September: A Season for Reading by Teresa Inge

As summer ends and September arrives with cooler mornings and shorter days, our routines change, encouraging us to slow down, reflect, and read a good book.
Whether you're a student cracking open textbooks or a mystery reader reaching for a cozy paperback, September feels like the unofficial start of the reading season. With the beach reads tucked away, deeper, more intriguing stories emerge, accompanied by a warm beverage and a cozy blanket.

Why September is Made for Reading

• Weather That Whispers “Stay In”: Cooler evenings and rainy afternoons practically beg for a reading nook. The sound of pages turning becomes the soundtrack to a slower, more intentional pace.

• New Releases: Many new releases come out in September, offering fresh content. It’s a great month to explore new genres and authors.

• Book Clubs: Join a book club, as many resume in September and offer valuable opportunities for community engagement.

What to Read This Month

• Cozy Mysteries: The transition from summer to fall creates a cozy atmosphere ideal for reading quirky characters, small towns, and just enough suspense to keep you guessing.

• Seasonal Reading: Choose books that reflect the mood of a specific season like fall, winter, or that season’s particular holidays.

• Memoirs and Reflections: September is a season for reading and reflection due to the transition to fall, a season often associated with introspection. Reflecting on the year’s progress can motivate personal and professional development.

As September calls us in from Summer’s playground and prepares us for fall and winter, it’s a great time to choose books that reflect the season’s atmosphere. Take advantage of the cooler months to enjoy some reading.  

The Times They Are A-Changing by Debra H. Goldstein

The Times They Are A-Changing by Debra H. Goldstein

Bob Dylan wrote his anthem styled tribute to the way the world was changing in the 1960’s. It’s lyrics ring true today, but this isn’t a political blog post. Rather, it is an observation of the changes in publishing and how authors are pivoting to stay relevant (and published).

When I began writing seriously a decade ago, my first books were characterized as academic or traditional mysteries. My Sarah Blair series was marketed as being cozy. The first two books I wrote were orphaned by their respective publishers, which necessitated me writing something different or give up writing. That’s when I came up with Sarah Blair, a woman more frightened of the kitchen than murder.

I was thrilled when Kensington made me an offer for my cozy, One Taste Too Many. I felt blessed. I didn’t know how much that was true until I started hearing about another publisher who was phasing out their cozy line of books resulting in authors scrambling for new homes. Most didn’t find one.

Some gave up writing. Others turned to self-publishing. Many began writing stand-alone suspense and light thrillers. Today, authors of these kind of books are pivoting again because they are discovering that the demand is for more over the top action in mysteries and romantasy.

Does it reflect readers’ desire for escapism? Is it a marketing analysis strategy? I don’t know. All I’m certain of is that The Times They Are A-Changing. 

Hopefully, we’ll find a way to keep you as a reader. But tell us, what kind of books do you want to read and why?

VACATIONING WITH MY MUSE

by Korina Moss

Recently, one of my yet-to-be published writer friends asked me what the biggest difference was in my writing life since getting published. The answer came to me while I was on vacation… and working on my book.

I used to wait for my muse to show up before even opening my laptop. Was I feeling creative that day? Did I have several free hours in front of me to write? Sometimes I’d get started, but if the words weren’t flowing from my fingertips, I’d find myself playing virtual solitaire or scrolling through social media. Hence, it took me years to finish a book. The quickest I'd finished a manuscript before starting this series was ten months, and that was only because my agent was expecting it.

Being under contract, I no longer have the luxury of waiting for my muse. Now I summon her, even if I only have thirty minutes and not the whole afternoon. Still, she doesn’t always show up, but I can no longer let writer’s block stop me in my tracks. I must climb over it and put words on the page. They are usually very awful words that look like I’m writing a first grade primer—SEE SPOT RUN. But I’ve found even clumsy thoughts contribute to my progress by advancing the plot and keeping the story in the forefront of my mind. And they invariably turn into better words on another day when my muse has decided to make an appearance. She’s fickle that way.  

Since I’d handed in my third book in May and my editor gave me a date when I’d get it back with suggested revisions, I booked a last-minute trip for my son and me to celebrate his high school graduation. With only three weeks until our cruise, I was certain I’d have no impending deadlines – it would be smooth sailing! 

But as I’d written about in a post last September, “The Juggling Act of Being an Author,” there are many stages in a book’s production. And sure enough, I received the ‘first pass’ pages for my second book, Gone For Gouda, which would be due while I was away. ‘First pass’ pages are when your book has gone through the copy editing and proofreading stages and is now formatted. It’s the last chance to spot any errors—not something I could rush through in the week of chaos between my son’s graduation and our trip. Hence, Gone For Gouda was not gone for good—it came with me. Luckily, a cruise vacation has plenty of down time and I was able to finish it days early and without much interruption of our fun. I even started outlining my next project while onboard.

