fabulous romp through Victorian London in Wicked Little Secrets by Susanna Ives, and I am waiting for my advanced reader copy of Dark Places of the Earth by Jon Bryant, a non-fiction account of the slave ship Antelope and the Savannah court trail – argued by Francis Scott Key himself – that set the legal precedent for the Amistad case. And I’m steady working through Neuroscience For Dummies.
    
2. What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it?
   I am having the most fun with my current work-in-progress, Deeper Than The Grave (set for release in November 2014 from Poisoned Pen Press). It’s the fourth in the Tai Randolph/Trey Seaver series, and it’s got two intertwined mysteries (one during the 1860s and one during the present time) both involving a set of unusual bones. Plus this is the book where my  characters’ complicated romance reaches a crucial make-or-break-it stage. For this book, I’ve been researching forensic anthropology, skateboarding, blacksmithing, the I-95 drug corridor and – believe it or not – what would happen to Atlanta during a massive traffic-jammed, blizzard-induced shutdown ( I claim NO responsibility for what happened in January – I write fiction. Pure fiction).
    
3. What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication?
   Only this, that most obvious and repeated of aphorisms – it really is all about the journey. They say if a butterfly isn’t allowed to break out of its cocoon all by itself, it won’t have the strength to fly. Such is the same for writers. The pre-publication jungle is a place of pain and frustration and disappointment, but it is the training ground for patience, perseverance, and the ability to hold on to what matters to you most. It thickens your skin even as it opens your heart. And in the middle of all the nonsense, you create what will be your practice, your meditation, your Zen – sitting at the keyboard, clearing space for your art. Be in that present moment with it. It will be your life preserver, I promise.
    
4. Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us?
   When you need to remember why you’re doing this – reconnect with your Muse, your God, your Divine Inspiration, your Creative Spirit – I cannot recommend The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron heartily enough. It lives by my writing chair. Also on that note, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, which is practical, mystical, gritty and incandescent all at the same time. In terms of mystery writing specifically, I am constantly telling people to get this book -- How to Write Killer Fiction: The Funhouse of Mystery & the Roller Coaster of Suspense by Carolyn Wheat. I haven’t found a better book on writing the genre, everything from plot to character development to how to tell if your book is a mystery or a thriller (there’s a difference). And in terms of websites, Dan Harmon (he who writes the brilliantly subversive sit-com Community) spins the archetypal Hero’s Journey into a circle, demonstrating that plotting isn’t a linear start-to-finish process, but rather a grand cycle that begins where it ends, and that by understanding that, you can plot almost anything just by filling in the eight stations of the Story Circle (you can find Dan’s highly entertaining and somewhat salty explanation of all this (Die Hard! Werewolves! James Bond!) at the Channel 101 website: http://channel101.wikia.com/wiki/Story_Structure_104:_The_Juicy_Details
    
5. Please let us know where we can find you on the web.
6. Several places actually. My main cyber-home is at http://www.tinawhittle.com – here’s where you’ll find my appearance schedule, news and reviews, plus links to sample chapters and short stories featuring my mystery-solving duo. You can also find links to blogs, including The Fascination Files (http://tinawhittle.blogspot.com/) and The Mojito Literary Society (a blog I share with four other genre writers at http://themojitoliterarysociety.blogspot.com). You can also find me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/tina.whittle) and Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/tinawh) and my protagonist has her own Twitter (her handle is @Tai_Randolph).

Interview and Giveaway with Deborah Malone by Deborah Malone

It's time for an interview with one of my favorite writer's - moi'.  If you leave a comment telling me your definition of a cozy mystery and are a follower of this site then you could be the winner of your choice of one of my books "Death in Dahlonega" or "Murder in Marietta."


 

Can you give us a sneak peek at your new release “Murder in Marietta?”

     Trixie and Dee Dee head off to Marietta, Georgia for another assignment. They visit the Marietta History Museum where they spend the night to see if they can sight the resident ghosts. Sometime during the night a murder takes place in the museum and the director, Doc Pennington, is put on the suspect list. He asks Trixie and Dee Dee to help him find the real killer. Nana takes a larger role in this book and she won’t disappoint you with her antics.  All of this together makes a recipe for murder and mayhem.

Update:  My third book in the Trixie Montgomery series “Terror on Tybee Island” should be out in December.

 

What inspired this book?

     I’ve always loved to read so I think it was natural that I’d transition into writing. Mysteries have been my genre of choice since I was a young girl and loved to read Nancy Drew.  Cozy mysteries are one of my favorites and Ann George has been a big influence on my writing. As for writing Christian Fiction – Margaret Daley’s books were a big influence.

