Interview with Gail Oust

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

Ginger Snapped, released in December 2017, is the fifth book of my Spice Shop Mystery series. I also wrote a 3-book cozy series called the Bunco Babe Mysteries which have been republished by Beyond the Page as the Kate McCall Mysteries and are available in e-book format. Before writing cozy mysteries, however, I was a romance writer and had nine historical romances published under the pseudonym of Elizabeth Turner.

How did you become interested in writing? 
Long before I even thought of writing a book, I was an avid reader. I confess that I think of myself more as a storyteller than a writer. Writing is simply a means to get the story inside my head down on paper.

What is a day in the life of an author like? Do you write a certain number of words? Do you write in the morning or evening? 
I generally start my writing day mid-morning by packing a lunch and heading downstairs to my office. I know if I’d come upstairs to eat I’d end up throwing in a load of wash, starting dinner, or any number of non-writing related tasks. When I have a deadline staring me in the face, I work until at least five o’clock. I don’t give myself a daily word count, but I do keep to a schedule and know exactly how far along I need to be chapter-wise to complete my work-in-progress on time.

Do you plot the entire book first, then write or plot as you go? 
I’ve done it both ways but found it’s less stressful if I have a longish synopsis to work from. I compare it to using a road map in planning a lengthy trip. GPS is great but I need a broader overview.

Do you use real people and places as models for your books? 
Some characters are entirely imaginary; others are a composite of people I’ve seen or met that fulfill my mental vision for that character. That said, I did use a good friend once who won a bid at a silent auction to become a character in a Spice Shop Mystery. She appeared in one book, then I killed her off in the next one. We’re still friends.

Who is your favorite author?
Good question. I really don’t have a ‘favorite’ author but have favorite books. Even when reading books by the same author, I find certain ones resonate with me more than others.

How do you promote your books? 
I’m not as media savvy as many authors and need to improve on that score. I’ve done various presentations and panels, but I’m too much of an introvert to enjoy this. Public speaking is just not my thing. What I do, however, is participate in a virtual blog tour and blogs such as yours. I believe this helps get the word out and targets the readers most likely to enjoy my books. I really do appreciate all bloggers, such as yourself, do on an author’s behalf.

For a review of Ginger Snapped, click here. 

Pawprints & Predicaments

A year ago, I don't think I would have read a mystery featuring dogs (Please don't hate me), but then I met Beau and things changed. You'll learn more about Beau on Friday on MapYourMystery.com.

In the meantime I dove right into Pawprints & Predicaments Bethany Blake. Daphne Templeton runs a petsitting business and is now in the process of open a bakery shop for pet treats. Right in the middle of her planning is the Sylvan Creek Winterfest highlighting her pet-friendly Pocono Mountain town.

TV producer Lauren Savidge decides she needs to film her show "America's Most Pet Friendly Towns" at various locales in town and also the Polar Bear Plunge during the Winterfest. Lauren's intrusive ways have rubbed many residents the wrong way and it is no surprise that she doesn't survive the polar plunge.

Daphne and a phantom St. Bernard dog drag a limp Lauren from the water. Once on land the dog escapes into the woods. He is the embodiment of the legendary St. Bernard known throughout Sylvan Creek. At first it appears she drowned in the confusion, but Detective Jonathan Black discovers blood on her head and calls it suspicious.

Of course there are many suspects including some of the town's quirkier residents as well as Lauren's own staff.  Although Daphne is warned by Detective Black to keep away from investigating. especially after her previous close calls. Daphne, not one to be quieted or controlled, continues investigating.

Pawprints and Predicaments has a little dog that loves to dress up in costumes; another dog, Socrates, who is the reincarnation of the great philosopher; and of course, the elusive St. Bernard.

The Lucky Paws Petsitting Mysteries are a fun series and I will have to go back and read the earlier ones. I'm looking forward to the next one and to see how Daphne manages the pet bakery.