Not every writer is the same. Many can write more quickly than I can or have better organizational skills or have found a better work-life balance than I have thus far. However, something we all have in common is deadlines, which means if you become a published author, your muse just might have to go on vacation with you.  

  

Readers: Are you able to successfully leave your cares behind when you go away on a trip? 

CELEBRATING WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, & A GIVEAWAY!

by Korina Moss

I can’t believe it’s been over two months since the release of Cheddar Off Dead. A hectic yet wonderful whirlwind of activity surrounded my first Launch Day, culminating in a book party thrown by my family. Except for the date, all the details were kept top secret from me. My son and I arrived from Connecticut and thought we’d stepped into my fictional town of Yarrow Glen in the Sonoma Valley. (In actuality, it was my sister’s backyard in upstate New York.) A skull-decorated faux cheddar wheel with a large knife sticking out of it mimicked my book cover, and the cake looked like a real book. Even Loretta, my protagonist Willa’s flamboyant fish, made an appearance (in the form of my niece’s fish). 

The wine flowed, and everyone partook in gorgeous charcuterie boards and wonderful cheeseboard pairings. I happily signed books and met some new readers. I received some thoughtful gifts, including an apron and a cheeseboard with the name of Willa’s cheese shop, Curds & Whey. One of my sisters made me another apron quoting Willa: “I firmly believe most of life’s problems can be solved with cheese.” It was a fabulous day of celebration that I’ll never forget.

Speaking of celebrations, June is my birthday month, so I want to celebrate it by giving back to my most loyal readers. I’m holding a Subscriber Gratitude Giveaway. The giveaway will include four summer cheeseboard cards, a Good Vibes journal, and signed bookmarks. Only those who subscribe to my free monthly #TeamCheese newsletter before June 20th will be entered to win. You can subscribe via my website at korinamossauthor.com. The winner will be announced on my social media and in July’s newsletter. 

I’m already thinking ahead about fun ways to launch Book 2 in my Cheese Shop Mystery series. It’s only three months until Gone For Gouda releases. Here’s what’s happening with Willa and her Curds & Whey crew: 

Things are going from gouda to bad to ugly for cheesemonger Willa Bauer in Gone for Gouda. 

Yarrow Glen’s newest cheese shop, Curds & Whey, has a lot on its plate, but cheesemonger Willa Bauer relishes a challenge. There’s a float to build for the fall festival, plus the French-inspired cheese shop is playing host to celebrity vegan chef Phoebe Winston. But when photos surface that prove this vegan influencer is, in fact, a carnivore, things crumble faster than any cheese on the market: Phoebe is murdered. Willa’s employee, the affable Archie, was the last one to see Phoebe alive and the first person the police suspect. To clear his name, Willa must uncover who’s been up to no gouda...

Readers: Tell me about your favorite party!

Go to my website to order Cheddar Off Dead and Gone for Gouda and subscribe to my newsletter. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram. 

On the Need to be Funny By Jennifer J. Chow

I write humorous cozy mysteries, and I embrace that fact. Murder and mirth: Do they go together? I’d like to think so—and not only because I write them. I’ve heard morticians and paramedics talk about using morbid humor to get them through tense situations. Comedy can act as a balm.

Growing up, I was definitely not the class clown, but I appreciated humor in my life. I admired wit from my family, friends, and through books. Back then, I never would have imagined that one of my books (Mimi Lee Gets A Clue) would be nominated for a Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery.

Recently, I’ve even been asked to sit on panels on being funny. I did a virtual event on July 20 with other bloggers from Chicks on the Case called, “A Killer Sense of Humor: Adding Mirth to Murder Mysteries.” I was also on the Killer Humor Cozy Panel (August 13, 2021) sponsored by Murder by the Book.

Even as I participated in these events, I also made sure to jot down advice from the other panelists.

How do we insert humor into our novels? Some ideas are:

·         Add humor—but not too close to the actual murder

·         On the other hand, kill those whom you love to hate

·         Use realistic observations but go at them sideways (like a stand-up comic)

·         Throw in funny situations, even veering into slapstick if you want

·         Subvert readers’ expectations: set them up for something and then do the opposite (a.k.a. go for the punchline twist)

·         Make characters witty: people (or animals) in books can have witty internal thoughts or external chatter

In the end, humor is subjective. That’s why it’s super helpful to have beta readers, critique partners, and editors reel in the joking.

