CASTLES, GENEALOGY, AND MURDER IN SCOTLAND WITH MYSTERY AUTHOR CLARA McKENNA

The author leaving Stirling Castle, Scotland

Clara McKenna currently writes the Stella & Lyndy Mystery series about an unlikely couple who mix love, murder, and horseracing in Edwardian England. She's a vintage teacup collector and an avid traveler, the UK being a favorite destination. When she can't get to England or Scotland, she happily writes about it from her home in Iowa. Learn more about Clara and her books at her website.

Every time I start a new mystery novel, I begin with a "what if" premise based on an unusual situation. What if an American heiress arrives in England thinking she's attending a wedding at an aristocrat's country estate, only to discover she's actually the intended bride? Or what would happen if at a grand country estate packed with Christmas guests, both the cook goes missing and the housekeeper turns up dead? Or, in the case of my upcoming release, I wondered: what if an unexpected visitor joins a weekend party during a golf tournament at The Old Course—the hallowed birthplace of golf in Scotland—and ends up in the bushes, battered to death?

 

What fascinates me is that no matter how different these initial premises might be, my mysteries inevitably circle back to family. I write about an English mother-in-law who'll stop at nothing to protect her son's inheritance, an ambitious father who uses his daughter to get what he wants, and the hopeful truth that sometimes in-laws, friends, and even stable hands can be as close, protective, and loving as any blood relative.

 

But never has one of my books reflected my own family history quite like Murder at Glenloch Hill. Though I've played little of the game, golf runs deep in my roots—my grandfather's converted garage became a repair shop that drew professionals to his doorstep. The Scottish setting, it turns out, is literally in my DNA. Growing up, I knew about my Danish maternal great-grandmother and the stories of my grandfather's grandfather, who came from Ireland alone at age eleven. Yet it wasn't until I finally got my DNA tested that I discovered just how much of my ancestry originates in Scotland. Many of the surnames in my family tree that I had assumed were Irish turned out to be Scottish, including my own maiden name.

 

So when the opportunity arose to visit both the birthplace of golf and the land of many of my ancestors, I jumped at the chance. I decided to bring my characters, Stella and Lyndy, along for the journey. Stella (née Kendrick), who's from Kentucky, shares this Scottish heritage—before her father made his millions selling and racing Thoroughbreds, his family built the distinctive Scottish-style dry stone walls that surround so many horse paddocks throughout Kentucky.

 

During my visit, I discovered not only the rich history of the great game of golf but also my own clan affiliations. I learned I belong to both the Stuart clan (one of Scotland's most famous surnames) and the McEwen clan. It felt appropriate to honor this connection by making Stella's distant Scottish cousins McEwens as well. I'm particularly thrilled that my publisher took my suggestion to feature the McEwen tartan on Stella's skirt on the book cover—a proud declaration of family ties for all to see.

 

In the end, whether I'm writing about missing cooks, bartered brides, or murder by golf club, my mysteries all come back to family—the ones we're born into, marry into, or discover along the way.

 

Murder at Glenloch Hill

A Stella and Lyndy Mystery, Book 6

 

On a weekend trip to the Scottish countryside, American transplant Stella, and British aristocrat, Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst, learn how sinister bad sportsmanship can be when a prestigious golf tournament becomes a deadly game of murder . . .

Along with cheering on her soon-to-be brother-in-law, Freddie Kentfield, at The British Open in Scotland, Stella embraces the chance to connect with her distant cousins, the McEwens, at their grand estate, Glenloch Hill. But she and Lyndy don’t receive the warm welcome they expect when their arrival is marred by missing luggage, evasive hosts, and the perceived mistreatment of a young laundry maid. Adding to the tense atmosphere, Freddie's roguish father, Sir Edwin, appears at the manor uninvited, his presence casting a shadow over the events—and stirring up more unanswered questions . . .

