#WriterWednesday Interview with Meredith Stoddard

I’d like to welcome author, Meredith Stoddard to the blog for the holiday edition of #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite traditions: Until the last couple of years we have always spent Christmas at my grandmother’s house in North Carolina. We have a lot of traditions associated with it; church on Christmas Eve, followed by visiting with extended family, walking around the block to the neighbor’s light show.

Something holiday-related that you’ll never do again: Santa hats. For the last few years we have taken a picture of the extended family in front of the family home wearing ridiculous Santa hats. I think we would all like to give up that tradition, but Granny loves them.

Favorite holiday song: “Angels We Have Heard on High”. I just love singing it.

Holiday song that always gets stuck in your head for the wrong reason: “Mary Did You Know?” It gets stuck because it’s so repetitive. But for years the minister and my family’s church in North Carolina used to grace us with his comically bad solo rendition of it EVERY Christmas Eve. I have terrible memories of that.

Favorite holiday treat: Coconut pie. It’s not exactly a holiday treat, but we always had one at the holidays, so it's a holiday treat for us.

A holiday treat that makes you gag: Does anyone really consider fruit cake a treat?

Favorite holiday show or movie: Any Hallmark Christmas romance. I’m a sucker for them. I watch them while wrapping presents, and endure constant teasing from my family but I don’t care. I’ll never give them up.

A holiday show or movie that you’ve seen too much: A Christmas Story. It’s great. It’s a classic. I’m just over it.

Favorite holiday beverage: Hot Chocolate, spiced cider, mulled wine...Bonus if the hot chocolate and cider have whiskey in them.

A drink that gives you a sour face: Egg Nog, not even whiskey can save that holiday sludge.

Favorite holiday smell: All the earthy ones like evergreens, spices, poinsettias, and wood smoke.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Collard greens. I love eating them, but can’t stand the smell of cooking them.

Favorite holiday candy: Anything chocolate

A holiday candy that gives you a pickle face: Nougat, not a fan.

Best holiday gift you gave to someone: A few years ago, I gathered up old family photos from my grandmother’s house. I organized them by decade going back to a baby picture of my grandmother from 1918. I also scanned them so we would have them electronically. Then I decorated a wooden chest and filled it with the newly organized photos and gave it back to my grandmother for Christmas. It took a lot of time to sort and identify everyone in the photos, but it was well worth it.

A gift that needs regifting: Sweaters, Not just the ugly Christmas ones. I’m just not a sweater person.

Best thing you ever cooked/baked for the holidays: Peppermint meringues. I love making meringues in all flavors, but the peppermint ones just say holidays.

Your worst holiday kitchen disaster: Not sure if it counts as a kitchen disaster so much as a dinner table disaster. One Thanksgiving, just as we were putting the last of the meal on the table, the globe from their light fixture fell and shattered, spraying glass all over the food.

Favorite place you spent the holidays: Until last year, I have only ever spent Christmas at my grandmother’s house. That was an understanding when I married my husband that we would not miss Christmas at Granny’s.

The worst place to spend the holidays: Christmas 2020 was spent at home. And while it was a much more relaxing than trying to coordinate schedules with all the extended family, I missed hugging them and spending time with them.

About Meredith:

I have known since I was a little girl sitting at my Granny's kitchen table listening to her recount the stories of our family, that I wanted to be a story teller. Those family stories sparked a lifelong fascination with folklore. After a career of telling product stories in the corporate world, I have turned my attention back to the stories of people and culture.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://www.meredithstoddard.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063837990684&show_switched_toast=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_R_Stoddard

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

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/meredith-stoddard

#WriterWednesday Interview with Author Liz Boeger

I’d like to welcome Liz Boeger to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things:

My new all-in-one mom cave houses my teach-from-home office, writing nook, and quilting corner.

Things you need to throw out:

Nothing. No, don’t look in the garage or my office closet. What do you mean, “What am I going to do with all of that fabric?”

Things you need for your writing sessions:

My computer and sticky note paper for scritch-scratched thoughts. A window, preferably looking into my garden. Quiet, I prefer morning sunshine, coffee-hot, half & half, no sugar. Life’s too short for cold coffee and skim milk. After lunch I swap out to Diet Mountain Dew.

Things that hamper your writing:

Social Media distractions and television. I’m still trying to rein in the web-surfing. I have a TV wall mount in my new office, but I covered it up with a shelf-no time for TV. Besides, you can watch reruns of the Gilmore Girls only so many times, right?