However, I do try to make myself chuckle while I’m writing. For me, that’s a good barometer of achieving humor. And the sweetest reward is when others agree, like Katie’s Cottage Books. Katie said of Mimi Lee Gets A Clue:  “5 laugh out loud stars!” and “I was reading this book at the bakery and laughing so hard, the random guy at the next table asked me, if I was ok!”

What tickles your funny bone? 

Mahogany Staircases and Pocket Doors by Susan Van Kirk

I’ve never had a great memory, but for some reason I can recall the street addresses of every house in which I’ve lived. Some of those homes and addresses have stuck around in my subconscious, and others have ended up in my mysteries. But all have been in small towns in downstate Illinois.

People move more these days than they did when I was growing up—into different houses, across the country, over oceans. But in the 1950s, my family had their first house in the town of Galesburg, Illinois. 692 North Kellogg Street. We stayed in that house until I was in college. It no longer exists because it was razed in the mid-1960s to build a hospital parking lot. But in my mind, I can still see every nook and cranny, every pattern on the wallpaper, the living room drapes, the layout of the rooms, the office my dad added on for his tax business, and the backyard where I used to play with neighborhood friends. I can even visualize the cherry tree in that back yard, although none of this exists anymore. It’s only in my mind.

When my husband and I bought our first house in Monmouth, Illinois—215 West Broadway—I  knew—a gut feeling—when I walked through the rooms that this was the home for me. It wasn’t until much later that I realized the layout of the rooms was exactly like the house where I grew up at 692 North Kellogg. Subconsciously, the familiarity and comfort of that pattern led to our decision to buy.

Before we bought that home, we lived in an apartment in a huge Victorian that has been a major setting in both my Endurance mysteries and my Sweet Iron mysteries. (The photo above shows an entrance on the left side that was gone by the time we lived there.) 402 West Broadway. It was built in the late 1800s by Charles Barnes and became known as the Allen house since John C. Allen was the longest resident. He was a self-made millionaire who owned a huge department store in downtown Monmouth with so many doors it had five different addresses. His business drew customers from as far away as Chicago and St. Louis.

I’ve investigated the history and owners of that house at 402. One scene in my Endurance mysteries came right out of real life. At the County Clerk’s office I asked for the late 1800s plat book for that property so I could see the history of the land, the owners, and the house. The clerk brought it down from some nondescript dark recess “upstairs” and dropped it on the counter as a huge plume of dust flew in every direction. Both the home that Jeff Maitlin bought in Marry in Haste and Tippitt House in A Death at Tippitt Pond are based on this amazing Victorian house. The attic on the top floor was actually a ballroom, and a magnificent mahogany staircase rose to the ballroom in the front of the house. A servant’s entrance and stairway were near the back of the house just off the kitchen. (The photograph below was from a postcard picture of the house.) 

When we lived there in the late 1960s, our apartment took up the entire first floor. To give you an idea of size, ten feet longer north to south and it would have been the length of a bowling alley lane. It had gorgeous wooden pocket doors that opened into the front foyer, an entrance with stained glass windows where people probably left calling cards in the 19th century. Black gas fixtures were still in the walls from the date when they changed from candles to gas lighting. Four other apartments were above us on the second and third floors. Imagine a family with six children, like the Allens, living in this vast house built as a family home. Although it didn’t have a carriage house on the north side, I added one to my book just for fun.

Alas, 402 went the way of many huge homes that eventually became money pits. It was razed in 1990, and only the cement steps from the street to the sidewalk remain. But during the time we lived there, I thought about the details and the many changes that had taken place between the 1890s and 1972. 402 was quite the Victorian lady, a trifle dowdy in her old age, and, sadly, living way beyond her prime.   

And Now a Few Words for Small Towns

Recently I watched a Netflix series called “Virgin River,” a 10-part series based on books by writer Robyn Carr. I found myself drawn to it by its interesting characters, great dialogue, suspense, romance, and small-town setting. Virgin River is the story of a woman who leaves Los Angeles and moves to the remote town of Virgin River in northern California to restart her life. She is a nurse practitioner and takes a job with the local doctor, a curmudgeon played by Tim Matheson. She has a past, as do many of the other characters in the town, and the plot is filled with both danger and romance. It has been so popular that the second season is already filmed.

What caught my interest was the setting of Virgin River, California—the town, its culture and expectations, and the human relationships that gave it “a sense of place.” I understood and felt comfortable in that town with its characters—some with a huge sense of decency and selflessness, and others guided by money, fear, or their pasts. Of course, there was also the gossip of the residents that flew faster than the internet. It felt like a familiar place.

