Lena Diaz's Blog, page 29

Coming Soon: Why Dukes Say I Do Plus Thursday’s Winner!!!

Even in London society–where everyone knows what you did last season–you never know who’s next in line to walk down the aisle…

TRUE LOVE IS OFTEN FOUND

With her whirlwind social life in London, Lady Isabella Wharton has little interest in the customs of the country. But when her godmother asks her to pay a visit to her bachelor grandson in Yorkshire, Isabella can’t refuse. It behooves her to please the old dowager, since she harbors one of Isabella’s most scandalous secrets. So off she goes to see the newly-titled–and notoriously rustic–Duke of Ormond…

WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT

Trevor Carey doesn’t care about what goes on behind ballroom doors. He is content with the simple life–and isn’t ashamed to admit it to a society flirt like Lady Isabella. But the country air brings out a different side of Isabella–one full of longing and passion. Can her sophistication be hiding a desire for love? When a blackmailer from the city arrives to threaten Isabella, Trevor will shield her from harm–even travel to London. Can the duke tackle the ton on Isabella’s behalf …and manage to keep her all to himself?  

WHY DUKES SAY I DO is coming to a bookstore near you on July 30th!!

~~~

AND THE K&T THURSDAY WINNER IS: JANE!!!

Congratulations, Jane! You’ve won a copy of CONCRETE EVIDENCE! Be sure to contact us with your email address and your ebook preference–kindle or nook–within 10 days.

~~~

Next Tuesday, Montlake author Juliette Sobanet visits to tell us about MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS, her newest mystery set in 1930′s France.

Filed under: Announcements, Krista Hall, Manda Collins, Rachel Grant, Sharon Wray, Thursday Winner Tagged: DC By The Book, Regency Romance, Romantic Suspense, Why Dukes Say I Do

DC By The Book: A mash-up of literature, history, geography and technology

More often than not, when you’re reading about Washington DC, you’re likely to find words like dysfunctional, partisan, nuclear option, filibuster, and gridlock. But politics aside, there’s still plenty to love about this town, especially if you’re a fiction writer or a reader. Recognizing that DC is the go-to setting for tons of books from super serious to high octane entertainment, two DC librarians recently started a clever crowdsourcing project to encourage the exploration of the town’s social and geographic history by populating a database of excerpts from novels with DC scenes and mapping them:

DC BY THE BOOK.

I love to read books set in my town so I couldn’t wait to explore the DC By The Book website. Once there, I found out that you can join the project as a contributor by recommending  novels with DC settings. Or you can help the librarians map the books that are already listed on the site by finding the excerpts set in the Washington DC neighborhoods, parks, government buildings, museums and so on. There’s also a cool map that shows you the locations where scenes from the books take place.

I couldn’t resist adding a couple of books with scenes set in some of my favorite places in DC to the website.

Allison Leotta opens DISCRETION with a young woman, Caroline, dressed like a K Street lobbyist in an “ivory St. John suit, Manolo heels,” entering the Capitol through the Senate-side for a private, evening appointment with a congressman. Except Caroline is not a lobbyist; she is an expensive prostitute. A staffer walks her through the Capitol to his boss’s personal office. On the way, they pass through the magnificent Brumidi Corridors—“the most beautiful corridor Caroline had ever seen.”

Caroline pauses in the Rotunda—“the ceremonial heart of the Capitol”— to admire Brumidi’s masterpiece on the domed ceiling:  “The Apotheosis of Washington, a fresco painting of the first President depicted as a god among angels.”

The staffer ushers Caroline past a sign—“No Visitors Beyond This Point”—and up the stairs to the congressman’s personal office in the Capitol building.

Inside the congressman’s office, Caroline admires the view of the National Mall from the balcony.

You’ll have to read the book if you want to find out how Caroline’s night ends. Or visit DC By The Book to see if the excerpt has been posted and mapped.

