Today
we sit down with Holly Donnelly from author Sally Handley’s Holly and Ivy
Mysteries.
What was your life like
before your author started pulling your strings?
Before Second Bloom, the first Holly and Ivy
adventure, my life was very serene and peaceful. I spent most of my time
reading and teaching English as an adjunct faculty member at a local college.
In my spare time, I gardened. Some may think of it as a dull life, but it was
very pleasant -- until my author started involving me in murder investigations.
I never wanted to get involved, but she always made it impossible for me to
walk away from the situations she threw me into. Of course, my life was also
just a tad lonely. I have to admit I’m glad she introduced me to Detective Nick
Manelli.
What’s the
one trait you like most about yourself?
I suppose it is my loyalty to friends and
family. Naturally, that’s the very
thing that gets me involved in murder investigations. Also, since my author
started pulling my strings, I’ve learned that I’m braver than I thought I was.
Even when I’d rather pull the covers over my head, I will face danger in order
to help or protect the people I love. I do feel proud of that.
What do you
like least about yourself?
Well, I have been told that I’m a bit of a know-it-all
and seem to always think I know the best way to handle any situation. Quite
honestly, I don’t see it. Can I help it if I’m always right?
What is the
strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?
The strangest thing is that all of a sudden people I
know and care about keep getting accused of murder. I’m a fifty-five year old,
adjunct English professor, for heaven’s sake. All I want to do is read, garden and go sightseeing with my
sister Ivy. What business do I have investigating murders? Why couldn’t my
author just have written a romance novel? Why couldn’t I have just been a
middle-aged woman, trying to decide which of two, maybe three men who desire
me, I should marry? That’s a good plot, isn’t it? Why, oh why, do I have to get
involved helping people accused of murder? Believe me, I often think about how
strange it is that my sister and I are helping the police solve crimes at this
stage in our lives.
Do you
argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?
Not really. We have a rather symbiotic relationship,
even though I’m actually a lot gutsier than she is. I think she actually lives
vicariously through me. Though after that last question you asked me, I think
I’m going to argue that she should quit Sisters in Crime and join Romance
Writers of America. She can change my name and start featuring me in epic love
stories.
What is
your greatest fear?
I’m ever fearful that what I do may cause harm to my
sister Ivy. In the instances where I’ve thrown caution to the wind, I usually
endanger her. Of course, I always realize I’ve put her in harm’s way a little
too late.
What makes
you happy?
The ability to make things grow really makes my heart
sing. Every spring, when I plant seeds, I get absolutely giddy when they begin
to sprout. I used to think everyone could make things grow, but I’ve learned
that it’s a gift not to be taken for granted.
Good food also makes me happy. I love to cook.
Italian food is my favorite. (I guess that’s part of what Nick finds appealing
about me.) And, I completely agree with the quote attributed to Benjamin
Franklin: “Beer is
proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Then, of course, there’s Nick Manelli. He can make me
crazy sometimes, but overall, he makes me very, very happy.
If you
could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?
The snake scene--absolutely the snake scene. That’s
in the next book, Full Bloom. I hate
snakes! I mean, really, I’d rather face a grizzly bear or a wolf, for heaven
sakes. But no, my author had to have me face my greatest phobia.
Of the other characters in
your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?
Ironically, Nick Manelli bugs me the most. He’s
very possessive and overly protective, which has its appeal on occasion, but it
can also be maddening. I’ve been independent my whole life, so I don’t like
being told what to do. I’d like it better if he agreed with me more when I make
a decision. I mean, just because what I want to do is a little dangerous, I
should still be able to do it without interference from him.
Of the other characters in
your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?
I think I might like to trade places with Yolanda
Rivera. She’s Nick’s assistant in the police department. She gets to work with
him solving crimes. It’s her job. If I worked for Nick, he’d have to share
information with me and protecting me would not be a priority. Danger would
simply be part of the job. But, then, of course, he and I couldn’t have a
relationship, or -- well, you know… So maybe I really wouldn’t want to be
Yolanda, after all.
Tell us a little something
about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?
Sally has been a mystery lover ever since
she first discovered Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. She majored in English, then
earned her Master’s Degree with a concentration in Shakespearean studies in
England. After teaching public school for six years, she moved on to a business
career, returning to academia as a professor of English before retiring in
2015. In addition to writing the Holly and Ivy mystery series, Sally also
writes the “On Writing, Reading and Retirement” blog, which can be found at her
website.
What's next for you?
In our next book, Full Bloom, Ivy and I are looking forward to a
relaxing stay in the Catskills after my break-up with Nick Manelli. As luck
would have it, our plans are thwarted. The day we arrive at my friend Kate
Farmer’s house in rustic Reddington Manor, we discover the body of Kate’s
next-door neighbor, Chuck Dwyer, in a pool of blood on his kitchen floor. In a
rush to judgment, the local sheriff sets his sights on 17-year old Tommy
Cranston, but Kate insists Tommy is innocent. The big question is can we prove
that a shifty neighbor, Chuck’s widow and local drug dealers all have better
motives for the murder? And, of course, can Ivy and Kate unravel another
mystery -- the cause of my break-up with Nick and the chances of our getting
back together.
Second Bloom
Holly
Donnelly and her sister, Ivy, are reluctantly drawn into the investigation of a
neighbor’s murder when Holly’s trusted gardener is accused of the crime.
Holly fears police detective, Nick Manelli, won’t conduct a proper
investigation, while Ivy feels the “hunky” Manelli is not only a good cop, but
also a possible romantic match for her sister. Can the clues the sisters
unearth from neighborhood gossip about the victim’s family, a politically
connected neighbor and a powerful real estate developer help save an innocent
man, or will the gardening duo dig up more than they bargain for?
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