Things you love about writing:

Those moments when I’m pounding out a scene, only to find that my characters have a plot point or two to insert that I was not expecting. Oh, and I love my characters like family.

Things you hate about writing:

Scavenging for my many typos. It’s a little embarrassing to have red-pen-worthy grammar and punctuations issues in a book written by a teacher.

Words that describe you:

Skeptical Optimist

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t:

Bossy—sorry, it’s an occupational hazard.

Favorite smell:

Citrus-lemons-oranges-grapefruit-kumquats—all of it!

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Fish cooking in the oven or on the stove. I don’t mind it on the grill (outside.)

Something you’re really good at:

I have a talent for making lists and crossing things off my lists. Sometimes I add things I already did to the list, just so I have one more thing to cross off. It is a trait I’ve forced on my main character.

Something you’re really bad at:

Ugh, this whole tooting your own horn and book promotion business. That’s why I’m so grateful to the writing community for taking some of the sting out of it by being so supportive.

Last best thing you ate:

My sister’s secret recipe ginger snaps are the purest form of deliciousness I’ve ever tasted.

Last thing you regret eating:

Way too many of my sister’s secret recipe ginger snaps…No, wait. No regrets there. Keep ‘em coming, Sis!

Things you always put in your books:

My pets and my favorite Florida scenery.

Things you never put in your books:

Real people I know or events that are too disturbing.  I’ve seen a lot as an educator that is just too heartbreaking to put into a cozy or traditional mystery. Yes, I write about murder, but I keep the violence mostly off page and try to balance it with kind and quirky people you care about and want to root for.

Things to say to an author:

“You’ve got some writing chops! I’ve read all your books.” 

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book:

“You’ve got some writing cops, babe!” (or darlin’, or sweet cheeks, or a similarly endearing and wholly inappropriate moniker.)

Favorite places you’ve been:

The beach (any beach), my grandparents’ farm, Crystal Springs Preserve.

Places you never want to go to again:

Jammed in the crowd under the stadium at the Strawberry Festival waiting for the gates to open when the crowd behind you thinks they already have. Yeah, no way.

Things that make you happy:

Riding my recumbent tadpole trike on a sunny morning—gardening—quilting—talking with people who loved reading my books and who want to know more about the education world and the Florida setting described in the series.

Things that drive you crazy:

My poor organizational skills and my personal battle against holding onto “stuff” longer than necessary. See #1 above.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

They thought my main character was a hoot and someone they’d want to hang out with.

 The craziest thing a reader said to you:

Since my book is being released on August 30th, it’s too soon to answer this one. I’ll have to get back to you. 😊

About Liz:

Liz Boeger’s stint as a swimsuit model peaked in kindergarten. Her fallback career as a mystery author didn’t surface until she hit the mid-century mark. In between, she wrangled children, adults, and the occasional Florida panther as a teacher and school administrator. And that encounter with the U.S. Secret Service may show up in a plot someday.

Her multi-award nominated mystery series is inspired by her childhood nearby Rattlesnake, Florida. If you love your mysteries with a cozy edge, some Southern snark, and quirky characters you’d love to hang out with, this series is for you. Member of Sisters in Crime, SinC Guppies, and Florida Writers Association.

She’s a graduate of Tampa’s Robinson High School, The University of Tampa, and Saint Leo University. Her hobbies, other than plotting murder, include gardening, quilting, and cheering all things great about her hometown, Tampa!

 Let’s Be Social:

 Moccasin Cove Mysteries blog

 Twitter

 Facebook

 Amazon Buy Link

 Universal Buy Link to other Retailers

#WriterWednesday Interview with Laraine Stephens

I’d like to welcome author Laraine Stephens to the blog for #WriterWedneday.

A few of your favorite things: my granddaughter, Ellie; champagne; chocolate; the Melbourne Football Club (Aussie Rules); my maladjusted red toy poodle who thinks she’s a Rottweiler.

Things you need to throw out: my golf handicap; my maladjusted red toy poodle who thinks she’s a Rottweiler; COVID lockdowns.

Things you love about writing: researching the setting and time period of my historical crime novels.

Things you hate about writing: coming up with a plot line for my next book and how to start it.

Things you never want to run out of: Epicure cheese; champagne; chocolate; re-runs of Frazier and House Hunters International.

Things you wish you’d never bought: that pair of electric blue bell-bottoms that I wore in 1966.

