Save our Cozies! Readathon July 16!

 Hello - the HUMAN here!

As many of you may or may not know there have been quite a lot of shakeups in the publishing industry - the main one being the infamous "cozy slaughter" that is going on now.  Some publshers are dropping certain cozy mystery series, and it's not just new ones. Some of the dropped series are ones that have amassed quite a following.
In an attempt to bring some focus back to the genre, some devoted cozy followers have organized a group entitled "Save Our Cozies". this group is sponsoring a readathon on July 16, the purpose of which is to draw attention to the cozy genre.

Information can be found here: Save Our Cozies Readathon
Or you can click on the magnifying glass symbol on the right of this post!  Let's all try and participate and do what we can to "Save Our Cozies"

Author Julia Buckey ini ROCCO's interview chair!

Merow! Today my guest is author Julia Buckley!

Julia Buckley is a Chicago-area mystery writer. Her new book, A DARK AND STORMY MURDER, debuts in July. Find out more about her at JuliaBuckley.com

• Welcome Julia! Tell us a little about your background

Okay ROCCO! I was born in the suburbs of Chicago. My mom is from Germany and my dad is the child of Hungarian immigrants. I grew up loving to read and write, and I’ve really been writing, in one form or another, since I was a kid.

I am also a high school English teacher, a job I find particularly rewarding. However, it is challenging having two jobs, and some days it can be stressful!

• Tell us a bit about your latest release, A DARK AND STORMY MURDER. How did the idea for this new series come about?
  

I had already created a series for Berkley Prime Crime, but I told my agent that I wanted to write a different one. She called me and we batted ideas around over the phone. She had seen on my website that I loved all the great Romantic Suspense novelists of the mid-20^th Century, including Mary Stewart, Phyllis A. Whitney, and Victoria Holt. She suggested a series with a sort of Gothic spin as an homage to those names.

So I came up with the idea of a young woman who gets to live with her writing idol, a Mary Stewart type, and to become her writing partner. And, of course, they find a dead body.

• You also write the Undercover Dish mysteries. Tell us about those.

The premise of these is that Lilah Drake, a young chef, has a secret business making food for people who want to take credit for making food themselves. This becomes complicated when one of Lilah’s dishes is poisoned.

This was also a clever idea from my agent, Kim!

• How do you “get to know” your characters before and while you’re writing the books?

I don’t really do any of those cool writer things like interviewing my characters or keeping a diary for them. I really just embroider them as I go along.

• How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?

Both. I’ve always been a “let’s just start writing and see where this takes us” kind of writer, but my publisher does require a full outline at some point, so I do a bit of the first until I have to give them the second. J

• Which do you consider more important, plot or character?

Character. But that’s based on my own requirements as a reader. In some books, I don’t care how stupid the plot is if the character has an entertaining voice. Hopefully my plots aren’t bad, but I do think character is important for maintaining reader interest.

• What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

I’ve had a lot of deadlines in the last few years, and I’m glad to have them, but some days this was super challenging, especially as deadlines approached, or when the writing stalled. I don’t get writer’s block too often, but when I do, it can be painful.

• Do you have an “How I got my agent” story you want to share?

I’ve had agents before that, for one reason or another, weren’t the right match for me. And as you and your readers may know, it’s not that easy to find a new one. However, I would advise your readers that persistence does pay off. I told myself that I would query at least 70 agents, and out of those I hoped to get about five who were interested (these odds seemed about right). So if I got a rejection, I would just say, “Hey, I haven’t sent out my seventy yet.”

So I kept sending out my query and three chapters of a recent novel, and guess what? I eventually did get interest from several agents. Kim was the one who said that the book wasn’t quite right for the genre, but that she would be willing to work with me on writing something else. And that’s what happened. It was a neat collaboration, and I’m glad she gave me a chance.

• What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

I’m finishing the sixth book I contracted with Berkley. I do not yet know if either of my series will be extended, so after that I’d like to polish a YA novel that I wrote, and perhaps work on a thriller.

• What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you devote to writing?

I teach, as I mentioned, so I am that job from 7 30-3:30 each day. It can be exhausting, so sometimes I just have to come home and decompress, along with doing dishes or folding laundry or making dinner.

