An Interview with Grace Topping by E. B. Davis

(For those of you who missed reading Grace Topping's Laura Bishop's mystery series, here's my interview with her on the first book in the series, which was nominated for an Agatha Award in 2020.)

Sister Madeleine paused at the door leading to the school library. “He also

recognized people sometimes become boxed in and kill out of sheer desperation.

Look for the person around Victoria Denton who became desperate.

Grace Topping, Staging Is Murder, Kindle Loc. 889

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, replacing 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.

Amazon.com

Grace Topping’s first book in her Laura Bishop mystery series, Staging Is Murder, will be released by Henery Press on April 30. Grace has created a memorable cast of characters with the natural premise of staging homes for sale, putting main character, Laura Bishop, on the spot when murder occurs.

Laura has obtained her first commission. But the job she’s taken on is huge, a pre-Civil War mansion, and hindered by the homeowner’s uncooperative attitude. Laura has a good assistant, Tyrone Webster, a young, black man who has experience staging theater sets. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see much of Tyrone because for most of the book he is arrested and locked in jail. I hope there’s more for Tyrone to do in the next book because he’s playful and smart.

Nita Martino, her best friend, comes from a large Italian family, which has helped and healed Laura from the dearth of support in her own family. But Nita is superstitious, reading horoscopes daily, a fault that Laura treats with humor.

Please congratulate my interview partner Grace Topping on her debut!                                                       E. B. Davis  

What’s the difference between interior decorating and staging? Can either job be done by the same designer? Are there educational requirements?

An interior decorator or designer adds personality to a home to reflect the homeowner. A home stager takes the personality out to make the home appeal to a wider audience. But it goes beyond that. A home stager works with the homeowner to identify what needs to be done to make a home look up to date and attractive—to ensure that it sells faster and for more money.

I gather Louiston, Pennsylvania is in the western part of the state. Is it real or based on a real town

where you have lived?

Louiston is a fictional town based loosely on my hometown in the Allegheny Mountains, more in central Pennsylvania. A lovely area and a place I miss more the longer I live away from it. Fortunately, I have family there, so I get to visit often.

Laura and her late mother weren’t close. Why? Has Laura made changes in her life since her mother’s death?

Laura’s mother was a cold and remote individual, who never showed Laura affection. She was definitely a glass half empty kind of person who always saw the negative side of life, unlike Laura’s father, who had been friendly and outgoing and made everyone feel special, whether it was a friend or someone hired to paint the house. Sadly, when her parents divorced, Laura was left with her mother. It was one of her teachers who saw the lack of love and emotion in her life and helped nurture her friendship with another student from a large and loving family.

Laura recognized how her mother’s negative attitude poisoned her life and sets out to make sure that that she has a positive outlook. But she has to work at it, especially given her failed marriage. Fortunately, she has her best friend, Nita Martino, and her large and loving family’s influence in her life. They brought laughter into her life and showed her how good life can be.

Victoria Denton, the homeowner and murder victim, was not a pleasant person. How does she obstruct Laura’s work?   

Victoria came from a less affluent part of town and thought when she married into the wealthiest family in Louiston that she would have the status and social life she had always yearned for. However, it didn’t work out that way and over the years, she became dissatisfied and developed a reputation for being one of the most disagreeable people in town. When she and her ex-husband are forced to sell their 19^th century mansion, she isn’t willing to do much to help Laura make it more attractive for other people to buy it. She only agrees to have the home staged after being convinced to do so by her ex-husband and her real estate agent so they can sell it fast, before the bank can initiates foreclosure. With the age and condition of the house, it wouldn’t have sold fast or for a very good price.

Victoria felt there was nothing wrong with the way the house looked. She was unhappy having to sell it, and no matter what Laura and Tyrone did to help improve the home’s appearance, she wasn’t pleased with it. They didn’t have carte blanche to change the home and needed to have her buy in to their suggestions. When she didn’t, their hands were rather tied.

Why doesn’t Laura like attractive men?

Every time someone made Laura unhappy, took credit for her work, or just generally embarrassed her, a handsome man was involved. Her mother warned her that handsome men were trouble, believing that if Laura’s father hadn’t been so handsome, he wouldn’t have been unfaithful and left them. Unfortunately, Laura didn’t listen to her and married Derrick—as handsome as they come. Big mistake. She should have listened to her mother. When he and his female companion (long story) were killed in an automobile accident, Laura swore off handsome men forever.