Favorite music or song: The Rolling Stones’ “Start me up”. I want it played at my funeral.

Music that drives you crazy: the Police’s “Canary in a coal mine”. Grrr.

Favorite beverage: champagne and tea, but not mixed together.

Something that gives you a sour face: wasabi and chilli.

Something you’re really good at: putting things in alphabetical order (former teacher-librarian). This is a talent that isn’t called on much.

Something you’re really bad at: being patient; going to the dentist (appalling gag reflex).

Things you always put in your books: authentic settings; fabulous cars.

Things you never put in your books: sex, blood and guts.

Things to say to an author: “I didn’t want it to end.”  

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “Here’s $1000 for me to be fictionally killed off in your next book.” No problem.

Favorite places you’ve been: Egypt; the Galapagos; Iceland; Machu Picchu.

Places you never want to go to again: anywhere with mosquitoes.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Adrian McKinty (author); Mick Jagger (singer) and Jacinda Ardern (New Zealand Prime Minister).

People you’d cancel dinner on: Scott Morrison (Australian Prime Minister); Donald Trump; Prince Harry and Meghan.

Things that make you happy: Melbourne Football Club winning; playing golf; travel; restaurants; writing (of course!).

Things that drive you crazy: dust on the furniture; things not symmetrical.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “I’m buying three copies of your book: one for myself, and two as birthday presents.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Did you base your psychopath on anyone I know?” he said, looking over his shoulder.

 About Laraine:

After nearly forty years of working as a teacher-librarian and Head of Library, Laraine Stephens decided to experience life on the other side of the bookshelves and became a writer of historical crime fiction. Her debut novel, The Death Mask Murders, the first in the Reggie da Costa Mysteries, was published in June 2021. The second in the series, A Dose of Death, is due out in May 2022. When she isn’t writing, travelling or playing golf, Laraine finds inspiration from her work as a volunteer guide at the Old Melbourne Gaol. Laraine lives in Beaumaris, a bayside suburb of Melbourne, Australia, with her husband, Bob, and her maladjusted red toy poodle, Zoe.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: larainestephens.com
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#WriterWednesday Interview with Linda Lovely

I’d like to welcome author Linda Lovely to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things: Sweets, mystery/thriller novels, classic movies.

Things you need to throw out: Worn-out socks and undies. Out-of-date cosmetics and pills.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Quiet and a comfortable chair.

Things that hamper your writing: Noise & @#$#@ software updates.

Things you love about writing: Killing off characters who get away with bullying in real life.

Things you hate about writing: When the right word escapes me. Drives me nuts.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The need to constantly promote your books.
Easiest thing about being a writer: When you’re in your characters’ heads and the scenes practically write themselves.

Things you never want to run out of: Toilet paper! Never would have answered it this way before the pandemic shortages.

Things you wish you’d never bought: A battery-pack edge trimmer. Too heavy!

Words that describe you: Stubborn. Determined. Optimistic.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Overweight. Over the hill—not saying which hill.

Favorite foods: Blueberry pie (my fave at the moment because I’m picking blueberries in our backyard). Wintertime I’d say vegetable soup or chili & any dessert with chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag:  Vegetables cooked into mush with a side of grease. Raw oysters.

The last thing you ordered online: an ebook. Okay, multiple ebooks. (I buy my paperbacks from indie bookstores.)

The last thing you regret buying: Spoiled ground turkey. Thought the smell was off, but invested the time to make meatloaf, then one taste and I threw it all away.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Exercise. My husband and I have a six-mile route we walk together four days a week.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Pontificating, condescending zealots (of any stripe).

Things you always put in your books: sides of humor and romance
Things you never put in your books: gore and torture

Things to say to an author: I couldn’t put your book down. When’s the next one coming out?
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I don’t read women authors. Men write better mysteries, suspense, thrillers.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Married my husband 45 years ago.
Biggest mistake: A business venture that I won’t name. But the experience encouraged me to learn new skills that I use to this day.

About Linda:

A journalism major in college, Linda Lovely has spent most of her career working in PR and advertising—an early introduction to penning fiction. With Neighbors Like These is Lovely’s ninth mystery/suspense novel. Whether she’s writing cozy mysteries, historical suspense or contemporary thrillers, her novels share one common element—smart, independent heroines. Humor and romance also sneak into every manuscript. Her work has earned nominations for a number of prestigious awards, ranging from RWA’s Golden Heart for Romantic Suspense to Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion for Best Cozy Mystery.

