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Jenn McKinlay’s latest book, Better Late Than Never, is out, so it was the perfect time to catch up with the busy author and ask her to talk with me. Jenn will be at The Poisoned Pen to discuss her mystery on Saturday, November 26 at 2 PM. And, if you come a little earlier for Small Business Saturday, you might ask her to recommend a book.

Jenn, would you introduce yourself to readers?

Hi! This is the part where I wish I had a Marvel Comicesque sort of origin story. You know, like I was hit by lightning and could run really fast or I was born on an island of all women and had an invisible jet. Yeah, that’d be cool. Sadly, I do not have anything like that. Pity. Probably, this is exactly why I became a writer because after spending my childhood with my nose firmly wedged in between the pages of a book, I realized life is better in there. I read everything I could get my hands on as a kid and when I got older and it became harder and harder to find compelling reads, it occurred to me that writing might be the natural progression of this disorder, so in my twenties after working as a librarian for several years, I started writing. It took a while (read forever) to get published but once I did I knew it was exactly how I was meant to spend my life and I have never looked back.

Would you introduce us to Lindsey Norris?

Lindsey Norris is the librarian amateur sleuth in my Library Lover’s Mysteries. She began her career as an archivist but because of downsizing, she finds herself in a new position as the director of a small town library in Connecticut. This series brought me back to my roots as I became a librarian in Connecticut and lived and worked in small towns that I use as reference points for Briar Creek, the town in which the series is set and where they seem to have an inordinate amount of murders. There were no murders when I was a librarian, I swear.

Tell us about Better Late Than Never without spoilers, please.

The library is having a fine amnesty where residents can return long overdue items without having to pay their fines. One of the books that is returned was due twenty years ago. Lindsey, being curious, looks up the old record and discovers that the book was checked out to local English teacher Candice Whitley on the day that she was murdered. Now Lindsey has to find out who returned the book and determine whether that person is Candice’s killer.

How many series do you juggle at one time? Would you tell us about the ones other than the Library Lover’s Mysteries?

I write several mystery series. There is a Cupcake Bakery mystery series set in my current hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona. The intrepid bakers Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura bake cupcakes while solving mysteries because cupcakes and death go together better than you’d think. I’m kidding. No, I’m not! I also have a series set in a London Hat Shop (yes, mostly because I wanted to go to London to do research) where American Scarlett Parker owns a hat shop with her cousin Vivian Tremont and the twosome solve mysteries while selling hats to London’s finest. Makes perfect sense, I know. I’m also branching out into romantic comedies with a series debut in May of 2017 called About a Dog. Mackenzie Harris, the heroine, is going home after seven years away and nothing is quite as she expected it to be, including the puppy she finds abandoned in an alleyway.

Now that you’re no longer working in the public library, what do you miss most about the library?

I miss the books! There was something incredibly comforting about all those shelves and shelves and shelves full of knowledge and entertainment. I miss my co-workers. Librarians and library workers actually do have some of the most fascinating origin stories. And I miss working with the public and really making a difference in someone’s life, whether it was helping them with a book report for school or a job application or finding out whether the set of china grandma left them was worth anything ““ it was never ever dull.

Jenn, what authors have inspired you?

So many! Probably the top three that got me into writing mysteries are Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, and Janet Evanovich. Very distinctive styles but all very talented.

My favorite writing quote comes from Neil Gaiman. “Trust your obsession.” Did you ever have an obsession that you had to turn into a story? What was it?

The whole hat thing. Watching Will and Kate’s wedding, I was fascinated by the flattened squid on Princess Beatrice’s head and it really got me obsessed with the British obsession with hats. They are magnificent works of art and I really wish they’d catch on in the States. Sigh.

Other than your own, name several books that you would never part with.

My collections by Lucy Maud Montgomery and Louise May Alcott. I read everything they wrote when I was a teenager and they are still my touchstones for writing. I’m not nearly as prose driven but I do love they way they both turn a phrase. I’m a big series reader so I have everything from John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee to Suzanne Collins’s Gregor the Overlander. I love series. I love watching characters develop over several books. I would have a very hard time parting with any books in a beloved series.

What author would you like to push that you think is underappreciated?