As golf clubs swing on the green, so do Lyndy’s fists in an uncharacteristic outburst. Chaotic circumstances take a dark turn when Sir Edwin is found bludgeoned outside the laundry house—the maid waiting beside the body, no murder weapon in sight—and all eyes on Lyndy . . .

Suddenly caught in a whirlwind of kilts, elite golfers, and deadly rumors, Stella rushes to protect Lyndy's innocence and save herself from real danger. But can she both navigate the unspoken rules at Glenloch Hill and survive a cutthroat competition against a killer who will stop at nothing to win?

 

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AN INTERVIEW AND A BISCOTTI RECIPE FROM DEBUT MYSTERY AUTHOR ELLE JAUFFRET

Today we sit down for an interview with mystery and speculative fiction author Elle Jauffret who also offers us a recipe for some delicious biscotti. Learn more about her and her books at her website where you can also find links to her social media accounts.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

I have always crafted stories since I could write. I finished the first draft of my first novel in 2004 and never really stopped after that. I realized I wanted to write novels seriously and for a living in 2015.

 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

Being traditionally published became a desire in 2015, but a serious goal in 2020. So nine years as a dream and four years as a goal.

 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

Traditionally.

 

Where do you write?

At my desk at home and wherever I can (in the car, waiting for my kids after school/practice, at the doctor’s office, etc.)

 

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

I write in silence or with the sound of the rain/storm.

 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

Claire Fontaine, the main character of Threads of Deception, is a former criminal attorney who wakes up with a French foreign accent syndrome. She is based on my life as a former criminal attorney who speaks with a French accent (though my accent is native French, not a speech disorder). Her struggles with her accent are similar to mine, but I have never investigated a murder like she does. All the characters in the story are also composites of my friends (especially Suggie Oh, Ben Torres and Vikram Thomas.)

 

Describe your process for naming your character?

I have a book in which I write names I like and what they mean to me. When I write a novel, I review the list and pick the ones that fit the best. In the case of Threads of Deception, I named my character after Clairefontaine, my favorite brand of notebooks.

 

Real settings or fictional towns?

Threads of Deception is set in San Diego County, a real location in California, but takes place in the fictional town of Caper Town. Using a fictional setting allows me to reference people and places freely without concerns that real individuals might assume they're being portrayed. Plus, it gives me the creative freedom to build my own world.

 

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?

My main character, Claire Fontaine, has a speech disorder that causes her to speak with a French accent, even though she doesn't actually know the language. She despises it, much to the bewilderment of her best friend Suggie Oh, who finds the accent attractive and can't grasp why Claire is so eager to be rid of it.

 

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I tend to stare at people without breaking gaze. It’s not intentional—I just get really focused. Sometimes I have to remind myself to look away. Otherwise, it can get a little intense. Some people find it unsettling, but others say it makes them feel like I’m really listening.

 

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?

The Harry Potter series. It’s an amalgam of all the myths and stories I grew up with, perfectly woven into a modern setting with captivating characters. What really stands out to me are the social themes—friendship, identity, justice—that resonate so strongly, making the story feel both timeless and relevant.

 

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?

I wouldn’t know where to start (laugh).

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Texting while driving (blocking traffic/dangerous driving)

 

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

I want to say satellite phone with a solar charger, a notebook and a pen.

Otherwise: machete, lighter/fire starter, survival blanket/tarp.

 

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

My worst job was working in the Biotherm makeup manufacturing company in Monaco, where I had to put tiny stickers under sample products by hand because the machine was broken. The rhythm of the work was frantic and the task incredibly monotonous, leading to aching hands by the end of the day. To make matters worse, it was hot inside the facility—there was no air conditioning and we weren't allowed to open the windows. 

 

Who’s your all-time favorite literary character (any genre)? Why?

Hermione Granger because she is intelligent, compassionate, courageous, and independent. I love how she fights for what’s right. She is the ideal best friend.

 

Ocean or mountains?

I’ve been pondering that question for ages and never found an answer.

