BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--A.R. KENNEDY TAKES HER SLEUTH ON SAFARI

A R Kennedy lives in Long Beach, New York, with her two pups. She works hard to put food on the floor for them. As her favorite T-shirt says, “I work so my dog can have a better life”. She’s an avid traveler. But don’t worry. While she’s away, her parents dote on their grand-puppies even more than she does. Her writing is a combination of her love of travel, animals, and the journey we all take to find ourselves. Learn more about A.R. and her books at her website. 

Safari Lingo

As a writer, I’m fascinated by words. Did you know safari is Swahili for journey?

As an author, trying to be profitable, I read a lot about keywords—for advertisements, marketing and selling. Did you know a safari has keywords, too?

The Big Five — The Big Five represents the five animals that most tourists are seeking to see while on safari—lions, leopards, elephants, African buffalo and rhinoceroses. This isn’t originally a tourism term. During colonial times, the term was used to list what trophy hunters considered the most challenging and dangerous animals to hunt on foot. 

The Little Five — These are five small animals that a traveler can seek out in Africa – the Elephant Shrew, Ant Lion, Rhinoceros Beetle, Buffalo Weaver and Leopard Tortoise. Did you notice they all have the Big Five in their name? They can be looked for on a bush walk.

Bush Walk — A bush walk is also known as a safari walk or a game walk. Most safaris spend most the time on game drives but this short walk is a great way to find animal tracks, to take you where vehicles can’t go, and to get up close to local geology and plants. 

Game Drive — It’s the highlight of any safari. It’s how you search out the Big Five and experience Africa’s beautiful landscape. Many tours will have two game drives a day, one in the early morning and one in the late afternoon. During the heat of the day, it’s best to be out of the hot African sun, lounging in the shade at the pool or taking a nap in your room.

Sundowners — Some of you may know this term as it relates to people with dementia. But on safari it is an extremely positive event. It’s HAPPY HOUR! While watching a magnificent sunset, your guide provides you with the drink of your choice—champagne, wine, beer, or juice. Light snacks are also served. It is a safari tradition, dating back to colonial times.

In Sleuth on Safari, the first in my new The Traveler Cozy Mystery Series, main character Naomi learns all these terms while on safari with her sister Charlotte. Join them on an adventure of a lifetime! Available 3/24/2020. Now on pre-order.

Sleuth on Safari

A bargain deal on a safari + one dead body = An adventure no one could plan for.

Naomi and her estranged sister are off on a trip of a lifetime—an African safari, a bucket list trip for Naomi on which she got a last-minute deal. Naomi thinks traveling with her sister will be the worst part of her African safari until she finds one of their fellow travelers, the unlikable Dr. Higgins, dead. She gets more adventure than she bargained for when she starts investigating what she thinks is murder but the luxury lodge says was a tragic accident. She only has a few vacation days, and a few game drives, to find the killer. 

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AN INTERVIEW WITH MYSTERY AND ROMANTIC SUSPENSE AUTHOR A.R. KENNEDY

Today we sit down for a chat with mystery and romantic suspense author A.R. Kennedy. Learn more about AR and her books at her website.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

I’ve always had stories in my head. About ten years ago, I started thinking about writing them down. In 2011, I attended a week-long course (Late Victorian and Edwardian Ghost Stories) at Christchurch College in Oxford, England. I met an author, from Germany, there—Beate Sauer. I asked her for advice and she delivered! She told me 2 things.

1- Take a writing class.

2- Write.

When I returned to the US, I signed up for a class and the Nathan Miccoli mystery series was started.

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

Indie published

Where do you write?

In my living room, on the couch, with one little dog on my lap and the other one running around (and sometimes biting my toes).

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

It depends on my mood. Sometimes I write in silence. Sometimes I write while baseball games are playing on the TV. If I’m trying the channel certain characters of the Nathan Miccoli mystery series, it’s adult alternative or classical.

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

For Saving Ferris, there is nothing from my life but my love of dogs. Cecilia is fashionable, tech savvy, and lives in the country in a large home.