So my writing time has to be found in between my other life obligations. Some evenings, weekends, and school vacations. I also teach in the summer, but these are shorter hours, so I get more writing done.

• If you could take only three books with your for a year-long writing retreat in a gorgeous setting with no library, which three would you take?

Wow. It’s REALLY hard to narrow down. Today I would pick

1.     CRIME AND PUNISHMENT by Fyodor Dostoevsky (not a boring classic at all, but a compelling thriller that is a novel of murder, redemption, faith, detection, suspense).

2.     HAVE HIS CARCASE by Dorothy L Sayers. All of her Peter Wimsey books are great, but my favorites are the ones with Harriet Vane, and this one just had a tremendous plot from which a person could learn a lot about plotting.

3.     SOMETHING BY P.G WODEHOUSE because his writing is so funny, especially when read aloud, that it would keep me amused all year.

• What advice do you have to offer to an aspiring author?

The advice I gave above about being persistent. But also, hone your craft. I’ve met some people who care only about the idea of selling or being famous, but don’t care at all if their writing needs work. They want the accolades without the work. So I would also say, work on your writing. Go to classes and keep trying to make it better.

• What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

I’m not that crazy. I’m a stay-at-home kind of gal. I also don’t drink, but once in my college days a friend challenged me to drink what he called “a German shot” of whiskey. Since he and I are both part German, I took this as a challenge to my heritage, and drank the thing down, having no real tolerance for alcohol. It was so stupid, because I really could have died. It was like a tall juice glass full of whiskey.

Instead of dying, I simply lay down and went to sleep immediately—out cold. While I was unconscious, my friends carried me in a very obvious way back to my room, and the R.A. was alerted to my drunken state. The next morning I woke up and asked my roommate if SHE was in trouble, not realizing that I was.

And it’s so funny to contemplate, because I wasn’t a drinker then or now, but I did get in some serious trouble for that German shot.

• What’s one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about you?

I have tons of phobias, including heights, bugs, storms, planes. I am afraid of just about everything.  J

• What question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)

Interesting question!  I guess it would be nice if people said “What are your other creative outlets?” Because I do love to paint in watercolors (and I have some art teacher pals at the high school who have been helping me build my strengths). I also love to sing.

•  Where can we learn more about you and your books?

I have a website at www.juliabuckley.com, and a blog at www.juliabuckley.blogspot.com

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Day, especially morning.

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  Both! I have a big Lab puppy named Digby, and three cats named Pibby, Panther and Mulliner. My son and I are already kind of longing for a new kitten.  They all bring something special to our lives, although Digby is trying the patience of my husband. It’s kind of like having a horse in the house, and his idea of playing is to jump on my husband and “bite” him in play. Jeff is not very fond of that.  J

Beach or Pool?   I have never been a swimmer—I actually FAILED swimming in college. But I do love to walk along the beach because it is scenic and restful.

Steak or salad?  Salad. Not a red meat person.

Favorite Drink?  Diet coke.

Favorite Book?  Crime and Punishment.

Favorite TV Series?  So hard to pick! For comedy, probably 30 Rock or Arrested Development. For Drama, Broadchurch or Happy Valley or something.

Favorite Movie?  The Bourne Identity.

Favorite Actor: Past—Cary Grant.  Present—Harrison Ford.

Favorite Actress: Past—Hayley Mills   Present—Melissa McCarthy

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada?  Pina Colada!!  I like to have at least one every summer on my patio. I favor the sweet drinks, when I imbibe.

Hawaii or Alaska?  Hard to choose! But Hawaii.

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be  Mary Stewart (which is what my book is about!!!)

If I had just one wish, it would be –Good health for my family and friends.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be   Some singer—maybe someone like Sheryl Crow—so that I could sing the folksy songs I love.  Or Tina Fey, who gets to write, be smart, open doors for women in male-dominated professions.

Thank you Julia! Folks you can find her at:

Facebook: Julia Buckley mystery novels

Twitter: Juliabucks

Pinterest: Julia Buckley

Website: www.juliabuckley.com

Blog: www.juliabuckley.blogspot.com

Instagram: Julia Buckley

GIVEAWAY TIME:

Berkley has donated a copy of “The Big Chili” for one lucky reader to win!