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

City girl. I spent my early childhood in the French countryside (Provence) but lived in the city since I was nine years old. I love the city’s vibrancy, architecture, and diversity. 

 

What’s on the horizon for you?

I have two more books coming in the Suddenly French Mystery series. Threads of Deception is the first book of the series. The second book will come out in 2025 and the third in 2026.

 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

I am a French-born American lawyer, a US Navy wife, and the mother of two boys. I worked as a jurist for The Embassy of France, as a criminal attorney for the California Attorney General’s Office, and as a writer for a literary magazine’s “fiction food” column.

Threads of Deception is my debut novel and the first of the Suddenly French mystery series.

 

One of my favorite snacks are lemon-thyme biscotti. They represent my childhood: running barefoot through the woods and the sandy beaches of the French Riviera.

 

Lemon-thyme Biscotti 

 

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour


1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder


1/2 teaspoon salt


2/3 cup granulated sugar


3 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)


1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme


6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature


1-1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 large eggs

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and thyme. Set aside.

 

In a second bowl, mix lemon zest and sugar until smooth and well combined. Then add eggs, butter, and almond extract.

 

With mixer set to low, combine contents of both bowls until incorporated.

 

Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a 9”x6” rectangle (1/2-inch thick) on a baking sheet. Use wet fingers if needed.

 

Bake 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on a rack. 

 

Cut 3/4-inch-thick slices (they should be 9” long). Prop the slices sideways on the baking sheet and return to the oven. 

Lower temperature to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Then turn them on their other side for another 10 minutes.

 

Biscotti should be golden and feel dry. Set on rack to cool completely.

 

Threads of Deception

A Suddenly French Mystery, Book 1

 

High-profile D.C. criminal attorney, Claire Fontaine, is leaving the legal world behind to become a private chef after a criminal explosion destroyed her law firm and left her with a French Foreign Accent Syndrome. In order to heal and reassess her life, she returns to Caper Cove, California to cater for a fashion TV show on the request of a rising designer friend, only to find said friend dead. Determined to prove that it's not a suicide but a murder, Claire teams up with childhood best friend, Suggie Oh, and clashes with Detective Ben Torres who happens to be her new roommate.  

 

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AUTHOR AVERY DANIELS TALKS ABOUT GOTHIC FICTION

Avery Daniels has worked in fortune 500 companies and the Department of Defense her entire life. She resides in Colorado with two brother black cats as her spirited companions, volunteers for a cat shelter, and enjoys scrapbooking and card making, photography, and painting in watercolor and acrylic. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

Gothic fiction: Perfect for a Spooky Read

I hope you enjoy the cooling temperatures, approaching sweater weather, soup time. I thought since I'm an author, what better topic at this time of year than gothic fiction: a little about what it is and some authors to delve into. I employed some gothic touches in my recently released Second Time Around, the second book in my Accidental Vampire PI cozy mystery series.

 

The term “gothic” refers to an architectural style that originated in northern France in the 1100s. This style was used on cathedrals, castles, mansions, and more, featuring large, looming windows, pointy peaks, and dark facades. This dramatic Gothic architecture inspired a whole gloomy genre of music, fashion, and, of course, literature—which is what we’ll focus on here. FYI, the goth subculture is influenced by 19th-century Gothic fiction and horror films. I always wondered about the connection. 

 

Taking its inspiration from gothic architecture, the gothic genre is noted for its ominous depictions of somber shadow-filled castles, mansions, or manor houses with secret rooms and even darker family secrets. For me, I particularly enjoy the mood that is evoked and how the setting of the book becomes a character itself as it becomes so intrinsic to the story. I didn't use a gothic mansion in my story, but an isolated mansion on a lake did the job well. I included a dark family secret, as well. Delicious, huh?

