CLP Blog Tours Interview and Excerpt: Bitter Pill by Stacey Kade
Stacey is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Bitter Pill
Rennie Harlow is having a bad year. She had a handsome husband, a good job, and a renovated condo in Chicago. Now, thanks to one “exotically beautiful” paralegal, she’s divorced, faking her way through a writing career, and living above her hypochondriac mother’s garage back in Morrisville, the small town she couldn’t leave fast enough at eighteen. On top of all of that, she just found Doc Hallacy, the local pharmacist, dead behind his counter. And the worst part is, he’s the third body she’s stumbled across this year.
Jake Bristol has lived in Morrisville his whole life. A former bad boy turned sheriff, he doesn’t believe it’s just Rennie’s luck or timing that’s the problem. He thinks she’s too nosy for her own good. The last thing he needs is her messing around with his murder investigation so that she can freelance for the Morrisville Gazette. But as they both delve deeper into Doc’s death, they find that things don’t add up. This isn’t a robbery gone wrong or the work of a desperate junkie. Someone has a secret they’re killing to keep. The only question is—who’s next?
Interview:
Writing Specific
1. Tell us something about yourself that’s not in your bio.
Once I found a dead body with a bunch of my friends in the woods…no, wait, that’s the plot of Stand by Me.
Um…I speak French. Badly.
2. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I’m a huge movie and TV fan. So, when I’m not at the computer writing, I’m usually parked in front of another screen.
3. How did you choose the genres you write in?
I don’t think it’s really an active choice on my part. I think it’s more a matter of what stories you’re drawn to telling. Which sounds all grand and artistic…until you’re drawn to write in a genre that doesn’t sell particularly well. 
4. Is there any particular author or book that has influenced you or your writing?
I’ve frequently looked to Stephen King, Jane Austen, and Meg Cabot as the examples I want to learn from and follow.
5. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The worst: I once got a very long letter from a prospective agent telling me EXACTLY what was wrong with the opening of my book. It wasn’t mean, but the agent certainly didn’t see any reason to soften the blow, either. 
But it turned out to be just what I needed. It pushed me in the direction I needed to learn more about my craft, if only to understand what the agent meant.
The best: When I get emails from people saying, “I was going through a hard time in my life and your book helped distract/entertain me.” That, to me, is the best compliment any storyteller can get, helping someone escape their troubles for just a few minutes.
Fun Stuff
6. If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be and why?
Jane Austen. Because her sister Cassandra destroyed a lot of her letters, we don’t know as much about her as we should. Or, at least, as much as I would like to. She is, essentially, the reason we have romance novels today. I love her books.
7. You are going to be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 luxury items. What would they be?
Assuming I can’t fit an luxury hotel in my bag…I’d say a generator, an e-reader and a solid internet connection.
8. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who are they and why?
Oooh. I love this question! Do they have to be married to each other? Let’s assume not. Okay, Tom Cruise (even though he’s not quite old enough to be my dad) because I’ve always been curious what’s really going on there. Also, because my tell-all memoir would be AMAZING and sell a bajillion copies. And Connie Britton (nowhere NEAR old enough to be my mother) because I really admire her. Also, as her daughter, I would expect her to share all of her hair care secrets.
9. What would we find in your refrigerator right now?
Lots of takeout leftovers. I’m fresh off a book deadline.
10. If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
Weird Girl in the Corner
Think Fast
Summer or Winter? Summer
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Cake or Pie? Cake
Car or Truck? Truck
Print or Electronic? Print
Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?
Thank you for having me! “Always…no, no…never…forget to check your references.” (Sorry, I couldn’t resist. It’s a quote from Real Genius, one of my favorite movies.) Real advice: be nice to one another out there. Life is short, and sometimes traffic is bad and the weather is crappy.
*Anyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered in the giveaway! Three separate winners will receive one of the following: a $20 Amazon gift card, a signed copy of Bitter Pill (US/CA only) or an eBook copy of The Ghost of Goth by Stacey Kade! Anyone who purchases their copy of Bitter Pill before January 6 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com will get 5 bonus entries!*
Excerpt:
Bristol rubbed his face wearily, then stared at me, his warm brown eyes too intense. “How do you get yourself into this? The first person found on the scene is usually a viable suspect for the murder. But not in this town, not with you.”
“I can’t help it, it just happens.” I tried not to sound too plaintive.
“No, Rennie, lightning strikes just happen.” He shook his head with a tight smile. “You are a walking disaster.”
Stung, I shoved the thermos lid back at him, sloshing coffee onto the leather interior, and jabbed my car keys into the ignition. “Screw you, Bristol.”
He sighed. “Rennie…”
“What?” I jerked the gearshift into reverse.
He started to say something then shook his head. “I’m going to need you to come in to make an official statement.”
“Not till this afternoon.” I lifted my chin defiantly, daring him to challenge me. “I have to get home to explain to my mother that she’ll have to wait for her prescription and then I’ve got an interview with Gloria Lottich.”
“Fine. We’ve already got your prints on file, so we can rule out anything you touched.” His mouth tightened and he hesitated for the slightest of seconds. “We’re going to need your shirt.”
“What? Why?” I looked down at myself and saw, for the first time, a splotch of blood shaped like a tear drop on the stomach of my pale blue t-shirt.
“Crime lab will want to make sure that’s Doc’s blood and not the killer’s.”
I swallowed hard, struggling against the urge to pluck the fabric away from my skin. “So, I’m just supposed to drive home topless? This is Morrisville. There are laws about how long Christmas decorations can stay up. You’re telling me there are no ordinances about half-naked driving?” I asked, discomfort setting my tone a little too close to rude.
