Mystery takes a Holiday

For many, many years I have been a big fan of reading books in a series--especially mystery and suspense stories.  The main characters in those books become like old friends, and today's guest in My Writing Corner brings us the latest in a series of a familiar heroine that I've enjoyed getting to know well.  My guest today is author Susie Black.

Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie was born in the Big Apple but now she currently calls sunny Southern California her home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie works as a successful apparel sales executive. She says she began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in a series of  humorous mysteries. 

She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that she says probably sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she says she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and says she has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect. 

Susie, what is your book that you will feature today and how did you come up with the idea to write it?

 

The book I will feature today is Death by Jelly Beans, which is the fifth book in the award-winning Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series.

 

I came up with the idea to write the story after a holiday time visit to a department store that held an Easter extravaganza promotion replete with a jelly bean contest and an Easter Bunny sitting on a throne. I loved the idea of a holiday-themed mystery. I elaborated on what I saw at the department store and used my quirky imagination to come up with the most unlikely victim and accused murderer possible.

Tag Line:

“Brings a whole new meaning to the rabbit died.”

Let's get a Blurb:

Mermaid Swimwear President Holly Schlivnik discovers the Bainbridge Department Store Easter Bunny slumped over dead and obnoxious swimwear buyer Sue Ellen Magee is arrested for the crime. Despite her differences with the nasty buyer, Holly is convinced the Queen of Mean didn’t do it. The wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to nail the real killer. But the trail has more twists than a pretzel and more turns than a rollercoaster. And nothing turns out how Holly thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge.  

Let's learn more about the 'Queen of Mean' and talk directly to Sue Ellen:

Can you tell us a bit about you?

I am Sue Ellen Magee, the much unfairly maligned ladies’ swimwear buyer at Bainbridge Department Stores in Los Angeles. Just because I am tough and don’t cut those whiny suppliers any slack or put up with BS from any of them, that is no reason for vendors to refer to me as the Queen of Mean or the Bitch of Bikinis. 

What is the personal relationship between you and Holly?

We do not have a personal relationship. It is purely professional. Holly is who I work with at Mermaid Swimwear. I have a strict rule about not mixing personal and professional relationships. That way there is no question of favoritism. 

What do you admire or dislike about her?

I admire her because she is not afraid to stand up to me. 

I dislike her tenacity. Tell Holly she is getting an order, and she is like white on rice until you write it. 

Did you know or personally have a relationship with the victim?

I did know him, but my relationship with the victim was professional only. He was the President of a character company contracted to provide Easter Bunnies for our Easter Extravaganza. 

Why do you think the police think you did the murder?

They had me on the security tape transferring tainted jelly beans from my desktop canister into the contest jar where the victim ate the poisoned candy.

Why do you suppose Holly thinks you are innocent?

While I will push you around if you let me, Holly knows I would never stoop to murder as the solution to a problem. 

Now for some questions about yourself so we can get to know you better:

What is your idea of perfect happiness? 

A canister full of Jelly Beans on my desk and no mark-downs at the end of the season.

What is your greatest fear?

Not being respected.

 

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? 

I am way too nice. 

What is the trait you most deplore in others? 

Whining. 

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Patience. 

On what occasion do you lie?

Never. Ever. What I say is not often popular, but I always tell you what I think and NOT what I think you want to hear.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

 He is attracted to a woman’s mind, not just her bra size. Oh yeah, and it goes without saying…a great ass.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

She stands up for herself. 

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Absolutely NOTHING. I am perfect exactly the way I am.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Prison. 

 

What do you most value in your friends?

Loyalty and the courage to tell me the truth no matter how much it might hurt.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Amelia Earhart

Who are your heroes in real life?

Myself

What is it that you most dislike?

Liars.

What is your greatest regret?

I don’t have any.

What is your motto?

Take no prisoners.

Intrigued? Let's get an excerpt:

I dragged my eyes over to the throne. The Easter Bunny sat slumped over with his chin resting on his chest and his body listing to the right. Good grief. A double-whammy. Not only did he dip into the jellybeans again after being warned not to, but he fell asleep on the job in a booze-infused slumber. 

Why should I give a flying fig about the jerk who bowled me over without an apology, let alone helping me up? Yet a stab of unexpected pity pierced my heart. I checked the time. Still a few minutes before my command performance. Maybe rouse the poor guy and give him a chance to concoct another story Sue Ellen might buy unless the security cameras sealed his fate. 