Tyrone is a candidate for the Quincy Scholarship at the college where he is studying design. After he breaks a valuable vase, Victoria, who is on the scholarship committee, tells him she will recommend against him getting the award. After Tyrone pleads with her, he leaves. A short time later, Laura finds her dead body. Tyrone has motive, but what about means and opportunity?

After the incident with the vase, Tyrone leaves for the day. When he arrives home, he goes for a run to work off his frustrations and decides to return to the Denton house to talk to Victoria—to apologize again and convince her not to interfere with his scholarship possibilities. But after getting close to the house, he changes his mind and returns home—but not before someone spots him running away from the area about the time Victoria is murdered. The police believe his being in the area at the time of the murder and the fact he had a key to the Denton house gave him means and opportunity.

With Victoria’s death, Laura’s contract to stage the house is null and void. But ex-husband Skip Denton rehires her to finish the job. Nita hires a local psychic to “clear” the house of negativity or Victoria’s spirit, but Laura still feels uneasy in the house. Do you believe in spirits or ghosts?

No, not really. But I think there are things that just can’t be explained, and sometimes a place just has negative vibes, especially a house that is nearly 200 years old, like the Denton house. Laura doesn’t want to go back into the house because it was the scene of a murder. Sometimes that’s enough. It’s Nita who thinks Victoria’s spirit is still there and sets out to make sure she leaves.

Guido, Nita’ husband, is wonderfully supportive. What does he do?

 

Guido is a great guy, isn’t he? With his mild manner and patience, he is the perfect mate for Nita. He has a background in construction but now works for the Romano family as general office manager and accountant.

At the beginning of each chapter, you provide home staging advice. Did you study home staging?

Actually, my knowledge of home staging came primarily from watching far too many HGTV home staging and home flipping programs. I discovered that I have a knack for it, probably from watching all those shows, and I began helping friends stage their homes. When I decided to write a cozy mystery, which usually has a main character with a business or interest that is a key part of the story, it was a natural choice to make my main character a home stager. It also helped that a home staging main character hasn’t been done much in the cozy mystery world. I also read a number of books and guides about home staging.

After I completed and polished my manuscript, I contacted some home staging training and certifying companies to make sure I hadn’t misrepresented the home staging business. Debbie Boggs, one of the founders of Staging Studios in San Antonio, Texas, kindly read my manuscript, gave me some pointers, and endorsed it. It was a great relief knowing I had gotten it right. I have continued to learn a lot about home staging by watching webinars Staging Studios makes available. At this point, I probably could start my own staging business. If I weren’t busy writing mysteries, I almost would try it. From what I’ve learned, home staging is a rapidly growing field and an excellent prospect for people who want to start their own business.

Why do people call Vocaro’s, the local coffee shop, their third place?

A third place can be defined as that place where people feel welcome, comfortable, and connected. Connected being the key word. It was a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg and refers to places where people spend time between their home (their first place) and work, (their second place). If you remember the TV show, Cheers—that place where everyone knows your name—Vocaro’s is like that.

As a writer, Vocaro’s coffee shop is a place I can have characters cross paths with other characters and witness things they wouldn’t ordinarily see. It’s also a good place to pick up gossip about what’s happening in the community.

After Tyrone is arrested, his grandmother, Mrs. Mariah Webster, visits Laura and charges her to find Victoria’s killer so Tyrone will be exonerated. Would you describe Mrs. Webster for our readers?

Readers have told me they love Mrs. Webster. I do too. Mrs. Mariah Webster is an African-American elderly grandmother (think Cecily Tyson) who single-handedly raised her orphaned grandson from the time he was five years old. She is a retired home-care nurse, who has seen a lot of life and doesn’t take guff from anyone. She could best be described as someone with lots of moxie. She is courageous and probably could have conducted her own investigation without any trouble.

Was Sister Madeleine a substitute sister, mother, or something else to Laura?

I think of Sister Madeleine as more a fairy godmother. As a young nun, she was Laura’s second grade teacher and saw how emotionally neglected she was. She encourages her friendship with Nita Ramona (now Martino), who comes from a large Italian-American family, knowing that the family would take Laura to their hearts, which they did. She keeps an eye on Laura over the years, and encourages her love of reading—introducing her to mysteries, which Laura takes to with great relish. When faced with trying to solve a murder, Laura turns to mystery-loving Sister Madeleine first for advice.

Laura likes chocolate. She understands why early church leaders thought anything so good must be sinful and banned it. Is that true?

Absolutely. In the 1600’s, religious leaders banned monks and nuns from eating chocolate, believing it was a powerful aphrodisiac that would inflame their lustful passions. All it does for me is add weight. I eat it for its antioxidant properties. At least that’s what I tell myself.

Throughout the book, Laura, who has no illusions of being a sleuth, asks herself what her favorite literary sleuths would do? What characters does she rely on and do they help her?

Laura draws on the wisdom of such wonderful characters as Anne Perry’s Hester Latterly and Sara Paretsky’s V. I. Warshawski, and on the humor of characters such as M. C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin. Growing up in such a cold and lonely environment, characters from books were her friends and guiding lights. So she often thinks about them and wonders how they would handle various situations.  

At one point, Laura wonders if she’s gullible and her ability to judge people. Will solving the crime change her?

Laura wants to believe the best of everyone and hates to think one of the people around her could be guilty of murder. So she is readily willing to believe their alibis and explanations. Later she wonders whether she was too willing to believe them because what they told her made sense, or because she likes them and doesn’t want to believe them guilty. She learns that while most of them aren’t guilty of murder, they all have secrets they don’t want revealed. Protecting their secrets makes them appear guilty of more serious things. Laura has to learn to sift through the secrets she uncovers to get to the more serious crime of murder. One can only hope she’ll learn from her detecting not to be so gullible.

What’s next for Laura?

In the second book of the series, Laura discovers that someone is trying to sabotage her fledgling business, and she is introduced to the world of artists and art festivals. When a body shows up at Hendricks Funeral Home with a knife in its back, Laura finds herself drawn into another murder investigation—again quite reluctantly. Look for it this time next year.   

  

An Interview with Debra Goldstein by E. B. Davis

At thirty-four, six years older than her [Sarah],

Bill was too young to die. He still had so much

to do and so many more people to double-cross.

Debra H. Goldstein, One Taste Too Many, Kindle Loc. 91

Married at eighteen, divorced at twenty‑eight, Sarah Blair reluctantly swaps her luxury lifestyle for a cramped studio apartment and a law firm receptionist job in the tired hometown she never left. With nothing much to show for the last decade but her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah, and some clumsy domestic skills, she’s the polar opposite of her bubbly twin, Emily—an ambitious chef determined to take her culinary ambitions to the top at a local gourmet restaurant …

Sarah knew starting over would be messy. But things fall apart completely when her ex drops dead, seemingly poisoned by Emily’s award-winning rhubarb crisp. Now, with RahRah wanted by the woman who broke up her marriage and Emily wanted by the police for murder, Sarah needs to figure out the right recipe to crack the case before time runs out. Unfortunately, for a gal whose idea of good china is floral paper plates, catching the real killer and living to tell about it could mean facing a fate worse than death—being in the kitchen!

https://www.debrahgoldstein.com/one-taste-too-many/

I’ve known Debra H. Goldstein for several years, having met her at the Malice Domestic Conference and worked with her here, at WWK, and on the SinC Guppy Steering Committee. The one single aspect of writing Debra has taught me is that persistence pays off.

The last time I interviewed Debra, her book, Should Have Played Poker had been published by Five Star/Cengage. Then Five Star stopped publishing mysteries and left their authors stranded. Undaunted, Debra has launched a new series with Kensington Press. One Taste Too Many is the first book in Debra Goldstein’s Sarah Blair Mystery series. It was released on December 18, 2018. I found the ending a surprise, but of course I won’t spoil it for you. Authors who surprise me are a pleasure to read. I hope Debra surprises you, too.

If I miss asking Debra a question you have about the book, please pose your question in the comments section, a link to which appears underneath the interview.                                                                                                E. B. Davis

When the story opens, Sarah is already divorced from Bill, the homicide victim. How long ago did the divorce occur?

The divorce was only finalized during the past year, but the proceedings and changes in Sarah’s lifestyle began a little over two years before the book begins.

Sarah works for an attorney, Harlan, but, aside from her cat, RahRah, she seems to have received few assets from her divorce. Where was boss Harlan when her divorce settlement happened?

Harlan didn’t handle the negotiations of the divorce. He came into the picture when no one else in town would hire her because of her lack of skills. Sarah dropped out of college after one week to marry Bill when she was eighteen. During the years she was married, she gained some clumsy domestic skills and built a relationship with Bill’s mother and RahRah the cat, but for most of the time, other than looking good at events on Bill’s arm, she put his wants and needs ahead of hers. Consequently, she was naïve and gullible when the rat wanted a divorce.

Sarah and her twin, Emily, are very different people. They’re twins, raised in the same household by the same people, and yet Emily pursued a culinary career and Sarah married out of high school without fulfilling her aspirations. How did that happen?

Emily grew up having an inner fire to be the best chef she could be and to get out of Wheaton. Throughout high school, whether she was cheerleading or involved in other social activities, she was confident and always had her eye focused on her goals. Sarah was exactly the opposite of her sister in terms of confidence and goals. She did the chores expected of her during Perry Mason commercials and when the six-year-older Bill, who already was established as a wheeler dealer, showed an interest in her, she was swept off her feet.

The story is set in Wheaton, Alabama. Is Wheaton real? How far it is from Birmingham? It can’t be too small since the Food Expo is held in Wheaton’s civic center.

Wheaton, Alabama is a composite of many small Alabama towns, but it pays special homage to Wetumpka, Alabama. Every year, two mystery conferences are held back to back in Alabama using the same authors as panelists. When my first book, 2012 IPPY Award winning Maze in Blue was published, Murder in the Magic City (Birmingham) and Murder on the Menu (Wetumpka) were the first conferences that invited me to be a panelist. Although I had attended Murder in the Magic City for years as a reader, I wasn’t familiar with Murder on the Menu, which is a fundraising luncheon held at the Wetumpka Civic Center sponsored by Friends of the Wetumpka Library (F.O.W.L.).  At Murder on the Menu, I fell in love with the people and charm of Wetumpka. Subsequently, I “borrowed,” but modified, Wetumpka landmarks in Should Have Player Poker and in my new Sarah Blair series. The real Wetumpka is over an hour away from Birmingham, but Wheaton is only fifteen minutes from Birmingham.

College applications are spread out in Sarah’s bedroom. If she decides to take classes, what will she major in?

Part of the evolution of Sarah in the Sarah Blair series is gaining the wisdom and confidence to make decisions for herself. Education is something she knows she wants, but she’ll have to get through the core courses before she decides on an undergraduate major. With the love she has for Perry Mason, it could be anything from English, History, Communications, or Criminal Justice, but her growth in the series might result in a Business or Theater major. What we do know is she’ll never major in Foreign Languages or Home Economics.

Is rhubarb a Southern favorite? Was it the rhubarb or the nuts in the crust that killed Bill?

Rhubarb is a more Northern dish (it grows better up there), but I loved the idea that part of it is poisonous. There is no question Bill is allergic to nuts, cats, and many other things, but what did him in is something readers will need to discover for themselves by reading One Taste Too Many.

Why did her friends play “Can She Identify What’s in the Box?” at Sarah’s bridal shower?

Sarah is a cook of convenience. She prefers to bring take-out in or make dishes using already prepared ingredients. For a potluck, Sarah always would be the one assigned to bring the soda, paper products, cut fruit, or rolls. At eighteen, when she was given a kitchen shower, her friends knew she wouldn’t know what most of the gifts were. In fact, as the book notes, when she opened a box with nice paper plates and napkins, one friend quipped, “Look, she got her good china.”

A tear slipped down Emily’s cheek. “Honestly, if I’d known Bill

was part of the operation when I was offered the job, I wouldn’t

have touched it with a ten-foot pole.”

Because of advice Sarah’s father told her, she suspects Emily isn’t telling the truth. Why would Emily lie to Sarah?

Sometimes family members lie to protect each other or to protect other people they love. Throughout One Taste Too Many, the core bond of the twins is influenced by acts and decisions based on this premise.

The advice, “If someone told you his actions were honest…you could bet something wasn’t on the up-and-up.” (Kindle Loc. 327) Did your father give you this advice? What other advice did he give you?

No, my father was a trusting creative person; my mother, who was more cynical, advised me that if someone tells you they are honest, they might not be. Both of my parents instilled different things in me – my father taught me to love the sound of the written word, to read anything and everything, to appreciate art, and to be a good, caring, and loving person. My mother stressed family devotion, integrity, reaching for the stars, and persistence when things don’t work out the first or even the second time.

What does a probated will imply? That effects have been distributed to those named?

A will has no legal meaning until it is probated – filed in the court system. Once filed, the executor or administrator must distribute the assets within the terms of the will as overseen by the judicial system.

I thought Colorado was our only state having marble. Alabama has marble, too?

Alabama marble, which is also known as Sylacauga marble, comes from a belt that runs through Alabama’s Talladega County. The marble is pure white in color and crystalline in composition. Alabama has several quarries for this marble, which was used in many of Alabama’s courthouses and other public buildings.

Sarah needs some success to restore her self-confidence. Does solving the murder help bolster her self-confidence?

Solving the murder and interacting with the other characters helps build Sarah’s self-confidence; however, her evolution in all facets of her personality is a major part of the series.  The more books the series eventually has (so far three are under contract), the more the reader will see her growth and her stumbles.

I was surprised by Sarah’s reaction to Grace’s (a student chef at the restaurant where Emily works) tattoo sleeve. So many twenty and thirty somethings have tattoos. I always suspect older people of trying to look young by getting tattoos. Why was Sarah so surprised?

Until recently, Sarah’s opinions were formed by the conservative business viewpoints Bill held. Her world would have been comprised of men in white shirts, blue suits, and yellow ties accented with an understated high cost ring or watch. Unlike Emily, who, as a chef, would be immune to surprise at most tattoos, Sarah might have seen a butterfly on an ankle or small tattoos, but not sleeves.

Sarah figures out that Emily and her boss, Chef Marcus, have a personal relationship. How does Sarah react?

Sarah is thrown a little because her twin relationship of sharing food and thoughts no longer belongs only to Sarah and Emily.

Harlan teaches Sarah that every life decision is tied to a relationship, that emotional stimuli prompts business decisions. Do you think that’s true?

I believe that emotion and subconscious thoughts often influence decisions people make.

Working in a law office has taught Sarah a lot about life. She sees that people find themselves in trouble because they assume others live by the Golden Rule. Is Sarah adopting a Miss Marple approach to solving the crime?

I wouldn’t call Sarah’s crime solving a Miss Marple approach, but she is learning that being gullible or innocent in believing what others will do often results in making an erroneous and potentially dangerous assumption.

Why can’t Emily throw out her mother’s worn out can opener and buy a new one?

The can opener evokes sentimental feelings about her childhood in Sarah, but there also is the element of why spend money when she’s not going to use a can opener all that often.

When Sarah has to serve as Emily’s replacement in a Food Expo demonstration, she chooses an embarrassing recipe, one that no chef would consider and one you include at the back of your book. Was it a favorite of yours growing up?

I am not a cook nor am I particularly craft oriented. I was the kid who did my chores during the Perry Mason commercials. Consequently, when I decided to write cozy mysteries, I had a problem because most of them are culinary or craft related. Because I enjoy cozies, I figured there were other people out there who could relate to my lack of skills. Cozies must have recipes, so I researched some. When I found Jell-O in a Can and discovered it was a popular and easy 1950’s recipe, it seemed perfect for Sarah Blair. Until I tested it for inclusion in the book, I’d never had it.

Your book drew me in from the start. That first chapter is so important, and you kept the momentum going. What advice do you have for unpublished writers?

Write, revise, and throw out the darling words that don’t keep the action moving.

Have you developed a character arc for Sarah?

I haven’t developed a character arc per se for Sarah, but I know that for as many books as the series is permitted to continue, she will be an evolving character. She also will be instructing me on her growth because I tend to listen to my characters rather than forcing them into specific situations and reactions.

What’s next for Sarah and RahRah? Will it contain another questionable, but fun recipe?

Two Bites Too Many, featuring Sarah, RahRah, and a few more colorful characters, will be published in October. Although the recipes are for people, look for cat and dog related aspects to them.