 

How did you know you were called to write?

     I’ve always wanted to write, but while I was writing my manuscript I wrote it as a secular book. While I was writing it I was thinking I’d like to write it in a manner that wouldn’t be offensive. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as “Christian fiction.” I had finished the manuscript when I read one of Margaret Daley’s books and went to her website where I ‘discovered’ Christian fiction. I couldn’t get enough. I joined ACFW and began to study how other writers wrote their books. I went back and rewrote my manuscript as Christian fiction.

 

 

Are you a panster or do you outline?

     I’m definitely a panster. I have a general outline on how I want the manuscript to progress, but that’s it. Then I might do a general outline for each chapter, but none of it is done in detail. Now after I’ve written a chapter I will go in Microsoft One Note and detail the chapter so I can keep up with my characters, timeline, setting, etc.

 

How long have you been writing?

     I started writing seriously in 2001 when I started writing for “Georgia Backroads” a historical magazine. I am still writing for them. I started on my book in 2002, but life got in the way and so I came back to it around 2009/10.

 

Tell us something silly about you.

     My friends and family could probably answer this better than me. The one thing I can think about is that I love to sing – but I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. So I sing in the car with the windows rolled up and the radio/CD’s going to cover up my singing.

 

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

     There aren’t any deep messages in “Murder in Marietta, but there is a theme of forgiveness and faith. For the most part I hope I make someone laugh and take them away from the stresses of real life for just a while. I want them to have some laugh out loud moments

 

What is your favorite season?

     Spring

 

What project are you currently working on?

     My third book in the Trixie Montgomery series “Terror on Tybee Island” should be out the first of December. Trixie and Dee Dee along with Nana and Trixie’s mama Betty Jo have gone to Savannah/Tybee Island, Georgia for a vacation. Of course they are going to have to help someone find a killer. My next book in the series is “Chilled in Chattanooga.”

 

What has been your most challenging experience writing a book?

     I don’t think I can list just oneJ  Learning the craft/rules of writing was a big curve for me. Then there is the editing. Then there is submitting to publishers. And then when you are finally published you think you are home free – not! Then there is the marketing. It seems there are always new challenges to learn in writing and publishing a book.

 

What is your favorite color?

     Blue

 

What is a fond childhood memory?

     I have many fond memories, but one that stands out is when my grandmother bought me a horse. My parents weren’t able to afford one so she chipped in to help and one Christmas they surprised me. Boy was I surprised.

 

What book are you currently reading?

     I just finished “Honored Redeemed” by Loree Lough.

 

Links for books: www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com

 

Links where you can find Deborah:

www.deborah-malone.com

www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com

www.sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com

www.cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com

 

 

: Deborah Malone’s first novel Death in Dahlonega, finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Category Five writing contest! Deborah was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in First Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published, and her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails,” edited by Olin Jackson. She is a member of the Georgia Writer’s Association as well as Advanced Writer’s and Speakers Association. As a current member of the American Christian Fiction Writer she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction.  

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway and Interview with Deborah Malone by Deborah Malone

MURDER IN MARIETTA

BY DEBORAH MALONE


CONGRATULATIONS CINDI
WINNER OF "MURDER IN MARIETTA"

Okay, it's my turn to interview an author. It didn't work out with the author I'd planned on interviewing so I'm going to interview none other than moi. I have two cozy mysteries out, "Death in Dahlonega" and "Murder in Marietta." I hope these questions will give you a little insight into my life and I hope you enjoy reading about me. Don't forget to leave a comment about this interview and be a follower for a chance to win a signed copy of "Murder in Marietta."

 

 

Here are the questions. Answer any and/or all of them. Some of them may be answered within other questions so just pass over any repeats.

Sherri, thank you for having me on you blog. I hope my readers learn a little something about me they didn’t know. I always love to hear from my readers.

Tell us a little about yourself. (Where you grew up, how many siblings you have, when you came to know the Lord, a little about your life now, etc.)

My dad was from Opelika, AL and my mother was from Cincinnati, OH. It’s so true when they say opposites attract. My dad had moved there to work for General Electric. While they were there they had my two older brothers, Bill and Curtis. In the early 1950’s they moved to north Georgia where my dad was transferred to work at GE. I wonder sometimes how I would have turned out if we’d stayed in Ohio – I’d be a *&^% YankeeJ This past summer we had a reunion of twelve cousins in Cinn on my mother’s side. Some I hadn’t seen for 40 years. It was so much fun!

 My mother had RArthritis, but Dad never missed a church service taking us kids to church.  I have had my ups and downs with my faith, but I’ve never given up on God. I’ve come to the conclusion there are some things we will not have the answers to while on this earth. And that is alright – in Pro. 3:5 we are told to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” That is the verse Trixie holds on to in “Death in Dahlonega.”