Let’s Be Social

Website: https://www.lindalovely.com/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-lovely

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LovelyAuthor

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindalovelyauthor:

#WriterWednesday Interview with the Moonlight and Misadventure Authors

I’d like to welcome Joseph S. Walker, Sharon Hart Addy, M. H. Callway, Tracy Falenwolfe, Kate Fellowes, Jeanne Dubois, Robert Weibezahl, K. L. Abrahamson, and Susan Jane Wright to the blog today to celebrate their latest anthology, Moonlight and Misadventure, edited by Judy Penz Sheluk.

JOSEPH S. WALKER, ‘Crown Jewel’

The most exciting thing about your writing life:  I’d say there are two genuinely exciting things about writing. The first is the feeling of getting into a groove where a story is just clicking along, seemingly without any conscious guidance from me. At least in my experience, starting a story is sheer agony; actually writing, once you’re in that place, is simply fun. The second exciting thing has been the contacts I’ve made because of writing. Because of my writing, I’m now in regular touch with many other writers, including a number I’ve admired for many years. There’s also the pleasure of hearing from people who enjoyed your work, and just being part of the mystery community in general. Especially over the past couple of years, that’s been a godsend. I suppose it’s a paradox that the fundamentally solitary activity of writing has greatly increased my social circle.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life:  Start sooner!  I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but I was paralyzed by self-doubt. I started dozens of stories and never finished them. I was forty before I started submitting fiction, and it’s really only been in the last few years that I’ve really dedicated most of my (non-work) time to it. Maybe I needed those years to fully develop, but my sense is that I just cost myself a lot of productive writing years for no reason.

 SHARON HART ADDY, ‘The Library Clue’

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Your book Lucky Jake is my son’s favorite.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: My son Jake thinks you wrote Lucky Jake for him.

 M.H. CALLWAY, ‘The Moon God of Broadmoor’

Something you wish you could do: I’d love to be a mountain climber. I run, ski and hike, but I’ve never tried rock climbing. Tales of “exposure” or dangling over a fall of thousands of feet are too scary. I’m happy to remain an armchair adventurer and to read about climbing feats.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: To write and read bureaucratese after spending a working career in government. Mind you, it’s given me great comedy material to use in my writing.

JUDY PENZ SHELUK, ‘Strawberry Moon’

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Golf.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Clean the house (especially dusting, I mean, it’s just dusty again the next day, right?)

TRACY FALENWOLFE, ‘Cereus Thinking’

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A panda bear. No kidding. When we were kids, my brother and I rode our bikes around on adventures and called each other Bebs One and Bebs Two. Bebs was a panda bear. I was even making stuff up back then.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: I spend a lot of time yelling at people to take shorter showers, to stop holding the refrigerator door open for so long, and to keep their hands off the thermostat.

 KATE FELLOWES, ‘The Currency of Wishes’

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A child detective, like Trixie Belden.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Punch a clock.

JEANNE DUBOIS, ‘Moonset’

Favorite places you’ve been: St. Augustine Beach in September, northern California in June, anywhere in spring, Ireland anytime.

Places you never want to go again: Boston in winter. Too many layers. For one visit in February of 2013, I purchased a clearance puffer coat online. I soon discovered why it was so cheap. The coat was white. I “disappeared” in the blizzard that weekend.

 ROBERT WEIBEZAHL, ‘Just Like Peg Entwhistle

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Tried out for Jeopardy! It took a few online tests and a couple of auditions but I was finally selected to be on the show … and I won!
Something you chickened out from doing: Going to graduate school. Had even sent in the deposit and was making plans but changed my mind the summer before. 30+ years later I finally went back to school and got that elusive masters.

 K.L. ABRAHAMSON, ‘Chicken Coops and Bread Pudding’

The funniest thing that happened to you on vacation: My 'vacations' may not be like most people's. I like to grab a backpack and go off on my own to strange places in the world. This story happened travelling in Northern India along the Indo-Chinese border. Now you have to understand that I am six feet + tall and I wear my hair short. When I travel in placed like India this can be an advantage because I am rarely harassed by men. I also wear baggy clothing and a photographer's vest so people can't see my shape. Along the border the local bus I was on had to frequently stop for armed security checkpoints. Foreigners had to disembark and present their passports. There were only a few foreigners on this bus so we all lined up with passports at the ready. When my turn came they opened the passport and took down most of my information. Then the guards (who spoke no English) stopped and looked at me, then down at their ledger and back at me. Then they laughed nervously. That was when it hit me. They didn't know whether I was a man or a woman because of my 'disguise'. In response I opened my vest and showed them that I had breasts (through my t-shirt of course). Much laughter ensued, but they gave me back my passport and my travels continued…

The most embarrassing thing that happened to you on a vacation: Picture the ruins of Angkor Wat. Picture monsoon rains and two tourists and their guide huddled in a hut waiting for the rain to lessen. Unfortunately, the Cambodian cooking took a bad turn in my stomach and I urgently needed to relieve myself. Finally, the guide allowed me to go out to find a private place in the brush. I did.