 

This writing style features high drama, supernatural elements, and sweeping emotions. Gothic fiction took romantic elements and added a darker tone and creates the sensation of isolation, of being surrounded by the mysterious and a sense of being kept on edge. I believe gothic fiction was the precursor to the psychological thriller that incorporated varying degrees of romantic and paranormal elements.

 

The first recognized gothic work is British author Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto, published in 1764. Other early contributors were William Thomas Beckford, Matthew Lewis, Ann Radcliffe, and Clara Reeve. Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," a short story about the doomed Usher family and their descent into madness, was the first widely published Gothic fiction by an American. It is saturated with despair and foreboding and considered a classic.

 

Then these mainstay gothic novels hit the scene: Dracula by Bram Stoker, Rebecca and Jamaica Inn by Daphné du Maurier, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. With these blockbuster books, the gothic genre was firmly a member of the fiction family.

 

The 1970s saw a wave of gothic romance become wildly popular with authors like:

Victoria Holt (The Bride of Pendorric, Mistress of Mellyn, and The Shivering Sands), Mary Stewart (Nine Coaches Waiting, This Rough Magic, The Moon Spinners, and Madam, Will You Talk?), Dorothy Eden (Darkwater, An Afternoon Walk, and Ravenscroft), and Barbara Michaels (House of Many Shadows, Witch, and Wings of the Falcon). I've read many of these, but not all.

 

More recent examples of gothic novels (oh yes, gothic is still going strong) are Beloved by Toni Morrison, The Hacienda by Isabel Canas, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Gracia, Anatomy by Dana Schwartz, Gallant by V.E. Schwab, The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller, and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. 

 

There is a difference between gothic and horror. In my opinion, many things that are horror often get mislabeled as gothic. To me the tension and foreboding is gothic whereas terror and frightening images, themes, and situations is more the realm of horror. Gothic is the nerve-wracking anticipation of what your imagination and spooky atmosphere have evoked while elements of romantic exist, where horror is the terror chasing you and about to kill you. That's why I think gothic fiction was a precursor to the modern psychological thriller. 

 

As I mentioned, I enjoy the mood that is evoked and how the setting of the book becomes a character itself. I brought some gothic elements into Second Time Around, Accidental Vampire PI #2. Besides the handsome witch and quirky vampire, I added a dollop of a ghost and her mystery, the insolated mansion, and the family secret.  

 

Do you like gothic touches or full-blown gothic fiction? What is it you like about gothic novels? Have you read any of the books I listed and which ones? 

 

Second Time Around

An Accidental Vampire PI, book 2

 

Misty, a most unlikely vampire, is on the trail of a killer in a ghostly mansion.

 

Misty’s detective boss is still absent and she accepts a job protecting the town’s most despised member. When Victoria Amherst is struck down under her watch she is determined to hunt down the killer. She is joined by suave witch Rowen once again as she pieces together a picture of murder from the past as well as dirty deeds in the present. The rogue vampire who turned her is still running rampant and she continues to pick up his trail, but now she's on his radar. Can she find him before he strikes at her where she lives? As if that weren't enough, the head of the Vampires in town is determined to set her up with a vampire of his choosing to keep Rowen out of her life.

She has to keep her teeth sheathed and juggle all the challenges. She can't risk a misstep on any dilemma before her.

 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH MYSTERY AND ROMANCE AUTHOR RHONDA BLACKHURST

Cozy mystery, romantic suspense and Hallmark-style contemporary women’s fiction author Rhonda Blackhurst enjoys hiding behind her computer screen, where she can unashamedly enjoy her addictions of dark chocolate and coffee. Learn more about her and her books at her website.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels? 

I knew I wanted to write before I could write—literally. At four years old, I scribbled with crayon on the knotty pine walls of our home. My parents weren’t impressed! I started out writing poetry but discovered novels were my true love.

 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication? 

In 2010, I heard about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and participated for the first time. That’s when publication popped into my head. In 2012, I published my first novel, The Inheritance. From there, I was hooked.

 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

When I set out for publication, I made a pros and cons list for both trad and indie. The only pro on the trad side was validation, so I chose indie. Validation from my readers was more important. Ten years later, the idea of trad publishing wiggled its way into my head, so I tried it. Inn the Spirit of Murder and Inn the Dead of Winterhave been picked up by The Wild Rose Press.

 

Where do you write? 

I focus best in my home offices in Colorado and Arizona. I’ve placed window film on the windows in CO. It lets the light in, but also keeps my attention in. My desk in AZ faces the window where I see citrus and palm trees, quail, and even a frequent coyote. If my mind gets “squirrely,” I pull the shade.

 

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind? 

Silence, nature sounds, or music without lyrics.

 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life?

I retired from the Adams County District Attorney’s Office two years ago, where I handled some off-the-wall weird cases; some were too good from which to not pull threads. When I hear a reader say, “There’s no way that could happen,” I know that yes, it can and it does.

 

Describe your process for naming your character? 

I take care when naming characters. In my latest series, the main character is Andie Rose Kaczmarek. The surname is Polish for innkeeper, of which she is both.

 

Real settings or fictional towns? 

All three series (including the duology) are set in fictional towns loosely based on real ones. I use the real names of close-by larger cities.

 

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written) which one would it be? Why? 

Where the Crawdads Sing. It’s absolutely brilliant!

 

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours? 

Raising my boys. There is so much I would do differently as I’ve learned more. That said, they’ve grown into fine young men I couldn’t possibly be prouder of. 

 

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

Coffee, dark chocolate, and a box of books. (A box is considered one thing, yes?) 😊

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy? 

As a kid, it was always my dream to be a reporter in New York City. Now I’m 100% a country girl!

 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

Inn the Spirit of Murder was released July 24, 2024. Book two, Inn the Dead of Winter, is well on its way once I hit the final okay button, zipping it off to production. Book three, Inn Hallowed Ground, is well underway. I’m also plotting a standalone mystery from multiple points of view and am included in a mystery merge short story anthology, hopefully to be released by the end of this year.

 

Inn the Spirit of Murder

A Spirit Lake Mystery, Book 1

Six-year-sober life coach and skeptic, Andie Rose Kaczmarek, and her red retriever emotional support animal, Aspen, become the new owners of the surmised haunted Spirit Lake Inn in Minnesota. When Andie Rose finds a body in the inn's kitchen, she fears it will be the death of what's most important-the stellar reputation of the inn her grandparents, Grandpop and Honey, built. Aware of the risk of stress in sobriety, she gets an AA sponsor-feisty, spirited Sister Alice who, 30 years ago, traded in one habit for another. 

 

Andie Rose falls prey to a new, potentially more dangerous addiction—solving the murder. But in typical Sister Alice fashion, she transforms the danger of solving a murder into a spirited good time. Will Andie Rose flip from skeptic to believer?

 

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--MOLLY MacRAE'S NEW PARANORMAL COZY MYSTERY SERIES AND A FIG WALNUT SPICE MUFFIN #RECIPE

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” In addition to writing the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, she’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction and Guideposts. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Learn more about Molly and her books at her website where you’ll also find links to her on various social media.  

Thanks for having me back on the blog and in the kitchen, Cloris! Today I’m talking about three things I love—muffins, mysteries, and mollusks. I love islands, too, and those first three things show up on one of my favorite islands, Ocracoke, in Come Shell or High Water, the first book in my new Haunted Shell Shop mystery series.

 

The book opens at the tail end of a hurricane with Maureen Nash arriving on Ocracoke, a small barrier island off the coast of North Carolina. She arrives with a mystery on her hands—Allen, a guy on the island, has been writing letters to her late husband, Jeff, since shortly before Jeff died. The letters tell Jeff he should come to the island to learn something to his advantage. Gee, not at all scammy-sounding. Another letter arrived a few weeks ago and Maureen plans to nose around Ocracoke Village to see if she can figure out what Allen’s game is.