He walked back to his squad car, tossing out the remains of the coffee in the thermos lid on the way. He returned with a paper bag and a bright blue bundle of fabric. The fabric, a t-shirt, he handed to me, while he held onto the bag.
I put the car back into park and unfolded the t-shirt. The front had a small patch of writing over the left side in the shape of star. Morrisville Sheriff’s Office, it read. Interdepartmental Softball League. I flipped it over to look at the back. Bristol 17.
“Your softball shirt?” I asked. God help me, despite the circumstances, I loved the idea of his name on my back, his shirt against my skin. Bad, Rennie. Bad, bad.
He shrugged. “Unless you have a better idea.”
I shook my head. He stood and turned his back toward the window, blocking the view from the side of the car. That helped, but it didn’t keep anyone from looking through the windshield. I sighed. Oh, well, what little I had, they were welcome to see. Besides, Deputy Sheffey appeared to be occupied with taking notes anyway, and the first curiosity-seekers on the scene had their attention focused on the pharmacy door, now blocked off with crime tape.
I yanked the bloodied shirt off over my head, silently thanking whatever voice of caution in my brain had urged me to wear proper undergarments this morning. Much to my chagrin, bras were more wishful thinking on my part than a strict necessity. However, it would have been nice if the voice of caution had also recommended a little more time on my hair this morning—I could feel it standing up in messy spikes, like a blonde tumbleweed on top of my head. Very attractive.
I thrust my arms through Bristol’s t-shirt. The familiar smell of him, the clean scent of his clothing, surrounded me. I tugged the rest of the shirt down into place, loving the feel of it against my skin even as I knew it was wrong. After all, Bristol’s shirt smelled good, like him, because it had been recently laundered…by his wife, Margene.
Without thinking, I bumped his arm with the back of my hand to let him know I’d completed my wardrobe change. As usual, he’d rolled his shirt sleeves up, revealing tanned and strong forearms. I jolted slightly at the warmth of his skin against mine, and my heart flipped up and twisted in my chest, like a paper cutout on a string in the breeze.
Bristol turned around and opened the paper bag. I dropped my bloodied shirt inside.
“So, how’s Margene?” I asked Bristol, as I always did when I started having trouble remembering he was married.
His face closed down, like he’d shut some internal door against me. “Fine.” He didn’t really sound surprised at the strange conversation twist I’d thrown him. “Getting ready for the Garden Show.” He closed up the top of the bag with precise, crisp folds in the paper.
“Right,” I said. Margene had been more than happy to settle into her role of Mrs. Sheriff, second only to Mrs. Mayor, Gloria Lottich. Margene and I’d also gone to school together, although she was a couple years younger than me. She’d moved to town in the seventh grade when her father took a job at the propane factory. By her junior year in high school, she’d worked her way up from trailer trash to co-captain of the varsity cheerleading team, second only to Laura Brown. Apparently, Margene’s ambition had limits. Word was, she’d caught wind of Jake’s upwardly mobile plans as soon as he’d returned to town from the Army and she’d trapped him with her reportedly magnificent thighs. Chelsea was born barely inside of wedlock, and then all Margene had to do was sit back and wait while Jake’s star kept rising.
“And Chelsea?” I asked.
“Finishing fifth grade in a couple weeks.” He frowned at me, highlighting those marvelous wrinkles near his eyes.
Time to change the subject again. “What about Max?” I asked.
“Max,” he repeated with a frown.
“Yeah. Editor of the Gazette, nosiest human being alive?” I waited for some flicker of recognition from Bristol and got a grim nod. “He’s going to want details for a story. Time of death, potential motives, the weapon…”
Bristol frowned. “I don’t want to share any of that information with the public just yet. Incidentally, I think you’re right about the cane being the murder weapon.” His eyes dropped to the phone in my lap. “I don’t want that part in the paper, got it?” He rubbed his face, the stubble on his chin making a rasping sound against his hand. “I’d rather not have anything in the paper just yet.”
I shook my head. “Max is sitting right over there.” I pointed at the Gazette office. “It’s not like he can’t see it for himself. You know him, he’ll print something. Better he get most of the facts from a reliable source.”
“You run all of it past me before anything hits the printer,” he said.
I made an exasperated sound. “We’ve been through this before. I get the lecture from you about responsible media. Then I turn around and get the freedom of the press speech from Max.” I glowered at him. “I should put the two of you in a room together and let you duke it out.”
Bristol’s mouth twitched upward in a smile. “Wouldn’t be fair.”
“Why not?”
“Max could convince a snake to go vegetarian. I just have a gun.”
I pretended to consider his words. “True enough. I guess my money’s still safe on Max.”
“Oh, ha, ha.”
I smiled at him reluctantly. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”
.
Author Bio:
As a former award-winning corporate copywriter, Stacey Kade has written about everything from backhoe loaders to breast pumps. But she prefers to make things up instead. She’s the author of two YA series from Hyperion: The Ghost and the Goth trilogy (The Ghost and the Goth, Queen of the Dead, and Body & Soul) and Project Paper Doll trilogy (The Rules, The Hunt, Book 3 TBD).
Stacey lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg, and their two retired racing greyhounds, Tall Walker (Walker) and SheWearsThePants (Pansy).
Connect with Stacey!
Website: www.staceykade.com
Blog: www.tumblr.com/blog/staceykade
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/authorstaceykade
Goodreads author page:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3125711.Stacey_Kade
Twitter: @staceykade https://twitter.com/staceykade
Buy the Book!