A lot of the action in CONCRETE EVIDENCE, by our own Rachel Grant, takes place in DC. One of my favorite scenes is a romantic moonlit walk through the presidential memorials along the Tidal Basin:

Holding hands, Erica and Lee “walked in the darkness around the basin. She managed to drop his hand before they reached the Jefferson Memorial, and he could feel her build a barrier between them until it was as solid as the marble columns surrounding the statue of the nation’s third president.”

Carol M. Highsmith

Be sure to check out this mash-up of literature, history, geography and technology: DC by the Book

But before you go, dear Reader, share your favorite setting for fiction. And K&T authors, tell us about your favorite places to set the novels you write.

Comment for a chance to win

CONCRETE EVIDENCE (Kindle or Nook).

The lucky winner will be announced on Thursday!

Happy exploring!

Filed under: DC By The Book, Krista Hall, Rachel Grant Tagged: Allison Leotta, Concrete Evidence, DC Public Library, Discretion, Rachel Grant, Washington DC

Congratulations Sharon and Krista!!!

Last week was an exciting one for all of us at Kiss and Thrill, so you’ll have to excuse me for a moment while I pause to brag a bit about my brilliant blogmates.

First up, huge congrats the the amazing and talented Sharon Wray, who not only won the Single Title Romantic Mystery/ Suspense Daphne award for her manuscript ROGUE’S ESCAPE, but also won the overall unpublished Daphne for having the highest score!

Second, we are all thrilled and delighted that Krista Hall won the Golden Heart® for best Romantic Suspense for her fabulous manuscript BROKEN PLACES! Congrats Krista!!!

Last, because Krista couldn’t make it to RWA in Atlanta this year, special thanks go to Sarah Andre, who accepted the award

on Krista’s behalf. Sarah was stunning and wonderful as she delivered Krista’s touching speech. (And thank you to Lena Diaz, who recorded the speech so I could watch the excitement at home.)

Filed under: about us, Announcements, Krista Hall, Sharon Wray Tagged: daphne award, Golden Heart, RWA

Celebrating the Romantic Suspense Golden Heart® Finalists / Print ARC winner

While several of my Kiss and Thrill sisters are off having a blast in Atlanta at the national conference of Romance Writers of America®, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight this year’s finalists in the romantic suspense category of the Golden Heart.

From RWA’s website:

The purpose of the Golden Heart contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding romance manuscripts.

Approximately 1,200 romance manuscripts are entered in the Golden Heart each year by writers who have not accepted a publishing offer for a work of original fictional narrative prose of 20,000 words or more (by the contest entry deadline).

The contest is near and dear to all our hearts here at Kiss and Thrill, and this year we are especially excited to have two of our own among the finalists, Krista with BROKEN PLACES, and Sharon with two manuscripts, JULIET’S ROGUE and ROGUE’S REDEMPTION! To celebrate all the finalists’ achievement, we are sharing with our readers the finaling manuscripts’ first lines.

Broken Places 

by Krista Hall
Lola Sanchez pulled the last hundred dollar bill from her waistband and stuffed it into a slit along the rim of the spare tire.


Crazy for Her 

by Sandra Owens
“Ambush!” Hissed with urgency, the word crackled in the SEAL Team’s headsets. Lt. Commander Logan Kincaid faded into the shadows along with two of his men.


Juliet’s Rogue 

by Sharon Wray
Juliet’s house had disappeared.


The Predator 

by Chris Taylor
The tomb-like darkness of the room was broken only by the light from his brightly back-lit computer screen.


Rampant Perfection 

by Laurie Cooper
In a proficient machination of gears and balance, the robotic waitress slid breakfast onto the table then rolled away from the booth.


Rogue’s Redemption 

by Sharon Wray
Sara Munro adjusted the hood of her field jacket and frowned at the hand-written sign nailed to the ancient oak. Trespassers will be shot. Then prosecuted. No kidding.


The Shadow Hour 

by Jacqui Nelson
Being an experienced scientist was not enough to earn the patronage of the Royal Institution, pay the butcher or accomplish the one thing that mattered most to Pippa Marley–determining the difference between a loved one’s accident and murder.


Spies, Lies, and Debutantes 

by Miranda Liasson
For a man presumed dead, he was feeling quite chilly.

Huge congrats to all the finalists! All of us at Kiss and Thrill hope you have a wonderful time at the awards ceremony on Saturday night!

~~~

And now for Tuesday’s winner of the print ARC of BODY OF EVIDENCE: TrishJ

To collect your prize, within ten days please use the contact page and be sure to provide your U.S. mailing address.



Coming up next week at Kiss and Thrill, I’m interviewing the fabulous Jill Sorenson.

Filed under: about us, Krista Hall, Rachel Grant, Sharon Wray Tagged: ARC winner, Body of Evidence, Chris Taylor, Golden Heart Finalists, Jacqui Nelson, Laurie Cooper, Miranda Liasson, Romantic Suspense, RWA, Sandra Owens

Coming Soon ~ Body of Evidence!

BODY OF EVIDENCE is the second book in my series of romantic thrillers that explores the intersection of archaeology, politics, and war, and today I’m excited to share with our Kiss and Thrill readers an excerpt.

Chapter One

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)

October

“Rise, Mara Garrett.”

Mara understood only a handful of Korean words, but she’d learned that phrase early in this farce of a trial and was on her feet before the interpreter finished speaking. Tremors radiated from her belly. This is just a formality. I’m one step closer to getting home. Her token lawyer had warned her she would probably be sentenced to ten years’ hard labor; then the real negotiation for her release would begin. With her conviction and harsh sentence, North Korea would be in a stronger bargaining position.

Of course, North Korea, the most secretive and unpredictable regime on earth, wasn’t known for negotiating. They would make demands, and the US would either meet them or not.

She’d traveled the world for her job with the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command, conducting excavations to retrieve the remains of American servicemen who’d died in wars fought by the United States in the last century. Her work for JPAC was hazardous. She’d faced down poisonous insects, dug up unexploded ordnance, and suffered third-world diseases. But never, not even in her wildest imagination, did she think her work could lead to being arrested in North Korea.

But that was what happened when she ended up alone on the edge of the Demilitarized Zone.

She looked to her lawyer for some sort of reassurance and caught the glint of a camera lens. Cameras hadn’t been permitted in the courtroom during the trial; the presence of one now filled Mara with a foreboding chill. It seemed the North Koreans expected a dramatic, newsworthy reaction.

She stood straight with her head high so the camera wouldn’t see her clenched hands behind the table. She refused to give them the spectacle they wanted.

The judge spoke. She forgot to breathe while waiting for the translator. Finally, the man said, “Mara Garrett, you have been convicted of spying. The penalty is death by firing squad. The sentence will be carried out in twenty-four hours.”

The room tilted. A shriek built in her throat, while her bones turned to jelly. Sheer will kept her face blank while she battled dizziness. She’d been alone when she was arrested but had spent the last two months worrying her coworkers had been detained as well. For their sake, she needed to take the blame. If they were being tried in another courtroom, her admission of guilt could prevent them from receiving the same sentence. She pressed her nails into her skin and fixed her gaze on the lens. “This is my fault. My JPAC team is blameless.”

The judge spoke again, yelling now, and the translator matched his tone. “You are guilty and have been sentenced!”

“It was a mistake,” she said, desperation building in her voice. “I was separated from my team by accident.” But that wasn’t true, and she feared they saw through the lie.

Panic threatened as a guard grabbed her arm and tugged her toward the door. He wasn’t taking her to the firing squad. He couldn’t be. Hadn’t they given her twenty-four hours?

They’d almost reached the exit when the door swung open and slammed against the wall. The guard jerked to a stop. Framed in the opening was a portly, highly decorated military man.

A rapid-fire exchange between the judge and the newcomer ensued. Mara twisted in the guard’s grip and watched in horror as the judge angrily ejected the cameraman from the room.

Panic morphed into bone-melting fear. What the hell was happening?

The military official waved a magazine in the air. In a haze, she recognized the Asian edition of TIME magazine from the bold font and familiar red border.

At last the man looked away from the judge and addressed her, causing the translator to jump to his feet and race to her side to voice his words. “Our leader, in his infinite wisdom, has decided to grant you amnesty on one condition.”

Hope flared but was soon tempered with the fear that this interruption was a stress-induced fantasy, like the ones Mara had suffered years ago after her father’s death. Each time the fantasy faded, hope went with it, and she was slapped with grief as fresh and intense as the day he’d died.

Hope would break her, making it her captors’ ally. She knew that better than anyone.

“Our beloved Dear Leader once got your President Clinton to come groveling.”

No. Not again. This wasn’t a pathetic fantasy. It was an all too real nightmare. Cold sweat dripped from her brow. The idea of a rescue mission headed by a former president terrified her. She wasn’t a reporter dipping her toes in the Tumen River. She was the niece of a former vice president of the United States, and as such could be seen as a valuable bargaining chip.

The North Koreans knew exactly who she was. Because of her family connections, it was especially important she downplay her significance. A presidential envoy would open the door to other outrageous demands, and she was horrified by the thought that the unpredictable dictator could gain the upper hand with the US because of her.

Her situation wasn’t helped by the fact that her uncle was facing trial on ridiculous corruption charges. She could only assume her arrest had added to the ongoing media frenzy in the United States, further convincing her captors of her importance. She’d repeatedly begged her interrogators to tap a low-level politician as envoy, but each time her pleas were met with disdain.

“Our leader wants to meet the man on the cover.” The translator pointed to the magazine. “If he comes to P’yŏngyang before your execution, we will allow him to take you home.”

The man stood too far away; she couldn’t see the face on the cover. She had no idea who had been selected. But even more important, was twenty-four hours enough time for an envoy to fly to North Korea?

The official waved the magazine as if it offered hope, but there was no such thing as hope. She was going to die.

<><><>

Want to know what happens next? I hope so, because I’m excited to announce this book will be published soon! Very soon. I can’t give an exact date, but if you sign up for my new release mailing list at www.Rachel-Grant.net you’ll receive an email the day the book is available and you’ll be entered in my drawing to win a pack of Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program playing cards. 

When archaeologist Mara Garrett traveled to North Korea with JPAC, the organization that retrieves the remains of GIs lost in combat, she never imagined she’d be betrayed, convicted of spying, and sentenced to death by firing squad. Her only hope is Curt Dominick, the powerful and ambitious U.S. attorney prosecuting her beloved uncle, a former Vice President of the United States.

With betrayal around every corner, Curt and Mara have little reason to trust each other, but the sparks between them blaze hotter than the Hawaiian sun, and fighting their growing passion tests both their will power and their loyalties.

What starts off as a rescue mission quickly morphs into a race across the Pacific. It’s not just Mara’s safety on the line anymore. They’ve stumbled into a conspiracy that threatens not only their lives, but national security of the United States.

I have a very special prize today to celebrate the coming release of BODY OF EVIDENCE. I’m giving one commenter a print Advance Reader’s Copy. This is your chance to read BoE in print before it’s available online. Check back on Thursday to see if you are the winner. Winner must provide a U.S. mailing address.

Filed under: Announcements, Rachel Grant Tagged: Archaeology, Body of Evidence, coming soon, Concrete Evidence, Firing Squad, Golden Heart Finalist, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, JPAC, North Korea, Romantic Thriller, US Attorney

HUSH Winner!

The winner of HUSH and a box of chocolates from the I Love Lucy Superstore is:

jdh2690

Congratulations!! You are going to love HUSH!

To claim your prize, please contact us within 10 days and provide us with your U.S. mailing address and preferred ebook format.

Filed under: Carey Baldwin, Rachel Grant, Winners Tagged: Hush, I Love Lucy Superstore, Romantic Suspense Novella, Winner

HUSH. Carey Baldwin’s CONFESSION is coming!

Today is a special treat because I get to ask the amazing and talented Carey Baldwin about her new release, HUSH, and then put her in the hot seat James Lipton-style and ask her the Inside the Actors Studio 10 questions.

I loved FIRST DO NO EVIL, so when Carey told us her plans for HUSH, I begged her to let me interview her so I’d get to read HUSH before everyone else. I simply couldn’t wait.

HUSH didn’t disappoint. Charlie and Anna drew me in from the first page. Carey’s smooth voice, rich characterization, and deft plotting made the novella an absolute pleasure to read. I’m anxiously awaiting her next release and have a feeling it will be a knock-down drag out-fight between the rest of the K&T ladies and myself over who gets to host Carey then.

To celebrate HUSH, Carey is giving a copy and a box of chocolates from the I Love Lucy Super Store to one lucky commenter. Be sure to check back on Tuesday to see if you are a winner.

Rachel: Carey, I know HUSH started out as something different. Can you tell us about how the story changed?

Carey: Rachel, HUSH was truly a labor of love for me. I wrote the first version of this novella specifically for inclusion in a limited-time charity anthology, Three Weddings and a Murder. Between anthology sales and private donations Leigh LaValle, Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan and I raised over $10,000 for breast cancer research. So thank you readers!

The other novellas from the anthology have already been individually released for profit, and I had planned to do the same with mine. But the truth is, around that time, my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he eventually lost that battle. I know everyone handles loss differently, but for almost a year, I simply couldn’t bring myself to write.

When I did pick up the pen (okay, keyboard) again, I decided to do a major rewrite of my novella. The inciting incidents remain the same, but the events behind them have changed, and it’s a significantly longer story. The title, HUSH, is also new. I absolutely loved telling Charlie and Anna’s story, and I hope readers will enjoy it too!

Reformed bad boy Charlie “Drex” Drexler returns to his hometown of Tangleheart, Texas hoping to make peace with his dark past and make amends to those he’s wronged. He’s also looking to reconnect with an old flame. But Anna won’t cooperate, new questions tear open old wounds, and his best friend’s wife and baby disappear. Can Drex and Anna mend their broken hearts while fighting for their lives and racing to bring mother and baby home safely?

Click here to read the prologue.

Rachel: I know you have more exciting news to share, so spill.

Carey: I’m so so thrilled to tell you that I’ve recently signed a two-book deal with Harper Collins for the new Witness suspense line over at William Morrow.

I’m excited to be part of this brand new line that launches in October with a mix of classic titles (Agatha Christie), best-selling authors and new voices. I fall into the “new voices” category of course!

To quote from Harper Collins’ press release on the new Witness line:

“It’s an exciting collection of brand-new content, international bestsellers not previously available in the U.S., and newly digitized backlist classics. It runs the gamut from police procedurals to literary suspense; historical mysteries to action thrillers.”

Of course I gotta sneak a little romance in there!

My first book, CONFESSION, releases March 4th, 2014. The story centers around a wet-behind-the-ears psychiatrist, Faith Clancy, whose very first patient confesses, while they are alone in session, that he is the twisted serial killer who’s been terrorizing the city.

Rachel: I can’t wait for CONFESSION! Okay, it’s Inside the Actors Studio time, where Carey answers the ten questions James Lipton asks at the end of the show.

What is your favorite word? Mountain stream. Yeah, I know that’s two words. I’m like that!

What is your least favorite word? No!

What turns you on? Really? Geez. My husband and Brad Pitt.

What turns you off? Sardines. Big time.

What sound or noise do you love? Mountain stream. Hmm.

What sound or noise do you hate? I hate the sound of gossip.

What is your favorite curse word? Mother F****** Read my books, you’ll see.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Dude, three’s enough!

What profession would you not like to do? Anything involving cleaning.

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Come on in, your mom and dad are throwing you a welcome home party.

Now it’s our readers’ turn to answer a hot-seat question: What is your favorite word?  One lucky commenter will win a copy of HUSH and a box of chocolates!

HUSH

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads

FIRST DO NO EVIL

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads

CONFESSION

Amazon | Goodreads

Filed under: Author Interview, Carey Baldwin, Rachel Grant Tagged: Confession, First Do No Evil, Hush, Romantic Suspense Novella, Tangleheart, Three Weddings and a Murder, William Morrow Witness

Portrait of a Dead Guy Winner!

Thank you Larissa Reinhart for spending the day with us on Tuesday. We had a wonderful time.

Now we are thrilled to announce Joanne Phillips as the winner of an e-copy of Portrait of a Dead Guy!

Please be sure to contact us with your email address within 10 days to claim your book.

Since we haven’t gotten the memo about the summer slow-down, the next few weeks are going to be busy here at Kiss and Thrill, with a lot to celebrate and new books to talk about. Below are a few things we’re looking forward to!

 First up tomorrow, we’re celebrating Carey Baldwin’s new release HUSH with another of Rachel’s awesome interviews.

Next week, please join us on Tuesday when Rachel shares some good news of her own.

Then, on Thursday, we will celebrate the 2013 Romantic Suspense finalists in RWA’s Golden Heart contest.

And don’t forget to join us on Tuesday, July 23, for Rachel’s interview with Romantic Suspense author Jill Sorenson.

Then, to end the month, Sharon is interviewing Montlake Author Juliette Sobanet who writes mysteries set in 1930′s Paris.

It’s going to be a great book-filled July!

Filed under: Announcements, Carey Baldwin, Rachel Grant, Sharon Wray, Thursday Winner Tagged: Larissa Reinhart, Portrait of a Dead Guy

Larissa Reinhart Paints a “Still Life in Brunswick Stew”

Today I’d like to offer a huge Kiss and Thrill welcome to my favorite cozy mystery author Larissa Reinhart.

Larissa spins stories, published by Henery Press, about murder and mayhem with a southern, comic twist. And she has the most wonderful titles. Larissa’s debut book Portait of a Dead Guy is a Dixie Kane Memorial Winner and a Daphne du Maurier Finalist, and her second release, Still Life in Brunswick Stew, has proven to be even more delectable. After all, how can you not love a female artist sleuth who loves to eat and has a name like Cherry Tucker?

Here’s a brief look at both!

STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW:

Cherry Tucker’s in a stew. Art commissions dried up after her nemesis became president of the County Arts Council. Desperate and broke, Cherry and her friend, Eloise, spend a sultry summer weekend hawking their art at the Sidewinder Annual Brunswick Stew Cook-Off. When a bad case of food poisoning breaks out and Eloise dies, the police brush off her death as accidental. However, Cherry suspects someone spiked the stew and killed her friend. As Cherry calls on cook-off competitors, bitter rivals, and crooked judges, her cop boyfriend get steamed while the killer prepares to cook Cherry’s goose.

PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY:
In Halo, Georgia, folks know Cherry Tucker as big in mouth, small in stature, and able to sketch a portrait faster than buckshot rips from a ten gauge — but commissions are scarce. So when the well-heeled Branson family wants to memorialize their murdered son in a coffin portrait, Cherry scrambles to win their patronage from her small town rival.

As the clock ticks toward the deadline, Cherry faces more trouble than just a controversial subject. Her rival wants to ruin her reputation, her ex-flame wants to rekindle the fire, and someone’s setting her up to take the fall. Mix in her flaky family, an illegal gambling ring, and outwitting a killer on a spree, Cherry finds herself painted into a corner she’ll be lucky to survive.

SW: Welcome to Kiss and Thrill, Larissa. We are so happy to have you here today and I’m going to just jump in and start asking questions. You have such wonderful titles. How did you come up with them?

LR: Thank you! And thanks so much for having me on Kiss & Thrill! I’m thrilled to be here.

I wish I had a method for titles. They’re more of a brain pop than anything else. I had the title for my third Cherry Tucker book, HIJACK IN ABSTRACT, with only a glimmer of an idea for the story. I use art terms in all the Cherry Tucker titles and I just liked how the words Hijack and Abstract sounded together.

I’m thinking about the title for book number four before I start writing it in August. It’s going to be a poison pen type mystery set at a private school where Cherry’s going to paint the backdrop scenery for the drama department. I’m stuck between POSTMODERN POSTMORTEM or POSTMODERN GOES POSTAL. Any opinions?

SW: I actually love Postmodern Goes Postal. I like the alliteration and the cadence. (and I also love puns )  Cherry is such an off-the-page kind of character who is so hard to forget, I have to ask–which comes first, the characters or the mystery.

LR: The characters. The mystery is what I figure out just before I start writing, but the characters drive all my stories. I hear them talking, I can envision where they live, what they drive, what they eat, and their relationships to each other before I know the plot. Then I work out the crime so I can have the motives and behavior for the antagonist as I’m writing. And then I let go and hope it all works itself out!

SW:  Your writing is so compelling, partly because you are so good at lining up a myriad of eclectic characters as suspects. What was the hardest aspect about writing a mystery?

LR: Thanks for saying so, that’s a wonderful compliment. I think having believable motives for your antagonist (and other suspects) is hard. I like how desperation can drive a criminal to do the original crime or attempt greater crimes, and I love thinking about the psychology of a criminal mind. One of my favorite books is Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky. As I was reading it, I kept thinking this could take place anywhere, not just Russia. However, it’s also easy to get too into the psychology of criminals and end up with a psychotic killer in every book.

SW: How long did you write for before you got published?

LR: I’m incredibly blessed, and I believe I got very lucky with timing. I wrote in high school and college, then took a break for about twenty years. I started writing again when we were living in Japan in 2009 and came back to the United Sates with two completed manuscripts in 2011. I got my first contract about a year later in 2012. But I will say, I’m a pretty intense person, so once started, I immersed myself in the work.

SW: You paint such a wonderful portrait of a small southern town (pun intended!). What drew you to writing small-town mysteries in the first place?

LR: Small towns are in my wheelhouse because I’m from one (smaller than Halo). I find my mom’s stories about town doings and local gossip entertaining. Even as a kid, I treated my hometown like an anthropology project. I never felt I fit in, but I didn’t resent the town. I just observed and stored the information for later use.

SW: I adore Cherry Tucker’s name. Can you tell us how your first met Cherry and what she’s like to work with?

LR: Thank you! When I was in Japan, the first manuscript I wrote was set in the mountains of Georgia. While I was working on it, I kept getting flashes of conversation between other characters who lived in middle Georgia. I heard Cherry’s voice before I knew who she was. Then my father died and I returned to my hometown for about a month to stay with my mom. After my dad’s funeral, I had an epiphany about having this small town artist character who had to paint a coffin portrait. And her name, Cherry Tucker, just popped in my head. I found her funny. I just hoped other people did, too.

SW: I love how food plays a special part in your books, as if the food is its own character. Does that come from your own background? Or was it something that showed up when you met Cherry?

LR: I like to eat, but really, I like the idea of food. Food appeals to all your senses and tugs on your memory and psyche in such interesting ways. One recipe gives you comfort, reminding you of your childhood. The same food prepared another way triggers a vomit reflex because you ate a bad batch once. Food brings people together and defines customs. What else in the world does that? And what you eat defines some of your personality, don’t you think? Plus, I don’t know how you can write a Southern book and not talk about food. It’s such a part of the culture. So food and Cherry naturally went together. And because she’s almost manic, I imagine her constantly burning all this energy. So she needs to eat a lot. Or tries to eat a lot.

SW: Your work has been compared to Charlaine Harris and Sophie Littlefield. What did you do (or how did your feel) when you first heard those comparisons?

LR: I’m stunned and honored. I have to pinch myself when I hear things like that. I still feel amazed that someone besides my mom likes my stories!

SW: Well, I loved them! And I’m so happy for your success. And as a small gift to our readers, here’s a brief  excerpt from STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW:

Watching Eloise eat made sweat break on my neck. “On a scorcher like today, I would think you’d rather have a Sno-Cone than a hot bowl of stew.”

“As a Sidewinder native, it is my duty to eat Brunswick Stew, particularly at our annual cook-off,” said Eloise. “I love Brunswick Stew. You should know better. How long have we been friends?”

“Let me see,” I pretended to think, not trying to hide my grin. “Seems I beat you in the Forks County Art Competition in third grade…”

“And I stole your drawing and you promptly announced it over the PA, getting me in all kinds of trouble. I still have the handprint on my behind.”