 

So where do mollusks come into the picture? So many ways. Mollusks are the animals that make and live in shells—clams, oysters, snails, scallops, conchs, winkles, mussels, etc. Ocracoke Island (a real place) has some of the best shelling beaches in the country. Allen, the scammy letter writer, owns a shell shop on the island. And Maureen is a malacologist—a scientist who studies shells and the creatures who make them. She’s also a storyteller and collects fables and folktales about shells. 

 

Soon after setting foot in Ocracoke Village Maureen rescues a large, fabulous shell from the storm-tossed surf. Then things begin to go haywire. The next thing she knows, she’s waking up on the floor of the shell shop after an incident she can’t remember. She meets Glady and Burt, a pair of squabbling octogenarian siblings, who live across the street from the shell shop. She thinks she might have tripped over a body in the woods. And then she comes eye to eye with the ghost of an eighteenth-century pirate—unless she’s suffering from a concussion.

 

Operating under these conditions, a woman could use a good muffin. Luckily for Maureen, Burt took up baking during the pandemic and his specialty is muffins. Here he is, now, with a word about his Fig Walnut Spice Muffins and the recipe: 

 

“This is the first muffin recipe I’ve come up with on my own. It makes eighteen muffins. Sometimes seventeen if I’m heavy-handed in filling the muffin cups. When Glady asked if I was ever going to fix the recipe so that it makes a standard dozen, I asked who she was kidding. Seventeen or eighteen muffins is better than a dozen or a baker’s dozen any day. This recipe makes a Burt’s dozen.” 

 

Fig Walnut Spice Muffins

Yield: 18 (or 17)

 

Ingredients for Large Bowl

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1 cup dried figs, stems removed, chopped into raisin-size pieces (or a little bigger) 

1 cup walnuts, chopped

 

Ingredients for Medium Bowl

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar 

2 large eggs 

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 400° F.

 

If you have two muffin pans (for a total of 24 muffins), butter 18 of the muffin cups or line them with muffin papers. Otherwise, bake 12 muffins and, after the pan cools, prepare 6 of the cups again to bake the final 6 muffins.

 

In the large mixing bowl, stir together all the ingredients but the figs and walnuts. Then stir in the figs and walnuts.

 

In the medium bowl, melt the butter, then whisk in the brown sugar, yogurt, vanilla, and the eggs. Pour into the large bowl and stir until just combined. Batter will be thick.

 

Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake until toothpick or tester comes out clean, 15–20 minutes. 

 

Remove from oven and turn muffins out of pan to cool on a wire rack.

 

Come Shell or High Water

A Haunted Shell Shop Mystery, Book 1

 

When widowed folklorist Maureen Nash visits a legendary North Carolina barrier island shell shop, she discovers its resident ghost pirate and the mystery of a local’s untimely death . . .

 

As a professional storyteller, Maureen Nash can’t help but see the narrative cues woven through her life. Like the series of letters addressed to her late husband from a stranger—the proprietor of The Moon Shell, a shop on Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina. The store is famous with shell collectors, but it’s the cryptic letters from Allen Withrow, the shop’s owner, that convince Maureen to travel to the small coastal town in the middle of hurricane season. At the very least, she expects she’ll get a good story out of the experience, never anticipating it could end up a murder mystery . . .

 

In Maureen’s first hours on the storm-lashed island, she averts several life-threatening accidents, stumbles over the body of a controversial Ocracoke local, and meets the ghost of an eighteenth-century Welsh pirate, Emrys Lloyd. To the untrained eye, all these unusual occurrences would seem to be random misfortunes, but Maureen senses there may be something connecting these stories. With Emrys’s supernatural assistance, and the support of a few new friends, Maureen sets out unravel the truth, find a killer, and hopefully give this tale a satisfying ending . . . while also rewriting her own.