The Spider Catchers

CIA analyst Lee Carruthers is drawn into a search for a missing aid worker in Morocco. What she finds is human trafficking, terrorist violence and much more in The Spider Catchers by Marilynn Larew.

Alicia Harmon, director of the Femme Aid Office in Fez, Morocco, has been missing for two weeks. In her most recent report, she wrote that she had found a funny link to terrorist money and she was trying to make the connection when she disappeared. Lee is ordered to Fez to discover what the connection could be.

Using all her local knowledge and her friends, she wanders the streets of Fez trying to gather information, but she is thwarted every step of the way. First by the U.S. Embassy in Rabat, then by a terrorist bomb in Fez. It seems a splinter group called the Pure Warriors of Islam is making inroads in Morocco through brothel violence, slave trafficking and terrorism.

When Lee is perilously close to a bomb explosion, she is more determined than ever to find the link Alicia had discovered. In Alicia apartment she finds death threats telling her "to stop asking questions." Not sure what it is Alicia had discovered or where the connection is, she keep poking and poking, hoping to shake out some news.

Things get crazier and crazier as Lee faces one challenge after another and finally discovers how the terrorists are receiving their money. The Spider Catchers is a terrifying look at how simple fundraising can go astray and how zealots can transform a country from a safe place to live to a hot spot.

Lee Carruthers is a tough character and I look forward to her next adventure.

Introducing Anything Can Happen Friday

Like many readers of the same genre, I feel the need to step out of my cozy mystery cocoon and read other books, see a movie or a play. That said, I will be introducing Anything Can Happen Friday (AHCF) on the blog where I will review books from other genres or a movie or a play or even publish a recipe from a book.

To introduce ACHF, I saw Hamilton last week. If you haven't seen Hamilton, you must see it.

The musical is like nothing you have ever seen before. For most people, Hamilton is the guy on the $10 bill. Some may know he was killed in a duel by Aaron Burr, but unless you are a history buff, you probably did not know how critical he was as aide de camp to General Washington, how important he was to passing the U.S. Constitution and finally his impact on the Federal Reserve. He makes a deal with the southern colonies to move the new US. capital to the south in exchange for keeping New York as the financial center, thus the birth of Wall Street.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the book, music and lyrics, is a genius. He has turned history into one of the most popular musicals in decades. He portrayed Hamilton as an inveterate letter writer, who wrote as if he was running out of time, a wise cracking smart aleck who sometimes spoke before he thought, but someone who was deeply committed to the birth of the United States, but whose own flaws lead to his death.

The other characters include an unremorseful King George II, who thinks the colonies will return to his "benevolent reign", a flashy Marquis de Lafayette, an elegant General George Washington and a competitive Thomas Jefferson.

The staging was creative and the music was emotionally powerful. Plus it was such fun to see people of all ages in the audience enjoying the show. I have heard Hamilton is leaving Chicago before the end of the year, so don't wait. See it now.

The Specter of Seduction

Fresh from their success in Alabama, Raissa James and Reginald Proctor are asked to come to Waverley Mansion, an antebellum home in Mississippi. The Specter of Seduction by Carolyn Haines is the third in the Pluto's Snitch series and it is the most diabolical.

The Sheridans have decided to renovate a crumbling down, but still gorgeous mansion in the wilds of Mississippi, but something seems to have taken hold of their eight-year old daughter Amanda. Her behavior is reminiscent of someone much older and she seems wild and untamed. Also she has an imaginary friend named Nan who seems to be leading Amanda down a distant and peculiar path.

The mansion property is fraught with Civil War history and betrayal. The original family known as the Norquist family had three sons and three daughters and lived comfortably and quietly before the war. Three years into the war a young woman named Nora Bailey came to live with the family and fell in love with Francis, the eldest son. As they were Southerners, the three sons were Confederate officers, but Nora would soon wreak havoc on their lives.  She had a voracious sexual appetite and had affairs with two of the brothers, the local doctor and who knows who else. She also was a Union spy and her mission was to gain knowledge of Confederate military plans, but was hanged as a spy at Waverley Mansion.

