An Interview with Krista Davis by E. B. Davis

  

Old Town Virginia’s entertaining guru and occasional sleuth Sophie Winston – a young Martha Stewart in the making – juggles Fourth of July fireworks, a houseful of guests, and homicide in the latest Domestic Diva culinary mystery from New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis.

With a big crowd descending on her Northern Virginia home, it’s a good thing event planner Sophie Winston is an expert at entertaining. Whipping up patriotic pastries is as easy as pie for her, though meeting the man her widowed Aunt Melly just impulsively married in Las Vegas is a little more awkward. Especially when Melly’s longtime, now-heartbroken secret admirer is there too, which could lead to some fireworks.

But the house party really gets explosive when Sophie’s favorite tour guide falls victim to a killer—and evidence points to Sophie’s own father. Will DNA really incriminate her dad? And what’s the real story with her new uncle-by-marriage and the mysterious pal he’s brought along with him? Some of the secrets Sophie’s discovering are raising flags—and while the police department casts suspicion on her father, she has to declare her independence as a detective to find the real culprit, and serve justice along with her red, white, and blue cupcakes . . .

Amazon.com

 

Krista Davis’s Domestic Diva mystery series never gets old for me. It’s more like coming home to friends and family. The Diva Hosts a Murderer is the nineteenth book in the series and was released yesterday. The story takes place over the Fourth of July in Old Town Alexandria. I was glad for the heat given off in the book since it’s been a cold spring, and it made me long for the warmer days of summer, soon to come, but not soon enough!

 

Second-chance romances versus the single life seem to be a topic that Krista explores for the middle and older characters in this book. It’s an interesting topic with no one answer as the characters find. And there are a lot of characters because Sophie is hosting her family: mother, father, sister, plus an aunt with her newly-wed husband and his friend, along with two men from Sophie’s hometown of Berryville, VA, where her family still lives. With that crowd, even a domestic diva can find being the perfect hostess problematic.

 

Please welcome Krista Davis back to WWK!                      E. B. Davis

When I started to read, I thought this was the first book in which you showed Sophie’s family. But over the years/books, you must have brought them into the story. Did you?

They were in the first two books and then occasionally showed up in holiday books.

 

Does Hannah, Sophie’s sister, still live with her parents in Berryville?

 

Hannah has been living in Berryville but not with her parents. She’s been in transition, spending a lot of time in Old Town, but not with Sophie!

 

Is Sophie being nosy by wanting Hannah to account for her whereabouts in the wee hours of the morning or is she just being an older sister?

 

Sophie lets her sister be an adult and do her own thing. But when someone comes home closer to the crack of dawn, and the bars closed at 2AM, it’s natural to wonder where she has been.

 

Sophie and Hannah don’t seem to have much in common. Is Sophie the extrovert and Hanna the introvert?

 

They just have different interests. Sophie loves entertaining, after all, she’s a professional event planner. But Hannah is a computer whiz.

 

Nina’s pathologist husband is usually off testifying somewhere. Although he doesn’t stay for long, he does make an appearance. Has he been in other books before?

 

He makes his sole appearance in this book! After all, it’s a holiday so he’s finally home for a few days.

 

Why does Officer Wong dismiss Sophie’s older neighbor Dollie’s account of seeing a dead man in her house?

 

Dollie has a record of calling the police to report sounds like creaking floors and footsteps in the night. But there’s never anyone there and no sign of a break-in, so the police think she has an active imagination. Her family has owned that house for generations, so there’s always the possibility of ghosts or just a creaky old house.

 

Are the Masonic Temple and the Apothecary Museum real and open to the public?

 

Yes, they are! Old Town Alexandria is often on lists of great places to visit. Good food, lovely old architecture, and loads of history. One of the popular restaurants was a hospital during the Civil War. And for history buffs, Alexandria found itself between the South and the North, so it was packed with spies!

 

Why did Natasha throw a 1820s costume party?

 

The 250^th celebration of the Declaration of Independence was coming up. Natasha was all in with a huge party. She asked guests to dress in the type of clothes people would have been wearing at the time. Even the menus were based on a typical dinner in the 1820s. Natasha always has a scheme in mind and this is another one of them.

 

What was the story about burying politicians in unmarked graves so their enemies wouldn’t find them and then the locations of the unmarked graves were lost?

 

The most notable story (true or false, it’s a fun legend) was about John C. Calhoun from Charleston, who was the Vice President of the United States twice. The story goes that he died in Washington DC and was buried there. But due to the Civil War, they feared his foes would disturb his grave, so in the dark of night they dug him up and moved him to an unmarked grave. His wife then asked that he be moved to Charleston, but apparently there was some confusion about which grave he was actually occupying at that point. Eventually, they dug him up again and moved him to Charleston. But he had been born upstate, not in Charleston, so he was buried across the street from the church, in the Stranger’s Graveyard for visitors and non-locals, not in the proper cemetery. Eventually, he was dug up again and finally moved to the St. Philip’s Episcopal Church cemetery.

