Interview with Vickie Fee

What is the title of your newest book? How many books have you published? 

Vickie Fee

My next book, which will be released March 3, 2020, is titled My Fair Latte, the first in a new series. I have four books published in the Liv & Di in Dixie party planner mysteries (Death Crashes the Party; It's Your Party, Die If You Want To; One Fete in the Grave; Til Death Do Us Party.

Tell me about your new series. 
Old Movies, New Bones - And Coffee to Die For: The new series is Café Cinema mysteries, set in a tourist town in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains.

Broke, unemployed barista Halley unexpectedly inherits a timeworn movie theater and reopens it with a coffee bar showing classic films. Opening night’s premiere of My Fair Lady is a bit of movie magic until, faster than you can say Eliza Doolittle, a customer turns up dead. Apparently, the deceased wasn’t a very nice man and several people may have had reason to kill him – including Halley! (At least that’s the way the cops seem to see it.) Halley and her friends must find the killer or her new business, her new life, and budding romance in charming Utopia Springs could be DOA.

How did you develop your character and choose your location? 
I initially thought I wanted to do a new series that incorporated either old movies or coffee – then it occurred to me I could have both! So, Halley is an unemployed barista who unexpectedly inherits an old movie theater. The fictional tourist town of Utopia Springs was inspired by Eureka Springs, Arkansas in the Ozark Mountains. My husband and I have enjoyed some wonderful getaways there.

What books did you read as a child? 
I read Mystery on the Nine Mile Marsh by Mary C. Jane and Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. So many times, the librarian at my elementary school told me I couldn’t check them out again. (I was forced to get my classmates to check them out for me!)

What drew you to writing? 
I always enjoyed writing, but I first dreamed of being a professional writer in the fourth grade after taking first place in a national essay contest in my age category. The school principal announced my win over the loudspeaker and congratulated me with a box of candy. I was invited to read my winning essay on the local TV morning news program. And I won $25, which was a huge pile of cash to me at the time. I think that was the moment I decided writing might be a cool career!

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? 
Be patient. It will take longer to write a book, and longer to get published, than you imagine. But, it will be worth it.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
For this one, I did some initial research on baristas, movie theaters, and escape rooms. But, I do most of the research as questions come up during writing.

If you could invite five people – living or dead – to a dinner party, who would they be? 
1) Agatha Christie – I have questions for her; 2) the late Anne George, whose Southern Sisters mysteries, I think, are still the gold standard for the humorous Southern cozy; 3) Julia Child, who would also cook a fabulous dinner for us; 4) my husband, because I like to share experiences with him – and he’s a good host and dinner companion; and 5) George Clooney, who would serve dinner, bring wine, and be charming. (Hey, it’s my fantasy, right?) 

If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?I spent the better part of 20 years working as a reporter at small newspapers and I loved it. But, I had always wanted to write fiction, and editors take a dim view of that! So I started working on a mystery. My first two manuscripts went nowhere, but the third one landed me an agent and a publishing deal.