 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH MYSTERY AUTHOR LORIE LEWIS HAM

Photo by Lorie Lewis Ham

Today we sit down for a chat with mystery author Lorie Lewis Ham. Learn more about her and her books at her website where you’ll also find links to social media. 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels? 

I started making up short stories as soon as I could put sentences together. My first song and poem were published when I was thirteen. I’ve gone on to publish many articles, short stories, and poems throughout the years, as well as write for a local newspaper, and publish seven mystery novels.

 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

My first mystery novel was published in 2000.

 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author? 

My first four books were published by a small press, the rest I have published myself though my Kings River Life Magazine. 

 

Where do you write? 

Mostly at the dining room table these days. 

 

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

I used to listen to Frank Sinatra but these days I prefer silence—or as much as you can have with a house full of pets.

 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular? 

With the first series, a lot. With the new one not as much of the plots, but many of the characters are at least loosely based on someone I know in the Tower District. I do share a lot of interests with my main character.

 

Describe your process for naming your character? 

I honestly don’t have a process. Some have come from gravestones, street signs, and most just from playing around with names until something fits. 

 

Real settings or fictional towns? 

My current series is set in a slightly fictionalized version of the Tower District in Fresno, CA (the arts district there)

 

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has? 

Not sure if this qualifies, but my main character knows how to use a sword.

 

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours? 

That is tough because the choices I’ve made have made me who I am and given me the life I have now, so offhand I am not sure. Maybe insisting that my father let me buy the ’57 Chevy Bel Aire convertible that was for sale across the street for only $1000.

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve? 

People not doing their research—as example, people on podcasts not making sure they have their facts or pronunciations correct, and people contacting me about a guest post or interview who obviously have never listened to our podcast or read Kings River Life.

 

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves? 

Sherlock Holmes Collection, my pets, and a way to watch my favorite TV shows (this is assuming we are talking about objects not people). 

 

What was the worst job you’ve ever held? 

Waitress when I was pregnant.

 

Who’s your all-time favorite literary character (any genre)? Why?

Sherlock Holmes He’s quirky and smart, interesting, and loyal to those he cares about (Watson). Uses his brain, not his brawn. 

 

Ocean or mountains? 

Ocean

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy? 

City

 

What’s on the horizon for you? 

Continuing to write more books in the Tower District Mystery series, babysitting the new grandbaby, and hopefully some travel.

 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books? 

If you like quirky places, theatre, and unique pets, be sure to check out the Tower District Mysteries. 

 

I recommend reading my books in order. Even though the mysteries stand on their own there is character development you miss out on and a through story that will hopefully be resolved in book 3. The first book in this series is One of Us.

 

One of You

A Tower District Mystery, Book 2

 

With her life on the California Coast behind her, Roxi Carlucci is beginning to feel at home in the Tower District—the cultural oasis of Fresno, CA—where she now lives with her cousin P.I. Stephen Carlucci, her pet rat Merlin, a Pit Bull named Watson, and a black cat named Dan. She has a new entertainment podcast, works as a part-time P.I., and is helping local bookstore owner Clark Halliwell put on the first-ever Tower Halloween Mysteryfest! The brutal summer heat is gone and has been replaced by the dense tule fog—perfect for Halloween!

 

She just wishes everyone would stop calling her the “Jessica Fletcher” of the Tower District simply because she found a dead body when she first arrived. But when one of the Mysteryfest authors is found dead, she fears she jinxed herself! The Carlucci’s are hired to find the killer before they strike again. Will Mysteryfest turn into a murder fest? How is the local gossip website back, and what does it know about the death of Roxi’s parents? 

 

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MYSTERY AUTHOR KATHLEEN MARPLE KALB ON THE BRIDE WORE WHITE AND HER NEW SERIES

Kathleen Marple Kalb describes herself as an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order. An award-winning weekend anchor at New York’s 1010 WINS Radio, she writes short stories and novels including A Fatal Reception and the Old Stuff series. As Nikki Knight, she writes the Grace the Hit Mom and Vermont Radio mysteries. Her stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, and others, and been short-listed for Derringer and Black Orchid Novella Awards. Learn more about her and her books at her website where you’ll also find links to her social media.

