Thursday, September 13, 2018

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AN INTERVIEW WITH MYSTERY AUTHOR SALLY HANDLEY'S AMATEUR SLEUTH HOLLY DONNELLY

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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