For the Nathan Miccoli series, the starting point (a single woman who is a physical therapist living in Long Beach who enjoys the occasional Samuel Adams beer) is drawn from my life. Everything from there is imagination.

Describe your process for naming your character?

It depend. Some names are just ones I like (or don’t like). For the Nathan Miccoli series, favorite characters, villains and characters we’re not too sure about are named from past Mets and Yankee rosters. Characters who are to be questioned (think Dr. Leiter) are named from players who played for both the Mets and Yankees.

Real settings or fictional towns?

The setting of Saving Ferris is a fictional town, Foley. The settings of the Nathan Miccoli series are real settings, Long Beach, New York and Queen, New York.

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

Ferris chasing his tail.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

Some would say there are too many to mention.

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

In regards to my writing, I wish my current editor, Lourdes Venard, had edited all of the Nathan Miccoli series.

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

My pups, a Kindle, stocked with a never ending supply of books, and radio (or TV) to listen to (or watch) my Mets

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

I’ll take the 5th on that.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

The Gunslinger, Stephen King

Ocean or mountains?

I live in Long Beach, NY so I think I’m obligated to say ocean.

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

I can live anywhere (and have). I’ve lived all over the country and find ways to enjoy a bustling city or a serene countryside.

What’s on the horizon for you?

I’m attending the Writers’ Police Academy August 1-4 for research for my next novels.

The Nathan Miccoli mystery series finale is expected in 2019. (I’m contemplating a spin-off. If interested, readers better let me know!)

I’m working on a cozy mystery series, The Traveling Detective. Naomi travels the world—each book is a different international locale with a different family member. Family drama and solving murder are always involved. 

I’m seeking representation for the first in the series, Sleuth on Safari. Naomi, and her sister, Charlotte, are off on a trip of a lifetime—an African safari, a bucket list trip for Naomi on which she got a last-minute deal. But she gets more adventure than she bargained for when one of their fellow travelers, the unlikable Dr. Higgins, is killed.

The locales for each of the novels are inspired by my travels. Future books are planned for Iceland, Australia, Israel, and more.

Saving Ferris

After Cecilia’s husband dies, she’s forced to become Ferris’s caregiver, something she does not immediately warm to. But when his life is threatened by an intruder, she shoots the intruder to save the golden retriever. Police Chief Holden Owens thinks Cecilia acted lawfully, but few agree. The prosecutor feels that Cecilia has committed murder, not self defense. In the eyes of the law, one can use lethal force to protect themselves and others, but not property. Pets are considered property. Holden loses his fight with the prosecutor, and is now in a new fight—his undeniable attraction to Cecilia. Celebrity defense attorney Wyatt Sewell identifies a sympathetic defendant, a case he can win, and a way to garner more acclaim. When he learns of Cecilia’s motive, to save Ferris, he sees a blockbuster case that can set legal precedent. He forces the jurors to ask themselves— Is your pet property or family?Will saving Ferris's life cost Cecilia her freedom? And a second chance at love?

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#TRAVEL WITH SERENA--GUEST AUTHOR A.R. KENNEDY & BASEBALL STADIUMS

Let’s Go Mets!

Here I am at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, for the Sprinter Series, April 2013. I’m equipped to watch my New York Mets play, with my radio and scorecard, and to stay warm in the 30 degree temperatures. The Twins were so nice—they gave all fans free hot chocolate!

Anyone who has read the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series knows that Anastasia and her kids are rabid Mets fans. Today we welcome author and fellow Mets fan A. R. Kennedy to talk about her passion for baseball and her debut series. Learn more about A. R. and her books at her website.

There’s nothing better than when you combine two or more of your favorite things. And I’m not talking about peanut butter and chocolate. I’m referring to my love of travel and baseball.

In the past seventeen years, I’ve traveled all over the US to visit forty-two Major League Baseball stadiums. I can tell you where to get the best nachos (Miami’s Marlins Park,) where to get the best sandwich (Primanti’s at Pittsburgh Pirates PNC Park,) who has the best ballpark tour (Washington’s Nationals Park) and where to meet the nicest ballpark staff (Minnesota Twins Target Field.)