Her sexual appetite was felt on the property and it drew college age women from The Mississippi
College for Women, which was a problem as well in the current day. The Sheridans also fear for the soul of their daughter Amanda with so much turbulence surrounding the home.

Raissa feels the powerful force of Nora and struggles to keep herself from being drawn in while she tries to save Amanda. With many twists and turns The Specter of Seduction is a wonderful addition to Carolyn Haines' list of books and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

Interview with Dora Ilieva

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

My latest book, which I published in October, 2017, is called White Clay. It is the third (and for now final) book in the Bulgarian series.
I have published four books so far – the Bulgarian trilogy and a slim collection of short stories called Faces.

How did you become interested in writing?
I’ve always wanted to write. I used to write in my youth, then after a rather long hiatus, I decided to pick it up again and I’m glad I did.

What is a day in the life of an author like? Do you write a certain number of words, do you write in the morning or evening, etc? 
Unfortunately, I don’t have the chance to write every day, so I can’t really say what a typical day for me is. I write whenever I get a chance. If I had to choose a time of day, I’d choose the morning.

Do you plot the entire book first, then write or plot as you go?
I don’t plot the entire book. I start with a very rough idea and see where my writing takes me.

Do you use real people and places as models for your books? Have you been to the village ember dance you mention in the book?
I use characteristics from real people, idiosyncrasies that have stuck with me, but have never focused on a single person. As for places, yes, I usually use real places. The only exception I can think of is a city mentioned in White Clay – Gorodok 142. While the one I describe in the book is made up, it is known that those nameless, secret cities existed in the Soviet Union.

I haven’t been to the village of Gorna Krepost, but I have watched the ember dance at other places. It is an incredible experience.

Who is your favorite author?
This is a tough question. I don’t really have a favorite author, but there are many authors that I love - Saramago, Marquez, Allende, Greene, Christie, many 19th century authors… The list is long.

How do you promote your books?
Aside from the Goodreads giveaways and a Facebook page, I don’t really do much to promote my books. It’s not that I don’t want to, or consider myself above such endeavours. There is one main reason – I don’t have a lot of spare time to find out how to do it properly and put in a consistent effort. A friend and fellow author, Jennifer S. Alderson, has been extremely helpful in this regard and I am very grateful.

For a review of Devi;'s Gorge, click here.

A Way to the Manger

Christmas time in New Mexico is filled with tradition - both Tewa Pueblo and Christian. But this Christmas there's a dark foreboding when star basketball player Charlene Toya goes missing. In A Way to the Manger by Susan Slater, psychologist Ben Pecos has some unusual help in his search for Charlene.

Charlene is the star basketball player on the high school team with a goal of getting a full scholarship to the University of New Mexico, but something is standing in her way. She is eight months pregnant and has managed to hide this from everyone.

After the game Charlene heads to a building she hopes will have someone to help her with her pregnancy. Not an abortion, but with the adoption of the baby. She slips a note into the letter box asking someone to call her on a pay phone in the recreational center the next day.  As she turns to walk away, a woman answers the door and encourages her to come into the agency.

When the woman discovers Charlene is Native American, she tells her the child is shielded by law from adoption outside the reservation. With a sinking heart, Charlene flees to her truck and into a dangerous situation.

After Charlene has been missing for several days, Ben enlists the assistance of several members of the pueblo to find her. No one believes Charlene ran away, she had too much going for her. Most feel something terrible has happened to her. 

And something terrible has happened to Charlene but she uses her strength and resolve to find a way out of her situation.  An unlikely hero is Lorenzo Loretto, 96-year-old village hero.

A Way to the Manger is a Christmas novella in the Ben Pecos Mystery series. I look forward to getting to know Ben Pecos and the Tewa Pueblo better in the other books.

