AN INTERVIEW WITH COZY MYSTERY AUTHOR SUSAN SANTANGELO

The Muses, Boomer and Lilly

Today we sit down for a chat with Susan Santangelo, author of the cozy Baby Boomer Mysteries. Learn more about Susan and her books at her website. 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels? 

I wrote feature stories professionally for newspapers and magazines most of my adult life. I loved reading cozy mysteries, and I noodled around writing one for several years but never started one. Then I was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was a real wake up call. So about fourteen years ago, I started writing my first mystery. 

 

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

Four years. 

 

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

I’m a hybrid author. 

 

Where do you write?

I have a home office, which I share with my muses/dogs, Boomer and Lilly. I like to bounce story ideas off them. They have excellent instincts. 

 

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

No music. But doggy snoring is fine. No barking, though.

 

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

Because my books are written in the first person, all my readers think Carol Andrews is me and my husband Joe is Carol’s husband, Jim. The books aren’t about our lives, though. It’s just a coincidence that the first book in the series is titled Retirement Can Be Murder, when Jim decides to retire and his wife doesn’t want him home driving her crazy, and I began writing the book just as my own husband was retiring! That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.       

  

Describe your process for naming your character.

My series is the Baby Boomer mysteries, so I choose character names that are appropriate to that age group. “Carol” was one of the most popular first names when I was in school. Carol’s best friends are Nancy, Claire and Mary Alice. All those names were popular back in the fifties and sixties.

 

Real settings or fictional towns?

The books are set in the fictional town of Fairport, CT, a combination of two real towns in Connecticut, Fairfield and Westport. The antique house where Carol and Jim live in the series is based on the Fairfield house that my family and I lived and loved in for many years.

 

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

Carol talks to her dogs, Lucy and Ethel, ALL THE TIME. 

                                                                                          

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I’ve been known to chat with Boomer and Lilly. Not as often as Carol talks to Lucy and Ethel, though.   

 

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

Anything by Janet Evanovich. Her Stephanie Plum series is set in Trenton, NJ, where we used to live.

 

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

I wish I’d started writing mysteries when I was younger.  

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Rudeness.

 

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

Dogs, a cell phone and a charger.

 

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

I had a part-time job in the gift wrap department of a major retailer. I was a total failure.

 

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

I’d love to be Miss Marple. She proved that nobody should ever underestimate a senior citizen!  

 

Ocean or mountains?

Ocean.

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

The country, but close to a city.

 

What’s on the horizon for you?

I’m writing book 11 in the series, Masquerades Can Be Murder, which has a ghost in it. 

 

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

I hope people enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

 

Mistletoe Can Be Murder

A Baby Boomer Mystery, Book 10

 

Carol Andrews is planning her grandson CJ’s first Christmas down to the last detail. What she didn’t plan on is a furnace fiasco, the unexpected appearance of CJ’s Other Grandmother, Margo, and her new boyfriend, a family feud, a stolen credit card, and murder. When Margo’s boyfriend becomes the police’s chief suspect, Carol is forced to add crime-solving to her holiday to-do list before Santa can come down the chimney.

 

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CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GUEST AUTHOR SUE VIDERS/D.B. HUMEL

Meg's earrings

Sue Viders, co-author of the best selling reference book, The Complete Writer’s Guide to HEROES and HEROINES, SixteenMaster Archetypes, is now writing cozy mysteries under her maiden name of D.B. Humel. An artist turned writer, Viders wanted her heroine to be a mature artist trying to find her way into the art world. What developed as she wrote her first mystery story was an opinionated and spirited character that turned out to be an avatar of herself, but with a bit more moxie. Learn more about D.B., her books, and Meg's special earrings at her website. 

After writing nonfiction books, charts, organizers and even tapes and guides for writers, I really wanted to try my hand at lying… grin. Since I loved mysteries and light sci-fi stories, I wanted to create a story that had both a murder in it with a touch of the paranormal to make it more interesting…not too much fantasy, but just enough to make it a bit different and give the main character a more unique personality.

