What Are You Reading This Summer?

What are you reading this summer? Here are some of the books I’ve read recently.

You can’t go wrong with anything by Diane Kelly, Maria DiRico (Ellen Byron), and Tara Lush. Read all their series. They are fabulous, and I always read their latest.

Korina Moss and Linda Reilly are my favorite cheese-themed cozy writers. What is not to love? You can never have enough cheese, and when it’s mixed with a mystery, it’s perfect. You need to check out all the books in both of their series.

Daphne Silver, Annie McEwen, T.C. Herren, and Jennie Marts were all new-to-me cozy authors. Their books are terrific, and you need to check them out.

Paula Charles’s Hammers and Homicide is a fun cozy and a great start to a new series. I also had the pleasure of reading an early version of her second in her goat yoga series as Janna Rollins. It’s a hoot.

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC for Janna Rollins for the second in her Zen Goat Mysteries. It’s a hoot. This is a must-read series.

Annie McEwen’s Resort to Murder is another great start to a new series. What a sweet, fun mystery. She has a new one out in this series, too.

I read the first two of The Turner and Mosely Files by LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin. What a fun series of mysteries full of adventure, missing treasures, and all kinds of cool technology. Escape on a book vacation with this series!

What books or authors should I add to my summer reading list?

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Kristin Kisska

I’d like to welcome my friend, the fabulous Kristin Kisska, to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: I can’t work without coffee and absolute silence.

Things that distract you from writing: Pretty much all things on the internet. I need to put parental controls on my office computer.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: A 9-volt battery to replace the dying one in my chirping smoke alarm. That’s usually the time it goes off as well.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Lumber. I’m not handy, so I have no business working with a hammer, nails, or wood.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: This is tough, because I buy just about everything online these days. But, one of my very first online purchases ever was my wedding dress back in 1999!

The thing you wished you’d never bought: I bought a monthly subscription plan for a streaming “commercial free” radio service for my car, that took months to finally terminate our subscription, and now I’m on their marketing mailing list.

Favorite snacks: Ice cream, especially Gelato. I just returned from visiting my daughter in Rome, so I’m trying to break my daily afternoon Gelato habit.

Things that make you want to gag: Olives. I can’t even pick them off a Greek salad, because they make all the rest of the ingredients taste like olives.

Something you’re really good at: Making lists and spreadsheets.

Something you’re really bad at: Remembering to bring along my shopping list with me to the grocery store.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: I never in a million years predicted I’d be a novelist, let alone publish one!

Things to say to an author: I couldn’t stop thinking about your book after it

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I have a great idea for a book. If you write it, we can split the profits.

Favorite places you’ve been: I adore Prague, Czech Republic where I lived for three years, the Amalfi Coast, Italy, and the Exuma, Bahamas. In the USA, I love visiting Destin, Florida, Savannah, and Charleston.

Places you never want to go to again: Ohhhhh, that’s tough, because I think most places have something charming to them. But if pressed, it would be tough to convince me to visit Las Vegas.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: In my twenties, I bought a one-way ticket to Prague and lived there for three years. My parents thought I was nuts, but it was the adventure of a lifetime.

Something you chickened out from doing: Skydiving. I don’t do heights. Ever.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: I love going to in person book events like festivals, conferences, and book clubs. While most writers are introverts—myself included—I get a rush chatting with book people.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I wish I could learn how to write in quick bursts. I started out writing when my kiddos were napping or in preschool, and now I need a stretch of absolute quiet time or I can’t write.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “If I could, I would give your novel [The Hint of Light] six stars!”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Did you hire a ghost writer?”

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: My go-to writer’s block cure is going for a walk. If that doesn’t work, I ask myself, “How can I make the situation worse for my main character?” And if all else fails, I enjoy an adult beverage. That usually helps ease through the pain.

Things you do to avoid writing: I can tell if I’m procrastinating if I start cleaning my home. That is my S.O.S. call!