In my quest to see all the stadiums, I’ve seen five games in six days while in one state (California), driven through three states to see four games in five days (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Detroit,) and learned Chicago doesn’t want me to move there. In my two visits to the beautiful city, I’ve felt the extremes of their weather—freezing in May and sweating in August (over 115 degrees with the heat index!)

Weather is always a challenge when traveling. It’s of particular concern when you’re traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to see an event that’s held predominantly outside. One of my most memorable trips was to Minnesota Twins Target Field in April 2013 for the series they dubbed ‘The Sprinter Series’ (The Spring-Winter Series.) I watched two amazing games at the beautiful ballpark, with starting temperatures in the thirties, while it snowed. The opposing team, my team—the New York Mets—kept me warm by winning both games!

It all began in 1998 when I wanted to see the phenomena of the home run race and Mark McGuire. I drove eight hours to watch two games with no McGuire home runs but the atmosphere—Busch Stadium packed with baseball loving fans—was phenomenal.

In the next few years, I planned my summer vacations around MLB schedules. With teams who played within driving distance of each others’ schedules laid out on the floor, I spent hours organizing a trip to maximize my time. Some stadiums are too far from others and I tried to go there when the Mets were playing. I’ve seen the Mets play in twelve stadiums, not including their own. In recent years, I’ve re-visited MLB cities to check out newly built ballparks.

My baseball travels have also included trips to Canada. As many may know, Toronto’s Blue Jays’ home, the Rogers Centre, has a hotel attached. The Renaissance Toronto Downtown Hotel is the only hotel in the world inside a major sports venue, with some rooms featuring a field view. Of course, I had to stay in one of those rooms. It was like having my own personal suite. I’ve also visited Montreal’s Olympic stadium. There is a reason the Expos moved. I hope future travels include more international trips.

The highlights of my baseball trips:

* Seeing our beautiful country (and other parts of the world.) A 2001 trip to Minnesota’s Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome led me to Ely, Minnesota and kayaking the Boundary Waters—an amazing part of our country. A great outdoors store there, Piragis Northwoods, helped me, and I later traveled with Piragis on their international kayaking trips to Iceland and Greece.

*In Los Angeles, I watched a fourteen inning game. Why’d I stay? George Mallory said it best, “Because it’s there.” (I stayed even longer at a game at my home team’s Citi Field- 20 innings, 6 hours and 25 minutes—and yes, they lost.)

*Traveling with my Mom. She’s gone with me to fifteen of the stadiums, despite no interest in baseball. But she did enjoy those nachos!

*Meeting fellow baseball lovers. I spent most of a game at Minnesota’s Target Field talking to an usher who told me about the history of the team, that the majority of their fans wanted to see baseball played outside and shared his love for his team. I love talking baseball!

Next trip…Atlanta’s new stadium to open in 2017.

Unless MLB decides to schedule another international season opener…

To celebrate the Opening Week of baseball, all 3 Nathan Miccoli Mystery books are on sale—Gone But Not Missed, Gone But Not Goodbye, and Gone But Not Healed. (And all contain scenes at Mets home park, Citi Field.)

Gone but not Missed

Lillian Brannon wakes up on Valentine's Day in an exact replica of her bedroom but the only item that she believes is authentic is her dog, Laude. She is held captive in her kidnapper's basement apartment, summoned upstairs once a week for a chaste dinner. But will his kindness last, and more importantly, why isn’t anyone looking for her? Lillian’s story is interwoven with that of Nathan, a NYPD officer, who is intrigued by Lillian’s disappearance—how can a young woman be gone for two weeks before a Missing Person Report is filed? Local police believe Lillian has voluntarily abandoned a life she didn’t like. Lillian’s best friend convinces Nathan the authorities are wrong. With no jurisdiction, no resources, and no witnesses, he is compelled by the pictures of Lillian with her sweet smile and sparkling green eyes to obsessively take up the case. Armed with Lillian’s keys and personal information, he spends hours, then days in her home trying to find clues that will lead him to her.

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