Virtual Launch Party with Lisa Malice - 12 Days of SinC Christmas

On the 10th Day of Christmas, my Sisters in Crime are helping me celebrate the release of the PAPERBACK edition of LEST SHE FORGET, my bestselling, award-winning debut novel!

You can share in the joy of this VIRTUAL LAUNCH PARTY and win 1 of 10 FREE copies of my book (your CHOICE of hard copy, paperback, audiobook, or eBook).

How? There are 3 ways to earn up to 5 CONTEST ENTRIES: 

• Go to my website (www.LisaMalice.com), click on BOOK REVIEWS, then COPY & PASTE a review that speaks to you to the COMMENTS section of this post. (1 Contest Entry)
• Add YOUR OWN REVIEW to the COMMENTS section of this post -- just a word or two is fine (this assumes that you’ve already read LEST SHE FORGET).    (1 Contest Entry)        
• SHARE THIS POST with your friends with a few words encouraging them to read the comments and consider buying their LEST SHE FORGET for the readers on their holiday gift list. (THIS OPTION is worth 3 CONTEST ENTRIES!)

Easy! And a great way to win a special gift for someone this holiday season, including yourself!

CONTEST ENDS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15

Winners contacted Monday, December 16

Interview with Gwen Mayo - 12 Days of SinC Christmas

 

Who is Gwen Mayo?

Gwen Mayo is a history junkie who grew up in the hills of Eastern Kentucky.  Her home state’s colorful past forms the backdrop for her Nessa Donnelly mysteries, Circle of Dishonor and Concealed in Ash. The series is set during the turbulent political upheaval of post-Civil War Kentucky at a time when Kentuckians were often confronted with murder.

She teamed up with humorist Sarah E. Glenn to write the Three Snowbirds travel mysteries set in the 1920s. Murder on the Mullet Express, Murder at the Million Dollar Pier, and Ybor City Blues are available wherever books are sold. The fourth Three Snowbirds mystery, Mustering Out, is coming soon.

Gwen is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, an active member of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and a member of the Derby Rotten Scoundrels Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies, in webzines, and in micro-fiction collections.  

The Giveaway:

On December 5th and 6th, the Kindle version of Murder on the Mullet Express will be free. 

We also have a brand new audiobook for this novel! Sarah Glenn is giving away a copy of the audiobook on December 6th. Visit her blog tomorrow to learn how to enter the drawing for a free download of the audiobook version of Murder on the Mullet Express.

The Interview:

1. What genre do you write in, and what drew you to that genre? Do you aspire to write in another genre? If so, which one(s)?

I write historical mysteries because I love the genre and the history. Classic whodunits are puzzles with key pieces hidden in plain sight. Using my brain to become a detective, follow clues, avoid misdirection, and find the truth is a wonderful experience. Exploring another time and place makes historical mystery the ultimate escape.

2. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

My current Three Snowbirds mystery, Ybor City Blues, is the third book in the series, which I co-write with Sarah E. Glenn. I wrote two historical thrillers in the Nessa Donnelly series, set in Kentucky during the 1870s. I have also written dozens of short stories, some in conjunction with Sarah, including one in the anthology, Paradise is Deadly – Gripping Tales from Florida’s Gulf Coast. 

It's hard to choose a favorite book. They are all pieces of me. I suppose it would have to be my first book, Circle of Dishonor. 

I had written a few short stories with my cross-dressing detective, Nessa Donnelly. 

The idea of writing a full-length novel was daunting. It took a little pressure and a lot of encouragement from my Sisters in Crime chapter in Kentucky to get me to attempt a book. 

It took lots of pressure and much laughter to get me to let my boss become the doctor in my book. The character of Dr. Haydon is not only named for him but was completely rewritten with him in mind. 

He died of cancer shortly after the book was released. I will never forget the look on his face when he held the first copy up and told everyone in the room that he was going to live forever.

3. What's your approach to writing? Are you a plotter, or do you let your story unfold and the characters present themselves (Pantser)?

I am a plotter. I start with a brief outline of what I intend to write. The outline does get shifted some as the story progresses. Characters get their own ideas of what they should do, but the bare bones of the story remain. I also write from beginning to end, which is really hard when you team up with a writing partner who is a pantser, who starts writing with whatever scene she likes and fixes everything when the story is off track. It has made for some interesting conversations.

4. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

Healing. It would be amazing to have the power to stop pain, ease suffering, and mend the damage life throws at us.  

5. Since it’s the holidays, what’s your favorite holiday food?

Just one? That is so unfair. The holidays are all about getting together for fun and fabulous food. Turkey is the star at Thanksgiving; not just the bird and turkey gravy, but my father’s turkey dumplings and Sarah’s grandmother’s stuffing rely on rich turkey broth. My younger sister’s broccoli casserole and her pumpkin rolls are also big favorites. 

As for Christmas, I have a dozen amazing cookie recipes, one for chocolate pecan pie and the best old-fashioned peanut butter fudge recipe around. Over twenty years ago, I started a new family tradition by roasting a full prime rib for the Christmas dinner and serving it with a side of orzo thick with fresh spinach and toasted pine nuts. The other sides vary depending on who’s coming and what their favorite foods are, but the mingled aroma of Christmas in our kitchen makes every mouth water.