That’s a tough one. I definitely feel as if women novelists do not get credit as readily as their male counterparts so I’d have to stick with the girls and say Denise Mina and Sara Gran. I think they both tell fascinating tales and I don’t think they get as much recognition as they deserve.

What’s on your TBR pile?

Oh, boy. It’s not so much a pile as it is a tower. The one downside to writing is that it severely cuts into your reading time! A glance at the top of the pile and the three I see are:

SLOW HORSES by Mick Herron

RUN by Andrew Grant

DEADLY SILENCE by Rebecca Zanetti

Thank you, Jenn! As I said, Jenn McKinlay will be at The Poisoned Pen on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 2 PM. (She’s bringing cupcakes!)

You can purchase a signed copy of Better Late Than Never through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2g5EKal

When The Highway Kind was released, “thrilling crime stories about cars, driving, and the road from the world’s bestselling and critically acclaimed writers”, the parking lot at The Poisoned Pen seemed the perfect place for the book signing. After all, it’s all about cars. And, Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen is the editor.

If you missed the event, you missed a stellar cast of authors. Here are the photos, though.

Hard to beat this line-up unless you’re at a mystery conference. You can purchase a signed copy of The Highway Kind through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2eVCWCP

Linda Fairstein’s latest book is a juvenile book, the first in a series. Here’s the summary of Into the Lion’s Den.

Watch out, Nancy Drew—Devlin Quick is smart, strong, and she will DEFINITELY close the case in this thrilling new mystery series for girls and boys from New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein

Someone has stolen a page from a rare book in the New York Public Library. At least, that’s what Devlin’s friend Liza thinks she’s seen, but she can’t be sure. Any other kid might not see a crime here, but Devlin Quick is courageous and confident, and she knows she has to bring this man to justice—even if it means breathlessly racing around the city to collect evidence. But who is this thief? And what could the page—an old map—possibly lead to? With her wits, persistence, and the help of New York City’s finest (and, okay, a little bit of help from her police commissioner mother, too), Dev and her friends piece the clues together to uncover a mystery that’s bigger than anyone expected—and more fun, too.

With all of the heart-pounding excitement that made her internationally bestselling Alexandra Cooper series a hit, Linda Fairstein paves the way for another unstoppable heroine . . . even if she is only twelve.

*****

But, Linda Fairstein has been writing mysteries since she was in fifth grade. And, now she has proof, as shown in this Author Short from Penguin Random House.

https://youtu.be/C_8jnUO4Euw?list=PLAEeCVmw82hVA1X0cNUrLx7swnfiBokxb

Interested in buying a signed copy of Into the Lion’s Den for yourself or as a present? The book can be purchased through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2fc0vps

David Morrell was recently at The Poisoned Pen to talk about his new book, Ruler of the Night. Here’s the summary as it appears in the Web Store.

The notorious Opium-Eater returns in the sensational climax to David Morrell’s acclaimed Victorian mystery trilogy.

1855. The railway has irrevocably altered English society, effectively changing geography and fueling the industrial revolution by shortening distances between cities: a whole day’s journey can now be covered in a matter of hours. People marvel at their new freedom.

But train travel brings new dangers as well, with England’s first death by train recorded on the very first day of railway operations in 1830. Twenty-five years later, England’s first train murder occurs, paralyzing London with the unthinkable when a gentleman is stabbed to death in a safely locked first-class passenger compartment.

In the next compartment, the brilliant opium-eater Thomas De Quincey and his quick-witted daughter, Emily, discover the homicide in a most gruesome manner. Key witnesses and also resourceful sleuths, they join forces with their allies in Scotland Yard, Detective Ryan and his partner-in-training, Becker, to pursue the killer back into the fogbound streets of London, where other baffling murders occur. Ultimately, De Quincey must confront two ruthless adversaries: this terrifying enemy, and his own opium addiction which endangers his life and his tormented soul.

Ruler of the Night is a riveting blend of fact and fiction which, like master storyteller David Morrell’s previous De Quincey novels, “evokes Victorian London with such finesse that you’ll hear the hooves clattering on cobblestones, the racket of dustmen, and the shrill calls of vendors” (Entertainment Weekly).

 

If you would like to see and hear the event, it’s available through Livestream. https://livestream.com/poisonedpen/events/6648661

Signed copies of Ruler of the Night are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2ekTp3n

Diana Gabaldon recently hosted Tara Bennett, author of The Making of Outlander.

Here’s the description of the book, as it appears at the Web Store.

Get an exclusive look behind the scenes of the first two seasons of Outlander with this official, fully illustrated companion to the hit Starz television series based on the bestselling novels.

It was only a matter of time before Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling Outlander saga made the leap from book to hit TV series, and the millions of readers captivated by the epic romance of Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser have eagerly followed.

Now the must-watch drama has inspired this must-have guide, which reveals that it takes a village (or perhaps a Scottish isle) to bring the breathtaking world of Outlander to life in front of our eyes. Spanning the first two seasons of the Starz network sensation, The Making of Outlander leads readers behind the scenes and straight into the action as cast members, writers, producers, musicians, costume designers, set decorators, technicians, and more share the many adventures and challenges they face to make this sweeping saga come alive on the screen.

In exclusive interviews, the show’s stars, including Caitriona Balfe (Claire), Sam Heughan (Jamie), and Tobias Menzies (Frank Randall/Black Jack Randall), discuss the daunting task of embodying some of fiction’s most beloved characters—and satisfying the high expectations of devoted Outlander readers. Executive producer and showrunner Ronald D. Moore looks at the inner workings of the writers’ room, shares his crew’s travels to the authentic overseas locations, and chronicles the brainstorming, building, breakneck pacing, and boundless energy that make everything from the show’s architecture to its outfits period-perfect. In addition, the book examines all the Outlander episodes through exclusive interviews with their writers and directors, providing fascinating facts into the making of each hour.

Best of all, The Making of Outlander offers a veritable feast of lavish photographs—including an array of images spotlighting the stars in all their characters’ grandeur and up-close personal portraits. Featuring an introduction by Diana Gabaldon herself, this magnificent insider’s look at the world of the Outlander TV series is the companion all fans will want by their side.

We also have a few photos from the event.

Here are two photos of Diana Gabaldon and Tara Bennett.

 

You can see the event yourself, via Livestream. https://livestream.com/poisonedpen/events/6545794

If you’d like a signed copy of The Making of Outlander, you can buy it through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2g2aIGb

Books by young adult authors have been extremely popular with adults and teens in the last few years. On Sunday, November 20 at 2 PM, The Poisoned Pen will welcome three popular YA authors who live in Arizona.

Aprilynne Pike is the author of Glitter.

If I Fix You is by Abigail Johnson.

Jenny Moyer wrote Flashfall.

Elissa Harris, a Poisoned Pen Press author (Poisoned Pencil), was originally scheduled to join them to discuss her debut novel, M.I.N.D., but she’s not going to make it. However, she did answer questions for an In the Hot Seat interview. Meeet Ellisa Harris.

Elissa, would you introduce yourself to readers?

I am the Me Too girl. According to my parents, “Me Too” were the first words I ever spoke. I doubt they were the actual words, but the nickname stuck anyway. But let’s get to the facts. Originally from Montreal, Canada, I now live in Arizona with my husband, Robert. I have two grown daughters, the older one a writer living in New York, the younger a reality TV producer in Los Angeles. Basically, I’ve worn many hats: daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, programmer, editor, writer… But perhaps the question is, who am I really? Truth is, I’m still searching for me, which is probably why I write. As soon I find the Me Too girl, I’ll be sure to let you know!

Introduce us to Cassie Stewart, please.

When Cassie was ten, her father was killed and she nearly drowned in a boating accident. As a result, she was left with a fear of water, an overprotective mother, and an embarrassing condition: She zonks out with no more warning than you’d get with a pop quiz. It’s six years later and her life still sucks. She’s never even had a boyfriend. Seriously, what guy in his right mind would date a girl who drops out of hers? Yet in spite of everything, or maybe because of it, she’s upbeat and funny, with her own quirky way of viewing the world.

Would you tell us about M.I.N.D., without spoilers?

Before hooking up with Brendan Marsh, Amanda Lockhart was Cassie’s best friend. On a school bus trip, Amanda goes ballistic, grabs the steering wheel and yells, “We have to go back!” The bus crashes, leaving Amanda brain-dead and altering Cassie’s condition. Cassie still zonks out, but now she can project her mind into other people. She calls it her “mental invasive neurological disorder,” or simply, M.I.N.D. It’s the perfect solution to her dead-end life. Or so she thinks—until she gets caught up in a mystery surrounding a fatal hit-and-run that involves her ex-best friend. Enter Amanda’s cute but geeky older brother, and things get even more interesting…

You’ve been an editor and writer. Is it correct that M.I.N.D. is your young adult debut? Why a young adult mystery?

Yes, it’s my first YA. But not by design. It started out as an adult thriller. I started wondering what it would feel like to actually commit a murder (no, I am NOT a psychopath, just a curious writer). There have to be people out there who fantasize about it, right? Secret wannabe killers who wouldn’t normally cross that line but would if they had a 100% guarantee they wouldn’t get caught. What if there was a service that let you do just this—from inside the body of someone else? That was my original idea for the book, but as soon as I started to write, the story took off in another direction. This was not going to be a dark thriller. This was turning into a story about revelations and self-discovery. But most important, the sixteen-year-old in me took over and I just went with it. Actually, Cassie’s upbeat voice took over, and she couldn’t be quieted.

What young adult authors do you read?

Oh, gosh. The list is endless. John Green, Gayle Forman, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jay Asher, E. Lockhart, Lauren Oliver, David Levithan, just to name a few.

Neil Gaiman said “Trust your obsession.” Did you ever have an obsession that you had to turn into a story? What was it?

I’ve always been obsessed with Death (note the capital D here). Okay, so who isn’t, right? I’m not just talking about my writer’s curiosity about murder, though. For example, what really happens to your nails and hair after The End? Was anyone ever saved by ringing a bell from his coffin? But mainly, I was interested in the rituals, like closing the eyes of the poor departed soul and sealing them with pennies. Or covering up all the mirrors in the house where the poor guy had lived. This obsession led to not one but several short stories, which I compiled under the title, Burial Instructions.

Other than your own, name a couple books you would never part with.

My entire Judy Bolton and Nancy Drew mystery series. Though I have to admit I liked Judy better, mainly because there’s a hint of romance with her friend, Peter Dobbs, whom she later marries. Peter was actually the name of the romantic interest in M.I.N.D. before I decided to kill him off (in name only, not in the story) and rename him Ethan.

What’s on your TBR pile?

Lauren Oliver’s Replica, Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed, Jay Asher’s What Light (again, just to name a few).

What author would you like to recommend who you think has been underappreciated?

Sticking with YA here, I’ll have to say Christopher Pike, the Star-Trekky pseudonym for Kevin McFadden. Murder, horror, ghosts, vampires, witches, sex, alcohol, drugs… He had it all, but was, I believe, overshadowed by the phenomenon who is R.L. Stine. I remember really being blown away by Pike’s vampire series, which has a mystical theme and was way ahead of its time. Supernatural horror woven into the mysteries of the universe, not to mention the power of eternal love—how can you resist?

Check the Web Store if you’re interested in purchasing books by any of the authors. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Did you hear the recent story on NPR about the new cookbook, Yashim Cooks Istanbul by Jason Goodwin?

The article, “Assassin’s Steak Tartare: Popular Detective Series Gets Its Own Cookbook” by Mary Louise Kelly, talks about Goodwin’s cookbook. You can read the article, or listen to the story from “Morning Edition”. https://n.pr/2fUuzU0

You might recognize Goodwin’s name from his first mystery featuring Yashim, the Turkish detective, The Janissary Tree. Readers have been asking for this cookbook since they first met Yashim. You can order Yashim Cooks Istanbul through our Web Store. https://bit.ly/2fE0qZQ

 

 

David P. Wagner is the Poisoned Pen Press author who writes the Rick Montoya Italian mysteries. Return to Umbria is his latest one.

Here’s the summary of the book, as it appears in the Web Store.

Orvieto—its very name brings to mind priceless art, colorful ceramics, and straw-colored wine. And the most famous cathedral façade in Italy, a structure of gothic spires, arches, statues, and mosaics. But as Rick Montoya discovers, this jewel of Umbria can have an ugly side as well.

When Rick Montoya moved to his mother’s Italy from his father’s Santa Fe, New Mexico, to work as a freelance translator using his dual heritage, he didn’t expect to be helping the Italian police. His maternal uncle, a high-level commissioner in Rome, however, sees no reason not to use the resources at hand.

Rick’s fourth investigation should not have involved crime. It begins when Rick is asked by his uncle to go to Orvieto to talk some sense into his cousin Fabrizio, whose fling with an older married woman is embarrassing the family. Rick agrees to give it a try, and plans a short but romantic weekend in Orvieto with Betta Innocenti, the woman he met in Bassano. What could go wrong?

Less than a day after their arrival, his language skills draw him into the brutal murder of an American visitor. He finds that he knows the policeman in charge, but Inspector LoGuercio has changed since the time they met in Volterra. The murdered woman had studied art in Italy decades earlier—why has she returned now? And why was she dumped at night on a dusty road? Through her traveling companions, her devastated daughter and best friend, as well as a growing list of those who knew her from her student days, they realize she had come to Orvieto to face the past. And then a second murder occurs in a public park, with Montoya so close that he wonders if he could have been the intended target. Is all this connected to Fabrizio and his affair, or to the American’s death? More violence erupts, some of it definitely directed at Rick himself.

Strong suspects, tantalizing secrets, concealed motives, and risky behaviors tie to a fascinating landscape and layers of Orvieto’s past.

Recently, Publishers Weekly interviewed Wagner about his books, and his love of Italy. Here’s the link to that story. https://bit.ly/2eLSzLz

We have signed copies of Return to Umbria in the Web Store, if you’d like to purchase a copy. https://bit.ly/2fCW9qF

David Morrell will be at The Poisoned Pen at 7 PM on Wednesday, Nov. 16 to discuss Ruler of the Night. The Victorian mystery is our Hot Book of the Week.

Here’s the description from the Web Store.

The notorious Opium-Eater returns in the sensational climax to David Morrell’s acclaimed Victorian mystery trilogy.

1855. The railway has irrevocably altered English society, effectively changing geography and fueling the industrial revolution by shortening distances between cities: a whole day’s journey can now be covered in a matter of hours. People marvel at their new freedom.

But train travel brings new dangers as well, with England’s first death by train recorded on the very first day of railway operations in 1830. Twenty-five years later, England’s first train murder occurs, paralyzing London with the unthinkable when a gentleman is stabbed to death in a safely locked first-class passenger compartment.

In the next compartment, the brilliant opium-eater Thomas De Quincey and his quick-witted daughter, Emily, discover the homicide in a most gruesome manner. Key witnesses and also resourceful sleuths, they join forces with their allies in Scotland Yard, Detective Ryan and his partner-in-training, Becker, to pursue the killer back into the fogbound streets of London, where other baffling murders occur. Ultimately, De Quincey must confront two ruthless adversaries: this terrifying enemy, and his own opium addiction which endangers his life and his tormented soul.

Ruler of the Night is a riveting blend of fact and fiction which, like master storyteller David Morrell’s previous De Quincey novels, “evokes Victorian London with such finesse that you’ll hear the hooves clattering on cobblestones, the racket of dustmen, and the shrill calls of vendors” (Entertainment Weekly).

Join us Wednesday, November 16, or order a signed copy of Ruler of the Night through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2ekTp3n

Anne Perry was recently at The Poisoned Pen to discuss her latest book, A Christmas Message.

Here’s the summary from the Web Page.

In the spirit of the season, New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry presents readers with the gift of another holiday mystery, taking them to the Holy Land for an intriguing and miraculous journey of discovery.

The year is 1900, and Victor Narraway is giving his wife, Vespasia, an unforgettable Christmas present—a trip to Jerusalem. Vespasia is enchanted by the exotic landscape of Palestine, and charmed by a fellow traveler the Narraways meet at their hotel in Jaffa. But when the man is murdered over a torn piece of ancient parchment he was taking to Jerusalem, Victor and Vespasia risk their lives to finish his mission and deliver the puzzling document to its home. Pursued by a shadowy figure with evil intent, they embark on a dangerous yet ultimately enlightening pilgrimage to the holy city, where the mysterious message on the parchment may finally be revealed.

Rich in suspense and wonder, A Christmas Message is at once a breathtaking adventure story and a poignant meditation on faith and spirituality.

If you’d like to know more, join John Charles as he interviews Anne Perry for our Livestream event. https://livestream.com/poisonedpen/events/6545289

You can order a signed copy of A Christmas Message through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2fflfNG