An Interview with Bernadine Fagan

 I happened upon Bernadine Fagan’s books while perusing Amazon Kindle titles. Her first book, Murder by the Old Maine Stream, hooked me. Her second-in-series, Murder in the Maine Woods, kept me laughing. In short, her series is a hoot and a comic relief to readers. Bernadine is a SinC member and the Vice President of her local Long Island SinC Chapter. Please welcome Bernadine to WWK. E. B. Davis

 

1. What’s Nora Lassiter, a nice uptown girl, doing in the backwoods of Maine?

 After losing her job and her fiancé in a single day Nora decided to accept an invitation to attend the reading of her great- grandmother’s will, and reconnect with Maine relatives she hadn’t seen since she was a child.

2.  Why do the townspeople think Nora is a NYC detective?

Great-aunt Ida, a mystery buff, believes she overheard two people plotting a murder, but when she informs the sheriff he believes she is an alarmist (based on a prior incident) and does not investigate. Miffed, she announces that her niece, a hotshot NYC detective, is coming to investigate. Later, she regrets the fib and apologizes to Nora. But word has spread and a few investigative jobs come Nora’s way.

3. Nora’s finding her roots, but unfortunately she keeps tripping on them. How many designer outfits can she destroy?

It’s painful to mention a number. Fashion-conscious Nora loves clothes.

4. How did Nora end up with moose paranoia, and why does she attract them?

 Nora is afraid of large animals. Okay, many small ones too. As a child her brother teased her about the possibility of a moose eating her. She knows this is not true, but the fear lingers.

5. Your female main character’s name is Nora. Her romantic lead’s name is Nick. Is this your tribute to Dashiell Hammett?  

That Nick and Nora Charles reference? Oh, yes. Corny, I know, but I couldn’t resist.

6. Will she ever go back to NYC to tell off her ex fiancé?

Maybe.

7. Nora has a few ironic moments, but none more so than having her childhood nemesis and nightmare, Mary Fran Kendall, who now owns a hair salon, become her sidekick. Nora doesn’t want a sidekick, but will she let Mary Fran style her hair?

I can not picture such a thing, but stranger things had happened.

8. Nora’s relationship to her mother is complicated, but she seems to have no problem using her moxy with Nick’s mom. Why?

Nick’s mom is not HER mother. Like most children, Nora always wanted to be close to her mother. That never happened. But a part of the child remains in the woman and she doesn’t want to sever all ties.

9. Even though Nora’s field and stream challenged, how does she demonstrate her technical acumen?

Nora is an ace on the computer. She could be a major hacker if she wanted to be. She is THAT good. She is also willing to learn new things. Her driving has improved (marginally) since going to Maine. However, she’ll never be an ace in that department.

10. Will Nora ever get a hot shower?

That is uncertain. Perhaps she will try to fix it herself???

11. What merchants carry your books, Bernadine?

My books are available on Amazon.com as e-readers for Kindle or as paperbacks. 

 

Bonus: How did you ever get a good picture of yourself using iMac Facetime? Do you wear makeup when you write?

Who said that was a good picture that I spent hours posing for? WHO? And makeup? What makeup?

Bonus: You live on Long Island, but you set the series in Maine. So which do you prefer, beach or mountains?

 I spent a lot of time in the mountains and in rural areas when I was growing up and also when I was in my twenties. Hard to say which I prefer…..there were those wonderful summers at the beach.