Repost from 2013- Character Interview, Abby Cooper and Victoria Laurie!

Meow!

I've been a big fan of Victoria Laurie for quite awhile - her "Psychic Eye" and also her "Ghost Hunter" series!  Abby (and Victoria!) have a new adventure out in July, so as a tribute we thought we'd repost this character interview with Abby from 2013!



And now...in my hotseat...ABBY COOPER HERSELF!

R)  Good Morning, Abby. Tell us a bit about yourself.

A: Good morning, ROCCO!  (waves)  Thanks for being so patient with me...it's been a busy year!  Anyhoo, I'm a professional psychic currently living in Austin, TX.  Originally I'm from a small city in Michigan called Royal Oak, and I only moved to Texas when my fiancé Dutch, was promoted to Special Agent within the FBI and took a job in Austin for the bureau's cold case division.  I also work for the bureau as a civilian profiler...fancy talk for psychic consultant.  In addition to my private clients, I also work the occasional private investigative case with my BFF, Candice Fusco -  who's just the best P.I. in the biz.  (i.e. she bends a lot of rules and helps to keep me out of sticky situations...which I'm forever getting myself into...ahem...)  Dutch and I are currently planning our wedding....okay, so we're not actually planning it as much as we're letting my sister play the role of wedding planner on steroids...and at this point, I'm not sure it's actually an easier or less stressful process but it's too late to turn back now.

R) When did you first realize you had psychic abilities?

A: I think I was pretty young - eleven or twelve maybe when little things I'd say would start to happen.  It just built up from there, but I don't think I actually considered myself a psychic until another dear friend of mine - who was a professional medium - told me that's what I was.  For many years I was simply too afraid of my own abilities to do anything with them, but with her gentle help, I sort of came into my own and started to read for clients, and now I've got a dozen years under my belt as a professional intuitive and a client list that's ever growing.  It's pretty awesome.  :)

R) Have you made the acquaintence of another psychic ghostbuster, MJ Holliday?  If so, how did you meet? How do you get along? (Guess that's three questions in one, eh????)

A: M.J. and I met a few years ago when I needed her help to get rid of a couple ghostly squatters taking up residence in an investment property I got suckered into.  The good news is that M. J. did help me, and we hit it off right away.  I love that girl - she's very down-to-earth and she can handle herself really well in sticky situations.  Her best friend Gilley is also a hoot!  Gotta loves me some Gilley.

R)  Out of all your adventures, do you have a favorite?

A:  :)  My next adventure is usually my favorite.  I think this summer when Dutch and I finally get the chance to tie the knot will be my favorite.  M. J.'s coming to the wedding, actually, so it should be a blast.  (Hee, hee...Literally!)

R)  Which profession do you prefer: psychic or FBI Civilian Profiler?

A:  I don't know that I have a preference of one over the other.  I like them both.  Psychic sessions are very interesting things from the point of view of the psychic, because each new client is a mystery, and the things I pull out of the ether can really surprise me.  Being a profiler for the FBI is really cool in a different way - there's just no better high than solving a crime and bringing the bad guys to justice.  I love them both.

R) You recently got engaged.  Can you share any wedding/honeymoon plans? Where would you like to go on your honeymoon?

A: I can't share much in the way of plans, because my sister Cat is doing all the planning, and I'm out of the loop...okay, so I'm mostly out of the loop because I dodge Cat's calls a lot and sometimes she sends people to kidnap me just to get a decision on the caterer, but I have a feeling Cat is going for big.  I mean BIG!  And that means that right up until the day of the ceremony I may try to talk Dutch into eloping.

As for where to go on our honeymoon...wow.  Well, I guess anywhere that Dutch and I won't be reachable by phone.  I'd love a beach and lots of coconut oil, and of course some good books to read.

R) Describe your relationship with your sister Cat. (Love her name, Meow!)

A:  Cat is this amazing dynamo of energy and brains wrapped in a tiny blond package.  You don't so much as go along with Cat, as you just step out of the way before she runs over you with the bulldozer she's just stollen.  True story.  I love my sister with all my heart, but sometimes, she's better in small doses.  Now...if I could only figure out where she hides her bullhorn so I could snatch it before the rehearsal dinner, I'll be all set!

R) If Hollywood came knocking at your door and wanted to make a movie out of one of your advenures, which one would you hope it would be and who would you like to play you?

A:  Ha!  Well, I think that Better Read Than Dead would probably make the best movie, and as for who should play me?  Emma Stone, hands down.  I think she's amazing!

R)  Any advice for aspiring writers (or psychics?)

A: If you want to be a writer then write.  Write your fanny off.  The only way to get better is to keep doing it.  So write every day if you can, at the very least you should write every few days consistently. 

R)  How do you feel about Victoria Laurie recounting your adventures?

A:  Terrific!  She writes it just how I live it, so it's a good match.

 

R:  And now, just for fun: Tell us your favorite:

A: Movie: Hmmm...The Princess Bride.  I could watch that movie over and over.

Book: I have two: A Is For Alibi and The Hobbit

Author: Sue Grafton.  That woman walks on water in my book.

Psychic: Kevyn Allen  He was my mentor and now he's a very dear friend.  Also, the best psychic I've ever known - by a LOT

Actor: Daniel Craig.  I love the scenes where he's mostly naked.  ;)

TV Show: I have two again: The Good Wife and Downton Abbey.  Any show with writing that brilliant gets a thumbs up from me

FBI or CIA?  CIA, hands down.  I love a good spook.  ;)

Martini or Manhattan?  Neither - I don't drink!  But give me an Arnold Palmer, (1/2 lemonade + 1/2 Iced Tea) and I'm in heaven.

Psychic or Detective?  Psychic

Demon or Devil? Neither.  I'm an angel kind of gal

Island or Mountains?  Mountains - I'll take a breathtaking view any day over sand and water

and, last but not least CAT or Dog?  Dog.  I have two of the best pups ever, so I might be biased (TEAR SLIDES ROCCO'S CHEEK)


Meow, thank you Abby (and Victoria, too) for a great interview!

Folks, to keep up with all of Victoria's series and current releases, visit her website and sign up for her newsletter ( I did!)  !HERE

Cat-ch Abby's newest adventure, A PANICKED PREMONITION, out July 4!

Penguin has donated a copy of Psychic Eye Book 14, A GRAVE PREDICTION, to give away to one lucky commenter!

When Abby is sent to Los Angeles to help train FBI officers to use their intuition, she encounters a case that only she can solve: a series of bank robberies in which the thieves made off with loads of cash but left no clues. Abby’s sixth sense leads her team to a tract of land recently cleared for development, where she gets a vision of four buried bodies. However, a site search turns up only ancient bones and pottery from an American Indian tribe, which is enough to delay construction for years. 

With a furious developer and dubious FBI agents on her back, Abby is losing credibility fast. But Abby’s talent rarely leads her astray, and if the bodies aren’t there yet, that means four deaths can still be stopped. She’ll just have to dig a little deeper...

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