Tell us three things about you that would surprise your readers.

 I went back to college in my early 40’s and graduated at the age of 45 in 1999.

I’ve had Fibromyalgia since 1992.

I’m a novice photographer and love macro shots of nature. I’ve had a showing of my photographs at our local hospital.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What did you read?

Yes, yes and yes. I’ve been saying lately that I came out of the womb readingJ Mysteries have always been my favorites and I loved Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon.

What is your favorite genre to read now?

Gee – would you believe mysteries? LOL  However, since I’ve been reviewing books for my blog I have read just about every genre there is and I feel I’ve opened a whole new world of reading for me. I would encourage others to read outside their safety zone –favorite genre – and discover a whole new world.

As a child or teenager, did you ever dream of being an author?

Yes – When I was a teenager I started a mystery. I think I made it to page 3 or 4.

When did you first begin writing, and why do you write still?

I started writing when I went back to college and took a creative writing course. I knew then I wanted to publish something. In 2001 I published my first article in a historical magazine “Georgia Backroads” and I’ve been writing for them since then. I still write because I still have goals in my writing I haven’t reached yet. Also, I love it and it helps me keep my sanity in a stressful world.

How long did you write before you sold your first book?

I found a floppy disk dated 2002 when I began, but life got in the way. I wrote and edited consistently for three years to finish it.

How many books do you have published?

My debut cozy “Death in Dahlonega” published by Lamp Post Publishing was my first book.  “Murder in Marietta” will be my second book so that is two I’ve had published. I’m working on my third in the series, “Terror on Tybee Island.”

Tell us about your latest book.

Trixie and her best friend Dee Dee go to Marietta on assignment where Trixie is going to spend the night in the supposedly haunted Marietta History Museum.  She has convinced Dee Dee to spend the night with her. When the director of the museum woke them up the next morning they thought he was having a heart attack – but he had just seen a dead body. Add in the antics of Trixie’s great-aunt Nana and you have a recipe for murder and mayhem.

Do you put yourself into your main character, or do you find yourself borrowing from family or friends as your characters develop?

My goodness yes – but that’s all I’m going to say.

Is there any scene in your book that came from a real-life happening?

There are several in my first book “Death in Dahlonega.” At the beginning when they are going to Dahlonega and eating trail mix is reminiscent of when my friend and I took a trip to Dahlonega. I don’t think there are any scenes in “Murder in Marietta” that really happened.

Are you a plotter, a pantster, or somewhere in between, and can you elaborate on your answer?

I’m definitely a panster. I have a general outline on how I want the manuscript to progress, but that’s it. Then I might do a general outline for each chapter, but none of it is done in detail. Now after I’ve written a chapter I will go in Microsoft One Note and detail the chapter so I can keep up with my characters, timeline, setting, etc.

Share something about your day-to-day life that might help a reader to feel as though they know you a little better. As I’ve mentioned I have fibromyalgia which limits how much and how often I write. I also have an adult daughter, Niki, who is severely disabled. About five years ago I needed help with her care. So now I have caregivers who come every day to help with her care. There are people coming in and out during the day so there is never a dull moment.

Do you have a favorite scripture? If so, why is it your favorite?

Trixie’s favorite scripture for “Murder in Marietta” is Eph. 4:32

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.

How do you choose names for your characters?

I use the phone book, internet, and I also ask other writers to give me suggestions.

What is the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you?

Several years ago I decided to let my hair grow out. I used a curling brush/iron on my hair. One day it got tangled and I couldn’t get it out. I had to unplug it and go to my neighbors and ask for their help. They had a good laugh about it.

 Where can your readers find you on the internet?  www.amazon.com,   www.barnesandnoble.com

www.deborah-malone.com

www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com

www.sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com

www.cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Deborah Malone’s first novel Death in Dahlonega, finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Category Five writing contest! Deborah was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in First Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published, and her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails,” edited by Olin Jackson. She is a member of the Georgia Writer’s Association. As a current member of the American Christian Fiction Writer she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction at www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com.   You can also catch her at www.sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com and www.cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com.



  

 

 

 

 



Interview and Giveaway with Nancy Jill Thames

CONGRATULATIONS

VERONICA!

