Say hello to Libby Klein

Meow, my guest today is author Libby Klein!

Libby Klein graduated Lower Cape May Regional High School sometime in the ’80s. Her classes revolved mostly around the culinary sciences and theater, with the occasional nap in Chemistry. She dabbles in the position of Vice President of a technology company which mostly involves bossing other people around, making spreadsheets and taking out the trash. She writes from her Northern Virginia office while trying to keep her cat Figaro off her keyboard. Most of her hobbies revolve around eating, and travel, and eating while traveling.

Hi and welcome Libby!  Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m from Cape May, NJ, but now I live in Northern Virginia. My friends call me the cat whisperer because stray cats will come out of the shadows and run up to me for pets when I’m around. I love travel, coffee, chocolate and all things fluffy. Except for squirrels. Squirrels freak me out. I was a stay at home mom and ran a daycare for many years. I only started writing about five years ago, and Class Reunions Are Murder is my first published novel.

Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

I appreciate every single comment and review you leave for me. There are a bajillion books out there, yet you chose to read mine. I hope you love Poppy and Aunt Ginny as much as I do, and I hope we put a little joy in your day.

Please tell us about your newest release   

Midnight Snacks Are Murder releases July 31, 2018. Someone goes on a rampage and breaks into neighbor’s houses leaving a wake of chaos. If you find it half as hilarious as I do you’re in for a treat.

Which is your favorite minor character and why?

One of my favorites is Figaro. He’s based on a combination of my two cats – both of whom aren’t with me anymore. Figaro is a black smoke Persian with bright orange eyes, and he has a few quirks. He flops over without warning and lands with a thud. Many times, people think he’s sick or hurt but its just one of those things he does. He always seems to know what Poppy is feeling, and he finds a way to get his point across. I love writing Figaro because it gives me a chance to bring my boys back and remember all of their little antics.

What is your favorite personality trait of your main character?

Poppy is very snarky. It’s her go-to response and defense mechanism for dealing with the world around her. Most of her inner monologue is very dry and deadpan because it’s everyone else who’s crazy and she’s the straight man.

Tell us something funny about one of your characters.

Figaro thinks every story is about him and he doesn’t get enough page time.

One of your characters is going on a shopping spree. Where does he/she go and what does he/she buy?

Aunt Ginny’s dream shopping spree would be at a flea market or the dollar store. She is all about quantity and deals. She might not have a need for Happy New Year 2006 paper plates, but at fifty cents for twelve you never know when they’ll come in handy.

Your character is at a bookstore. Which section is he/she shopping in? What book is in his/her hand right now?

Poppy would be in the romance section, and she’d have a novel about second chances at love or rewriting your life. She’d be a big far of the time travel trope because she has spent so much time fantasizing about what her life could have been with different choices.

I’m inviting your main character to dinner. What should I make?

If you make lasagna and jelly doughnuts Poppy will think she’s died and gone to heaven. But then she’d need a fistful of pills and a couple of weeks to recover because she can’t eat any of that. If you want her to not get sick, she loves street tacos wrapped in paleo tortillas and gluten free brownies.

Of all the books out there, why should readers choose this one? (What makes your book stand out from the rest?)

 If you like a dry, serious cozy that focuses on hardcore mystery without any local color or side plots – this book is NOT for you. Midnight Snacks is fun and funny and everything you want a lighthearted escape from reality to be – with a good mystery. Character development and theme are very important to me so expect to see growth from book to book.

What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?

 Getting started. Not just with a new book, but every day getting started. I find a million things to do “first.”

Can you tell us some of your latest news?

 My publisher has recently contracted me for 2 more books. The Poppy McAllister Mysteries will have at least 5 books.

If you were in the witness protection program, what would you choose as a career?

 I’d work in a bookstore putting the books in order on the shelf.

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

 I am a big outliner! I know every major point that’s going to happen from A to Z. But within those points, characters take on a life of their own and I pants my way through each scene. Sometimes I end up with scenes and chapters I had never outlined because the characters tell me things I didn’t know when I started.

Where can we learn more about you and your books? www.libbykleinbooks.com All my social media links are there too.

Please share a few favorite lines or one paragraph from MIDNIGHT SNACKS.

 “I don’t control the owls!” You’ll see. 😊

Random Quickies!

Pepsi or Coke? Vitamin Water XXX

Favorite kind of chocolate? The one in front of me as long as its not wrapped around bugs or something weird. Fancy truffles like Godiva probably edge out most candy bars, but sometimes you just want a Hershey bar.

Cats or dogs? Cats!  (ROCCO:  YAY!!!!)

Do you read more than you write? Not anymore. Deadlines.

Favorite movie? The Princess Bride.

Favorite book to movie? The Life of Pi

Favorite book or author? Yeah we know it can be hard to choose! ;) Romance – Jude Deveraux. Fantasy – Jasper Fforde. YA – Eoin Colfer. Cozy Mystery – I have made far too many friends who are brilliant mystery writers to be able to narrow this list down.

Hardback/Paperback or eReader? From the Library – hardback. For the beach – paperback. For a vacation where I don’t want to pack 10 books for the airplane – eReader. For long car trips and marathon cooking sessions – Audiobooks.

Do you own a laptop or desktop computer? I have a tech company – We have at least one of everything.

Thanks for a great interview, Libby!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!

Libby will give away a copy (an ARC) of MIDNIGHT SNACKS ARE MURDER to one lucky commenter!

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 closes midnight August 2!