I laid my messenger bag on the library table next to the throne and gently shook the rabbit’s left shoulder. Nothing doing. I shook him again. This time a bit harder. I put my lips next to his ears and implored him. “Pedro, wake up.” Zilch. Geesh, how much booze did the guy chug? Or maybe booze isn’t the culprit. Perhaps the guy had a late night before or he is just one helluva sound sleeper? Oddly, he wasn’t snoring, but I attributed it to his neck bent down and his head dangling over his body. 

I shook him again and got nothing for my trouble. His chest wasn’t rising and falling. Good gravy. Was the guy breathing? I passed my hand over the costume's mouth opening, but one so small I couldn’t tell. I clasped a paw to check for a pulse, but the heavy gauge costume fabric was too thick to detect one. 

I checked my watch. No more time to crap around trying to help this idiot or I’d be late for my meeting. Despite my efforts to rouse him, the guy hadn’t so much as twitched. Annoyance coupled with dread tied my stomach in knots. I panned the department. No one was around except the rabbit and me. 

The Goddess short-changed me in the height department but compensated by blessing me with a deep voice and a strong set of pipes. I put my lips next to his ear and shouted loud enough to wake the dead. “PEDRO, WAKE UP!” 

I grabbed the rabbit by the shoulder and shook him with all my might. The guy didn’t move an inch. I grasped his arm tightly and yanked it hard trying to right him. Good grief. The bunny was stiff as a board. I might as well try bending a steel beam. 

I let go of his shoulder and the rabbit slid off the throne. He crashed headfirst into the library table. Along with my messenger bag, the jellybean jar bounced off the edge of the table and fell onto the cement floor. My messenger bag survived the ordeal, but the jellybean jar broke into a zillion pieces. Jellybeans scattered all over the place. The bunny bounced twice and flopped unceremoniously face-down into a pile of jellybeans. 

The concept of shouting loud enough to wake the dead?  Trust me, it’s a pile of hot hooey. I didn’t need an MD after my name to make this diagnosis. Pedro Conejo was as dead as the proverbial doornail. When the first responders arrive, they’re gonna close the swimwear department for who knows how long. This ought to put a nice crimp into the Easter promotion. And who gets to break the good news to Sue Ellen? None other than yours truly. 

She’s not gonna be a happy camper. Naturally, I burst out laughing. 

If you want to read on, you'll have to buy the book. Here are the Buy Links for this latest Holly Schlivnik caper, Death By Jelly Beans:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-by-jelly-beans-susie-black/1145804565?ean=2940186124580

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212700868-death-by-jelly-beans?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PWl56Hmfkz&rank=1

https://www.bookbub.com/books/death-by-jelly-beans-holly-swimsuit-mystery-book-5-by-susie-black

Amazon.com : Death by Jelly Beans

If you'd like to know more about our guest author, here are Susie's Social Media Links:

Website: www.authorsusieblack.com

E-mail: mysteries_@authorsusieblack.com

Facebook: Susie Black, author of The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series | Facebook

Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheHollySwimsuitMysterySeries

Instagram: Susie Black (@hollyswimsuit) • Instagram photos and videos

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorsusieblack-61941011

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hollysusie1_saved/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@hollyswimsuit

Thank you, Susie, for being my guest today.  Any questions or comments for Susie?

Letting Characters Take the Lead

As the season changes from summer to the beginning of autumn, I always think back on my old days at school. I was one of those crazy kids who always enjoyed the start of a new school year. Strangely enough, to me it meant not only a return to class but a return to the school library and a chance to see what new books might be available (yes, I loved reading from an early age, thanks to my mother). This week's guest in My Writing Corner is author Jane Greenhill and it sounds as though she ran into the same sort of situation in her family. Let's hear all about it directly from our guest author. Her new book is The Leprechaun's Curse. Take it away Jane...

I've come from a family of avid readers. My mom would get ten books weekly out of the library and it wasn't long before I followed suit.

Passing on a career in journalism to work at a police service, (who wants to report the news when you can have first hand knowledge). I guess all those Nancy Drew mysteries put a bee in my bonnet.

Fast forward 15 years, when I saw an article in our local paper about a romance writing workshop. I attended the workshop, went home and wrote 75,000 words over a long weekend. Put together a synopsis and sent it off to a publisher. The next week I heard back that she wanted to read more. Well this is easy, I thought.