I thought. I pulled down my trousers and squatted among the ferns and vines in the pouring rain just in time for line of villagers peddling bikes through the underbrush. I was three feet from a trail that I hadn't seen through the downpour! Again, much laughter, but I still color-up at that memory.

 SUSAN JANE WRIGHT, ‘Madeleine in the Moonlight’

Something you're really good at: I can count large groups of things very fast. I discovered this as a summer student working for biologist. I could count the number of butterfly eggs on the back of a leaf in a flash. I was accurate too. It's an interesting skill but not highly valued in the real world.

Something you're really bad at: Watching scary movies. My daughters refuse to take me with them to the cinema because I scream at the slightest provocation and scare the audience.

 About the book

Whether it’s vintage Hollywood, the Florida everglades, the Atlantic City boardwalk, or a farmhouse in Western Canada, the twenty authors represented in this collection of mystery and suspense interpret the overarching theme of “moonlight and misadventure” in their own inimitable style where only one thing is assured: Waxing, waning, gibbous, or full, the moon is always there, illuminating things better left in the dark.

Featuring stories by K.L. Abrahamson, Sharon Hart Addy, C.W. Blackwell, Clark Boyd, M.H. Callway, Michael A. Clark, Susan Daly, Buzz Dixon, Jeanne DuBois, Elizabeth Elwood, Tracy Falenwolfe, Kate Fellowes, John M. Floyd, Billy Houston, Bethany Maines, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Joseph S. Walker, Robert Weibezahl, and Susan Jane Wright.

About our Editor, Judy Penz Sheluk

A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including The Best Laid Plans, Heartbreaks & Half-truths, and Moonlight & Misadventure, which she also edited.

Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime National, Toronto, and Guppy Chapters, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she serves as Chair on the Board of Directors.

 Find the Book:

Moonlight and Misadventure

#WriterWednesday Interview with Mally Becker

I’d like to welcome author, Mally Becker, to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things that hamper your writing:

Aiming for perfection. Nothing shuts down my creativity more quickly.

Things you love about writing:

When one of my characters comes to life and says or does something that I didn’t see coming. That’s magic.

Things you hate about writing:

Proofreading, but only because I’m bad at it. By the ump-teenth draft, I don’t even catch spelling errors in my own name.

Favorite foods:

I have the palate of a fifth grader. My favorite foods are still pizza, pigs-in-a-blanket, and Nutella. But never together. I do have standards.

Things that make you want to gag:

Calamari. People love it, but, oh my goodness, I just can’t.

The last thing you ordered online:

An expensive notebook. I can’t resist beautiful paper goods.

The last thing you regret buying:

Umm. The expensive notebook.

Things you always put in your books:

I always include family names in my stories. My nephew’s and brother-in-law’s names are featured in The Turncoat’s Widow. My niece and son’s girlfriend have roles in the next installment in this mystery series.

Things you never put in your books:

You’ll never see cruelty to children or animals in my stories.

Favorite places you’ve been:

The third book in my series will take Becca Parcell and Daniel Alloway to Paris in the years just before the French Revolution. Paris is one of my favorite places, and I’m looking forward to digging into its history. Lake Placid, New York, is my other favorite place in the world. I keep a photo of the view from the top of nearby Mt. Marcy on my dresser.

Favorite books (or genre):

I love reading historical mysteries, especially those by C.J. Sansom, Laurie King, Lyndsay Faye, and Susanna Calkins.

Things that make you happy:

If 2020 taught me anything, it’s to appreciate time with people I love. Hanging out with family and friends makes me happy!

About Mally:

MALLY BECKER became fascinated with the American Revolution when she peeked into the past as a volunteer at the Morristown National Historical Park, where George Washington and the Continental army spent two winters. A former attorney, advocate for foster children, and freelance writer, Mally and her husband raised their son in a town near Morristown, where they still live. The Turncoat’s Widow, featuring Becca Parcell, is her first novel.