With a strong background in art, personal knowledge in the various techniques and mediums, I decided this fiction book would be about a creative woman who was trying to find herself as she grew older. I still do art work and participate in art shows and I wanted to use my art work in the writing of the book. First I had to decide just what the “fantasy” would be and how to use it. My mother-in-law was hard of hearing and her hearing aid was always buzzing or the battery had died. She was forever turning it off and on. So I got to wondering…what would happen if the earrings could do more that just help a person hear. Since I think better when I draw, I started designing earrings.

My first drawings were concerned with what would Meg’s earrings look like. Would Meg need pieced ears or would screw on earrings work?

After a bit of research into how a hearing aid works and what small battery cells can do in computers I became convinced I could create a great earring that had “special” qualities. Ah, this was a light bulb moment for me.

Where would the computer cell go? And I wanted antenna so Meg could better locate the sounds.

I soon realized that when entering the world of fiction I could do what ever I wanted to do. It was

liberating. The center of the flower controls the volume and the big dangling loops are the antenna.

After the earrings were done, the story quickly followed. It was as if the earrings had turned on my own gray cells and the words, the other characters, the twists and turns of the story just jumped out of my mind. Great fun.

Meg was not difficult to create and whenever she was thrown into a scene and had to react, I simply became Meg and let my emotions transfer into her personality. More fun.

I hope you enjoy Meg, learning how she created her paintings, and how, with the help of her earrings finally finds out who killed her favorite art professor.

Meg and the Mysterious Voices

Meg Jamison, a widow with two grown sons, is struggling to be a well-known and marketable artist when she discovers her hearing is going. Living in a small college town, nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, she manages to keep her hearing loss a secret from her family and friends. Working with an oncologist and a computer expert, together they design a state-of-the-art hearing aid that they implant in a pair of silver earrings.

Oh how Meg loves them. The only trouble is that while she can now hear well again, she can also hear, if the person is angry enough, that person’s inner thoughts. Meg has trouble handling these “voices” until they help her solve the murder of her art professor’s murder.

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COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR SUSAN SANTANGELO & STUFFED MUSHROOMS

An early member of the Baby Boomer generation, Susan Santangelo has been a feature writer, drama critic and editor for daily and weekly newspapers in the New York metropolitan area, including a stint at Cosmopolitan magazine. A portion of the sales from the Baby Boomer Mysteries is donated to the Breast Cancer Survival Center, a non-profit organization based in Connecticut which Susan founded in 1999 after being diagnosed with cancer herself. Learn more about Susan and her books at her website. -- AP

  

It’s been said that the secret to a long life is to go to bed early, eat healthy, and drink in moderation. Now, I ask you what kind of fun is that?

More than you’d think. No kidding.

My fourth Baby Boomer mystery, scheduled for a July 2013 release, is Class Reunions Can Be Murder. Here’s the back cover blurb: Baby Boomer Carol Andrews has no interest in her upcoming fortieth high school reunion. Her memories of days at Mount Saint Francis Academy are mixed, to put it mildly. But BFF Nancy convinces her to join the reunion planning committee, so she’ll have some say in how the event is organized. All is going smoothly until the dead body of one of their classmates is found the night before the reunion – in Carol and Nancy’s room.

Since this is the class’s fortieth reunion, committee chairman Nancy insists on calling the event the Ruby Reunion, since ruby is the stone which represents a 40-year anniversary. And also because Nancy doesn’t want to admit how old they all really are. (Any resemblance between Nancy’s vanity and the author’s is purely coincidental.)

Of course, the Ruby Reunion in this mystery is a lunch (none of these chicks drive at night if they can help it,) and the food is served buffet style. I wanted to include recipes in the back of the book, and since I’m not that familiar with my kitchen any more (just ask my family,) I turned to chef Paulette DiAngi, whose television show,  Love On A Plate, airs weekly on Cape Cod Community Media.

Paulette came up with an ingenious idea. She prepared a menu for the book two ways –first, the way the dish would have been prepared back in the 70’s, then the way the dish would be prepared today – low fat and healthy.       

Here’s an example:

Veal and Mascarpone Stuffed Mushrooms (the old, high cholesterol way)

Serving size: 2 stuffed mushrooms

Ingredients:
16 extra-large white mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

3 scallions (white and green parts)

1/2 lb. veal sausage, casings removed and crumbled

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

1/2 cup Panko crumbs

4 oz. mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup grated Romano or Asiago cheese

salt and pepper

Clean and remove stems of mushrooms. Mince stems with garlic and scallions. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil and butter. Sauté mushrooms, garlic, scallions, and veal sausage for 5-7 minutes. Add Panko crumbs and mascarpone cheese, stirring until creamy. Remove from heat. Mix in remaining ingredients.

Fill each mushroom cap with mixture. Arrange on baking sheet in single layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 8-12.

  

Chicken Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms (healthier version)

Serving size: 2 stuffed mushroom

           

Ingredients:

16 extra-large white mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

3 scallions (white and green parts)

1/2 lb. Italian style chicken sausage, casings removed and crumbled

cooking spray

1/2 cup Panko crumbs

2 oz. lt. cream cheese

1/2 cup lite four cheese Italian mix

salt and pepper

Clean and remove stems of mushrooms. Mince stems with garlic and scallions. Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray. Heat. Sauté mushrooms, garlic, scallions, and chicken sausage for 5 minutes. Add Panko crumbs and cream cheese, stirring until creamy. Remove from heat. Mix in remaining ingredients.

Fill each mushroom cap with mixture. Arrange on baking sheet in single layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 8-12.

As you can see, there’s quite a difference in fat content, cholesterol, and calories between the two versions. And both are delicious. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. I never lie when it comes to food.

There’s also a recipe for a Pink Squirrel cocktail that plays a key role in Class Reunions Can Be Murder, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy so I can’t tell you any more than that. Suffice it to say that squirrels can pack quite a punch in their cute little pink claws. Who knew? Everyone can find out the secret by buying the book from indie booksellers, or in e-book format, in just a few more weeks.

And, yes, I tested that recipe, too.      

Thanks for letting me blog today. Hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it.

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY - GUEST AUTHOR SUSAN SANTANGELO

Today we have a return visit from Susan Santangelo, author of the Baby Boomer Mysteries. An early member of the Baby Boomer generation, Susan Santangelo has been a feature writer, drama critic and editor for daily and weekly newspapers in the New York metropolitan area, including a stint at Cosmopolitan magazine. A seasoned public relations and marketing professional, she has designed and managed not-for-profit events and programs for over 25 years, and was principal of her own public relations firm, Events Unlimited, in Princeton NJ for ten years. She also served as Director of Special Events and Volunteers for Carnegie Hall during the Hall's 1990-1991 Centennial season.

  

A portion of the sales from the Baby Boomer Mysteries is donated to the Breast Cancer Survival Center, a non-profit organization based in Connecticut which Susan founded in 1999 after being diagnosed with cancer herself.  Read more about Susan and her books at her website. -- AP 

Location! Location! Location!

It’s a major selling point when home buyers are looking at properties to buy.

And for me, location is just as important in fiction. As an avid mystery reader, I find myself more willing to take a chance on a new author I know nothing about if I’m attracted to the locale where the book is set.

When I started writing the Baby Boomer mysteries, I created the Connecticut town of Fairport. It’s a thinly disguised version of Fairfield, where my family and I lived for many years. And, yes, we lived in an antique house, just like the principal characters in the series, Carol and Jim Andrews. But because Fairport is a fictional place, I was free to populate it with restaurants, churches, stores, and street names to my heart’s content, as long as they all worked into the story line, without any current Fairfield resident (or, heaven forbid, an elected town official!) contacting me to say that I hadn’t gotten the description down correctly.

Believe me, that can happen. Don’t ask me how I know, please. Just trust me. I know.

But when I started to write Book 3 in the series, Marriage Can be Murder, I wanted to include a destination wedding, so I had to move the location out of Fairport. Where did I decide to have the wedding take place? Somewhere I’ve always loved -- the island of Nantucket.

   

I discovered when I started doing some research about Nantucket that the entire island is designated as a National Historic Landmark. I never knew that. Nantucket is affectionately referred to as The Little Grey Lady of the Sea because of its many grey-shingled buildings and frequent fog. The island is 14 miles long by 3.5 miles wide, and is 27 miles out to sea. Nantucket is 30 miles south of Cape Cod, and has a year-round population of approximately 10,000. The population increases to about 50,000 during the summer months, which is Nantucket’s peak tourist season. There are great shopping opportunities at this time of year. Don’t ask me how I know this, either. But, trust me, I know.

Nantucket was the whaling capital of the world from the mid-1700s to the late 1830s, and was made famous by Herman Melville in his classic novel, Moby Dick. Ok, I’ll confess I’ve never read that book. But I’m sure it’s on my to-be-read pile, somewhere in my office. And I did see the movie starring Gregory Peck, so that counts, right?

Some atlases describe Nantucket Island as crescent-shaped. To really get the picture, take your right hand and fold in all your fingers but the thumb and index finger. Then rotate your hand to the left, palm down, and voila – your own Nantucket island. Madaket is where your thumb is -- a tiny community with its own harbor, gorgeous houses and beautiful beaches. Follow your thumb to the right – that’s Madaket Road, which eventually leads you into the town of Nantucket, approximately where your thumb opens as it heads toward the index finger. Picture that opening as the town, and Straight Wharf, where the ferries to and from the mainland dock.

More than 800 houses on Nantucket were built before the American Civil War, and I decided the primary site for my mystery would be one of them. I named it the Grey Gull Inn. You won’t find this inn on Nantucket, because it’s the product of my over active imagination. And then I really had fun -- I gave it some history. Here’s what Carol Andrews, my protagonist, finds out about it from the Grey Gull Inn website:

“The inn was built in 1825 by Nathaniel Grey, a whaling captain, as a gift to his new bride, Charity. Tragically, soon after the couple moved into the house, Charity was found dead at the bottom of the house’s circular staircase. An inquest determined her death was a tragic accident. Captain Grey never recovered from the shock of his young wife’s death, and legend has it that he continues to live in the house, searching in vain for his bride. The building was converted in the 1980s to a 10-bedroom inn. The current owners are siblings JoAnn and Skip Wallace, who are direct descendants of Captain Nate, as he was known in the family. They completely refurbished the structure in 2006, adding a new wing to the inn with six more guest room suites.”

I placed the Grey Gull Inn right in the center of Nantucket town, close to historic Main Street, Nantucket’s primary shopping district. I gave it a full-service gourmet restaurant and one of the most notable wine lists on the island. But I didn’t give an en suite bathroom to the older part of the inn, where the Andrews family is staying.

Why? Well, I won’t tell.

  

Here’s the back cover blurb for the book. See if you can figure out a clue.

Book Three of the Baby Boomer mystery series, Marriage Can Be Murder, brings the Andrews family to Nantucket. Carol is thrilled when daughter Jenny announces her engagement. She’s dreamed of planning her daughter’s wedding since the day Jenny was born. But with only two months to pull together a destination wedding on Nantucket, Jenny insists on hiring Cinderella Weddings to organize the event. Father-of-the-bride Jim objects to the cost, and Carol objects to having her opinion ignored. When Carol finds the wedding planner dead at the bottom of a spiral staircase at a Nantucket inn, and the husband of Carol’s BFF Nancy is accused of her death, Carol has more to worry about than getting to the church on time!

If you can’t figure out the clue, you’ll just have to check out Marriage Can Be Murder for yourself. The Grey Gull Inn is open and ready to receive your reservation! But be sure to call ahead for the ferry, if you want to bring a car.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Susan. One of these days I hope to get to Nantucket. -- AP

THIS WEEK'S BOOK GIVEAWAY WINNER

Thanks to all who stopped by Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers this week and a special thanks to Susan Santangelo for being our Book Club Friday guest author. The winner of Susan's two baby boomer mysteries and the Retirement Can Be Murder socks is Mau. Mau, please send your mailing address to me at anastasiapollack@gmail.com so I can forward it to Susan.