Please welcome my friend Nancy Jill Thames author of the Jillian Bradley Mystery Series. She has graciously offered one of her ebooks as a giveaway along with her interview. Without further ado lets get to the interview.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.       Tell us a little about yourself. My dad was in the Air Force so we traveled and moved around a lot. I lived in places like Casablanca, Morocco, Valdosta, Georgia and Las Vegas, Nevada, which gave me a sense of adventure. I’m just an average housewife who loves to entertain, or used to. Now that the kids have flown the nest, I decided to finish a book I’d started writing years ago, “Murder in Half Moon Bay” and do a series – just for kicks. I needed a needed a creative outlet. I have a degree in music and love playing classical piano but one can’t play the piano all day! My faith in God has led me all my life and He’s been so faithful. Traveling with my husband on his business trips gives me the ideas to base my books on.

2.       Tell us about your most recent book/or the book we are focusing on. Book 6, “Waiting for Santa” was written to preserve our Christmas family traditions. I also wanted Jillian to fall in love and remarry. Although she does fall in love, it’s with two suitors – one from Book 2 “The Ghost Orchid Murder” and the other from her home town in Clover Hills. The ending is a cliff hanger. And again, Teddy helps find a clue that leads to the murderer.

3.       Why did you choose this particular genre? Actually, truth be told, I got bored with reading the same author over and over. Ten years ago, I wasn’t aware of any other cozy authors except for Agatha Christie. I’d read all 80 of her books, two or three times each and believed I could come up with a sleuth, settings and plots. And I did.

4.       What was your journey to publication like?

I tell people if you want to publish a book, go to CreateSpace on Amazon.com and follow the yellow brick road. Because I didn’t know anything about publishing, I simply learned by doing. It started with doing a blog posting a chapter a week for “Murder in Half Moon Bay” until a local paper got wind of it and did an interview about me. After that, I raced to get it finished and published it 7 months later. I laid out a plan to publish a book every 6 months for 4 years until the series was complete.

5.       What are a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now? Loved “Snow Falling on Cedars,” “The Poisonwood Bible” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” trilogy. Just finished “The Hunger Games” and I’m currently reading “The Princelings of the East” by Jemima Pett.

6.       What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it? “The Ruby of Siam” is a mystery taking place in London. Jillian’s art dealer fiancé has planned a lovely destination wedding, but when she winds up with a stolen necklace and a promise to keep from a dying man, things get interesting!

 7.       What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication? Get some seed money for a great editor and formatter – I use Rik Hall who is fabulous. CreateSpace is a great self-publisher to use or start your own llc. Write the book using critique partners, send it to beta readers for input, rewrite the book, pay a content editor to give you feedback, rewrite the book again, pay a proofreader to edit for typos, and pay someone to do a dynamite cover. When it’s PERFECT, get about five great reviews from other authors and work up a launch promotion. After you’ve done all that, upload your file to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Nook, Kobo and Smashwords. CreateSpace puts it for sale on Amazon.com. Then the real work begins. Posting, tweeting, blogging and emailing the fire about your book while appearing to be casually making comments mentioning your masterpiece. You also want a great bio and book blurb to generate interest in what you’ve written.

8.        Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us? I think the best ones are “Dollars & Sense” by McCray, Scott, and Thompson and The Writers Guide 2 E-Publishing Blog are the best two sources I know. The last one’s blogger has sold over 100,000 books so far.

9.       Is there anything you’d like to tell us we haven’t covered? As my husband keeps telling me, just write good books. Books that you would like to read. Easy to say – difficult (but not impossible) to do.

10.   Please let us know where we can find you on the web. My web site is my blog. http://www.nancy-jill.blogspot.com.

Thanks for having me over Deborah!

 

 

 

 

 

TO BE ENTERED FOR A COPY OF "WAITING FOR SANTA" PLEASE"

 

1) Sign up for posts by email

 

2) Sign up as a follower or be a follower

 

3) What part of Nancy's interview did you find interesting?

 

 

 

 HAPPY READING!

 

 

 

Giveaway of "Death in Dahlonega" by Deborah Malone

CONGRATULATIONS TO

 

LADY JO WINNER OF

 

DEATH IN DAHLONEGA

 

I thought it was time to do a giveaway so here goes. I'm offering a signed copy of my cozy mystery "Death in Dahlonega" as a giveaway, just follow the instructions below!

 

 

 

 

How to enter:

 

1) leave a comment and tell us what is your favorite kind of mystery

 

2) be a follower or sign up as a follower (on the right side)

 

3) follow by email (at the top)

 

4) leave an email address so we can contact the winner

 

 

HAPPY READING!

 

 

Author Bio: Deborah Malone’s first novel Death in Dahlonega, finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Category Five writing contest! Deborah was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in First Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published, and her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails,” edited by Olin Jackson. She is a member of the Georgia Writer’s Association. As a current member of the American Christian Fiction Writer she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction.