What’s in a Name — Kallie E. Benjamin #giveaway

It’s a joy to welcome/welcome back Kallie aka read on to find out what her other pen names are! She’s here celebrating the release of Sniffing Out Murder which I had the pleasure of reading early! You are in for a treat with this first in a new series book!

Kallie: Thanks, Sherry Harris and all of the Wicked Cozy Authors for inviting me back to spend time with all of you today to celebrate the release of my new cozy mystery series.

WHAT’S IN A NAME

Many of you may recognize me as V. M. Burns, the author of the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series, RJ Franklin Mystery series, and the Dog Club Mystery series. You may also know me as Valerie Burns, the author of the Baker Street Mystery series. Now, I hope you will take a moment and check out my newest series, Bailey the Bloodhound, which I am writing under a new pen name, Kallie E. Benjamin. Why the name change? Good question.

Authors often write under different pen names for a variety of reasons. Some authors use a pen name to protect their personal identity. Visions of Kathy Bates in Stephen King’s Misery come to mind. However, that isn’t the only reason an author may opt to use a pen name. Sometimes, authors use a pen name as a way to reboot their careers. If one series was unsuccessful, using a pen name can feel as though you’re starting over fresh. A new persona and hopefully, a new chance at success.

Another reason authors use a pen name is to differentiate when writing for different publishers or when writing different genres. Anyone looking for a steamy romance will recognize the name Nora Roberts. However, if that same reader picks up a book by J.D. Robb, they may get a shock. They will get a thrilling contemporary mystery with plot twists, plenty of clues, red herrings, and a dead body or two. In cases like this, a pen name can help readers know exactly what type of book they’re getting.

In my case, my Mystery Bookshop Mystery, Baker Street Mystery, and Dog Club Mysteries were all published by Kensington.  Bailey the Bloodhound is a new series with a new publisher. This series is with Berkley, a division of Penguin Random House. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to write for Berkley Publishing. So, when asked if I would be willing to use a pen name, I agreed.

The hard part was thinking up a good pen name. After a great deal of thought (surfing the internet, and harassing my family and friends), I landed on Kallie E. Benjamin. I wanted a name that would be meaningful to me. Kallie was my great-grandmother’s name. My grandmother died before I was born and I never knew her. I did know my mother’s grandmother. She was a wonderful woman and I called her, Mama Kallie. My mother’s name was Elvira, not a great author pen name. It always reminded me of the actress from a bad B movie, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, from the 1980s. So, I went with her initial instead. Lastly, Benjamin is my dad’s name. That’s how the name, Kallie E. Benjamin came about.

What can readers expect from books by Kallie E. Benjamin? One look at the cover will answer that question. Sniffing Out Murder is a cozy mystery and there’s a dog on the cover. The author’s name may be different, but the heart of who I am as a writer hasn’t changed. I love cozy mysteries and I love dogs. So, if you’ve read (and enjoyed) any of my other books, then I hope you will give Kallie E. Benjamin a try.

Readers: Do you like to try books from new authors? Let me know in the comments. One commenter will be randomly selected to win a copy of Sniffing Out Murder. To be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment or type YES in the comments. If your comment is anonymous include your email address for a chance to win. The giveaway is open to everyone (regardless of where you live) until midnight on December 7th. The winner will be announced on December 8th.

About the book: When a murder unleashes a widespread investigation through Crosbyville, children’s book author Pris and her trusty bloodhound, Bailey, must sniff out the truth before the whole town goes to the dogs.

After deciding that life as a teacher wasn’t right for her, Priscilla found inspiration for her first children’s book in her three-year-old bloodhound’s nose for truth, and so The Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound was born. After the book’s massively pawsitive response led Pris to move back to her hometown of Crosbyville, Indiana, to continue the series, she’s surprised by how things have changed in the town, but even more so how they haven’t.

Pris is frustrated to discover that newly elected school board trustee Whitney Kelley—a former high school mean girl—is intent on making Crosbyville more competitive by eliminating “frivolous spending” on the arts and social programs, including Pris and Bailey’s beloved pet-assisted reading program. A minor altercation between them isn’t anything unusual, but after Bailey sniffs out Whitney’s body in a bed of begonias, locals start hounding Pris and Bailey as suspects for the crime.

With Bailey’s sharp senses and Pris’s hometown know-how, can they prove to the community that they’re all barking up the wrong tree?

Buy Link—- Amazon, B&N

About the author

Kallie E. Benjamin is Valerie (V. M.) Burns. Valerie is an Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Indie Book Award finalist. She is the author of the Mystery Bookshop Mystery, Dog Club Mystery, RJ Franklin Mystery, and Baker Street Mystery series. She is an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles.

Connect at:

Website: http://www.vmburns.com/

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