An Interview With Linda Reilly

by Grace Topping

 

This past weekend, I attended the Malice Domestic Convention, the world’s largest gathering of traditional and cozy mystery fans and writers. It was at Malice many years ago that I met cozy mystery author Linda Reilly. Since then, I have enjoyed her mysteries and followed her series. Sadly, Linda wasn’t at Malice this year, but by the magic of email, she brought me up to date on what’s happening with her and answered my questions about the latest book in her Grilled Cheese Mystery Series, Brie Careful What You Wish For. 

 

 

Brie Careful What You Wish For

 

With the summer heat sizzling, grilled cheese restaurant owner Carly Hale is thrilled to have Ross Baxter delivering her sandwiches to local seniors. She's never met a more polite or hardworking young man, so she brushes it off when one of her more difficult customers complains about him. But when Ross returns to the woman's home to deliver her lunch and finds her dead body, he immediately becomes the prime suspect in her murder.

Carly soon learns that the victim had an estranged stepson and stepdaughter, both of whom needed money to get their lives back on track. Worse still, in her younger days the dead woman had a reputation for preying on other women's husbands, leaving broken marriages in her wake—and a list of suspects a mile long. But Ross's fingerprints were found on the murder weapon, leaving Carly hungry for any clue she can uncover to prove his innocence. Until she comes face-to-face with the killer, and realizes this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew . . .

                                                                                           www.lindareillyauthor.com

 

Welcome to Writers Who Kill, Linda.

 

What inspired you to write a series focused on murder and grilled cheese sandwiches?

 

Grilled cheese sandwiches have always been one of my primary comfort foods. As a kid, I was the pickiest eater on earth—I survived mostly on peanut butter sandwiches and grilled cheese. One day, when I was in second grade, my mom—bless her—made me a grilled cheese to bring to school with me. She grilled it and wrapped it in foil, hoping it would still be warm by lunchtime. Not only was it cold—it was soggy! I ate it, but it was pretty much a failed experiment. But I gave Mom a world of credit for trying.

 

Combining (fictional) murder with grilled cheese in a cozy mystery setting was a natural way for me to write about what I love best.

 

After writing four books in the Grilled Cheese Mystery series and including recipes in each book, has it become hard to find new combinations to include in future books? Where do you find new recipes? 

 

The recipes are always a challenge (in real life I’m not much of a chef), but grilled cheese is a food that lends itself to all sorts of combinations. As Carly says, “there’s no wrong way to make a grilled cheese!” Choose your bread, choose your cheese, and design your own version. You might just create magic.

 

Do you try all of the recipes yourself? Do fans ever send you recipes?

 

I do try all the recipes myself—except for the “Farmhouse Cheddar Sleeps With the Fishes.” That one’s your basic tuna melt, and I do not like fish. Fans have suggested ideas for recipes, but not actual recipes. The next book takes place during the Christmas season. I’m working on two recipes for grilled cheese sandwiches, both with holiday overtones—one of which might be made with (gulp) fruitcake. If anyone has suggestions, I would love to hear them!

 

Does Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery serve anything other than grilled cheese sandwiches?

 

When Carly first opened, it was grilled cheese varieties and tomato soup, with sides of chips and pickles. Very basic. But some customers wanted a healthy side, so her grill cook and aspiring chef, Grant Robinson, created a salad made from field greens, crumbled goat cheese, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds. With his special blend of dressing, it’s become an eatery favorite.

 

Of the sandwich recipes you’ve tried, do you have a favorite? Is there one your readers have most enjoyed? Dare I ask if there was one that readers didn’t like?

 

It’s hard to pin down my favorite, but Carly’s “Party Havarti” is high on the list. Havarti is a buttery, creamy cheese that makes a delectable sandwich. Carly uses sourdough bread to make hers, but any other bread can be substituted. In the series, Carly buys her bread from an artisan baker that mills the flour for their breads in their own stone mill.

 

A few readers have written to tell me how much they enjoyed testing the recipes, but I honestly can’t recall which ones were favorites. So far, no one’s claimed to have disliked one of the recipes.

 

The titles of your books are clever and rely on puns. Is it a challenge coming up with them?

 

In the Grilled Cheese series, the credit for the first three “punny” titles goes to the creative minds at Poisoned Pen Press. They were supportive, encouraging, and a joy to work with. The title for the most recent installment, Brie Careful What You Wish For, was suggested by one of my favorite readers. She is mentioned in the acknowledgements, and I am forever grateful to her.

 

You’ve also written the Deep Fried Mysteries, the Cat Lady Mysteries, and an Apple Mariani Mystery. Has it been hard to stop writing a series, or do you find after several books in a series you are ready to move on to another one?

 

Ending a series is hard when it’s the publisher’s choice and not your own. I’d have liked to continue the Deep Fried series for at least another two books, but Berkley discontinued it after three books. With Kensington Lyrical, I was fortunate enough to have five Cat Lady mysteries published. I was satisfied with that. I have toyed with ideas for a new series, but since my aging brain can only focus on one series at a time, it will have to be shelved until I can devote my full attention to it.

 

Do you have a favorite among your series?

 

Without a doubt, it’s the Grilled Cheese series. When I floated the idea to my agent, she thought it was a perfect concept for a cozy mystery, so it helped that I had her full support. Writing it brought me back to those childhood days when a grilled cheese always brought a smile to my face.

 

You only wrote one Apple Mariani Mystery—I presume because Five Star Publishing stopped publishing mysteries. Do you think you will ever pick that series up again?

 

I contemplated writing a follow-up mystery to Some Enchanted Murder, but the ideas weren’t flowing as readily as I’d hoped. In the meantime, I’d contracted with a larger publisher for the first three Deep Fried mysteries. At the time I had a demanding full-time job, so the new series was all I could handle. Apple Mariani’s character was truly special to me, but I don’t see myself trying to pick up the series so long after the first book was published.

 

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned since you first started writing?

 

It’s hard to narrow it down, but I’ve learned that the friendships I’ve made in the writing community are invaluable. I’m constantly humbled and honored by the support my fellow authors, and my readers, show me every day. It lifts my spirits and makes me want to hit the keyboard running!

 

What’s next for Carly Hale and the folks at Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery?

 

For starters, a new home for Carly and a wedding to plan. At thirty-three years old, she’ll be forced to make some serious decisions about having a family. Her newest employee might be harboring a secret. The publisher of the local free paper, until now a “lone wolf,” might have someone special stroll into his life. Without a crystal ball I can’t predict their futures, but I’m excited about taking the ride with them and seeing how it all turns out!

 

I want to thank Grace and all the authors at Writers Who Kill for giving me the opportunity to chat about myself and introduce my books.

 

Thank you, Linda. It was a pleasure catching up with you. I hope you will be at Malice next year.

 

 

You can learn more about Linda Reilly and her books at www.lindareillyauthor.com.

 

 

Grace Topping is the author of the Laura Bishop Mystery Series.

 

 

Linda Reilly Interview

Sometimes in this life, you have to fish or cut bait. After walking away from a miserable job and an even worse boyfriend, Talia Marby has no regrets. She’s returned to her hometown and is happy to help her dear friend Bea Lambert by working at Lambert’s Fish & Chips, a cornerstone of a charming shopping plaza designed to resemble an old English village.

But not all the shop owners are charming. Phil Turnbull has been pestering Bea to sign a petition against a new store opening up, and his constant badgering is enough to make her want to boil him in oil. When Talia and Bea stumble upon Turnbull murdered in his shop, the police suspect Bea. Now it’s up to Talia to fish around for clues and hook the real killer before her friend has to trade serving food for serving time . . .

http://lindasreilly.com/deepfried.html  

I’m visiting with Linda Reilly today. Linda interviewed with me two years ago after her first book, Some Enchanted Murder was released by Five Star. The book garnered a 2014 Silver Falchion Award nomination.

Berkley Prime Crime published Linda’s new book, Fillet of Murder, the first in the Fresh Fish-Foul Play mystery series. I wanted to catch up with Linda to find out about the new series, how it came about, and where she’s taking it.

Please welcome Linda Reilly back to WWK.           E. B. Davis

First, some background about your main character, Talia Marby. What was Talia’s major in college? Why is she circulating her resume for property management jobs?

Talia majored in business, mainly because she was young and didn’t know what direction she wanted her life to go in. As a business major, she could go in any of several directions. It was generic enough to serve her in a variety of professions. She stumbled on property management quite by accident when an interesting position fell into her lap. After she bailed on her fiancé and the horrible brokering job she’d accepted at his urging, it felt natural to seek another job in the profession she’d actually enjoyed—commercial property management.

Why and when did Bea and her husband come to this country from the UK?

The Lamberts emigrated from the UK in 1989. Like so many before them, they were seeking opportunity and a different (better?) way of life. Yet part of them missed their charming town of Edenbridge, in the county of Kent. When they spied the faux English shopping village in the town of Wrensdale, they knew it was a perfect locale to open a fish and chips shop.

Your setting is the Berkshires? I’m not familiar with them. Is this an area or a mountain range, like the Poconos?

The Berkshires are located in the westernmost part of Massachusetts. They are famed for their gently rolling hills and lush fall foliage, as well as a plethora of cultural sites. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge is a huge tourist draw, and Tanglewood, home of the Boston Pops, is another. Herman Melville lived in the Berkshires for a number of years, and it’s where he wrote Moby Dick. Many artists and musicians, such as Woody Guthrie, have made their homes in the Berkshires. Summer theatre is also popular. My mom and I were browsing in a tiny bookstore in Lenox last year, and we’re pretty sure we spied Olympia Dukakis poking through the bookshelves.

When Bea is accused of murder, Talia investigates. What makes Talia so protective of Bea?

Bea has always been like a second mother to Talia. Not that Talia’s real mom isn’t wonderful – she is. But Talia’s folks went through a rough patch when she was a teenager, and her part-time job at Lambert’s Fish & Chips gave her the break she desperately needed from the angst going on at home. Bea is childless, and has always thought of Talia as a kind of daughter. They bonded early on, and Talia never forgot Bea’s kindness to her.  She knows in her heart that Bea is not a killer, so she’s determined to clear her name and find the real killer.

Talia is at a pivotal time in her life. What precipitated these changes?

Like many unmarried women in their mid-thirties, Talia started to question where her life was headed. Did she want kids, a family? If so, how much longer could she wait? Technically, she was engaged to Chet . . . and yet they never talked about a wedding.  He’d urged her to apply for a job that turned out to be all wrong for her. When her boss started getting a little too creepy-feely for her, she decided it was time to go. Did Chet support her decision? No, he did not. So she chucked it all and headed back to her hometown, taking up residence in the darling bungalow where her recently deceased Nana had lived.

Talia never gives the reader an answer about why she capitulated to Chet during their relationship. Did she find the answer, or will that be revealed in a later book?

Talia capitulated to Chet because it was her nature to be non-confrontational. “Keep the peace,” was her clichéd motto, and “don’t rock the boat” was another. As an only child, she never learned the art of standing up for herself. She discovers her core strength – and her resourcefulness -- when she has to defend Bea; turns out it was there all along. Chet might pop up in a future book, but that remains to be seen.

Do you have BFF rules?

Nah. Just be the best friend you can be. That’s the only rule.

What is it about parental roles that inhibit adult relationships between their children and parents? When do the roles change? 

Judging by my own upbringing -- my parents are terrific people, but have always been excessively over-protective. My dad, who’s nearing ninety, still goes into panic mode every time I get onto the highway. Talia experienced a similar type of upbringing, which is why she doesn’t tell her folks all the bad stuff that’s happening to her. The roles change when the parents begin to fail, either mentally or physically. I think that’s when the role reversal kicks in.

Is there a supernatural element in the series or is Talia imagining Nana’s presence?

There is a slight supernatural element, but it’s so understated that a reader might wonder if it’s only a figment of Talia’s imagination. The fact is that her Nana is always with her, watching over her. Nana’s powerful presence is so loving that it occasionally seeps through to the earthly realm.

You were published by Five Star with Some Enchanted Murder. Two years later, you have a series with Berkley Prime Crime written under your own name. How did this come about?

In 2011, after Some Enchanted Murder was accepted by Five Star, I thought I’d reached the pinnacle. But I found myself struggling to construct the plot for book two—something I should have been way ahead on at that point. In the summer of 2012, Jen Stanley posted on the Guppies listserv that she occasionally hears of “write for hire” opportunities with Berkley. She asked writers to contact her privately if they were interested in trying out for such a gig. At that point I was toying with the idea of writing a culinary cozy series, so I contacted Jen. She responded immediately and referred me to her agent, Jessica Faust. Jessica asked me for some materials, which I immediately supplied. About two months later Jessica called me, offering representation. That was truly a surreal moment—I never thought I would ever have an agent! We talked about different themes, and we both loved the idea of the deep-fried eatery. I wrote a proposal (which took longer than I’d hoped), and in June 2013 I received the contract offer from Berkley for the Deep Fried Mystery series.

What’s next for Talia and Fry Me A Sliver? 

Talia is going to expand the physical dimensions of the eatery, but she’s also going to develop her relationship with the new guy in her life. Her expanded menu translates to new employees, and the two she hires will be a challenge, for sure. She’s also going to meet her elusive and mysterious landlord. And, of course, she’ll have to solve a few murders.

What is your background, Linda? Did you always write? What brought you into this industry?

I always loved books, and I always loved writing. But I never thought I could actually write something that was publishable. In college I majored in Criminal Justice with the idea of doing crime lab work, but my life actually took a twist when I needed a job and took a position as a paralegal with a small law firm. Real estate became my specialty, and I knew it was right for me. At some point during the 1980s, I discovered Woman’s World magazine. Their weekly mini-mysteries fascinated me, and I daydreamed that one day I might write one and submit it. Fast forward to the mid-1990s. Recently married, I strolled into our new B&N one day and spied a Writer’s Digest magazine with the blaring headline WRITING AFTER 40.  Huh. That was me, for sure. I bought it, and became enthralled with the idea of writing for publication. Within a year, I had my first short mystery accepted by Woman’s World. At that point I figured I could die happy. But once I’d achieved that tiny success, I wanted more. After that first one, I sold a lot more short stories, but knew that a full-length novel was what I truly craved. It took a long, long time to get to where I am now. I guess it’s been a 20-year journey.