What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Dead and Deader?

Dead and Deader is the seventh book in a fun cozy mystery series featuring Lucy McGuffin, an amateur sleuth who can always tell when other people are lying. Couple that with her little rescue dog, Paco, who’s also a ghost-whisperer, and you can imagine the crazy antics the two of them get into.

Dead and Deaderwas actually inspired by a bruhaha that began in my own neighborhood association. Anyone who lives in a development with an HOA knows how contentious things can get between neighbors. It’s all meant in great fun, but there’s just the teeniest underlying kernel of truth that most homeowners can identity with. Of course, in real life, I do not condone running over your neighbors! 

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Dead and Deader, what would they be?

Lucy, my main character and amateur sleuth, would definitely have some kind of upbeat fighter song as her theme. I think Up! by Shania Twain is perfect for her.  

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

“Divorcee buys an old house in a small southern town and finds a discarded Santa suit with a hidden message inside the pocket from a little girl asking that Santa bring her daddy home safely from the war. Intrigued, she sets out to find out what happened to the little girl, and in the process, finds the true meaning of Christmas.”

The book is The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews, and it’s a charming little holiday read.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love reading things that bring a smile to my face, so I read a lot of cozy mystery and lighthearted romance.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? Where did you write Dead and Deader?

Okay, I admit it, I do a lot of talking to myself while I write. I write every day from my desk overlooking my backyard and surrounded by my 4 dogs. I’m a big believer in reading out loud while I write because it helps me keep in the flow of the story, as well as make my dialogue more believable, so I guess you could say my dogs are the first to “hear” my stories.  

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Write the types of stories you want to read. Writing to market is fine, but if it isn’t what you love or you aren’t happy writing it, then your readers will soon catch on.