The Bride Wore White

Blame it on Queen Victoria.

 

Everything from prudishness to plaid to World War I is laid at her door, rightly or wrongly, but in the case of white wedding gowns, it’s actually pretty accurate.

 

Upper-class and royal brides had occasionally worn white, as far back as Ancient Rome. In 1558, Mary, Queen of Scots married the heir to the French throne in what was then a traditional mourning color, sparking much talk of bad luck…and it’s hard to argue, considering how the marriage, and the Scottish queen’s life, turned out. Spoiler: early widowhood, two more disastrous marriages, and a date with the headsman. 

 

When Victoria chose a creamy white satin dress for her marriage to Prince Albert, her main goal was supporting the struggling British silk and lace industry. The gown, of Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace, was probably the most famous piece of clothing in the world at the time, and it set the example. And, thanks to the Industrial Revolution and the rising middle class, there were plenty of brides willing and able to follow it.

 

Extravagant white dresses quickly filtered through the upper levels of society, with aristocratic and well-off women eagerly adopting pristine silks and laces. By the time Victoria’s daughters married, the white dress was standard for everyone who could afford it, a statement that the bride came from a family who could buy her an expensive dress she would never wear again.

 

White wedding dresses, by the way, did not start as an announcement of the bride’s innocence. As the fashion spread, though, it became intertwined with all the Victorian ideas about female purity. Eventually, a white dress was seen not just as the prerogative of the first-time bride, but a declaration that her family was delivering untouched merchandise to the altar. 

 

In some circles, a bride did at least get some wear out of the gown. In the American South, it was traditional for a new bride to don her wedding gear for a weeks- or monthslong series of visits and social events surrounding the marriage. Many women also saved their dresses, to be altered and reused by daughters or other female relatives. Surviving gowns in museums have often been remade for changing fashions.

 

When a bride couldn’t afford a white dress with its limited usefulness but still had the money for something, she often bought or made the most beautiful dress she could manage in a more serviceable color, to keep as Sunday best. For many Victorian women, the Sunday best dress was black, but a bride would try to avoid that if she could – think of all the people who told Laura Ingalls Wilder: “marry in black, you’ll wish yourself back.”

 

A Sunday-best dress was also the choice for older or second-time brides. Advice and etiquette books sternly warned senior brides (meaning late-20s and after!) to avoid trying to look like “mutton dressed as lamb.” And remarriages, however loving and joyful, were expected to be relatively quiet. 

 

Many of these Sunday-best wedding dresses have also survived, though, because they were special to their owners. They’re often made of lovely fabrics, beautifully detailed and trimmed, every bit as much an expression of love, joy, and hope as the frilly whites.

 

In A Fatal Reception, set in June of 1900, opera diva Ella Shane ticks all the social boxes for a white gown, and thanks to her successful career, has the resources to splash out. So when Ella meets her Duke at the altar, she’s a vision in pristine satin, lace, and tulle, complete with a crown of orange blossoms Queen Victoria herself would envy. Things take a dramatic and unconventional turn after that…but you’ll have to read the book to find out how!

 

A Fatal Reception

An Ella Shane Mystery, Book 1

 

Gilded Age trouser diva Ella Shane and her Duke are at long last headed for the altar…but they’ll have to handle a murder, a shipwreck, a questionable Polish prince, and any number of other complications on the way. Continuing the highly-praised series featuring an Irish-Jewish Lower East Side orphan who found fame and fortune as a singer of male soprano roles, the latest installment follows Ella and her surprisingly diverse cast of family and friends through mystery and misadventure…and into the greatest challenge of all for an independent-minded woman and her Victorian swain: matrimony!

 

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