For Robert Frost, a sense of place was New England with its birches, snow, pastures, and streams. For William Faulkner, it was the South with its brooding knowledge of the past. John Steinbeck’s sense of place was the California arroyos and Hoovervilles of the Great Depression. For Nathanial Hawthorne, the Salem area with its witches and dark forest provided a setting that resonated with good and evil.

Sometimes I wonder if we have lost—in this amazingly interconnected and digital world—a sense of place. Some might call it a sense of “home.”

The city square in my town

 The mysteries I write are heavily guided by a sense of place. Three different fictional towns—Endurance, Sweet Iron, and soon Apple Grove, are small Illinois towns that have the culture where I grew up and currently live. The stories that resonate remind me of how comforting it is to be surrounded by the familiar. A farmer dies in a farming accident and his neighbors organize to help bring in the crops. Recognized names and places, local politics, and even obituaries of familiar family names form a subconscious framework for my life. The thoughts that appear in my stories are products of seventy-three years in the same area among familiar people, names, and events. It is not the East or West coasts; it is the heartland.

My children grew up in the small town where I still live. They have memories of their neighborhood

A block from my house, this tree-covered street

with back door neighbors, pick-up games of baseball in the yard, walking to and from school, and weekend evenings at the local roller rink. When one of them drove his hot wheels off the neighbor’s porch thinking he was one of the Dukes of Hazzard, all the doors opened, and everyone rushed to see what the noise was after he hit the sidewalk. Another one rode her tricycle down the middle of our busy street to go shopping downtown at age four. A local cab driver brought her back unharmed—fortunately to the next-door neighbor’s house since I would have died of embarrassment at her escape. (It seems I have a lot to live down.) Small towns.

An overview of the town
square, which is really a circle

My newest book, a story set in the small town of Apple Grove is almost done, and it, too, has a small-town atmosphere. A young woman returns to her town after years away in a large city and discovers some of these joys that she had missed. Like her, I spent several winters away in an urban area, shared the freeways with thousands of cars, stood in lines with total strangers, and lived in a neighborhood with people I never saw or met.

Despite the joys of living in the heartland, secrets, the past, and murder still turn up in my mysteries.

A sense of place. Small towns. There is something to be said for that.

The Lila Maclean Mysteries: Hilarious, with a Body or Two by Susan Van Kirk

When I read Semester of Our Discontent by Cynthia Kuhn, I knew her series was for me. While I

taught as a lowly adjunct at a liberal arts college, Cynthia was in the university tenure track wars

as a professor several states away. I could stay safely on the sidelines and watch the drama of the

faculty while she was in the middle of it all. In short, I identified with her amateur sleuth and

cozy series featuring English professor Lila Maclean.

I interviewed Cynthia for an upcoming newsletter, but I had planned to meet her at Left Coast Crime to seal the deal and discover my typos. Alas, that didn’t happen. I thought the least I could do was reach out to our audience and tell them about Cynthia’s award-winning books.

Let me tell you a bit about the series overall, and then briefly describe her four books and her almost-here fifth. The tone of her stories is light and humorous. I found myself laughing a lot.

The Lila Maclean series is anchored at prestigious Stonedale University, a place close enough to the ski ranges that students won’t be bored on the weekends. While Stonedale has the usual noble goals and Latin inscriptions chiseled over the entrances of its huge stone buildings, it also has the rigid rules, turf wars, cutthroat camaraderie, an understood pecking order, and the big faculty egos and self-important staff members. If you’ve gone to a college or taught in one, you’ll recognize these juicy conflicts.

You’ll be able to cheer Lila on because she is a lover of good books, especially mysteries, and has a penchant for finding dead bodies and hidden secrets. Several characters appear throughout her series, but these two are important. She has a humorous on-again-off-again romance with Detective Lex Archer, who first suspects she is a killer, and a complex relationship with her wild artist mother, Violet, who would feel at home leading a vortex tour of Sedona, Arizona. Other characters come in and out, some permanently out.

Here are her light, but murderous, Lila Maclean books:

The Semester of Our Discontent (2016) introduces the series. Lila Maclean is joyous when she gets a job at Stonedale University, a prestigious school in the mountains of Colorado. But when she finds the murdered body of one of her colleagues, she must use her brain and instincts to avoid becoming the next victim. The local detective has her on his radar, and her fellow colleagues begin to wonder when another body is found—again by Lila. Is she a murder victim magnet? A strange symbol and a nemesis in the shadows will be dangers that threaten her life. This book won an Agatha for Best First Novel.

You an read Elaine's interview on WWK with Cynthia about this book here.

The Art of Vanishing (2017) When author and serious womanizer, Damon Von Tussel, is selected to head Arts Week at Stonedale, Lila is asked to interview him. Strangely, he vanishes right before her eyes. That’s when the sinister events begin. Where did he go? What will the English Department do since Von Tussel is their headliner? Strange messages, thefts, and unexpected events draw Lila into the middle of it all. Then, her mother, Violet, who is Von Tussel’s ex-, shows up to create even more chaos. Can Lila keep her own mother safe with people vanishing all around them? Nominated for a Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery. You can read Elaine's interview with Cynthia about this book here.

The Spirit in Question (2018) Lila agrees to be a consultant on the Stonedale Foreword Indies Book of the Year Awards Finalist, Mystery

play to be produced in the crumbling campus theatre. It is called “Puzzled: The Musical,” and that is exactly what it is: an incomprehensible muddle that will be a disaster. On top of that, the theatre appears to be haunted. Of course, like all crumbling theatre mysteries, there’s a dark history behind the theatre building. Murder, as might be predicted in a Kuhn mystery, happens center stage. Plenty of antagonists appear in this plot: the local historical society that wants to save the theatre, a psychic, the ghost, and a paranormal search squad (shades of “Ghostbusters” without ectoplasmic splatter?) Lefty Award Nominee for Best Humorous Mystery and Foreword Indies Book of the Year Awards Finalist, Mystery  You can read Elaine's interview with Cynthia about this book here.

The Subject of Malice (2019) Lila is attending Malice in the Mountains, a book conference at Tattered Star Ranch. Because of her tenure requirements, Lila has a huge job to do at this conference. She must find a publisher who’ll agree to publish her book, speak impressively on her academic panel, and manage to avoid a nemesis. Detective Lex Archer asks for her help, so now she has an added job which involves keeping her other colleagues alive when an influential scholar is murdered. Nominated for a Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery. You can read Elaine's interview with Cynthia about this book here.

The Study of Secrets (May 2020) This one I haven’t yet read. Here is the description from the advertising: There could be nowhere more fitting for English professor Lila Maclean to spend her sabbatical than in a proper Victorian mansion. The whimsical Callahan House

seems to have materialized from the pages of the mystery novels she is researching, with its enchanting towers, cozy nooks, and charming library. Unfortunately, it also features a body in the study.

Residents of Larkston have long believed that the Callahan family is cursed—the murder on the estate sets the town buzzing. Wild rumors are fueled by a gossipy blogger who delights in speculation, and further crimes only intensify the whispers and suspicions. A newly discovered manuscript, however, appears to expose startling facts beneath the fictions. When Lila steps in to sort the truth from the lies, it may cost her everything, as someone wants to make dead certain that their secrets stay hidden.

Murder Most Refined: Dispatching victims with panache by Arlene Kay

Most traditional or cozy mysteries (think Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers or Elizabeth Peters) are character driven and avoid gruesome scenes of torture or the astonishing array of weaponry found in thrillers. Bodies fall of course, but they tend to do so in a genteel fashion with a minimum of gore. Very often, common household items are put to good use by an imaginative murderer. Poisons, said to be a woman’s method, are almost a trope in modern novels, although science continues to provide some intriguing options. Powdered caffeine, for instance, is readily available at health food stores and on-line. A teaspoon of this seemingly innocuous substance can induce a fatal heart attack in an alarmingly short period of time without arousing suspicion.

Similarly, although leaching nicotine from cigarettes is a nasty habit, nicotine can produce deadly effects if it is directly absorbed into the skin. In one of my novels, the murderer mixed liquid nicotine into a conditioning hair pack, applied it to the unwitting victim’s scalp, and returned an hour later to “discover” the corpse. Quel dommage!

These unseemly but essentially bloodless ways of dispatching an antagonist are still within the bounds of both traditional and edgier cozy mysteries. Kitchen knives, dog leashes, fire extinguishers, meat thermometers, and the trusty blunt object are the type of weaponry that any one of us could obtain and use without possessing specialized skills.

In my opinion, the lure of characters with martial arts, sharpshooting, and acrobatic skills is greatly exaggerated and almost beside the point. A gentle rooftop shove achieves the same goal as the artillery used by macho men in more muscular novels. Thus, in cozy mysteries, a villain’s age, gender, or physical limitations are never barriers to committing an almost perfect crime. Dead is dead, as they say.

I believe that the keys to a successful mystery lie in motive and character rather than method. Readers expect the author to furnish clues and craft scenarios that allow them to solve the murder and unmask the killer. Period. No need to pepper the narrative with excruciating detail or dwell on the pain of victims, many of whom tend to be female. For me, the most chilling villains are the ordinary ones. Jemma, the homeroom mom; Joe, the earnest neighbor; or Mary, the syrupy sweet boss; are types familiar to us all. Indeed they may live next door or even WITH you. When the mask of evil is lifted, these mundane killers shake us to our core. Recall that the BTK killer was a cub-scout leader and the president of his church council. Theodore Bundy volunteered at a suicide help line and several “angels of death” served as friendly, sympathetic, hospital nurses.

It thrills me when readers lament that they “really liked” the culprit in one of my novels. That means that I sculpted a believable character with one unfortunate flaw—a willingness to kill. Although murder, that most grievous offense against society must be treated seriously, many readers appreciate novels that substitute a soupcon of wit for blood and vulgarity. Rest assured. Victims will still be avenged and killers caught. Even the most genteel mysteries are still morality plays.

Crime fiction serves up a menu with something for everyone. Whether traditional, police procedural, thriller, or hard-boiled, mysteries continue to delight and intrigue their readers. But for those who prefer murder most refined, nothing beats engaging one’s “little grey cells” to solve the crime

 

Bio: Former Treasury Executive Arlene Kay renounced her bureaucratic ways in order to craft clever slightly snarky novels of mystery and romantic suspense. She is the published author of nine novels, including the Creature Comforts series for Kensington Publishing. Arlene, a voracious reader and passionate animal advocate, can be reached at https://arlenekay.com.

Social Media Drain by Debra H. Goldstein

Social Media Drain by Debra H. Goldstein

I’m worn out. Recently, the second book in my Sarah Blair mystery series, Two Bites Too Many, was published. The beautiful cover, binding, editing, and technical “stuff” was handled by my publisher, Kensington, but most PR fell to me. Consequently, for the past month I’ve blogged, liked, posted, tweeted, retweeted, pinned, pushed, and whatever else I could think to do.

I’m tired.

And, I don’t know if it’s done any good. Let’s be honest, I’m not a Janet Evanovich, Diane Mott Davidson, or Carolyn Hart. People who read the light mysteries I write know their names, but what

has my social media foray accomplished for Debra H. Goldstein?

If you Google me and leave out the “H,” you’ll find there are several Debra Goldsteins. One is a literary agent and author, two are physicians, one is known for her artwork, and a younger, blonder, thinner one has written several books on text flirting. Maybe I should work the latter one’s specialty into one of my future books in order to get her fans to check out my work–it’s something I haven’t tried, yet.

I’ve asked my friends who also are mid-listers or bottom-rungers what works for them, but the reality is we don’t know. Experts say it changes constantly or is different based upon the age of the target market. What do you think? Do the efforts we put into social media help you identify us or make you want to read our books? 

I’m interested in hearing your thoughts – but it may be tomorrow before I read them. I’m social media drained tonight.

An Interview with Debra H. Goldstein by E. B. Davis

Far from a domestic goddess, Sarah Blair would rather catch bad guys than slave over a hot stove. But when a dangerous murder boils over in Wheaton, Alabama, catching the killer means leaving her comfort zone …

Things are finally looking up for Sarah Blair following her unsavory divorce. Settled into a cozy carriage house with her sassy Siamese cat, RahRah, she has somehow managed to hang on to her modest law firm receptionist job and—if befriending flea-bitten strays at the local animal shelter counts—lead a thriving social life. For once, Sarah almost has it together more than her enterprising twin, Emily, a professional chef whose efforts to open a gourmet restaurant have hit a real dead end …

When the president of the town bank and city council is murdered after icing Emily’s business plans, all eyes are on the one person who left the scene with blood on her hands—the Blair girls’ sharp-tongued mother, Maybelle. Determined to get her mom off the hook ASAP, Sarah must collect the ingredients of a deadly crime to bring the true culprit to justice. But as neighbors turn against her family, can she pare down the suspects before another victim lands on the chopping block?

Amazon.com

In Two Bites Too Many, Debra H. Goldstein’s character development exceeded all my expectations. Her main character, Sarah Blair, steps up as a leader to get her mother off the suspect list, help her chef sister, Emily, back into her own restaurant, and solve a murder, which her boss insists she leave to the professionals. More fool he, as he discovers in the last chapters, which I quite liked.

But that is all about Sarah. Debra gives readers a more detailed portrait of Maybelle, Sarah and Emily’s mother. Emily seems more human, a closer in personality to Sarah, and less of a paragon. It was a pleasure to get to know these characters in greater detail as they are recurring secondary characters who at times support Sarah, and at other times, seem to combat her.

Here’s the link for my interview with Debra about the first in her series, One Taste Too Many. Please ask Debra questions about her series I may have missed in our comments link at the end of this interview.                                            E. B. Davis 

RahRah, now Sarah’s cat, inherited the carriage house, in which Sarah and RahRah live. Did RahRah also inherit the big house on the property? Was it the home Sarah lived in with her ex, or was it her ex-mother-in-law’s house?

When Sarah’s ex-husband brought his mother to Wheaton, he didn’t have the financial ability to buy the kind of Main Street property he wanted – but his mother did. Although she was the majority owner of both houses, Bill, because he was allergic to cats and a rat, installed his mother and RahRah in the carriage house while he and Sarah moved into the big house. When their marriage broke up, Sarah moved out of the house, but continued visiting Mother Blair and RahRah.

Sadly, Mother Blair died before the divorce was finalized. Bill, who was executor of her will, never probated it. Instead, he simply took over the property in its entirety. Consequently, Sarah didn’t know that the will gave her some property ownership and contained trust provisions for RahRah with her as trustee. After Bill’s death, despite the divorce, when the legal provisions of the wills were sorted out, RahRah ended up with the carriage house and Sarah with the big house.

I was a bit surprised Sarah agreed to let Emily and her chef and beau Marcus open a restaurant in the big house. Because the carriage house Sarah lives in with RahRah is located behind the property wouldn’t it be noisy? Wouldn’t they have to subdivide the lot to rezone the big house as a commercial property and leave the carriage house as a residential property?

Southern homesteads with pillared main houses, often boast smaller carriage homes or garage type buildings with second floor living quarters on the property. In Two Bites Too Many, it is made clear that the big house faces Main Street, which, through a vote of the council, has a multi-use designation that is resulting in many of the grand homes being converted to restaurants, apartments, and other business establishments. Based upon this, the lot didn’t need to be subdivided. As for any noise, the driveway winding back to the carriage house is quite long. The distance creates a natural sound buffer. For Sarah, compared to the efficiency apartment she previously lived in, being in the cozy carriage house with RahRah is like dying and going to heaven.

Why does Maybelle want her daughters to call her by her first name, rather than just “Mom?”

Maybelle went to a spa where without telephones, news, or interference from the outside world, she embraced the concept of positive energy flow. As Maybelle explains, “[m]y name means lovable. ….my guru told me the only way to obtain the best possible positive energy in my personal zone is to simplify everything. That includes the name I go by … Because the intensity of my flow translates into a force I use to help other people, I need you to call me by my given name, too.”

I’m trying to understand Sarah and Emily’s mother, Maybelle. On one hand, she’s forceful, leaning on the car horn to pick up Sarah. Then, Maybelle uses her guarantee with the banker to help persuade him to approve Emily and Marcus’s loan for the restaurant. But on the other hand, Sarah and Emily had to persuade Maybelle that she’d have to live to 150 to outlive her money, as if she were an insecure person. Clearly, she knows her place in the world. Why would a brass-tack sort of person like Maybelle not understand her own finances?

Maybelle understands her finances and business, but that doesn’t alleviate her emotional reactions. Although I didn’t quote statistics in Two Bites Too Many, I found several studies, including one performed by Allianz in 2016, that demonstrated individuals nearing retirement are more afraid of outliving resources than they are of death. I’ve known many widows who despite being financially solvent have this fear, so just as I decided there were readers who could identify with how Sarah is frightened of cooking from scratch, there would be others who would see a part of themselves in Maybelle.

Do small towns have a problem keeping members impartial? Usually, the most prominent people, who have means and ownership in town properties, serve on town councils.

In small towns, everyone knows everyone else. As you note, the people with means, ownership, and power often rise to the top of committees and council positions. Although some may accept these positions for personal benefit, many want to give back to the town they love. Those who epitomize the latter motives try to be fair and impartial because that is the only way to serve the public good.

When Jacob explains who Cliff is, Sarah is uncomfortable meeting him. But Jacob only said good things about Cliff. Why is Sarah uncomfortable?

Sarah is uncomfortable because her first interaction or observation of Cliff at the bank was of an angry and impulsive person. Not having reconciled what Jacob is saying with the menacing side of Cliff she saw; she prefers to avoid another encounter.

When Emily and Marcus’s loan doesn’t get approved, Emily takes a job with the competition against Marcus’s and Sarah’s opinion. Why is she so headstrong? Why does Sarah buyoff on Emily’s argument that Sarah doesn’t know the restaurant business, when Marcus knows the business and doesn’t agree with Emily?

Unlike Sarah, Emily has always been goal driven. Whether it is knowing she wanted to be a chef or problem-solving the financial problems caused by the loan not being approved, she isn’t going to let anything get in her way. She’s headstrong and opinionated, but part of that is driven by a good heart – she wants to ease their financial burden so their business can survive.

Even though Sarah may have qualms about Emily working for the competition, she knows Emily has her own restaurant knowledge gleaned from attending Culinary Institute of America and working in various restaurants. Plus, afraid Marcus’ thoughts might be colored by his jealousy of Thomas Howell coupled with her trust of her sister’s judgment, Sarah goes with the decision that supports blood being thicker than water.

Maybelle uses the Southern condescension of “Bless your heart.” Is she a true southern gal?

From her head to her toes!

Eloise, the victim’s long-time secretary, knows a lot more than she’s saying. Why doesn’t she speak her mind?

Eloise comes from the private secretary or assistant era where confidentiality and loyalty were prized. Even though she knows a lot more than she’s saying, the moral code she operates under lets her drop hints or guide situations without being overt (Think Mad Men).

Sarah’s boss, lawyer Harlan Endicott, talks to her about her future. Does he have a specific path he wants her to follow? Does he have an agenda?

Harlan cares for Sarah. While he may have a romantic interest in her, his main goal is to encourage her to grow from the woman he hired who was always afraid of being fired to one who is comfortable in her own shoes. Whether she continues working for him, goes back to school, or explores other opportunities, he wants the best for her. The only specific path or agenda he has, which he repeatedly shares with her, is his wish that she’d leave solving murders to the professionals.

What attracts Sarah to Thomas Howell, owner of the Howellian Hotel?

His hands – he has beautiful hands with long tapered fingers.

Why is it unnatural for Sarah to be demonstrative and caring?

At heart, Sarah is an introvert. She cares about people, but has difficulty being warm and fuzzy. It could be argued that what happened with Bill and in other instances in her adult life made her afraid of reaching out and being hurt, even when she does things because of her caring nature, but I think not being a hugger is just part of her personality. Emily, her twin, was exposed to the same things growing up, but from childhood, she always has been the popular outgoing cheerleader type. They are polar opposites, so there really isn’t a reason either sister is as she is.

How does Sarah determine the acting Police Chief Gerard isn’t a professional?

Sarah has a bias against acting Police Chief Gerard from when, as a desk officer in One Taste Too Many, he kept her from seeing her sister for over an hour. In Two Bites Too Many, she observes him walking around a crime scene in a way that she believes would fail to preserve it. More importantly, she feels, as he has had her sister and mother in his sights, that he jumps to easy conclusions --- conclusions which are to the significant detriment of her family members.

In a town with few experienced police, is it strange that Wheaton has a professional crime tech, forensic investigator and coroner in Dr. David Smith?

In small towns, the coroner often is a physician appointed or elected to the job. Wheaton is a little unusual. Fifteen minutes from Birmingham, where there is one of the biggest teaching hospitals in the Southeast (UAB) and an undergraduate school which offers a criminal justice degree, it isn’t surprising that a well-trained doctor, who likes small towns (perhaps to pay off his student loans), decided to find a place to live where he could combine his rural and urban interests.

Why doesn’t Sarah believe in White Knights?

Because Sarah has been burnt in love and life, she believes it is difficult for a White Knight to stay atop his steed. Married at eighteen, she never imagined she’d be divorced by twenty-eight because the love of her life found someone else. She also has seen that not everyone is what they seem.

Emily acts out of character, Sarah notices. What does that indicate to Sarah?

When Emily acts out of character, Sarah becomes unsure of her sister and herself. Emily always has been driven, goal-oriented, and had a good head on her shoulders. When she jumps to work at the Howellian without weighing the consequences of her actions or negotiating for a good contract, Sarah can’t put her finger exactly on it, but she knows something is amiss.

Sarah proposes YipYeow Day to benefit the local animal shelter. Is she finding her priorities?

Sarah unconditionally loves animals. Beginning in One Taste Too Many, she willingly gave up her Saturdays to be an animal shelter dog walker. This becomes a more pronounced activity, which helps define her to readers, in Two Bites Too Many. She may not be touchy feely with other humans, but rather than being a priority, her interaction with animals is purely instinctive.