To enter, just leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Contest ends midnight, June 25! Good luck!

You can also watch Julia’s Facebook page or website for her own give-away info! Or sign up for her newsletter (on her website).

Rocco's guest EJ Copperman!

MEROW! Today our guest poster is the author, E. J. Copperman

EJ is the author of the Haunted Guesthouse series, as well as several other mystery series!  His first in the Mysterious Detective Series with Crooked Lane Publishing, WRITTEN OFF, debuts today!

And now, without any further adieu: E.J. Copperman!

Thank you, ROCCO!

The first thing you have to understand is that writers are crazy.

Our job, first and foremost, is to make things up. And the better we can think of stuff to make up that nobody has made up before (or at least this month), the more novel (you should pardon the expression) the work will appear to be.

So our minds never stop looking for new things to make up. That’s the job and we know it. You might be taking a walk on the beach, watching the ballgame, making dinner, making love, playing Life, living life, walking the dog, doing the downward dog or lying in bed before sleep.

When we’re doing all that, we’re also working. If something happens that might be interesting (re: useful), we’ll be sure to make note of it. If we remember it the next morning, you can assume it’ll show up in our work somewhere.

So when the casual notion of a character I’ve written showing up at my door and announcing him/herself happened into my fevered brain—and it was just an idle thought, in the middle of doing something else—I stopped whatever the hell that was I was involved with and started thinking about it. How would I react if Alison Kerby or Samuel Hoenig called on the phone asking for help on her/his current problem?

Since I write mystery novels, the notion that the character would be asking for guidance on a murder was not a huge leap. I do, after all, concoct all sorts of odd problems for them to solve (in Samuel’s case, questions for him to answer; he’d want me to make that distinction). They’d expect that surely I could provide direction, if not simply an answer out of thin air.

But it wasn’t the character’s perspective that I found interesting. Although my spouse (yet another plug for an upcoming book) and a few others I’ve met would say that I am indeed a character, I’m also an author. I know how an author thinks and if one is going to spend a few months writing a book, it might as well be something the writer understands fairly well.

So what would I do if Alison or Samuel (or now Duffy Madison and his hapless creator Rachel Goldman) knocked on the door and asked me to help solve a heinous crime? In WRITTEN OFF, that’s what happens to Rachel. She writes the Duffy Madison series in which a consultant for the Morris County (NJ) prosecutor’s office works on missing person cases. And when her phone rings just after she finishes the latest Duffy Madison mystery only to be told that her caller is a consultant for the Bergen County (NJ) prosecutor’s office who works on missing person cases—and that his name is Duffy Madison—she has a situation to deal with.

I didn’t stop to consider what my own reaction would be under such circumstance because in writing the book it didn’t matter. I’m not Rachel; she reacts to things differently than I would. It’s only since I finished the book—and if the truth be told, written the second in the series—that I’ve taken the time to consider. And I know exactly what I’d do if that ever happened to me.

I’d slam the door and lock it, then hide under my desk until the phone stopped ringing.

I’m not that crazy.

E.J. Copperman is the author of the Haunted Guesthouse mystery series and the co-author with Jeff Cohen of the Asperger’s Mystery series. On June 14 E.J. unveils the Mysterious Detective Mystery series in which a crime fiction author is confronted by the flesh-and-blood incarnation of her fictional sleuth.

GIVEAWAY:  Win a copy of WRITTEN OFF!

 leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck! Contest ends midnight, June 18.

ROCCO's guest poster....GAYLE LEESON!

Rocco Talks with Rory and Princess Eloise

By Gayle Leeson, author of The Calamity Café

Rory: Hi, Rocco! How are you? Are you fine? I hope you’re fine. I’m fine. I love it when people are fine. Princess Eloise thinks I’m a little high-strung but I don’t think so. Do you think so?

Princess Eloise: [Giving the little brown terrier a disdainful sniff.] You are high-strung. I guess that’s to be expected of a dog. You don’t conduct yourself with much dignity, you know.