 

It's a story that a lot of tour guides enjoy embellishing.

 

After her father is arrested for murder due to his DNA found on the victim, Sophie researches DNA evidence and finds that it may not be conclusive evidence since DNA could be spread by mere contact and not necessarily during the time of death. Since the victim was Sophie’s family’s tour guide, they were on his bus and in his proximity for several days. Would the police arrest him on just that evidence?

 

They did, based on the DNA. There is a difference between DNA from skin cells and DNA from blood, which yields a higher quantity and quality.

 

What is a Dunlap Broadside? Why do they call them that?

 

Remember that we’re talking about 1776 when there were no computers or copy machines that could copy papers in a minute. So a Philadelphia printer named John Dunlap churned out 200 copies overnight. They were the very first broadly distributed copies of the United States Declaration of Independence, now referred to as Dunlap Broadsides. Today, there are only 26 known copies still in existence. But every once in a while, one turns up in a basement or box of old papers. The last auction of one brought in $8.14 million.

 

What’s the difference among a buckle, crisp, cobbler, crumble, and a betty?

 

That’s a tough question. They are all baked desserts with fruit. According to the Farmer’s Almanac and St. Louis Magazine, these are the distinctions. https://bit.ly/42Iwc0H and https://bit.ly/4ulsGFG

 

A buckle has a streusel topping. The berries are folded into the batter.

A crisp usually has oats in it. Often confused with a crumble. It has a crumb topping and sometimes nuts.

 

A cobbler has a biscuit topping, sweetened fruit, and spices.

 

A crumble never contains oats, unless it does. Major confusion on this issue!

 

A Betty is like a crisp but has no oats. There are crumbs inside as well as on top in a buttery crumb topping.

 

Whew! Still confused? Me, too. LOL! They’re all delicious!

 

What’s next for Sophie?

 

Hmm. I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but a lot happens in the next book! Stay tuned!

An Interview with Krista Davis by E. B. Davis

 

“I’m ninety-eight years old. I don’t need an alibi.”

Krista Davis, The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg, Kindle Loc. 787

 

Northern Virginia’s own Martha Stewart returns in a brand-new mystery as an interior designer clashes with a killer . . .

Stylish brunches are all the rage this autumn in Old Town Alexandria, and everyone’s posting their parties on social media. But while Domestic Diva Sophie Winston juggles her event-filled calendar, she’s approached by local designer Mitzi Lawson—who is afraid someone is following her. The very next day Mitzi loses her best friend and business partner, Denise. The two were renovating a generations-old house where Denise died unexpectedly, and Mitzi fears that it wasn’t a medical condition to blame, but murder.

It could just be the shock talking, but Sophie agrees to help Mitzi involve the police. Then she receives a panicked phone call from Mitzi, and when she rushes to the old house, Mitzi is nowhere to be found. Now Sophie’s appetite for investigation is piqued even more than her appetite for eggs Benedict and mimosas.

Could Denise’s death be connected to her viper’s nest of in-laws or the house she was working on which her husband just inherited? What of the self-proclaimed etiquette expert with some improper secrets, or the scheming mistress? Or does the old house harbor secrets of its own? There’s a generous buffet of suspects to keep the Diva scrambling for an answer . . .
 
Includes delicious recipes and fabulous DIY decorating tips!

Amazon.com

Krista Davis needs no introduction here on WWK. I’ve interviewed Krista many times about her Domestic Diva Mysteries. The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg is her eighteenth book in the series. Talk about a winning streak!

 

Murder takes place in a family home in old town Alexandria, VA, Inger House, which has been passed down to the next generation for at least a century. A local interior designer, Mitzi, who thinks she is being stalked asks Sophie to find out the identity of her stalker. Arriving at Inger House, Sophie unfortunately finds Denise’s body. Mitzi and Denise were partners in the design business. When Denise’s husband, Mike, becomes the primary suspect, his parents and family ask Sophie to investigate. The victim was their daughter-in-law. There’s no way Sophie cannot investigate.

 

Thanks for once again providing me with fun hours of reading, Krista!

 

When Mitzi Lawson, an interior designer, asks Sophie to meet her the next day at Inger House, using its backdoor. Why does Sophie decide to get involved and follow her instructions?

 

All she knows is that Mitzi has a problem. She asked for Sophie’s help and Sophie obliges. Using the back door isn’t uncommon when a house is being renovated.

 

Why do people like Natasha ask questions they don’t really want answered?

 

Why do any of us do that? We’re hoping for confirmation from someone else.

 

What is the televised autumn brunch about? Why do they want Sophie?

 

The producer’s wife likes Sophie’s syndicated advice column, so they want her to be involved. Autumn brunches are all the rage. The program is about how to pull off a brunch. Making the food, etc.

 

Knowing Denise was likely murdered, why does Mitzi assume that someone is out to get her?

 

Because she thinks someone is following her.

 

What’s coastal grandmother style in interior decorating? Nancy Meyers style?

Coastal style relies heavily on whites and pale blue hues. It’s relaxing with an informal beachy feel. You have probably seen Nancy Meyers rooms in movies like Somethings Gotta Give. It blends easily with English Country style and timeless décor. Imagine neutral off-whites, warm wood cabinets and bookshelves, fireplaces, pillows, and books, books, books!

 

Is there really such a thing as black squid ink pasta? Does anyone eat it?

 

It does exist, and I’m told it’s popular.

 

Sophie bought out Mars’s half of the house when they divorced, but it was his Aunt Faye Winston’s house. Why didn’t Mars want the house?

 

Mars didn’t care about it. It needed updating and what would he do with a big old house? Besides he was living with Natasha who had a house of her own.

 

Was Mars close to his Aunt Faye? Did Sophie remind Mars of Faye?

 

Maybe Sophie does remind Mars of his Aunt Faye! LOL!

 

We learn a lot about Aunt Faye in this book. Does she actually haunt Sophie’s house?

 

Well, there are those who think so. After all, the portrait of her in the kitchen often slides askew a bit when Natasha visits. Sophie and I are firmly on the fence about it.

 

I’ll admit, I did buy pie boxes one time for a church charity sale, but Sophie just happens to have a disposable paper Bundt cake box for the Bundt cake she bakes to take to Denise’s family. What else might Sophie have in the way of food gift items? Individual brownie wrappers? Baskets?

 

Definitely disposable sheet cake trays with lids. Containers for brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Cupcake boxes with trays that cupcakes slip into so they won’t mash each other. Large cellophane bags to wrap gift baskets and charity auction donations.

 

Why does Natasha live in Old Town Alexandria if she likes mid-century décor? Is her old house transfixed or perhaps transbroken with a modern interior? Is she trendy?

 

Natasha tries to set the trend. As an expert on all things domestic with her own TV show, she thinks she should be the leader in setting trends. Her house is stylish, but she is struggling with her mother and her father’s second wife living with her and bringing their very different style into her home.

 

I was surprised that Wong and Wolf didn’t treat Sophie’s opinion with more respect. Why doesn’t Sophie get ticked off with them?

 

I think she did get frustrated with them, but they are old friends who know each other well. The police have to operate on facts. If there’s nothing there, there’s nothing to investigate. Sophie understands that.

 

I should know about air tags, but I don’t. What are they?

 

Air Tags are made by Apple. They are small discs about an inch in diameter. If you have an Apple phone or computer, you can track an Air Tag’s location. They’re very useful in luggage when traveling. In areas where cars are being stolen, some people are hiding them in their cars so they can locate them.

 

What is “tonal development?”

 

Colors have tones. Think of a color wheel and imagine the color red. On one side, reds begin to be orangey, and on the other side, reds begin to be purple. Tonal development means colors that are in the same tone, which go together well.

 

I’m not sure I would be happy being served Butternut squash for breakfast? What else goes with it?

 

You would be surprised by roasted butternut squash with veggies and kielbasa for breakfast. You’ve probably eaten potatoes for breakfast. People eat fish, too, like bagels and lox. Why not roasted butternut squash? However, that’s why we often offer more than one dish at a bigger brunch.

 

Are sheet-pan meals a new fad?

 

They have been around for years. I’m a huge fan because they’re so easy and delicious.

 

Why would weightlifters use insulin and how do they get it? Isn’t it by prescription?

 

Insulin is available without prescription from some stores. Some weightlifters think it builds muscle. It is not advisable to use it for that purpose.

 

Can enough insulin kill anyone, not just the diabetic?

 

Absolutely. Insulin lowers blood sugar whether you are diabetic or not. Diabetics have to monitor their blood sugar carefully to make sure it doesn’t get too low.

 

I have one recipe, only one, that calls for light brown sugar. I’m always stuck with a lot left over. Can you really substitute half white/half dark brown for light brown sugar?

 

You bet! I do it all the time. Works like magic.

 

How did pineapples become an icon of old Southern hospitality?

 

Pineapples arrived on a trade route in colonial times. They were rare and a big luxury. I’m told that a pineapple in front of the house meant one was open to entertaining guests. I’m also told that an upside down or perhaps sideways pineapple has become a symbol inviting the swinger community, so be careful how you display your pineapple!

 

What is next for Sophie and her gang? Any hints if her love-life will improve?

 

Sophie’s sister, parents, and some friends are staying with her for a Fourth of July celebration in THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER. It does involve a little romance, but not for Sophie. Coming in 2026!

An Interview with Krista Davis by E. B. Davis

 

Old Town’s midsummer festivities are getting a tasty addition this year. To coincide with a public performance of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Bobbie Sue Bodoin, the Queen of Cheesecake, has hired Sophie to organize a dinner with a dessert buffet on the waterfront. Bobbie Sue’s homegrown company is thriving, and since her baking dish overfloweth, she wants to reward her employees.
 
Bobbie Sue has only one menu demand: no cheesecake! But her specialty isn’t the only thing missing from the evening—Tate, Bobbie Sue’s husband, is too, much to her annoyance. Next morning, however, Tate’s dead body is discovered. Bobbie Sue insists she didn’t kick her spouse to the curb, and begs for Sophie’s help finding the real killer. Digging in, Sophie discovers an assortment of Old Town locals who all had reason to want a piece of Tate. Can she gather together the crumbs the killer left behind in time to prevent a second helping of murder?

Amazon.com

 

Krista Davis is back for the fifteenth book in the Domestic Diva mysteries series, The Diva Says Cheesecake. Kensington released the book yesterday, and as the book is set in late June, it appropriately starts the summer reading season with a cozy murder mystery accompanied by lots of cheesecake, summer breakfasts, and outdoor dinners. And there maybe a new romance, but that’s just my guess for book sixteen of the series. I’m sure Krista won’t tell!

 

Doing her job well is all that concerns main character Sophie Winston. She plans the Queen of Cheesecake’s company dinner and helps the woman find her stray husband or at least his body. Unfortunately, the husband is the victim of murder by champagne bottle, in Sophie’s opinion, the perfect drink that goes with cheesecake. A convenient pairing or a perfect frame?

 

Please welcome Krista Davis back to WWK!            E. B. Davis

What are quiet fireworks?

 

They are fireworks that dazzle, but come without the loud noises that accompany regular fireworks. People with PTSD, some children with autism, dogs, and horses have awful reactions to the sounds. More dogs get lost on July 4^th, than any other day because they are frantic to get away from fireworks. Imagine trying to control a hysterical horse! There are towns that are beginning to transition over to quiet fireworks. I hope more will join that movement.

What is a Thundershirt, which Sophie’s dog Daisy likes?

 

It’s a stretchy wrap designed for dogs. It’s meant to be tight, sort of like swaddling them. Like other things, it works for some dogs and not for others. I understand some rescues use them for terrified dogs.

 

Natasha is having a hard time with her living arrangements and her personal goals. But, her ego still has no bounds. She complains to Sophie about how successful Joanna Gaines has become, as if Joanna is her competition. Is Joanna Natasha’s idol? Is Natasha that driven for success?

 

Martha is Natasha’s idol. She wanted to be the Martha Stewart of the South and now feels like Joanna Gaines took that position. Natasha has always wanted fame. It all goes back to being abandoned by her father. She has a need to overcome those feelings of rejection.

 

Sophie tries to make cheesecakes without baking them. Does she omit the eggs and add sweetened condensed milk?

 

Sophie loves to bake with eggs. And I don’t think she used sweetened condensed milk in any of her recipes. The Blackberry No-Bake Cheesecake was a work in progress for Sophie and me last summer. But I think we finally nailed it!

 

When did Mars buy a B&B? Is it open for business? Who runs it?

 

It’s not actually a B&B. Mars and Bernie bought it as an investment just before The Diva Sweetens the Pie. It’s like an Air B&B. Basically a house available as a short-term rental.

 

Why does Sophie help young Liddy put her horrible ex-boyfriend in his place?

 

Because Sophie is cool! Didn’t you want to put him in his place?

 

Is it true that the FDA hasn’t approved CBD as a food additive? What’s the story with CBD? Why would Natasha bank a new business on it if it weren’t approved?

 

Apparently CBD is not approved. https://www.fda.gov/media/131878/download

Natasha doesn’t always have the best judgement about these things. She does, however, want to be ahead of the curve when it comes to new ideas.

 

Is there no place safe from garlic? Even in breakfast eggs? What’s next, garlic toothpaste?

 

Try some garlic powder in your scrambled eggs. You’ll be surprised!

 

Do Pina Coladas go with Chinese?

 

They’re great with Chinese! A lot of other drinks are, too, but Pina Coladas are festive and fun.

 

What makes Japanese cheesecake different? Does it have a Panko crust?

 

LOL! There’s no Panko in a Japanese Cheesecake. It contains less cream cheese and has a light airy texture reminiscent of a chiffon cake. It’s also not overly sweet, but my tasters loved it!

 

Mars finally tells Sophie about Bernie’s childhood and how Bernie’s nose was broken. Being affluent doesn’t necessarily mean easy street. Do people make assumptions about wealthier children that might not be true?

 

 I think people make assumptions about everyone, wealthy and poor! Everyone’s story is different. There’s no way of telling what they’ve been through until you get to know them.

 

Under-ringing drinks is a way that counter-help steals money from restaurant management. Can it only be accomplished on cash sales?

 

Cash would be easiest, but I suspect you might be able to charge the drink and then take the difference out of the cash drawer.

 

Is the Organization of Research Chefs real? It sounds like a good organization.

 

I made up that name because I don’t like to upset anyone, but there is a Research Chefs Association. They are responsible for food and food product development.

 

I know that vermillion snapper is often foisted off as red snapper, which now cannot be caught. But vermillion snapper is red and tastes almost the same. What types of fish are substituted for others that are of a much better quality? Is it true that one out of five fish is caught illegally?

 

Illegal and unreported fishing is a huge problem. Apparently one out of five wild-caught fish is procured illegally. Red snapper might be tilapia! Wild-caught salmon can be replaced by farm-raised salmon. Mis-labeling is rampant because once it’s filleted, it very hard to tell which fish it is. Cheaper tuna and shark are often substituted for more expensive varieties. Pricey sea bass might actually be perch.

 

Will we find out if Natasha won Bobbie Sue’s cheesecake contest?

 

She did not win. No spoilers here, but Bobby Sue was very happy about the winner!

 

What’s next for Sophie?

 

Next is The Diva Delivers on a Promise. But it won’t be out until 2023.

However, I’m not finished! This year, I still have A Colorful Scheme coming on August 30^th and A Good Dog’s Guide to Murder on September 6^th.

 

An Interview with Krista Davis by E. B. Davis

To be honest, I was glad I didn’t have friends who would

send me a human skull. I frowned at it.

Krista Davis, Murder Outside the Lines, Kindle Loc. 151

With Halloween just around the corner, the fall colors in Georgetown are brilliant. As manager of the Color Me Read bookstore, coloring book creator Florrie Fox has arranged for psychic author Hilda Rattenhorst to read from Spooktacular Ghost Stories. But the celebrity medium arrives for the event in hysterics, insisting she just saw a bare foot sticking out of a rolled-up carpet in a nearby alley. Is someone trying to sweep murder under the rug? Florrie calls in her policeman beau, Sergeant Eric Jonquille, but the carpet corpse has disappeared without a trace. Then in the middle of her reading, Hilda chillingly declares that she feels the killer's presence in the store. Is this a publicity stunt or a genuine psychic episode? It seems there's no happy medium. When a local bibliophile is soon discovered missing, a strange mystery begins to unroll. Now it's up to Florrie and Jonquille to expose a killer's true colors . . .

Amazon.com

 

In this third episode of the Pen & Ink mysteries, Krista Davis writes a spooky Halloween mystery set in Georgetown, a historic area of Washington, D.C. I went to college in D. C. and spent many fun times there so reading this series is a treat and a walk down memory lane.

In Murder Outside the Lines, Krista gives us a roaming skull, spiritual mediums, disappearing corpses, not disappearing corpses, and community spirit during a time of haunting spirits.

Please welcome Krista Davis back to WWK.           E. B. Davis

Thank you! It’s a pleasure to be here again. If you are reading this and wondering about the cover, it’s designed to be colored. Read the mystery inside, and color the cover outside! Both the front and back covers can be colored. And there are clues hidden in the images. The idea is to make the book your own and color it the way you imagine Florrie Fox’s world.

Main character, Florrie, has pets. Do they both go to work with her? Please tell our readers about her pets.

Florrie has a cat named Peaches, who goes to work with her some days. If you look carefully at the upper left corner of the cover, you’ll see Peaches lounging in the bookstore window.

Frodo, the golden retriever, belongs to Florrie’s parents and generally only stays with her when they are out of town. He is always welcome at the bookstore.

Not only does Professor Maxwell own Color Me Read, the bookstore Florrie manages, but she also lives in the carriage house behind the Maxwell mansion. How did that happen?

The first book in the series, Color Me Murder, is all about how she came to live there. Anyone familiar with the greater Washington D.C. area knows very well how expensive it is. Florrie had just about given up searching for an apartment close to Color Me Red bookstore in Georgetown when the professor offered her the carriage house so his abhorrent nephew wouldn’t live there.

The action starts when a deliveryman plunks down a crate addressed to Professor Maxwell containing a human skull, Harry, named by the private investigator who sent it. Florrie wonders if it is legal to possess a human skull. Maxwell states that only three states have laws about possession of human skulls. What states are they and what do the laws state? 

I’m not an expert on this. From what I have read, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, and now New York have laws that prohibit selling or ownership of human remains. In addition, there may be laws in those states as well as others that consider detaching human parts as desecrating a corpse. There are generally exceptions for medical and scientific purposes. Apparently, you can buy skulls online. I can honestly say that I have not tried to buy one, nor do I wish to have one.

I haven’t been to Georgetown in a while. Do the stores and residents decorate in a big way for Halloween? There is a scene in the movie The Exorcist set in Georgetown. Why is it a spooky place?

Georgetown is fabulous and probably more romantic than spooky, but a lot has happened there over the years, good and bad. The famous stairs in The Exorcist are sort of creepy because they are long and steep and set outdoors between two tall buildings.

Halloween is huge in Georgetown! They go all out. There’s a photographer who takes a lot of photos in Georgetown and Old Town. You can find her blog here https://www.thatjanebird.com/blog/ or look for thatjanebird on Instagram. You’ll not only see the charm of those locations but also lots of pumpkins, ghosts, and witches!

Eric, Florrie’s policeman manfriend, remarks that he likes a good ghost story and finds it remarkable that there is no scientific proof, and yet everyone seems to have a ghost story. Is that true? Do you have a personal ghost story?

This is a topic that I find fascinating. Many of us reason that ghosts and spirits in any form are nonsense. Other people swear they have seen ghosts. In my own family, people who didn’t believe in ghosts have changed their minds. I’ve had some odd mists show up on photographs. Those are long stories and not all that interesting except they weren’t on the photo before or after the one with the mist, and they were taken in locations that were connected to someone close to me who had died. It is odd that people around the world, in all cultures, have seen ghosts. And it is also strange that many of their stories sound similar.

What is the historical significance of the Maxwell carriage house?

It was once a real carriage house and part of the Underground Railroad. A tunnel where people could hide connects it to the mansion.

Does snake venom make bitten people delusional?

Yes. I imagine it depends on the amount of venom and the type of snake, but they can become delusional.

Mr. DuBois, Maxwell’s butler, normally stays in the mansion. But he suddenly trumps up reasons to stay at Florrie’s carriage house during the day, even though he isn’t a cat fan. Why has his behavior changed?

Mr. DuBois is agoraphobic and never leaves the property. He is fine outside on the grounds and in the carriage house. A big fan of true crime TV shows, he imagines murder everywhere. After a psychic held a séance at the mansion, he thought that a new ghost had arrived and remained in the mansion. Consequently, he did not want to be there alone.

Are there apps that enable people to make phone calls that appear to be from another phone number? Does it have to be a landline? Is this like phishing email?

I am sorry to say this is true. It’s hard to believe, but apparently, it can be done. I don’t think it has to be a landline, and it is sort of like phishing email. It’s ideal for pranks.

I went on a Halloween Ghost Tour in Leesburg one year. It was surprisingly spooky. Your characters go on one in Georgetown. Does Georgetown have a ghost tour as well or did you make that up?

I made this one up to suit the story. But Georgetown has been around for a long time and there are loads of ghost stories. Many of them are about historical figures. I’ve heard that the stone house has many ghosts!

If you are visiting the area, you can find ghost tours here. https://freetoursbyfoot.com/washington-dc-ghost-tours/

On the ghost tour, Florrie literally trips over another corpse. She also discovers the cemetery staff pulls a gag on its ghost tour visitors. What did they do?

Do you really want me to give that away? Let’s just say they made the ghost tour more fun!

Is the story about Lincoln true?

I wasn’t there, so I can’t swear to it. But that’s what they say! I have found several references to his behavior following the death of his son Willie. Interestingly, Willie died just about the time that methods of embalming were being tried, and he was embalmed.

Prince Harry’s real name is Henry? Who knew?

I had no idea until I started to do research. His name is Prince Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex (or Mountbatten Wales or Wales, apparently his last name is complicated).Whether sociopath or psychopath, it seems we all have had close encounters. But why is it that we feel like fools after we finally discover their true natures? They have to be more common than we’re led to believe.

Many people who are murderers or commit other crimes can be surprisingly charming. That aids them in eluding authorities or raising suspicion. Ted Bundy springs to mind. While we would like to think that we might recognize malicious people by their evil eyes or menacing expressions, there are those like Ted Bundy who don’t concern us until a pattern emerges.

What is next for Florrie, Frodo, and Peaches?

The next book in the Pen & Ink Mysteries is A Colorful Scheme and it’s all about writers! Frodo will be snoozing happily at home, away from the murder and mayhem. But Florrie and Peaches will be in the middle of a big celebration and the murder of an aspiring author.

An Interview with Krista Davis By E. B. Davis

 

 

With Old Town’s DIY Home Decorating Festival in full swing, Sophie’s swamped, juggling a bumper crop of artisans, antique dealers, and decorators for the busy street fair. Still, when her best friend Nina suddenly needs a ride from the airport, Sophie is happy to help . . . until she sees Nina disembarking in a state of disarray. It’s obvious the trip to Portugal soured somewhere along the way. But after one of Nina’s traveling companions turns up murdered the following day, Sophie knows something is truly rotten . . .
 
Though the crime scene is staged to look like an accident, Sophie isn’t fooled and peels off to conduct her own investigation. Her only clue is a strange image the victim scratched into the soil before dying. Could it point to a cryptic killer in Old Town? A bitter travel adversary? Or a cursed artifact smuggled back from the trip? As the mystery grows, so does the body count, and if Sophie doesn’t pluck the murderer soon, her best friend may be the next to fall . . .

Amazon.com

 

Krista Davis’s The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit provides the perfect example of how one’s family may be worse than one’s enemies. Although antagonist, and I do mean Natasha, an antagonistic thorn in main character, Sophie Winston’s side, fares better in this fourteenth novel in the Domestic Diva mystery series. Lucky her, because Sophie ends up with blackened eyes.

 

Organized and managed by Sophie, the Old Town’s DIY Festival has her walking the streets, answering vendor questions, and spending long days at work. Which means that she doesn’t have time to whip up culinary delights in her kitchen for friends Nina and Bernie or ex Mars. Instead, they work in her kitchen supplying the goodies for her. Although she still has time for berry trifle and a skillet pear cake!

 

Krista joins my short list of writers of sustaining and excellent mystery series that I’ve followed and read into the double-digits books. Please welcome Krista back to WWK.                               ________-______          E. B. Davis

Thank you, Elaine! It’s always nice to be here.

 

Nina declares that she should divorce her husband who ditched her during their medical convention in Portugal. I agree. Sophie gets more companionship with her ex, Mars, than Nina does from her husband. And since he’s always gone, she can’t even pump him for his forensics knowledge. Can we ditch him or better—kill him off?

 

I don’t think Nina would like that! Though one never knows what might happen in the future. After all, a forensic pathologist might just come in handy one day. A few readers have told me they would like to meet him. And Nina does love him. Who knows what might happen there?

 

No one should walk through Dulles Airport in bare feet. How did Nina lose her shoes in customs?

 

At JFK, Nina was pulled aside for a customs check. The kind where they open your luggage and go through it looking for contraband. They also asked to see her shoes. She had a connecting flight to catch and as the minutes ticked by, she was getting more and more worried about making the next flight. When the customs people were through with her, she wrestled to get all her belongings back into her bags, and then took off running to the gate for her next flight. And when she got there, with only minutes to spare, she realized that her shoes were back in customs!

The first victim, Lark Bickford, has a daughter, Paisley Eames. Paisley and her husband Frank have six sons. The oldest, Tommy, finds his grandmother, Lark, dead. Being the oldest, Tommy hears and understands things he shouldn’t. Sophie tries to support Tommy when he confides in her. But his father is a blockhead and his mother financially supports the family and takes care of all the kids. Tell readers about Tommy, if you would, and his problem-child brother Oscar.

 

Tommy was an easy baby. So delightful that his parents wanted another baby. This time they had twin boys. Then they decided to give it one more try for a girl. And they had triplets, all boys. Of course, since he was the first, his grandmother Lark doted on him. And when five brothers arrived, she often took him home to stay with her, which resulted in a wonderful, close relationship.

 

Oscar is one of the triplets. He is curious and fearless, a combination that lands him in dangerous situations. Tommy might be the leader of the pack because he’s the oldest, but Oscar is the one who leads them all into temptation and chaos.

 

It isn’t until after the second victim is found by Sophie that she and her friends think the trip to Portugal may be a common factor in the deaths. Then Nina’s house is broken into. Who saves Nina from the intruder? Why is Nina just a foster dog mom?

 

Nina loves to travel, which makes it difficult to have all the pets she would like. She fosters them instead, knowing they have gone on to wonderful homes and she can help save another dog or cat. On her return to Old Town, she goes to the shelter and picks up a little white floofball named Muppet to foster. And it was just in time! Muppet hears someone trying to break in and woke Nina. If Muppet hadn’t been there, who knows what evil might have befallen Nina?

 

Humphrey—that old dog—was intimate with the first victim, Lark. Was it a spring/autumn type of romance? Humphry is Sophie’s age, whereas Lark was a 50 something grandmother.

 

Well, this is where reality and fiction clash. I think it was Sue Grafton who talked about choosing to keep Kinsey Millhone the same age, or relatively so, throughout the series. In the first book in the Domestic Diva Mysteries, Sophie is in her forties. Soooo, fourteen books later, well, you see where I’m going with this. I have chosen to keep them all in that nice 45-55 range. Thus, Lark actually fits quite nicely into their general age group.

 

Is Bernie incredibly wealthy? I forget his circumstances, but although I knew he owned The Laughing Hound restaurant, I didn’t know he owned a mansion.

 

Bernie is British. He manages The Laughing Hound for an absentee owner. Said owner also bought the mansion a few books ago. Bernie lives there and keeps an eye on the place for him.

 

What is a Spendthrift Trust?

 

Basically, it’s a trust where someone else has to approve spending of the funds. It’s to prevent the recipient of the money from frittering it away.

 

Is it true that aluminum foil and baking soda will get rid of silver tarnish?

 

Yes! I have done it many times. Be sure to use very hot water and do not do it in a sink because any metal pieces of the sink or drain might pick up the tarnish and be ruined. Use a solid plastic container.

 

Can anyone pick a lock and undo a deadbolt if they Google it? How does anyone sleep at night? And does this confirm that dogs are essential?

 

I’m happy to say that I am not a pro at picking locks, but the web is loaded with pages on how to pick locks. One site even refers to it as a hobby! Lock picking kits are even available. I have always thought dogs are essential, and not just as burglar alarms. Caution: if you do search “picking locks” online, you may not sleep well anymore.

 

What is this trifle with whipped cream instead of Bird’s Custard?

 

It’s a quick and easy summer dessert!

 

I haven’t heard about the baby throwing scam. Does it happen often to Americans overseas?

 

I don’t know how often it happens, but it’s an old trick and a very clever one! No one is watching their bags if they see a baby flying through the air! That’s when bags are stolen and no one notices.

 

Bennett, Paisley’s sister, isn’t liked by Mars. He warns her not to believe a word he says. And yet, Bennett, who is a professional gambler, emotionally supports his sister, who needs money and whose money-grubbing husband Frank tries to contest the will. He also went to Columbia and owns a townhouse that appears to Sophie to be tastefully decorated. In fact, he reminds Sophie of Wolf. What’s the story with Bennett?

 

Bennett is well-educated and his parents raised him to be a gentleman. However, he is a professional gambler. Like some gamblers, he does very well from time to time but he loses big, too. He was smart enough to invest in a high-end townhouse after some substantial wins. But rumors don’t always favor gamblers and there are those who don’t trust him.

 

Why didn’t Natasha tell her mother about her half-sister?

 

Natasha’s father abandoned her and her mother when Natasha was seven. It was the turning point of her life and drives almost everything she does. She has looked for him her entire life. To discover that he had married someone else and had another daughter was an enormous blow to her. She was glad he was alive, but on the other hand, it verified her deepest pain of abandonment. In her mind, they weren’t good enough for him and he had to start another family. She put off telling her mother because she knew how painful it would be for her mom to realize that.

 

Do you approve of shrimp served in the shell dressed in spices and without deveining it?

 

Shh. Yes, I have done that. And you have probably eaten it that way and didn’t think about it. I have to say that each time I do that, it’s gone in the blink of an eye. The diner can devein when removing the shell.

 

Why didn’t Sophie have charges brought against Frank’s horrible mother Carmela, who punched Sophie and gave her the first of two black eyes? That woman needed to be put in jail!

 

She probably should have, but we all know Carmela is about to face a lot of other problems, some of which may put her in jail anyway.

 

First Alex German, and now Peter Chryssos. Will Sophie ever find a man?

 

Poor Sophie. She really has no luck with men. And possibly worse, it’s getting to be dangerous to date her!

 

So are rum-runners slushy drinks like Lynchburg Lemonades?

 

I don’t think they have to be slushy, but they’re delicious!

 

How would anyone be able to eat chocolate cheesecake after pizza?

 

LOL! Maybe they just eat a little of each?

 

What is the true story about Portugal’s Crown jewels?

 

In 2002, some of the crown jewels were on loan to a museum in the Hague, along with jewels from other nations. In an incredible heist, thieves managed to elude the security system and steal the most valuable items. To this day they have not been caught. It’s believed that the jewels are unlikely to turn up because most of them had been widely photographed and were quite easily recognizable.

 

What’s next for Sophie and her gang?

 

Next up, The Diva Says Cheesecake! Which I am working on right now.

 

Thanks for the interview, Krista—it’s always a fun topped with a great read!