That's when I realized how little I knew about writing. So I took numerous courses, and after countless rewrites, I got the email.

The Wild Rose Press wanted to publish my little story.

I got the bug.

What do you enjoy about being an author? 

The writing, I’m a pantser, so I let the characters lead me.

What do you find is the most challenging part of being an author?

 The self-promotion.

How do you develop characters? 

I let them dictate the story.  They let me know what their character flaws are, but at the same time, I observe people and their mannerisms, and jumble them together.

How do you come up with your plots? 

The story dictates the plots and where they go and what they do. With my story, The Leprechaun’s Curse, it was fun to see what trouble my Elmville could get into when he didn’t have a coin to balance his yin and yang.

Tell us more about your road to publication.

I saw an advertisement in the local newspaper to attend a class with an editor who had been with Harlequin. I attended came home and wrote 75000 words the following week.  Then I realized how little I knew about writing and joined writing groups. That was almost 15 years ago and still learning. Sent it off to agents and actually heard back from one.  I submitted at the same time to Wild Rose and heard from them. 

What is your book that you will feature today and how did you come up with the idea to write it?

The Leprechaun’s Curse. My dad’s family is from Ireland and to be honest, I don’t know where the idea germinated from, it just took root and almost wrote itself. My husband and I are travellilng to Ireland and it will be fun to see the places I wrote about. For example, Newgrange was built 500 years before the pyraminds.

Let's get a blurb:

        Elmville, a mischievous leprechaun, is desperate to retrieve his long-lost gold coin. Without it, his delicate balance between good and evil within him becomes skewed. But the elusive coin has fallen into the hands of the Tobin family, and Elmville will stop at nothing to get it back. Through the centuries, he’s relentlessly haunted the Tobin descendants, leaving a wake of destruction and death in his path.

Meanwhile, Kitty and her mother, Annie, arrive in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, modern-day tourists with their own emotional baggage. Neither has a clue about the curse, nor do they believe in leprechauns.

After centuries of searching, Elmville’s desperation has reached a fever pitch as he grows even closer to his ultimate goal. Dun Laoghaire is filled with Tobins.

Will Kitty and Annie and their newfound Tobin friends survive Elmville’s wrath, or will his nefarious ways threaten to claim yet another victim?

Want to know more? How about an excerpt:

        Did you know there is over a gallon of blood in the human body? Elmville actually went to a library and checked in an Encyclopedia the first time he killed someone. (Encyclopedias for those who are too young to know it was the first method of searching, where you actually had to get off your butt and go to a library instead of sitting on your comfy couch and typing.) Well, not at the time did he venture out. I mean, he had some other things on his plate, so to speak, but immediately afterward when his adrenaline came back down to normal and he was drinking his after-kill drink of peppermint tea with a touch of honey. Yumm. Though he did favor cotton candy and candied apples, which just depended on the time of year and the degree of celebration. I have to say he didn’t kill needlessly, and he did save a dog. Not everyone deserves killing, but in this instance…. Not to say he acted as a judge and jury or executioner, but let me tell you his story and I’m sure you’ll agree. So, put the kettle on, get out your tea, and if you want a biscuit, ’cause chocolate biscuits always go well with a spot of tea. Put your feet up on that comfy ottoman, not forgetting the blanket your great-grandmother crocheted for you, and let’s get the show on the road, so to speak. I’ll start at the very beginning—a very good spot to start. Now I’ve given you an earworm, we’ll commence.

What’s your next project or what are you working on now?

Fate Worse Than Death—what if your Guardian Angel is a Serial Killer?

What advice do you have for beginning writers?

When you’re writing, think what’s the worst that can happen, and then ramp it up.

Here are Jane's buy links for The Leprechaun’s Curse and her social contact information.

Buy Links:

Wild Rose Press:

https://wildrosepress.com/product/the-leprechauns-curse/

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Leprechauns-Curse-Jane-Greenhill-ebook/dp/B0CW9BC8B3/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JldvnsUfympOpUunMhBy8w.FCCx0ioINMBY-v6X9OuNJJUTisof0tgMWydcaZvT_Ic&qid=1725307182&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-leprechauns-curse-jane-greenhill/1145602126?ean=9781509256303

Social Media Tags:

 

Website:  janegreenhill.com

Facebook:authorjanegreenhill

Twitter:authorjanegreenhill

Thank you, Jane, for being my guest today. Any questions for Jane?