 Let’s Be Social:

Click here to check out my book on Amazon

www.mallybecker.com

Facebook: Mally Becker

Instagram:mallybeckerwrites

#WriterWednesday Interview with Liz Milliron

I’d like to welcome author, Liz Milliron, to the blog for #WriterWedneday.

Things you need to throw out: The pile of old cell phones on my dresser that have a quarter-inch of dust on them (no joke).

Things you need for your writing sessions: a snack and a cup of tea

Things you love about writing: Creating a new world out of almost nothing

Hardest thing about being a writer: Marketing and promotion (oh, if only readers came flocking the minute you said, “I have a book!”)

Things you wish you’d never bought: A car for my son (more stress than it’s worth)

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: stubborn and perfectionist

Things that make you want to gag: sashimi (raw fish--no, just…no)

Music that drives you crazy: rap music (isn’t that an oxymoron?)

Something that gives you a sour face: coffee (I know, I know)

Favorite smell: vanilla and cinnamon

The last thing you ordered online: Slippers for my son

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Mary Higgins Clark

About Liz:

Liz Milliron is the author of The Laurel Highlands Mysteries series, set in the scenic Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and The Homefront Mysteries, set in Buffalo, NY during the early years of World War II. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Pennwriters, and International Thriller Writers. A recent empty-nester, Liz lives outside Pittsburgh with her husband and a retired-racer greyhound.

http://lizmilliron.com

Coming February 2021

The Stories We Tell (Home Front Mysteries #2) - "The Stories We Tell has its dark side, but Buffalo's First Ward in 1942 is still a world of warmth and charm, where Betty's honour, loyalty, and sheer moxie are guaranteed to win the day." Catriona McPherson, multi-award-winning author of the Dandy Gilver Mysteries

 Now Available

Broken Trust (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #3) - “Highly recommended.” - R.G. Belsky, author of the Clare Carlson mysteries

 The Enemy We Don’t Know (Home Front Mysteries #1) - “…an exciting crackerjack of a novel.” - James W. Ziskin, author of the Ellie Stone mysteries

#WriterWednesday Interview with Judy Penz Sheluk

I’m so excited to welcome my friend and author, Judy Penz Sheluk, to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Read.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Clean the house.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Talk radio or silence.

Things that distract you from writing: Music.

Favorite snacks: Cherry or grape tomatoes.

Things that make you want to gag:  Olives.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Become an author.

Something you do/did that you never dreamed you’d do: Run a marathon.

Last best thing you ate: Double cheese and mushroom pizza slice.

Last thing you regret eating: Chicken salad sandwich loaded with garlic (who puts garlic in a chicken salad sandwich?)

Things to say to an author: I love your books. They make me feel as if I’m there.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: How much do you make?

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul)

People you’d cancel dinner on: I prefer not to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me.

Favorite things to do: Golf, walk my dog, read.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Go to a surprise birthday party for me.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I love your books.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: At a book launch at Chapters Bookstore, while pointing to a photo of a Mandarin Chinese to English Dictionary: “Where find?”

Where There’s A Will: A Glass Dolphin Mystery #3: Emily Garland is getting married and looking for the perfect forever home. When the old, and some say haunted, Hadley house comes up for sale, she’s convinced it’s “the one.” The house is also perfect for reality TV star Miles Pemberton and his new series, House Haunters. Emily will fight for her dream home, but Pemberton’s pockets are deeper than Emily’s, and he’ll stretch the rules to get what he wants.

While Pemberton racks up enemies all around Lount’s Landing, Arabella Carpenter, Emily’s partner at the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, has been hired to appraise the contents of the estate, along with her ex-husband, Levon. Could the feuding beneficiaries decide there’s a conflict of interest? Could Pemberton?

Things get even more complicated when Arabella and Levon discover another will hidden inside the house, and with it, a decades-old secret. Can the property stay on the market? And if so, who will make the winning offer: Emily or Miles Pemberton?

Book Link: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KFLQ6KH

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 Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/where-theres-a-will/id1533844283?ls=1

About Judy:

A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including The Best Laid Plans and Heartbreaks & Half-truths, which she also edited.

Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she serves as Chair on the Board of Directors. She splits her time between Alliston and Goulais River, Ontario, with her husband, Mike, and their Golden Retriever, Gibbs.

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