Introducing Delia James, and the Witch's Cat Mysteries

Born in California and raised in Michigan, Delia James writes her tales of magic, cats, and mystery from her hundred-year-old bungalow home.  She is the author of the Witch’s Cat mysteries, which began with A Familiar Tail. When not writing, she hikes, swims, gardens, cooks, reads, and raises her rapidly growing son.

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Hello. My name is Delia James, and I write mysteries. Specifically, I write mysteries with magic and cats with plenty of attitude. This is no surprise to anybody who knows me.

I grew up on mysteries. Summers at my grandmother’s in the country, I discovered her Agatha Christie books and was immediately fascinated by Hercule Poirot. TV was filled with mysteries and we never missed them, Colombo, MacMillan & Wife, McCloud, The Rockford Files, Quincy…and of course I was in love with the Hardy Boys as played by Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson (for the record, I was a Parker Girl, all the way). 

Of course I could quote Sherlock Holmes, chapter and verse. In college, I got introduced to, and fell in love all over again with, Lord Peter Wimsey.

Despite this, when I started writing, mysteries were not my first choice. I was (confession time) also a major science fiction nerd and it was science fiction I gravitated to first. I don’t regret it at all. Science fiction is fun, and it teaches you a lot about how to build a fictional world along with the characters that fit into it, or don’t. 

This can be valuable training for a mystery writer who has to construct solid, interesting puzzles the size of small towns, or big bad cities. And of course, along with science fiction, I was also a fan of its sister genre, fantasy, with its elves and hobbits, and witches, and plenty of magic. I learned to read from The Wizard of Oz and had Alice in Wonderland practically memorized.

With all this swirling around in the background, when I got the chance to write a story featuring a witch and a magical cat in New England, you know I jumped at it. And I am having an absolute blast.

First of all, it’s given me an excuse to spend more time in New England, which is one of my very favorite places. I love the landscape, the coast and the rivers. I even love the weather, especially the autumn. I love the old cities and towns and all the history tucked up in their streets and odd (some of them very odd) corners. Of course there are mysteries here. Lots of them, some of them old, some of them brand new.

Cats were another natural for me. I’ve been owned by one cat or another since I was born. From our grumpy old indoor-outdoor tortoiseshell Buttercup, to Isis the Siamese, to our current long-haired gray Buffy the Vermin Slayer, they all at one time or another shared my home, sat on my lap, or curled up on my shoulders, or gotten in between me and…whatever I was doing at the moment. I swear, some of them have in fact been able to vanish and reappear at will, just like Alistair in A Familiar Tail. Of course they couldn’t be kept out of anyplace they really wanted to get into, including the bedroom, the closet, and once, much to everybody’s surprise and embarrassment, the fridge. Again, just like Alistair.

So, like I said at the beginning, I’m Delia James. Welcome to my world!

Cozy Monday

A Familiar Tail (Witch's Cat #1) by Delia James (Obsidian mass market paperback, 2 February 2016).

Annabelle Amelia Blessingsound Britton, a freelance artist, goes from Boston to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to visit her best friend, chef Martine Devereux.  
Anna has only been in Martine's restaurant The Pale Ale, a few minutes when she's approached by an elegantly dressed woman who recognizes her as the granddaughter of Annabelle Mercy Blessingsound Britton (fondly known as Grandma B.B), a former resident of Portsmouth.

Anna is surprised.  She knew that Grandma B.B. was from the area, but didn't realize that she had any acquaintances left there.  

When Anna goes back to her car, there is a cat sitting in the driver's seat of her car.  This is disconcerting because the car is locked and the windows are closed.  She eventually learns that the cat,named  Alastair, had disappeared after the recent death of his owner Dorothy Hawthorne, a much-beloved local woman.

Dorothy's fatal fall down her basement stairs had been deemed an accident, but there are those who believe she was killed. Once Alastair accepts her, Anna finds herself involved in an unofficial investigation into Dorothy's death.  

Delia James has an unusual approach to the concepts of magical mystery cats and familiars, but it's absolutely credible.  

Both her main and secondary characeters are well-conceived and authentic. I look forward to seeing how this series develops.



The publisher has generously offered a copy of A Familiar Tail to one of my readers. Please comment below by 12:01 a.m. on Monday, February15. Please don't forget to include an email address where I can contact you if you win. Entries from the U.S. only, please.


FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Cozy Monday -- 10 Spooky Series

Beaufort & Company mysteries by Mary Stanton (Berkley Prime Crime).

Defending Angels (2008), Angel's Advocate (2009), Avenging Angels (2010), Angel's Verdict (2011), Angel Condemned (2011).


Elizabeth Chase mysteries by Martha C. Lawrence (St. Martin's/Minotaur).

Murder in Scorpio (1995), The Cold Heart of Capricorn (1997), Aquarius Descending (1998), Pisces Rising (2000), Ashes of Aries (2001).


Ghost Hunter mysteries by Victoria Laurie (NAL).

What's a Ghoul to Do (2007), Demons are a Ghoul's Best Friend (2008), Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun (2009), Ghouls Gone Wild (2010), Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls (2011), Ghoul Interrupted (2014), What a Ghoul Wants (2015),


Haunted Guesthouse mysteries by E.J. Copperman (Berkley Prime Crime).

Night of the Living Deed (2010), An Uninvited Ghost (2011), Old Haunts (2012), Chance of a Ghost (2013), The Thrill of the Haunt (2013), Inspector Specter (2014), