BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AN INTERVIEW WITH HUMOROUS MYSTERY AUTHOR CINDY SAMPLE

Humorous mystery author Cindy Sample has stopped by for a visit from time to time, but she’s never sat down for an interview. Today that changes. Learn more about Cindy and her books at her website.    

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

I discovered Nancy Drew in the first grade and by the time I turned eight, I’d read all of the series. So I decided to use my spelling words one night and dashed off a sixteen-page Nancy Drew sequel. I received an A+ and was hooked. I knew then I wanted to be a mystery author.

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

It took half a century before my next mystery was completed. But technically, it took eight years to write Dying for a Date, the first book in my series, get an agent, then find a publisher.

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

My first two books were released by a small publisher that closed shortly before the release of my third book. They gave me my rights back and I decided to try self-publishing which I ended up loving. I like being in control of every aspect of the publishing business, including not releasing a book until it’s ready.

Where do you write? 

I stand in front of my laptop which is perched on my kitchen counter. For some reason that works for me. Plus I convince myself that standing in place is a form of exercise. It’s also next to the pantry in case I need culinary inspiration.

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

I need complete silence. Music is too distracting because I tend to cha-cha around the house once the music begins.

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

My character is a single soccer mom at the beginning of the series so she occasionally contends with a few domestic scenes that I might also have encountered. And she is a complete klutz just like I am.

Describe your process for naming your character?

I came up with the name “Laurel” when I was visiting a botanical garden and her last name of “McKay” just magically appeared.

Real settings or fictional towns?

I live in the California Gold Country, a beautiful area with historic gold mines, wineries, and apple orchards, close to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I wanted to profile the town and some of my favorite places, and the town of Placerville loves the publicity.

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

Laurel thinks chocolate has medicinal powers.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

Ditto!

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

The Husband’s Secret or Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. Both are brilliant – suspenseful but also witty.

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves? Chocolate, chardonnay and my Kindle

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

Typing card catalog cards for three hours every afternoon during college. That had to be the worst library job ever.

Ocean or mountains?

Tough call.  It’s a tie!

City girl/guy or country girl/guy? 

Complete country girl. I grew up on a farm in Illinois.

What’s on the horizon for you?

I’m currently two-thirds through chemotherapy (yay) so once chemo brain has dissipated I’ll be working on another Laurel McKay mystery. I’d also like to put together a book filled with brief cancer survivor essays that will be heartwarming, helpful and/or humorous. The positive stories I’ve heard from other authors and non-writers really helped me get through this onerous period, and I’d like to be able to share the positivity with others fighting the same battle.

Dying For a Deal

A Laurel McKay Mystery, Book 7

Laurel McKay Hunter is thrilled when she signs up her first client, a friend of her grandmother, for Gold County Investigations, the detective agency she and her husband have recently formed. The case involves a South Lake Tahoe timeshare scam, which is perfect for Laurel, given her financial background.

When the timeshare salesman is found dead, with her grandmother’s fingerprints on the murder weapon, Laurel adds solving the murder to her caseload.

When a second murder occurs, Laurel discovers that this case could have greater depths than the turbulent waters of Lake Tahoe. From the summit of snow-capped Heavenly Valley, a boat race across the lake, and an unexpected dumpster dive, Laurel is determined to catch the killer.

Unfortunately, the killer is willing to stop at nothing. Including eliminating Laurel!

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR CINDY SAMPLE AND APPLE HILL CAKE

Multi-award nominee Cindy Sample is a former corporate CEO who decided plotting murder was more entertaining than plodding through paperwork. Her national bestselling humorous mystery series features single soccer mom Laurel McKay and now includes five books. Learn more about her and her books at her website. 

Laurel McKay, the protagonist in my mystery series, is an addict. A donut addict. Or, as she prefers to phrase it, a donut aficionado. There is nothing Laurel likes better than biting into a melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon apple donut. Or a vanilla frosted apple donut. Or a…well, you get the idea.

Luckily, my protagonist and I both live near Apple Hill, located in the Gold Country of Northern California, and home to over fifty apple farms. During the season, which goes from Labor Day to Christmas Eve, over a million tourists visit this area to pick apples and savor their delicious donuts, fritters, strudel, and more. While researching my book, I toured one of the apple farm kitchens. I was amazed to learn they sell over 50,000 donuts a month.

My family is also included in those demographics. When my daughter flew here from Seattle one Thanksgiving, we drove sixty-five miles from the Sacramento airport directly to Apple Hill so she could savor her favorite glazed apple donuts. That’s when my sugar-fueled brain decided Dying for a Donut would be the next book in my series.

My protagonist is quite excited when her daughter, Jenna, lands a job at the Apple Tree Farm and Bakery. That is until Laurel stumbles over the owner of Apple Tree Farm covered from head to toe in powdered sugar. Did someone try to sweeten him up? Investigating his murder ends up being far more perilous than she first anticipates.

I should know. My research for this book proved to be my most dangerous yet. And now I am definitely dying for a diet!

Continuing with the theme of the story, I asked readers to contribute one of their favorite fall recipes. I chose twelve apple, pumpkin and pear-related recipes which are featured at the back of the book. Plus one recipe for Man Catcher Brownies. How could I not include that one!

Below is the recipe for the original Apple Hill cake. Since I’m better known for eating than baking, if I can make it, anyone can.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. baking soda

4 cups diced apples

Combine sugar, oil and eggs, then add diced apples. Sift together the flour, salt, spices, and baking soda. Add to apple mixture. Pour into a 9” x 13” greased cake pan and bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Serve warm or cold with your favorite topping.

Happy reading and eating.

Dying for a Donut

To Laurel McKay, there’s nothing better than spending an autumn afternoon munching on caramel apples and cinnamon donuts. It’s a good thing her daughter Jenna has landed a seasonal job at Apple Tree Farm and Bakery.

Then Laurel stumbles over the bakery owner coated in powdered sugar. Axel Thorson was a well-respected member of the community. Who wanted to sweeten him up? And who might benefit from his death?

Any number of business owners, friends and family it soon turns out.

When the police arrest the heartthrob grandson of the bakery manager, Jenna decides to help him by solving the case herself, a move that lands her in jail. With Laurel’s detective honey in another state, and her octogenarian grandmother threatening to chase down the culprit, what’s a soccer mom with a sweet tooth to do but go undercover?

Detecting among donuts should be a piece of cake, but not if Laurel discovers first-hand that sugar can kill you.

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BRENDA NOVAK'S ANNUAL ONLINE AUCTION FOR DIABETES RESEARCH

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is a three-time Rita nominee. Her books have won many awards, including the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne and many others. Brenda joins us today to talk about a topic near and dear to her—her annual online auction to raise funds for diabetes research. Learn more about Brenda, her books, and the auction at her website. 

Cilene Dion concert
and meet & greet

How would you like to attend a Cilene Dion concert and meet the singer? Spend seven nights in Hawaii? Become a character in a John Lescroart novel? Have author Hank Phillippi Ryan attend your book club? Become the owner of a Kindle Fire HDX filled with six Sandra Brown novels? All these and more can be yours if you participate in author Brenda Novak’s annual online auction for diabetes research at http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com from May 1 - May 31st.

Brenda started the auction ten years ago, as a way to fight back after her youngest son was diagnosed, at five, with Type 1 Diabetes. Since then, she’s become acutely aware of the need for more research, and the funding that makes it possible.

Thad and Brenda

Brenda stops by today to tell us:

Ten things I love about my annual online auction for diabetes research:

1.     It reminds me that people are GOOD. More than good—AMAZING! Every year, I approach over 1000 donors and ask them to once again contribute a good or service to be auctioned off for the benefit of those suffering with diabetes. And the response is almost always an overwhelming yes, with fellow writers and industry professionals leading the pack in generosity. Touches my heart every year.

2.     I love, love, love getting the positive feedback when an aspiring writer gets an agent, sells a book or finds great value in published author’s mentorship or critique. Or when someone enjoys one of the trips—or another item they’ve won. It makes me feel good to know the auction is a win/win.

7 nights in Hawaii
donated by author Cindy Sample

3.     Watching and charting the numbers. My family wants to  kill me every year because I’m absolutely ADDICTED. I check and check and check—and pray and pray and pray that our totals go up.

4.     I love knowing that Author Lauren Hawkeye’s son, Ben, and that my son, Thad, probably won’t have to cope with diabetes longer than another 5-10 years because of the fabulous research we are funding.

Book club visit from
Hank Phillippi Ryan

 5.     I love so many of the cool items—like the Celine Dion tickets/meet-and-greet, the Kindles and Nooks, the promotion packages for authors, the cool jewelry, the handmade chocolates, the designer handbags, the themed baskets and the agent/editor evaluations.

6.     I love my auction team—my assistant, Anna and the four auction volunteers who have been so loyal and devoted this year, which include Danita, Stephanie, Debbie and Janice. These people have been instrumental in the auction’s success. I enjoy our planning sessions and getting to spend time with these wonderful people.

Kindle Fire HDX
w/6 Sandra Brown novels

7.     I love talking to the press and trying to get the word out. It’s certainly given me a lot of experience with handling interviews!

8.     I love that the auction runs every May because it’s a celebration of Mother’s Day and my birthday, which are usually only a few days apart. After ten years, May would not be the same to me without the auction.

Your name in a John
Lescroart novel

9.     I love that my kids and other members of my family (like my sister, Tonya) do what they can to support me by making things they can donate. My husband and children pick up part of the household load so that I can focus on the auction.

10. I love that my dream has come true. When I first started the auction, I imagined what it would be like to raise $1 million. It’s all I could think about. Now we’ve raised over $2 million and are shooting for $2.5!

If you would like to be part of this fun event, please join me! All you have to do is register at http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com and the information you need is right there (or feel free to email me with any questions via the contact button on my website.)

THIS WEEK'S BOOK WINNERS

What a great week we had with several guest authors and a couple of book giveaways! I'd like to thank Joyce and Jim Lavene for stopping by on Monday, Meg London/Peg Cochran for joining us on Thursday, and Cindy Sample for being our Book Club Friday guest. 

Joyce and Jim offered a copy of Treacherous Toys to one of our readers. The winner of that book is Sue Farrell. Sue, since you left your email in your post, I'll have the Lavenes contact you for your address.

Cindy Sample offered a copy of either Dying for a Date or Dying for a Dance to one of our readers. The winner of Cindy's giveaway is Barb Goffman. Barb, please send your mailing address and choice of title to anastasiapollack@gmail.com, and I'll pass the information along to Cindy.