Rory: That’s okay, princess. You have enough dignity for both of us. You know who else has dignity? Amy. Amy’s our person, Rocco, and she’s the best! Oh, I know you have a person you think is the best, but Amy’s our best. You know what I mean. She’s been going through a rough patch, though. That mean bossy boss of hers has been bossing her around and generally being mean to everybody! Amy told me she’s going to buy that place and make it the kind of café it ought to be—a really charming place where people will enjoy hanging out and eating all kinds of good food. I love food. Do you love food, Rocco? My favorite is beef. No, chicken. No, turkey. No, beef. I don’t know. What’s your favorite?

Princess Eloise: I know you weren’t addressing me, but I prefer salmon. I wonder if Amy will serve salmon at her new café. If she does, I won’t go there to eat it. Going places to get food is the type of thing peasants do. I prefer my food to be brought to me. And then I can decide whether I’m in the mood to eat it or not. But I do hope Amy gets her café. I’m more partial to her mother Jenna, but I care for Amy too. She’s a good human.

Rory: You shouldn’t make it so obvious that you prefer Amy’s mom, princess. That hurts Amy’s feelings.

Princess Eloise: What do you care? You’re the one always snuggling up to her. If I were to take a fancy to sitting on her lap, where would that leave you?

Rory: Good point. I enjoy sitting on Amy’s lap, so things are okay just as they are. It probably doesn’t hurt Amy’s feelings that bad anyway. Keep having Amy’s mom as your favorite. Amy’s mom should be your favorite anyway, you know. She’s the one who raised you as a kitten. She can’t help that Aunt Bess is allergic to you and that you couldn’t go live with them.

Princess Eloise: I’d appreciate it if you do not bring up that tiresome woman’s name to me.

Rory: I don’t think Aunt Bess is tiresome. For an old human, she has lots of energy. And the stuff she puts on her computer makes Amy laugh. She does something called pinning to boards. Amy will sometimes laugh until tears stream down her face when she reads from the board Aunt Bess calls Lord, Have Mercy.

Princess Eloise: Yes, I know good and well that Amy laughs at all that nonsense. She’s awakened me from many a pleasant nap with that unladylike chortle of hers.

Rory: Ah, come on, princess. You love Amy. Deep down, I know you do. You act like you don’t particularly like any of us except Jenna, but we’re your family, and you love us. You know you love us. [Dancing around the white Persian.] Admit it! Admit you love us!

Princess Eloise: Don’t push your luck.

GIVEAWAY

Gayle is giving away a signed paperback copy of The Calamity Café (to U.S. readers, international readers will receive a digital copy). To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)

* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)

* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)

* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)

* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

* Like Gayle’s page on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee/)

* Follow Gayle on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/GayleTrent)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Contest ends midnight, June 13! Good luck!

A warm welcome back to Laura Bradford!

Meow, help me welcome author Laura Bradford!

As a child, Laura Bradford fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number two pencil. From that moment forward, she never wanted to do or be anything else. Today, Laura is the national bestselling author of several mystery series, including the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries, the Amish Mysteries, the Jenkins & Burns Mysteries, the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries written as Elizabeth Lynn Casey, and the upcoming Tobi Tobias Mystery Series. She is a former Agatha Award nominee, and the recipient of an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award in romance. A graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, Laura enjoys making memories with her family, baking, and being an advocate for those living with Multiple Sclerosis.

• Welcome back Laura!  Tell us a little about your new series, the Emergency Dessert Squad. How did that come about?

The concept for the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries came to me while trying to encourage a former Girl Scout of mine. Emily loves to bake and I was throwing out creative ways she could frame a business around her talent. I threw out the idea of an Emergency Dessert Squad and, lo and behold, I realized I had the makings of a super fun cozy mystery.

As for the series, it follows my main character, Winnie Johnson, a young woman who, like Emily, has always loved to bake. When Éclair and Present Danger (book # 1) opens, Winnie is in her final day as a bakery owner thanks to an inability to keep up with the rising cost of rent. For a moment, she thinks she has a reprieve when she learns she’s been names in her late friend’s will. At the attorney’s office, Winnie learns the specifics of her bequest—a cat (who hates her), and an old vintage ambulance.  Neither of which can save her bakery.