Malice in the Palace

Being 35th in line for the British throne doesn't guarantee an income or a place to live. When Lady Georgiana Rannoch returns from American with her dilettante mother, she finds the family home in Belgrave Square occupied by her brother and her not-so-welcoming-sister-in-law. In Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen, Georgie takes on another case.

Luckily before Georgie frays her sister-in-law's last nerve, she is summoned by the Queen to the palace. It appears the Queen wants Georgie to act as a companion to Princess Marina of Greece, the fiancee of Prince George. This role includes moving into Kensington Palace which is a huge relief to Georgie.

Once she settles in and meets the Princess, she is thrilled to be acting as a companion, showing her London. They make plans to go shopping, visit a night club and various other hot spots.

When they return home one rainy evening, Georgie sees something odd in the courtyard. It turns out

to be the body of Bobo Carrington, a former mistress of Prince George. Is this meant to implicate the prince? Is he guilty of trying to rid himself of a liability before his wedding or did someone else kill her? Is the rumor true that Bobo had a baby and is Prince George the father?

When Georgie's boyfriend Darcy O'Mara looms in the frame as a suspect, Georgie works doubly hard to discover who killed Bobo Carrington.

The Her Royal Spyness Mystery series is always an enjoyable read. Malice is the Palace is another eye-opening look at life among the royals.

The Devil's Gorge

When Sam Angelov's grandmother dies in Sofia, Bulgaria, and he inherits property, he must go to Bulgaria to make arrangements with her lawyer. In The Devil's Gorge by Dora Ilieva, Sam and his best friend Ben Galloway head to Sofia, thinking they will only be there for a few days to sightsee and receive the inheritance.

Sam's parents fled Bulgaria during the Communist era, but they rarely talk about their days in their home country. The only two relatives still living in Bulgaria are cousins - a university professor Kiril Kirilov and his daughter Kossara. Kossara is a PhD candidate in Epigraphy. Her father is well known for his Thracian studies and expedition.

At his parents urging, he tries to find them only to discover Professor Kirilov is on a two-year sabbatical working in the Rhodopes Mountains at Perperikon and has found the Altar of Dionysus. Kossara is heading there and she urges Sam and Ben to join her. Her father thinks he is on the verge of a breakthrough Thracian discovery, which might include the tomb of Orpheus and his magical lyre.

Sam begins have frighteningly realistic dreams about the Thracian civilization and at a traditional village festival the dreams seem more realistic. Someone is also on the trail of Orpheus and seems to know the team's every move. Who else wants the lyre and what are their plans for it?

This was a bold adventure through stunning countryside into the history of a civilization few remember. I enjoyed the journey.

Recipe From Giveaway Comments

To enter last week's giveaway, readers were asked what their favorite dessert was. The answers were as varied as you can imagine, but one reader, Kay Garrett, went so far as to send a recipe, so here it is.

Three Day Coconut Cake

Ingredients
1 box of Duncan Hines Butter Cake mix
3 pkgs of the fresh frozen coconut (freezer section at WalMart) thawed
8 ounces of sour cream
2 cups sugar

Directions
Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
Recipe calls for 3 layers – this gal used the 9 X 13” pan and then just split the cooled cake into two layers.
Cool 10 minutes and then cool on racks.

While cake is baking make the icing.
Mix the sour cream and sugar stirring until sugar dissolves – DO NOT BEAT.
Then stir in the thawed coconut and place in refrigerator until ready to ice cake.
When cake has cooled spread icing onto cake already on cake plate that has a sealed cover like Tupperware. Top with layer(s) and finish icing. Cover with lid, seal and place in refrigerator for a minimum of three day before eating. I check once a day and if any liquid comes off cake I spoon back to top of cake.

After three days, you will never know there is sour cream in the icing and it’s the best moistest cake you will eat. It will just continue to get better. It will never dry out. The longer it sits the better it gets If you can have it last long enough to find that out. It also freezes very well.