About Kristin:

KRISTIN KISSKA used to be a finance geek, complete with MBA and Wall Street pedigree, but now she is a self-proclaimed #SuspenseGirl. Kristin has contributed short suspense stories to a dozen anthologies, including her first locked room mystery, “Cruise to Nowhere” in the revenge fiction anthology, First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder.  Her debut novel, The Hint of Light, was an Agatha Award finalist for Best First Mystery Novel. Kristin is a member of International Thriller Writers, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and Sisters in Crime. Kristin lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family and their moody tabby cat, Boom. She loves hearing from friends, readers, and book clubs at www.KristinKisska.com

Let’s Be Social:

Instagram - @kristinkisskaauthor 

Twitter/X - @KKMHOO

Facebook - @KristinKisskaAuthor 

YouTube -  @KristinKisskaAuthor

Website - www.KristinKisska.com

Kristin’s short story, “Cruise to Nowhere” appears in the anthology, First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder.

#WriterWednesday with Jackie Layton

I’d like to welcome my friend, the fabulous Jackie Layton, to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

Things you never want to run out of: I never want to run out of story ideas and time to write.

Things you wish you’d never bought: Years ago, before the birth of my second son, we traded in our sports car for a bigger car. It was a true lemon. It broke down before my son was born, and we weren’t even able to drive home with him in the new-to-us vehicle. We ended up trading it. Then another time we bought a used car. We were told it’d never been smoked in. I have allergies and that’s one of the many things I’m allergic to. We took it home, and the smoky smell soon broke through. That was our last time to buy a used car, because it just doesn’t seem to work for us. But, I’m still driving my 2007 Highlander, and I love it.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Distractions. Instead of just yearly goals, I have quarterly and weekly goals. Also, at night before I go to bed, I make a list of writing goals for the next day. If I’m scheduled to work my other job, I’ll make a simple list like check social media. But I try to always have a list.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Watching people and coming up with ideas. I may not use all the ideas, but it’s fun to consider.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Laptop, pens, notecards, Scrivener, and coffee.

Things that hamper your writing: If I’m writing in my home office, I like it to be quiet except for soft music playing in the background. When neighbors start mowing their yards, it really distracts me. I’m not sure why.

A few of your favorite things: I have two of my Grandmother Lutz’s small looms. She had some so big that they were taller than some people. She wove many things, and I learned to weave little things like placemats and scarves.

I have a pie safe that belonged to my parents. It was in the kitchen where we grew up, and instead of pies, she kept dishes in it.

Things you need to throw out: I’ve just gone through old magazines and put most of them into the recycling box. Some magazines are for research, and others are for fun, but it was time to get rid of a lot of them.

Words that describe you: A lot of people refer to me as being tall. I’m 5’10”, so they’re right, but the people in my family are tall and I tend to forget about it.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Shy. I really have to push myself to be outgoing.

Something you’re really good at: I’m good at listening. If people want to confide in me, I will listen. I can be trusted with secrets both good and bad.

Something you’re really bad at: I’m not very coordinated, so I’m not very good at sports. Luckily, my sons didn’t inherit that from me, and I got to watch and cheer for them when they played sports.

Favorite music or song: I enjoy all kinds of music, but country music is my favorite.

Music that drives you crazy: I don’t like music with negative messages.

Favorite smell: The smell of the beach and sunscreen makes me happy.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Skunks.

Last best thing you ate: Key lime pie.

Last thing you regret eating: Fried food makes me feel sluggish, and I usually regret eating fried fish or chicken.

The last thing you ordered online: A skinny black shelf for my husband’s office.

The last thing you regret buying: A book about the psychology of murder. It may be great, but the print is so tiny. I can’t read it.

Things you’d walk a mile for: I’d walk a mile for a good cup of coffee. If my family needs something, I’d even run a mile.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: If I am about to walk into a room and people are already arguing, I try to wait before entering. If I’m in a meeting and a fight breaks out, that will make me run screaming from the room.

Things you always put in your books: Dogs. I also like to add a romantic thread. At a recent conference they referred to this as Rom-cozy.

Things you never put in your books: Suicide or death of a pet.

Favorite places you’ve been: Some of my favorite vacation spots are Paris, Maine, and Rhode Island. I also love Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas.

Places you never want to go to again: I’d be happy never to drive on The Capital Beltway or drive in Boston. I’d like to visit both places again, but I don’t want to drive.

Favorite books (or genre): Cozy mysteries and romances.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Horror.

People you’d like to invite to dinner: I would love to invite my author friends to dinner. It would be fun to laugh and share stories.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Without being specific, we all have people in our lives who say things to make us feel bad. I try to avoid those people.

Favorite things to do: Spend time with family and friends, especially if we can be outside at a park or beach.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Sing in front of people. I can’t carry a tune.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marrying my husband.

Biggest mistake: Trusting a man to build a house for us, then he disappeared with a large chunk of our money.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Vince Gill. He was so nice.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Paula Deen. She was so tiny, but her smile and voice were just like on TV. She was also very nice.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Your characters feel like my friends.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: People in South Carolina only drink Pepsi.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Photography. Other people are better, but I still enjoy taking pictures.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Creating a book of photos. Each time I try, something goes wrong.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: My husband teases me that many of my stories have an element related to things that happened to us. Kate Sloan, the amateur in Clutter Free, has lost hearing in one ear because of an acoustic neuroma. My husband also had an acoustic neuroma. After the tumor was removed, he lost hearing in his right ear.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Some people think I’m organized, but it’s not a strength of mine. I work very hard to be organized.

About Jackie:

Jackie Layton is the author of cozy mysteries with Spunky Southern Sleuths. Her stories are set in Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina. She lives on the coast of South Carolina where she enjoys walks on the beach and golf cart rides around the marsh. Reading, gardening, and traveling are some of her favorite hobbies. She always keeps a notebook handy to write down ideas for future stories.

Let’s Be Social:

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jackielaytonauthor/ 

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/joyfuljel

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/37slujv

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/37RqGQ8

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jackielaytoncozyauthor.com

Newsletter https://bit.ly/2WOPe42

Website: https://jackielaytoncozyauthor.com/

Back cover blurb: Emma Justice never imagines working at the farmers market on a normal Saturday morning will lead to her second murder investigation. When two friends become suspects in the latest small-town murder, she’ll help prove they are innocent by tracking down the real killer.

Houston Turner, the successful owner of Texas BBQ Hut, is a hard man and has made many enemies in his life. Revenge, greed, and hatred are some of the motives Emma must sift through to catch the killer. Seeds of suspicion from family, friends, and employees leaves Emma digging for real clues instead of stumbling through the rocky soil of deceit and lies.

I'm a New Author - What Should I Work on First?

New authors often ask what part of their platform they should work on and when? Here’s what has worked for me.

Website: Purchase your domain name for your site and start creating the pages. This is the hub of all of your marketing efforts. I would create it first. If you don’t have a book to highlight yet, start with a blog and build a following. Blog about things in your book, your research, your hobbies, what you read/watch, or anything that catches your fancy. Try to have a regular schedule if possible.

Link to your social media accounts to your webpage and have a place where visitors can sign up for your newsletter. You can add pages and update the look as you add new books.

Email/Newsletter List: Start collecting names as soon as you start doing events or appearances. Have a sign-up sheet where people can register. Decide how often you want your newsletter to go out and what kind of content you want to include. I do mine quarterly with some kind of contest. I include announcements, events, photos, and interviews of other authors.

There are all kinds of free and paid email services that you can use to build your newsletter from templates and to house/maintain your list of followers. Remember, you can be banned from social media platforms, or the site can shut down. When this happens, you have no way of contacting those followers. You own your email list, and that’s why it’s important to have and cultivate.

Social Media Sites: I would also start to build a following on these as soon as you can. Agents, editors, and publishers often look at your website and social media sites to see your content and what kind of following you have. I started out years ago with three Twitter followers. It takes time to build an audience. Choose the one or two sites that you want to focus on and follow at least 10 people a day.

I write cozy mysteries. Most of my readers are on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, so that’s where I focus most of my time, but I do have a presence on a variety of other sites. Make sure your readers can easily find you. Make the look and feel of each site (photograph and banners) similar. To build (and keep) an audience, you need to be social. You need to interact with those who comment, post interesting content (that’s not all “buy my book”), and share other’s celebrations.

A business page on Facebook and Instagram gives you access to metrics and insights about your page and activity and access to the business tools. I can see when my followers are most active, and I can schedule posts during those times. Some authors use their personal Facebook accounts. There is a limit to the number of friends you can have on a personal account, and once you hit that number, you can’t expand your reach. The business page isn’t limited.

I would focus on these three key parts of your author platform as soon as you decide to start your writing journey. There is a lot of waiting when you query agents or publishers or while you wait for publication. I would use this time to work on your website, newsletter, and social media sites.

What else would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Molly MacRae

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Molly MacRae to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: My laptop or a writing implement (pen, pencil, crayon, paintbrush, stick, gouging tool, pudding, spaghetti sauce, melted chocolate, etc., though preferably not blood) and one of my notebooks or any scrap of paper or surface.

Things that hamper your writing: Life – it’s a constant tussle between the two, but the tussle will continue because I don’t plan to give up on either one anytime soon.

A few of your favorite things: Books, my husband’s paintings, pictures of my family, office supplies, craft and art supplies, Ghirardelli’s dark chocolate chips,

Things you need to throw out: Old shoes at the bottom of the closet, cardboard boxes stacked in the basement (some of them for years) because they look so useful, some junk in the basement and the garage (and I’ve found a junk hauler – hooray!)

Favorite foods: Dishes with basil (including basil ice cream), ginger, chickpeas, cilantro, cheese, mango, avocado, and chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Rice Krispies treats, oatmeal raisin cookies, any kind of drink like Kool Aid, Hawaiian Punch, of Gatorade.

Something you’re really good at: Cat whispering

Something you’re really bad at: Dusting and weeding

Things you always put in your books: Places I’ve lived and don’t get to visit as often as I’d like.

Things you never put in your books: Characters I wouldn’t want to know (although I’m suspicious of the villains).

Things you’d walk a mile for: Almost anything (we live within a mile of the library, grocery stores, drugstore, ice cream shop, hair cutter, park, hardware store, bakery)

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: fun house mirrors (they give me vertigo)

Favorite places you’ve been: Ocracoke Island, Washington Island, Iona (another island), Scotland, upper east Tennessee.

Places you never want to go to again: That one lane track that petered out on the edge of Buffalo Mountain in Tennessee, with the sheer drop on the driver’s side and the solid rock of the mountain on the passenger side, in the stick shift with 4 kids in the back and no place – no place – to turn around. I’ll be happy to walk up the mountain, though. Nice place.

Favorite things to do: Read, read to the grandchildren, write, cook, work crossword puzzles, walk, relax in the screen tent in the backyard.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Dusting or weeding regularly.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Thank you for the honor of being part of your writing world. You are amazing!”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Do you mention any antique dental equipment in your books?”

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: When I managed a small independent bookstore an extremely frustrated parent came in looking for a book on their high school student’s summer reading list. They’d tried the library and the other bookstore and no one, NO ONE, had even heard of the author Evan Fromen. I went to a shelf and brought back a copy of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton and they went away happy. That made it into Lawn Order, a mystery with Margaret Welch, who’s a bookseller, and her sister Bitsy, who’s annoying.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Knitting skill. My skill lies only in knitting flat rectangular things.

About Molly:

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” In addition to the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, Molly writes the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch she writes books for Annie’s Fiction and Guideposts. Molly’s short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction.

Let’s Be Social: 

Website http://www.mollymacrae.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/molly.macrae.9/

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

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/MollyMacRae/

X https://x.com/MysteryMacRae

Where Do Your Sleuths Live?

I write where I know. I’m a Virginia girl, and all of my stories and books are set in the Commonwealth. We have mountains, beaches, lakes, and urban and rural areas.

My sassy private eye, Delanie Fitzgerald, lives in a Yates Model of a Sears Catalog House. Back in the day, folks would order the home from the catalog, and it would arrive by rail to be assembled on your lot. Many of the boards and parts had the model numbers stamped on it. There are quite a few that have been restored across the country. The Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries are set in Chesterfield and Richmond, Virgina, and she sleuths in the nearby towns and counties.

In the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, I made up the small town of Fern Valley which is located near Charlottesville, Virginia. Jules restores vintage trailers to create glamping (glamorous camping) experiences for her guests. She owns a campground full of vintage trailers and tiny houses. Jules lives in one of the restored cabins on the back of the property.

In the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries, Jade Hicks lives in a small beach cottage that she inherited from her grandmother. Her shop and house are in the fictional town of Mermaid Bay. It’s located near the Historical Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. ‘Tis the Season, her shop, is in a converted beach cottage with a large front porch. The town prides itself on preserving the traditions of the quaint beach towns of the past without McMansions and big box stores.

In the Pearly Girls Mysteries (March 2025), Cassidy Jamison is an event planner who lives on her property. Her apartment is the top floor of the converted farmhouse which is also her office. The event site boasts a refurbished barn, a serenity garden, an amphitheater, and a cave. Cassidy lives in Ivy Springs, Virginia, which is in the Blue Ridge Mountains along the I-81 corridor.

In my cozy mysteries, I created fictional towns near real places in Virginia. Each amateur sleuth has the type of job that brings her into contact with a lot of people (many of whom turn out to be suspects).

It’s fun to create worlds for the characters and places for them to live and work and solve crimes.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Sandra Murphy

I’d like to welcome Sandra Murphy to the blot for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Getting started. I’m easily distracted by memes and odd facts when researching.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas. See the comment about being easily distracted and odd facts—ideas come fast but the next one is apt to bump the current one and then…

Things you need for your writing sessions: My dog next to my desk. He’s my editor.

Things that hamper your writing: My dog. He’s a very particular editor and rewrites are his favorite edits. He also likes frequent breaks.  

A few of your favorite things: Being surrounded by bright colors, chocolate milk always available, a nice breeze, late night hours when it’s quiet.

Things you need to throw out: During Covid’s worst, cardboard boxes amassed. They need to move to another location. Recycled.

Favorite foods: Chocolate milk is an essential component of life, sweets of all kinds, blackberries, black cherries, chocolate anything.

Things that make you want to gag: oysters, escargot, peppers of all kinds, and anything that cooked, resembles how it looked in life.

Something you’re really good at: Staying up all night, starting to write at about midnight.
Something you’re really bad at: Going anywhere before one p.m. and that’s pushing it.

Things you always put in your books: Dogs, cats, strong women, clues and red herrings that start on page one and are explained in the twist at the end.
Things you never put in your books: Dogs and cats can be in jeopardy but are never killed or tortured.

Things to say to an author: That line you wrote? It’s going to be in my mind forever, such beautiful language.
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: That’s a nice hobby. What do you do for a real job?

Favorite places you’ve been: Greece and Crete, I felt at home the instant I was on Crete. Greece has the friendliest people.
Places you never want to go to again: Through four airports to get there.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Get out of my ‘real’ job but still receive all the benefits that were promised and start writing instead.
Biggest mistake: Trusting a friend who betrayed me.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Traveled to Italy and Greece, alone, no itinerary.
Something you chickened out from doing: At a stage play, the actors came into the audience and wanted to dance with people in the audience at the end of the show. I didn’t dance. I wish I did.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: What happens next?

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Write more. How hard can it be?

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Make jewelry for drag queens.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: A pair of pillowcases. No one told me not to use the full width of the fabric folded over. I had about 18” of more fabric than pillow.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: A pet sitter finds the homeowner hasn’t left for her trip yet. In the story, the owner was dead. In real life, she was running late.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: My character went to a coffee shop with a cool theme. Someone asked where it was, they wanted to go too. Sorry, it’s only in my imagination.

About Sandra:

Sandra Murphy lives in St. Louis, Missouri, south of the Gateway Arch and Anheuser-Busch, near the mighty Mississippi River. On a hot summer day, the smell of hops awakens her imaginary friends. They spin tall tales and she submits them as her own. Her short story, ‘Lucy’s Tree’, won a Derringer award in 2020.  Her latest efforts include ‘Room Service’ for Monkey Business: Crime Stories Inspired by the Films of the Marx Brothers, and editing Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the 60s and Happiness Is Listening to Your Dog Snore, a collection of quotes about dogs.

#WriterWednesday Interview with Ellen Butler

I’d like to welcome Ellen Butler to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you never want to run out of: Toilet Paper. Remember 2020? ‘nough said.

Things you wish you’d never bought: A rather expensive pair of shoes that were tight. I thought they’d stretch–even used a stretcher. Nope. Can’t wear them. Gave them to a friend.

The last thing you ordered online: A belt and socks.

The last thing you regret buying online: Shoes, see above question.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Marketing! It never ends.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Meeting and chatting with readers. I’ve met some great people.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Computer. Glass of sweet tea.

Things that hamper your writing: Chores around the house. Sometimes I work at the library or Panera, so I’m not distracted.

Favorite foods: Pizza, wine, tacos, and steak.

Things that make you want to gag: Tofu.

Favorite music or song: Mysterious Ways by U2

Music that drives you crazy: Not a fan of bass pounding, hardcore rap filled with foul language.

Favorite smell: Lilacs. I had 3 lilac trees at my old house. I miss them and need to find a place to plant one at my new place.

Something that makes you hold your nose: The smell of broccoli cooking.

Last best thing you ate: Baby Back Ribs & Cornbread—hubby cooked them for Mother’s Day.

Last thing you regret eating: Hamburger from a food truck in NYC. I acquainted myself with too many bathrooms after that adventure.

Things to say to an author: I loved your last book!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Books, who has time to read books? Does anyone read books these days?

Favorite places you’ve been: We went to Ireland last year. It was beautiful!

Places you never want to go to again: Wapakoneta, Ohio–I’m sure it’s a fine town. I don’t have good memories of an event I went to there.

Favorite books (or genre): Mysteries, Women’s fiction

Books you wouldn’t buy: Horror—just not a fan of the genre. Also don’t watch horror films.

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Living—Hugh Jackman, Dead—Robin Williams

People you’d cancel dinner on: Circus clowns. Clowns freak me out.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Your book kept me up until 3:00 a.m.

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

Reader: So, you wrote these books.

Me: Yup.

Reader: All of them?

Me: Yes all of them.

Reader: How do I know you wrote them?

Me: Um … my name’s on them.

Reader: And you didn’t copy them from somewhere else. Because I’ve heard of authors doing that.

Me: Uh … that’s infringing on copyrights. The work is mine.

Reader: *puts book down and walks away*

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: I’ve been to all the locations in Washington, DC where I send my heroine Karina (from the Karina Cardinal mystery series)—and anything related to the DC traffic is TRUE!

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: A lot of my readers ask if I’m Karina Cardinal. I am not. She’s much bolder than I am, and her life is much more exciting than mine.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Home design work and home staging.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Every book I write turns out different from the initial outline!

About Ellen:

Ellen Butler is the international bestselling author of the Karina Cardinal mystery series. Her experiences working on Capitol Hill and at a medical association in Washington, D.C. inspired the mystery-action series. Book critics call the Karina Cardinal mysteries, “intelligent escapism” and “unputdownable adventures that will take readers on an electrifying yet light-hearted and humorous journey.” Butler is also the author of the award-winning historical suspense novel, The Brass Compass. The Brass Compass has won multiple awards for historical fiction including: a Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award, Indie Reader Discovery Award, Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal. The second book in the duology, Operation Blackbird: A Cold War Spy Novel, is inspired by true events, and won a Next Generation Indie Book Award gold medal for historical fiction. Reviewers are calling it “riveting,” and, “a thrilling adventure.”

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 Karina Cardinal Mysteries

 When you walk the halls of power, make sure your wits—and stilettos—are razor sharp.

 An art heist, cybercrime, diamond theft, and artifact forgery. What do they all have in common? Karina Cardinal and her unchecked inquisitiveness.

 As a Capitol Hill lobbyist, Karina Cardinal’s quick wit and powers of persuasion are her stock in trade. Unfortunately, her skill set includes a heaping helping of curiosity—and a talent for landing in trouble, where the crooks, conmen, and outright murderers lurk. Lucky for her, when she finds her stilettos caught in a jam, she’s got lots of friends in the right places on speed dial. Like her intrepid colleague Rodrigo, her on-again-off-again FBI boyfriend Mike, and shadowy Silverthorne Security. Without them, Karina’s next political power suit could be a body bag. And without Karina, who’d keep her building full of nosy, quirky neighbors entertained?