Grace Topping is a recovering technical writer and IT project manager, accustomed to writing lean, boring documents. Let loose to write fiction, she is now creating murder mysteries and killing off characters who remind her of some of the people she dealt with during her career. Fictional revenge is sweet. She’s using her experience helping friends stage their homes as inspiration for her Laura Bishop mystery series. The first book in the series, Staging is Murder, is about a woman starting a new career midlife as a home stager. Grace is the former vice president of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, a board member of the SINC Guppies, and a member of Mystery Writers of America. She lives with her husband in Virginia.
STAGING IS MURDER - Book 1
When a body falls from a laundry chute and lands at her feet, flowered wallpaper becomes the least of Laura Bishop’s home staging duties.
Laura Bishop just nabbed her first decorating commission—staging for sale a 19th-century mansion that hasn’t been updated for decades. But when a body falls from a laundry chute and lands at Laura’s feet, removing flowered wallpaper becomes the least of her duties.
To clear her young assistant of the murder and save her fledgling business, Laura’s determined to find the killer. Turns out it’s not as easy as renovating a manor home, especially with two handsome men complicating her mission: the police detective assigned to the case and the real estate agent trying to save the manse from foreclosure.
Worse still, the meddling of a horoscope-guided friend, a determined grandmother, and the local funeral director could get them all killed before Laura props the first pillow.
STAGING WARS - Book 2
Laura Bishop's new home staging business is growing in popularity, though not with her nemesis. Laura has long suspected established interior designer Monica Hwller of sabotaging her fledgling company--and having an affair with her late husband.
When the ultra-chic Monica is caught at the scene of a murder, Laura is plenty happy to imagine her languishing in a prison cell with bedsheets far from her normal 600-thread Egyptian cotton. But her delight is short-lived.
When Laura's friends land on the police's radar, Laura must overcome her dislike of Monica to help solve the crime. Not an easy task since Laura and Monica have been at war since the second grade.
UPSTAGED BY MURDER - Book 3
When professional home sager Laura Bishop enters a competition to become the next TV home staging star, she figures it will be murder--bu she doesn't expect it to include a body. As tension rise and rivalries rage, a coded notebook flips the script and Laura's on the case.
But she's not alone. Her closest confidantes pitch in by sleuthing, eavesdropping, and even staging a sting to protect those near and dear. Yet she's still corralling a runaway teen, sparring with a handsome detective, and handling the shock of her life with a blast from her past. All while creating a cozy cabin retreat fit for first place.
Amidst glaring lights and constant camera coverage, Laura tries to style the stage and pull back the curtain on a killer before her career--and her life--get cut.
www.gracetopping.com
Grace - I had to smile when I read your bio. I loved your use of the descriptor "recovering" technical writer and IT project manager "accustomed to writing lean, boring documents." That's me too! And now you are happily "killing off characters who remind her of some of the people she dealt with during her career." That sounds delightful!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your first published novel, Staging is Murder. You've discovered the secret to spicing up your writing. Well-done! I'm looking forward to a fun read.
You have given me hope that as a former technical editor, IT Assembler programmer, and IT Project Manager, I can overcome those liabilities to transform my in-progress, still-pretty-dull, first novel into a biting story that someone will want to publish someday.
Now on to figuring out who I need to kill first.......
I recently attended Malice Domestic, a conference for fans and writers of traditional/cozy mysteries. During panels and general discussions, I was amazed at the number of recovering technical writers there, who either had published mysteries or were working on one. We agreed that working as a technical writer had given us a good foundation in writing--and strong motives for writing about murder.
ReplyDeleteI love your bio and the description for your book, the inclusion of humor. Must read it.
ReplyDeleteI love how detailed and clear this post is. You’ve really outdone yourself!
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