Or so she thought…

• What’s your favorite dessert?

Oh my, I love all things sweet. But if I had to pick an absolute favorite, I’d say my white chocolate mousse pastry puffs.  I make them during the holiday season in December and they’re always a huge hit.

• Do you have any dessert recipes you’d like to share?

Sure!  I’ll share one of my kids’ favorites. It’s for Gooey Butter Cake (a St. Louis tradition).

*1 package yellow cake mix
*1 stick butter
*1 egg

Combine. This will be dry. Press into greased 9 x 13 pan. Set aside.

Then, in a bowl, combine the following:

*1 16-ounch package of powdered sugar.
*8 ounce cream cheese
*2 eggs
*1 teaspoon vanilla.

Pour mixture on top of crust.

Bake at 350 for 32 minutes.  Cool completely or it will be runny.

Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and cut into squares.

Enjoy!!!

• You also write the Amish mysteries for BPC.  Is it difficult doing two series and how do you keep the characters separate?

I actually write three series for BPC—the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries and the Amish Mysteries under my own name, and the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries under my pen name, Elizabeth Lynn Casey.  

As for how I keep the characters from the various series separate, they’re real people in my head so that makes it easier.

• Do you have a favorite character/series?

Of my own?  That’s tough. I love them all for different reasons.

The Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries are special because that’s how I broke into a big NY publishing house. My favorite characters in that series are Rose (the 80-something matriarch of the sewing circle) and Margaret Louise (the kind of friend everyone wants).

The Amish Mysteries speak to my heart. I love the characters, the setting, and the pace.   My favorite characters in that series have to be Aunt Diane (you can’t not love this woman) and Detective Jakob Fisher (there’s so much still to be unearthed in him and I find that appealing).

The Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries simply make me smile. They’re fun and they’re light and littered with fun characters. If I have to pick a favorite among those characters, I’d have to say Mr. Nelson, Winnie’s downstairs neighbor. He makes me laugh.

• What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

I’m currently wrapping up book # 12 for the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries. 

After that, I’m on to book # 6 for my Amish Mysteries, and a new E-series I’ll be doing with Kensington that’s set in the world of advertising. I also have a top secret project (new genre) that I’m working on, as well.

• What’s one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about you?

I can recite the old Big Mac ingredient list backward. J

 What question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)

Tell us about a few of your most special author moments…

1)     Having grown up reading Mary Higgins Clark, I’ll never ever forget the moment I got to speak to her on the telephone—Harlan Coben’s phone, to be exact.  A completely surreal experience, I must say.

2)     I’ll never forget walking through the stocking stuffer section at my local K-Mart one December morning when my agent’s phone number showed up on my cell. I thought maybe she was calling to wish me a happy holiday. However, when I answered, she said, “we have a deal.”  My answer back to her was, “but we don’t have anything on submission right now.”  Her response? “Well, on your Facebook page this morning, you mentioned wondering what the Sweet Briar crew (from the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries) is doing for Christmas and now your editor is wondering, too. So we have a Christmas book.”  J

3)     Learning that someone drove 5 hours just to meet me at a signing.  Me.  Five hours.  Total pinch-me moment, that’s for sure.

•  Where can we learn more about you?

My website is the best place to find information on my books:  www.laurabradford.com

My Facebook page is the best place to find day-to-day me:  https://www.facebook.com/laurabradfordauthor/

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  .Day 

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)   Cat

Beach or Pool?   Beach

Steak or salad?  Steak

Favorite Drink?  A vanilla milkshake

Favorite Book?  A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark

Favorite TV Series?  Current? I’ll go with The Middle

Favorite Movie?  The Intern

Favorite Actor: James Marsden (because he’s completely adorable)

Favorite Actress:  Meryl Streep

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada?  Neither

Hawaii or Alaska?  Hawaii

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be Walt Disney. I’d like to thank him for creating a place that has made me (and my children) so incredibly happy.

If I had just one wish, it would be for good health for my loved ones.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be no one. Because if I did, I wouldn’t have my children.

Laura will give away ONE copy of Éclair and Present Danger.

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck! Contest ends midnight, June 10!