“Serves you right, you art thief.”

“I loved your drawing,” Eloise’s eyes grew misty. “I couldn’t help it. I’d never seen such a beautiful unicorn.”

“It was not a unicorn. I would never draw a unicorn.”

“I’m pretty sure there were rainbows, too,” Eloise laughed at my horrified look. “You were eight. Anyway, I recognized talent then and now. I’m lucky to have a friend like you.”

“Are you kidding? You’re the one that got me into the Reconstituting Classicism gallery show. If I can pull off something great, that crowd will pay big bucks. I’m down to my last twenty dollars and change.” At that thought, I fished in the pockets of my cutoffs to look for Sno-Cone change, disappointed to find only thirty-five cents and a few gum wrappers.

“No one around here wants a portrait made, not even one of their pet,” I moaned. “I had the hunting dog market cornered there for a while. The art well in Forks County has mysteriously run dry ever since I was snubbed by the Bransons after painting the portrait of Dustin. Then Shawna Branson became president of the Forks County Arts Council and suddenly I have paintbrush leprosy.”

“How are those classical paintings coming?” Eloise dropped her eyes to her stew bowl. She knew me well enough to avoid conversation about Shawna Branson. “Aren’t you supposed to send digital photos of the portfolio soon?”

“Week from Monday,” I said. “Plenty of time. I’m doing famous Greek statues as paintings. Except to make it edgier I’m covering the model’s body in tiny Greek letters. Head to toe.”

Eloise swatted me with her spoon. “You haven’t done them yet? Don’t make me look bad, Cherry Tucker. The show is organized by my old drawing professor at UGA. He’s still ticked I went into pottery. I’m hoping to get back in his good graces and get my own show out of the deal.”

I held one hand over my heart, the other palm up in Pledge of Allegiance mode. “I swear I would never do anything to make you look bad, Eloise Parker. You have my word. I’m just having a little trouble convincing my model to pose nude as the Dying Gaul.”

“Who are you using as a model?”

“Luke Harper.”

It took a moment for Eloise to regain control over her laughter. I helped her right her chair when it threatened to tip.

“Luke is the perfect model for a Greek statue,” I explained. “Tall, lean, with great muscle definition. Especially those indentations between his waist and hips.” I paused a moment in delicious ecstasy, ruminating over Luke’s V-cut. “He even has the dark curly hair and the straight nose of a classic Greek. And I don’t think he’s got a drop of Greek blood in him. Pretty sure Harper’s not a Greek name.”

“Nor Roman. You just want to paint Luke naked,” Eloise cackled. “This doesn’t have anything to do with art.”

“Of course it does. I have an eye for beauty, that’s all.”

“You got a thing for beauty, all right. As long as it’s got a—”

“You can stop right there, Eloise Parker. No need to get trashy.”

“I’m not the one obsessed with painting Luke Harper nude.”

“He never lets me paint him, nude or otherwise. I don’t get it. What’s the big deal?”

“Probably because he’s worried the criminals in Forks County will laugh at him after seeing his bare ass in a painting,” Eloise lifted her brows. “Hard to arrest somebody when they’re laughing at you.”

SW: So, here’s the question of the day: What elements do you love in a cozy mystery (humor, romance, food, scary villains, crazy sister-in-laws, etc.)? And for one lucky commenter, Larissa is offering a free e-book of Portrait of a Dead Guy.

Larissa Reinhart loves small town characters, particularly sassy women with a penchant for trouble. STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (May 2013) is the second in the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series. The first, PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY, is a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist, a 2012 The Emily finalist, and a 2011 Dixie Kane Memorial winner. She lives near Atlanta with her minions and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit. Visit her website, her Facebook page, on Goodreads, Twitter, or find her chatting with the Little Read Hens on Facebook.

Filed under: Author Interview, book recommendations, Sharon Wray Tagged: Henery Press, Mystery Writers, Portrait of a Dead Guy, Still Life in Brunswick Stew

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY FROM K&T!!!

Be sure to stop by on Tuesday, July 9, when Sharon Wray hosts the author of the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series–Larissa Reinhart!

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