There is no way that I can pick just one favorite holiday food. Can you?

6. Tell us about your current work in progress.

I am working on book 4 in the Three Snowbirds series, Mustering Out. Cornelia is ready to retire, but a series of unexplainable deaths among the lung patients brings out the detective in her. The provost officers in charge of the case look no further than Cornelia’s hand-picked successor but Cornelia knows Ruth would never harm a patient. Her efforts to find the real killer threaten to turn her retirement party into a wake as Cornelia, Teddy, and Uncle Percival race against time to discover the angle of death roaming the halls of Fitzsimmons General Hospital. 

Lightning Round – Just for fun:

1. Holiday pies --- apple or pumpkin: Apple, if those are the choices. I prefer Pecan.

2. Morning person or night owl:         Night Owl

3. Beach or Mountains: Beach in spring, mountains in the fall

4. City or Country: Country

5. Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream: Vanilla

6. Favorite Movie: The Princess Bride

7. Last book Read: Hop Scot by Catriona McPherson

8. Print, audio, or ebook: Print, I’m old school (maybe just old)

Other books by Gwen Mayo:

Murder at the Million Dollar Pier - co-written with Sarah E. Glenn.

Ybor City Blues -  co-written with Sarah E. Glenn.

Circle of Dishonor - a Nessa Donnelly story.

Concealed in Ash - a Nessa Donnelly story.

Short Stories:

"Bolita and Blues" - Paradise is Deadly: Gripping Tales from Florida’s Gulf Coast -  co-written with Sarah E. Glenn

"Special Label" - Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon

"Two Old Crows" - co-written with Sarah E. Glenn for Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon

"The Odds Are Always Uneven" -  co-written with Sarah E. Glenn for Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks

Learn more about Gwen Mayo at:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p/Gwen-Mayo-Author-100063602106093/

Author page - https://gwenmayo.weebly.com/

Interview with Harold Emanuel – 12 Days of Sisters in Crime Christmas

Who is Harold Emanuel?

Harold teaches Information Technology at Hillsborough Community College in Ruskin, Florida.  He lives with his wife, Katherine, in Sun City Center, Florida. He is also an author who writes in two genres: cozy murder mysteries and historical fiction. His Lionel Trevor/Tech Squad series follows Professor Lionel Trevor and six students in a community college forensic technology workshop as they solve murders using forensic technology.

His latest novel, Aliyah – A Jewish Family Saga, follows sixteen-year-old Lazar Hermanski and fourteen- year-old Daria Solov, who survive the 1881 Warsaw pogrom, endure a perilous journey in steerage, and arrive, penniless, in New York. Lazar and Daria marry, start a family, and create a new life for themselves, balancing the needs of their new country’s culture with their desire to maintain the Jewish traditions they love. Throughout the story, family members participate in historical events, such as the 1899 Newsboys’ strike, the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, and the sinking of the Lusitania, and interact with historical figures such as Fiorello LaGuardia, Fanny Brice, and Al Smith.

The Giveaway:

You can go to Amazon.com on December 5 and 6 to download a free copy of Harold Emanuel's collection of murder mystery stories, Murder in the Sunset Years, on Kindle.

The Interview:

What inspired you to switch genres?

Aliyah – A Jewish Family Saga was inspired by stories I heard growing up about my own family’s immigrant experience on the Lower East Side in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. I read many novels about immigrants on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. They all began and ended in the same locale, and in the late 19th Century.  I wanted a story that shows a family prospering and moving from the Lower East Side to Upper Manhattan and the outer boroughs, like my family did. 

Where do you get your inspiration for your stories?

I get my inspiration from history. I place my characters, members of the Hermanski family, at the center of historical events and I have them interact with historical characters. For example, Lazar and Fiorello LaGuardia work on Ellis Island as translators. Lazar’s daughter works at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory on the day of the fire.

Can you give us some insight into what makes your main characters tick?

Family cohesion. The Hermanski family faces many obstacles adjusting to a new country and culture and learning a new language. They face these hurdles as a family, supporting each other against the outside forces tugging at them. 

Tell us about your current work in progress.

I am working on a sequel to Aliyah – A Jewish Family Saga, tentatively titled The Saga Continues. It follows Lazar and Daria, their son, Marvin, daughter, Nellie, and Marvin’s children, twins Peter and Ariel, through the Roaring '20s, the 1930s Depression, and World War Two.

What book are you currently reading?

Broadcast Hysteria by A. Brad Schwartz. It chronicles the evening of October 30, 1938. On that date, Orson Welles’ broadcast of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds on CBS radio’s Mercury Theatre convinced thousands of people we were being invaded by Martians. I plan to have the characters in The Saga Continues in the middle of the hysteria which occurred during and following the broadcast. 

Lightning round questions - Just for fun

Print book, eBook, or audiobook - Print Book

Favorite Movie – Funny Girl

Last Book Read – The Bonus Army by Paul Dickson and Thomas B. Allen

Tea or Coffee – Coffee

Beach or Mountains – Beach

Morning person or night person – Morning person

Sweet or Salty snacks – Sweet 

Find Harold Emanuel online:

Website: Haroldemanuel.com

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

Interview with Cheryl Hollon - 12 Days of SinC Christmas

Who is Cheryl Hollon?

Cheryl Hollon writes full-time after leaving an engineering career designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. She combines a love of writing with a passion for oil painting and creating glass art in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

Cheryl is a Past President of the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime, a member of Florida Mystery Writers of America, a member of International Thriller Writers, and co-chair of SleuthFest 2024. She regularly attends SleuthFest in Florida, Malice Domestic in DC, and ThrillerFest in NYC. You will also find her at Left Coast Crime and Bouchercon, wherever they are being held.

The Giveaway:

In eastern Kentucky, Miranda Trent runs a unique tour company called Paint & Shine, but sometimes the peaceful mountains play host to murder.

To celebrate, I’m giving away my latest paperback, "Death a Sketch," a Paint and Shine Mystery. 

For a chance to win (US Addresses only) sign up for my newsletter at my website during this promotion. www.cherylhollon.com 

I'll select a winner on December 13th and email you to ask for your postal address. Have a wonderful holiday season!

The Interview:

What genre do you write and what drew you to that genre? I write in the Cozy Mystery genre because I wanted both my mother and granddaughter to be able to enjoy my books.

Do you aspire to write in another genre? If so, which ones? I’m polishing a new manuscript in the Historical Mystery genre based on my early engineering career.

What time of the day do you write and where is your favorite place to write? I am an early morning writer and am usually at my laptop by 7:30 in the morning. I have a small desk in our second bedroom with a view.

How many books have you written? I have nine books that have been traditionally published and two more that are out on submission.

What comes first—story or character? For me, the protagonist always comes first, and then I put her in difficult situations.

What famous author do you wish would be your mentor? Louise Penny has had an exciting career and seems such a gentle caring person.

What are your favorite holiday foods? Roast Turkey, Dressing, Buttery Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce (freshly made not from the can) and pecan pie with vanilla ice cream

Lightning Round - Just for fun:

Tea or Coffee: Coffee

Morning person or Night owl: Morning lark with occasional insomnia.

Beach or Mountains: Mountains

City or Country: I love both since I am from Eastern Kentucky but love my apartment in downtown Saint Petersburg, Florida

Ice Cream: Ben and Jerry’s Vanilla!

Cake or Pie: Pecan Pie

Last Book Read: The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

Cheryl Hollon's Books:

Webb's Glass Shop mysteries - 6 books

Paint and Shine mysteries - 3 books

Social Media:

Website * BookBub * Facebook * X/Twitter * Instagram * Bluesky

Interview with Teresa Michael - 12 Days of SinC Christmas

 

Who is Teresa Michael?

Teresa Michael, an award-winning author for her Mariposa Café Mystery Series, with Murder in Mariposa Beach earning the Firebird Book Award. A lover of reading, writing, and travel, Teresa has explored 49 states and managed the US Archery Team in two Olympic Games. She's a past president of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime and a member of Mystery Writers of America. Teresa lives in Sarasota, FL, with her husband. Murder with a Terrace View – A Harrington House Mystery, the first book in her new series, was recently released. Someday, she’ll visit that 50^th state.  Connect with her on Facebook at TeresaMichael- Author or visit her website at https://teresamichaelwrites.pubsitepro.com.

What's her newest book?

MURDER WITH A TERRACE VIEW

In Murder with a Terrace View, Molly Harrington's peaceful life running a B&B is shattered when a local author is found dead. As she delves into the mystery, she uncovers a web of secrets tied to her family's past. With a spectral ally and a budding romance with the detective, Molly navigates a world of intrigue and danger. This gripping tale blends mystery, romance, and the paranormal, promising a cozy whodunit that keeps you guessing till the end.

·       Amazon Amazon.com : Murder with a Terrace View

·       Barnes and Noble - Murder with a Terrace View: A Harrington House Mystery by Teresa Michael, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

 

I heard there was going to be a giveaway.

-- You're right!

Free book:  Mistletoe and Missing Persons is free on Amazon Kindle on December 1^st & 2^nd

Free Short Stories:  Sign up for my newsletter and get the first two short stories in the Mariposa Café and Bakery Origin Stories collection. Sign up here. Contact Us - Teresa Michael.

And now ... the interview!

1. What genre do you write in, and what drew you to that genre? Do you aspire to write in another genre? If so, which one(s)?

I write in the mystery genre because I like to read mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. My favorite TV shows and movies are nearly always mysteries or suspense with some romance thrown in. I love the puzzle, figuring out who did it and why. I want to try writing a thriller, maybe a heart-throbbing romance, or maybe combine the two. 

2. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

My current release, Murder with a Terrace View, is the first book in the Harrington House Mysteries. I’ve written four books in the Mariposa Café Mystery series. I have a small volume of short stories that are a prequel to that series. These stories were originally my senior thesis, which required me to write three interconnected short stories. During the pandemic, I pulled them out, updated them, and published them as the Mariposa Café and Bakery Origin Stories. They are great giveaways at events. In addition, I wrote a novelette titled Indian Rock, set in Eastern Kentucky, where I spent summers with my grandmother and aunt. I also have a story in the anthology, Paradise is Deadly – Gripping Tales from Florida’s Gulf Coast. 

It's hard to choose a favorite book because each one has a special significance in its own way. For example, Murder in Mariposa Beach is special because it was the first novel-length book I wrote and published. Indian Rock is special because it is the one most closely based on truth—except for the dead body. I did not find a dead body when I was 12 years old. 

3. What's your approach to writing? Are you a plotter or do you let your story unfold and the characters present themselves (Pantser)?

I’m sort of a hybrid.  I’ve tried outlining, but it doesn’t really work for me.  I’m a pantser in that I let the characters take me where they want to go, but I go into the project after thinking about the characters and the situation, researching, and writing down scene notes. In writing mysteries, I need to keep track of timelines, clues, red herrings, and where I’ve left those little breadcrumbs that lead up to the resolution. I can’t keep them all in my head. There’s too much rattling around up there already.  In 2020, I wrote a blog post about plotters and pantsers. You can read it here: Are you a plotter, pantser, or something else - Teresa Michael

4. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

Invisibility. I could be the proverbial fly on the wall if I were invisible. I get some of the best ideas and one-liners from overheard conversations. Can you imagine what you could learn if you were invisible? Think about it.

5. Since it’s the holidays, what’s your favorite holiday food?

The holidays are all about food! For Thanksgiving, it’s the turkey. We’ve gone to my son’s house the last few years, where he and his brother-in-law have a turkey cook-off. One turkey is traditionally roasted in the oven, and the second is cooked another way, for example, on the grill. Then we have a taste test!

Our most recent tradition for Christmas has been my husband’s prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. 

6. Tell us about your current work in progress.

I am working on book 2 in the Harrington House Mystery series. I am about three-quarters of the way through and coming down to the big reveal.  In this one, Molly and her friend, Rick Owens, the death investigator, find a dead wedding planner while at a country club event. The working title is Murder in the Rose Garden, but I’m not sure if that will remain the title. I’m taking title ideas if you have one. If I choose your idea, you’ll get a prize.

Lightning Round – Just for fun

1. Holiday pies --- apple or pumpkin: Pumpkin

2. Morning person or night owl: Night Owl

3. Beach or Mountains: Beach but I like the mountains too

4. City or Country: Suburbs – close to the city but not too far out

5. Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream: Vanilla with chocolate syrup

6. Favorite Movie: Casablanca

7. Last book Read: The Waiting by Michael Connelly

8. Print, audio, or ebook: All three – I usually have 1 of each going all the time

Other Books by Teresa Michael

The Mariposa Café Mystery Series

·      Murder in Mariposa Beach  https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Mariposa-Beach-Cafe-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07KPKYVTG

·      Mistletoe and Missing Persons https://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Missing-Persons-Mariposa-Holiday-ebook/dp/B081Y2FHYN

·      Deception in Mariposa Beach  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HNJW3YH

·      Redemption in Mariposa Beach https://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Mariposa-Beach-Cafe-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0B35DNX3L/

·      Mariposa Café and Bakery Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RC55PQW/

Other Works:

·      Indian Rock   https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Rock-Teresa-Michael-ebook/dp/B07T3FHLRY

·      Paradise is Deadly – Gripping Tales from Florida’s Gulf Coast – an anthology from the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime - Paradise is Deadly Gripping Tales from Florida's Gulf Coast: Dingwall, Wendy, Reed, Martha, Ryan, Barbara: 9781949281248: Amazon.com: Books

Want to follow Teresa?

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresamichael1/

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18633273.Teresa_Michael

Or, you can follow #patioreading on Instagram and Facebook to see what and who she's reading.

Starting December 1st - FLGC Sisters in Crime Holiday Promotion Begins!

 

Over the first 12 days of December, one member of the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime will be featured on my blog each day, as well as on the chapter's Facebook page. Come back here each day to see who's featured!

The Perfect Rainy Day Read

 For those of you in ports north of Florida...

Free on Kindle Unlimited!

Coming in 2025: Our first audiobook!

 

Gwen Mayo and I are thrilled to announce our partnership with Scott Ellis Reads to produce our first audiobook. We're starting with Murder on the Mullet Express, the first book in our Three Snowbirds series. The projected release date is January 2025, nearly a hundred years after the story's setting. This milestone fulfills a dream we've had since founding Mystery and Horror, LLC.

We Did a Thing

 

Graphic courtesy of Rosalind Barden.

Most of what Gwen Mayo and I have done in the past couple of years has been invisible. I have been working full-time from home, Gwen has been ferrying my mother to and from the doctor. We had a death in the family, and it's been a depressing time.

We published three anthologies and two novels written by a friend. I attended Sisters in Crime meetings by Zoom. Neither of us were able to write for a while, and when I started again, it was with my first love, fanfiction. I slipped into the slightly more social community of https://shutupwrite.com/.

This year, we're out of the house. Gwen is the 2024 president of our chapter of Sisters in Crime, and we've been attending meetings in person. We've also participated in panel discussions and venues where we could sell our books. I had to relearn how to use Square. 

We also finished something important: Ybor City Blues, the third book in the Three Snowbirds series. Our favorite Army nurse, Cornelia Pettijohn, is on her way back to Fort Fitzsimons when gangsters board the train and haul her away. It seems that a friend of Charlie Wall is in trouble and Cornelia's just the person to help. Her very close companion, Teddy Lawless, and Uncle Percival Pettijohn offer their assistance.

Soon, the three snowbirds are up to their ears in hot water. Witnesses are being killed, sidekicks are being attacked. Just when Cornelia thinks it can't get any worse, the trio get a surprise visit from Teddy's estranged mother. She's heard about Teddy's (sham) engagement and is here to see her finally wed. Cornelia would rather deal with the gangsters.

Anyway, we have something new to show you. Take a look at it and give us a review! The book is free on Kindle Unlimited. 

Thank you for your patience.

Interview: E.M. Munsch, Author of A Haunting at Marianwood

E.M. Munsch is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, but has spent her adult life in Louisville, Kentucky.  She graduated from Nazareth College of Kentucky located outside of Bardstown and attended The Ohio State University for her graduate work. She has been a bookseller for fifty years working in both large and small, chain and independent bookstores. She opened the first Barnes & Noble in Kentucky where she set up a mystery reading group which is still active today. She also taught classes in the mystery genre for the Veritas Society and joined the local chapter of Sisters in Crime. 

With Susan Bell, she co-edited MYSTERY WITH A SPLASH OF BOURBON, an anthology of bourbon-related stories.

As E.M. Munsch, she writes the Dash Hammond series set on the shores of Lake Erie. The latest title, A HAUNTING AT MARIANWOOD, is now available on Amazon.

1.      When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I have always been a reader and am most comfortable in a library or bookstore. In 1972 I found my true calling as a bookseller in a small independent in Louisville. I was in heaven. Not only did I get to see all the new and old books but talk with the customers about them. And as my career progressed and I worked for B&N, I also got to meet many authors as they toured. I have the utmost admiration for them. To be able to stick to a project from start to end amazed me. I love stories, reading them and creating them in my head. I would scribble first lines, first paragraphs, even several pages but never finished anything. I would start something and then look over to see a book I wanted to read. Let someone else do the heavy lifting. It wasn’t until  I was 69 and a member of Sisters in Crime did I think I could be an author. And by Jove, I did it.

 

2.      How did you choose the fiction genre you write in?

As I said, I love good stories with interesting  characters. When I started bookselling, I picked up a Chip Harrison book by Lawrence Block, more about him later. This series is a take-off of the Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin series by Rex Stout. It prompted me to begin reading Stout and I fell in love with Archie and the gang. Customers and I would discuss the fine points of living in the Brownstone. At that point I decided that mystery would be my field. I also read a lot of Regency romances since I was intrigued by that era and did start one or two romances (still unfinished). But time spent with a good mystery series won out.

 

3.      What is your current project and can share a little?

I’m currently working on the seventh Dash Hammond book tentatively titled A RELIABLE MAN. Maud Grealis, a cranky little old lady who claims to be a cousin of Dash’s mother, calls his father, a former sheriff, telling him something feels off. So father and son drive to Cleveland only to find Maud’s body. Dash discovers he is heir to all her worldly goods and several secrets.  Although Dash feels like he barely knew Maud, she chose him since, as she told her attorney, “Dash is a good man, a reliable man. He will do the right thing. He is a seeker of truth and a finder of lost things”.

You’ll have to read the book to see if Maud is right.

 

4.      What inspired you to create Dash Hammond?

I live in a  condo which has a small area for a garden. I had a knock-out rose that had turned into a monster. One day while pruning it,  I lost my balance, falling into and onto the bush. After I stopped swearing and as I slowly untangled myself from the thorns, I wondered how a writer would write this scene. Inside I went and sat at the computer, dabbing away at my multiple thorn pricks. I pictured a younger woman entangled in a large rose bush. Now, wouldn’t it be more interesting if, instead of climbing out of it unassisted, she had a neighbor who would help her. And Dash was born. He’s six-four (Thomas Magnum), has brilliant blue eyes (like my dear departed husband) and a wise-mouth (Rockford, Archie Goodwin and Bernie Rhodenbarr). This is his first encounter with his new neighbor as he had been traveling when she moved in.

I ‘dashed’ off several pages and took it to the critique group of my local Sisters in Crime. They loved it and asked the fateful question: What happens next? My answer was a simple: I have no idea, for all I know Annie’s still stuck in the rose bush.

These kind ladies pushed and prodded me along. All of a sudden I discovered I loved writing this story. And I still do love writing about  the Hammond family, the town of Clover Pointe, Ohio, and all the good and bad guys who pass through.

I guess I should add that he got his name ‘Dashiell’ because his mother (and me) are big fans of Dashiell Hammett.

 

5.      So you’re an author. Which authors do you enjoy reading?

My two favorite authors, ones whose books I re-read constantly, are Rex Stout and Lawrence Block. Stout, of the Golden Age of Mysteries, created two very interesting characters. If Archie Goodwin were a real person, I’d be camped outside his brownstone, begging for a chance to go dancing with him.

Which brings me to Bernie Rhodenbarr, the burglar turned bookseller who still dabbles in the light-fingered trade. The cast of characters who surround Bernie are quirky but believable and Bernie’s comments on the books he reads and sells are both funny and educational. When we were in lock-down, the Burglar series was first off my shelf to help me get through those challenging times.

Block has such a body of work, from several series to captivating short stories. His non-fiction books, on writing, living and life, read like he is sitting across from you sharing a pizza and a beer. Like his characters, Larry, if I may, is a very remarkable man. I guess I should stop gushing but if you haven’t read Block do so at your earliest convenience. And if it’s not convenient, drop what you’re doing anyway and read his books.

 

I belong to a mystery reading group, and over the almost thirty years of meeting, we have tried a bit of this and that. For me the most satisfying are the series books. If I discover a new one, I’m thrilled. It means a whole new group of friends to visit on a Sunday afternoon. Teatime with Ann Cleeves.  

Thanks for visiting with us!

More on A Haunting at Marianwood:

Life is good for Dash Hammond. He's recently remarried his childhood sweetheart, Dr. Maevis Summers, and together they're raising his four-year-old son, T.J. A retired Army colonel, Dash keeps himself busy fixing everything from a leaky faucet to an unsolved murder.

His cousin Billy calls Dash to Kentucky when his sister, a nun, is in trouble. Sister Miriam Patrice has been hearing things, seeing things, and misplacing things.

Marianwood, the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Blessed Mother of God, is located on an old plantation thought to be haunted by its original inhabitant, who is rumored to prowl the grounds in search of her murdered beau.

In a battle of wits, will the victor be supernatural, or a very corporeal retired Army colonel?

Cover Reveal: A Haunting at Marianwood

 

A Haunting at Marianwood is the latest installment in the Dash Hammond series by E.M. Munsch. 

The Kindle version is now available for preorder on Amazon. E.M. Munsch is a member of the Derby Rotten Scoundrels chapter of Sisters in Crime, the first chapter of SinC I belonged to. Mystery and Horror, LLC, our press, is publishing this novel.

Description of the book, and excerpt below!

Life is good for Dash Hammond. He's recently remarried his childhood sweetheart, Dr. Maevis Summers, and together they're raising his four-year-old son, T.J. A retired Army colonel, Dash keeps himself busy fixing everything from a leaky faucet to an unsolved murder.

His cousin Billy calls Dash to Kentucky when his sister, a nun, is in trouble. Sister Miriam

Patrice has been hearing things, seeing things, and misplacing things.

Marianwood, the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Blessed Mother of God, is located on an old

plantation thought to be haunted by its original inhabitant, who is rumored to prowl the grounds

in search of her murdered beau.

In a battle of wits, will the victor be supernatural, or a very corporeal retired Army colonel?

An excerpt: 

Sister Miriam Patrice slid back from the kneeler. The quiet of the church soothed her as it wrapped its velvet cloak of serenity around her. She sat, hands folded, once in prayer but now to stop the trembling. Glancing at the sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows casting a rainbow on the empty pews, she drew in deep slow breaths. She looked at the watch pinned to her tunic. Time to get back to work. She rose to leave the church, her place of refuge, a place free from the distractions of the running the community and the new retirement home the sisters established to help make ends meet. 

The members of the Sisters of the Blessed Mother of God found their numbers dwindling. New recruits, as Sister Miriam Patrice called them mimicking her cousin Dash Hammond’s military jargon, were very rare. The teaching congregation once had more than a hundred sisters. Vocations, callings to either the religious or the educational side of the community, had fallen to less than a handful each year. 

 As she walked down the aisle to the back of the church, she heard it again. Tap, tap, tap. She stopped to listen, making sure she wasn’t mistaken. That sound sent shivers down her spine. Squaring her shoulders, she walked to the doors next to the church exit. One led up to the choir loft, the other down to the cellar. In days past she had gone up the stairs; today she would go down. 

Pulling the doorknob, Miriam Patrice met the resistance of a locked door. She pulled out her keys and unlocked it. She struggled with the door, suggesting to her that no one had gone to the cellar in a while. 

The stone steps were worn but sturdy. She moved cautiously into the darkness, one hand on the wall to steady her nervous knees, the other searching for the handrail. Her hope was that the security guard forgot to close the door one day and some critter, not two legged, was trapped down here and making the tap, tap, tap sound. Logically she knew this was wrong, but the alternative could be worse.

Decades ago, they discovered one of the newer buildings constructed during a period of rapid expansion had been built on an underground spring. It wasn’t long before the building tilted, as did their finances. What a waste of time and money. Fearful that what she would find was a tell-tale pooling or bubbling of water, she moved forward slowly. She said a silent prayer that she would not stumble into a puddle, a precursor of the inevitable unwelcome news.

Her trek seemed unnecessarily slow though reason told Miriam Patrice she should alert one of her sisters where she was just in case she lost her footing. But her reasoning had not been the sharpest of late. She blamed her sleepless nights, not because of an uneasy conscience but an overabundance of concern for her congregation and its uncertain future, both financially and individually. 

After spending a half an hour poking into the corners, searching for the origin of the sound, Miriam Patrice gave up. She needed a flashlight if she wanted to do a proper search. Next time she would be prepared. Next time she told herself she would be less skittish, more confident that she could deal with whatever sprung up from the tap, tap, tap. After deciding this, she nodded to herself. At least she didn’t hear a drip, drip, drip.

The sound had stopped so she decided to return to the church. As she locked the door behind her, the tap, tap, tap began again, louder this time. If she permitted herself, she would have said damn.

Interview: Tom Mead, Death and the Conjuror

“Tom Mead has created an intriguing set of puzzles on par with John Dickson Carr in Death and the Conjuror. A true delight for mystery lovers!”

–-Charles Todd, New York Times bestseller of A Game of Fear and 23 additional titles in the Inspector Rutledge series

Greetings, Tom! Glad to have you here!

• When did you know you wanted to be an author?

To be honest, it’s something that’s always been in my mind over the years, even when I was working other jobs. And I’ve always wanted to write mysteries because that’s what I love to read. I want to give readers that same feeling of delight and excitement I get when I’m reaching the end of a really good mystery and things are finally beginning to fall into place. What appealed to me from a very young age was the fair-play aspect of classic mysteries; the way you as the reader have all the same clues as the characters, but the author has orchestrated the plot so carefully that you still can’t crack the puzzle. The best writers, like Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr, are so adept at hiding the clues in plain sight, so that you can go back through their works and think to yourself, “Of COURSE, why didn’t I spot that?” To me, that’s what makes the solution so satisfying. That’s the sensation I’m trying to give to readers. 

• Which part of the research did you enjoy the most?

My research for this book was twofold: first, I focused on the period (the 1930s), and second I focused on the magic. The ‘30s was a natural choice, since that decade was the heart of the Golden Age of Detective fiction (GAD). If I had to define Death and the Conjuror in terms of genre, I would call it neo-GAD, as it’s a conscious tribute to the golden age while also hopefully providing readers with something fresh and entertaining in its own right. So the period setting was essential, and it enabled me to explore the history, fashions, ideas and culture of London during that fascinating decade. In addition, I’ve read tons of books about the practice and theory of stage magic, including the psychology of misdirection. I think these subjects are very relevant to the field of mystery fiction. I’ve said before that a murder mystery plot is like a magic show, and that’s the approach I use when I’m writing. Part of the fun for the artist in both instances is making sure the audience is looking in the wrong direction. So learning about the history and the code of magicians has been an absolute joy, and I plan to continue this in future Spector mysteries, exploring the character and his world in much greater depth.   

• What inspired you to create Joseph Spector?

Some of my favourite fictional detectives are Hercule Poirot, John Dickson Carr’s Dr. Gideon Fell, and Ellery Queen; one thing all of these characters have in common is an element of eccentricity, coupled with a well-defined personality that really leaps off the page. When they show up in the story, you as the reader know that everything is going to be ok. And there’s a kind of bond of trust between the reader and the fictional detective. You need to know they are sharing all the clues with you as they find them. I’ve tried to channel all of these elements into the character of Joseph Spector. I originally created him for a series of short stories (which I plan to continue writing), where he served as a natural counterpoint to the puzzle plots. Joseph Spector is an amateur detective with a talent for solving apparently impossible problems. He’s a retired music hall magician because I’m fascinated by magic, he’s a student of logic because he comes up against problems which are apparently illogical, and he’s fascinated by macabre, spooky things because those things fascinate me too. 

• What would you define as literary success?

To be honest, the reception Death and the Conjuror has received so far has already exceeded my wildest expectations. The fact that it’s finally seeing the light of day after years of languishing on my desktop as a long-term “secret project” is a real thrill. It’s nice to know that the hours I spent on it weren’t wasted. So from my point of view, it’s already a success. But I suppose more generally speaking, I hope that readers have fun with it, that they enjoy it as a puzzle plot, but also as a fresh contribution to the genre I love. And if it prompts readers to try reading a classic novel by John Dickson Carr or Ellery Queen, then I couldn’t be happier.   

• So, you're an author. Which authors do you enjoy reading?

I really love the classics- I’m talking Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Helen McCloy and my personal favourite, John Dickson Carr. I think any self-respecting devotee of mystery fiction owes it to themselves to read these great writers if they haven’t already. But in terms of contemporary authors, I highly recommend Gigi Pandian’s new locked-room mystery, Under Lock & Skeleton Key. It’s the first of what I hope will be a very long-running series, and like Death and the Conjuror it has a magician-sleuth tackling seemingly impossible occurrences. I love it. I would also recommend The Five False Suicides by James Scott Byrnside. Scott has been quietly turning out some of the best new mysteries on the market since 2018, and he deserves a lot more recognition. Another magnificent writer of neo-GAD mysteries is the French author Paul Halter, who is incredibly prolific and has a dazzling imagination. His latest, The Mask of the Vampire, is published by Locked Room International. Other authors I love include Martin Edwards, Elly Griffiths and Anthony Horowitz, all of whom are excellent, versatile writers with a knack for devilishly complex plots.  

Death and the Conjuror

by Tom Mead

June 27 - July 24, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A magician-turned-sleuth in pre-war London solves three impossible crimes

In 1930s London, celebrity psychiatrist Anselm Rees is discovered dead in his locked study, and there seems to be no way that a killer could have escaped unseen. There are no clues, no witnesses, and no evidence of the murder weapon. Stumped by the confounding scene, the Scotland Yard detective on the case calls on retired stage magician-turned-part-time sleuth Joseph Spector. For who better to make sense of the impossible than one who traffics in illusions?

Spector has a knack for explaining the inexplicable, but even he finds that there is more to this mystery than meets the eye. As he and the Inspector interview the colorful cast of suspects among the psychiatrist’s patients and household, they uncover no shortage of dark secrets―or motives for murder. When the investigation dovetails into that of an apparently-impossible theft, the detectives consider the possibility that the two transgressions are related. And when a second murder occurs, this time in an impenetrable elevator, they realize that the crime wave will become even more deadly unless they can catch the culprit soon.

A tribute to the classic golden-age whodunnit, when crime fiction was a battle of wits between writer and reader, Death and the Conjuror joins its macabre atmosphere, period detail, and vividly-drawn characters with a meticulously-constructed fair play puzzle. Its baffling plot will enthrall readers of mystery icons such as Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr, modern masters like Anthony Horowitz and Elly Griffiths, or anyone who appreciates a good mystery.

Praise for Death and the Conjuror:

“This debut, a tribute to John Dickson Carr and other Golden Age masters of the locked-room mystery, will appeal to nostalgia buffs and fans of the classics”

Library Journal, April 2022 (**STARRED REVIEW**, Debut of the Month)

“Set in London, Mead’s stellar debut and series launch, an homage to golden age crime fiction, in particular the works of John Dickson Carr, introduces magician Joseph Spector. […] Mead maintains suspense throughout, creating a creepy atmosphere en route to satisfying reveals. Puzzle mystery fans will eagerly await the sequel.”

Publishers Weekly, April 2022 (**STARRED REVIEW**)

“Mead’s debut novel is a valentine to the locked-room puzzles of John Dickson Carr, to whom it is dedicated […] Mead faithfully replicates all the loving artifice and teasing engagement of golden-age puzzlers in this superior pastiche.”

Kirkus Reviews, April 2022

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Mysterious Press
Publication Date: July 12th 2022
Number of Pages: 254
ISBN: 1613163193 (ISBN13: 9781613163191)
Series: Joseph Spector #1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | The Mysterious Bookshop

Read an excerpt:

Olive already had the phone in her hand. “Two three one, Dollis Hill,” she announced. “Dr. Anselm Rees has been murdered.”

While she provided a few scant details, she looked around the room and noticed something.

“The windows are locked,” she said as she hung up the phone.

“Mm?” Della sounded startled.

“The windows. They’re locked on the inside.” To prove this, she gripped one of the handles and rattled it. It would not move, and the key protruded from the lock.

“So?”

“Then how did the killer get away?”

“What do you mean?”

“He can’t have come out through the hall. I was there the whole time. And not five minutes ago—not five minutes—I can tell you that the doctor was alive and well in this room because I heard him talking on the telephone.”

Della thought about this. “It can’t be locked.” She reached out and tried the handle for herself. But the windows did not budge.

“It’s locked on the inside,” said Olive, “just like the door.”

Della turned and looked at the corpse. He had sunk down in the chair like an unmanned hand puppet.

In the far corner of the room lay the wooden trunk. Olive caught Della’s eye and nodded toward it. Della frowned incredulously. Olive shrugged, as if to say, Where else would he be?

The two women crept across the soft plush carpet toward the trunk. Olive looked at Della and held a finger to her lips. She seized the poker from the fireplace and raised it above her head. Then she gave Della a quick nod.

Della leaned forward and wrenched open the trunk.

Olive let fly a fierce war cry and swung the poker like a tennis racquet. But all she hit was empty air. The two women peered inside the trunk. It was perfectly empty.

Olive led the way to the kitchen—but not before pulling shut the study door behind her, sealing in the late Dr. Rees once again.

They both felt slightly better after a tot of brandy. No less horrified, but more prepared to deal with the practicalities of the situation.

“What I don’t understand,” Della said, “is where the killer could have gone.”

“Nowhere,” said Olive. “There was nowhere for him to go.”

***

Excerpt from Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead. Copyright 2022 by Tom Mead. Reproduced with permission from Tom Mead. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Tom Mead is a UK crime fiction author specialising in locked-room mysteries. He is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association, International Thriller Writers, and the Society of Authors. He is a prolific author of short fiction, and recently his story "Heatwave" was included in THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR 2021, edited by Lee Child. DEATH AND THE CONJUROR is his first novel.

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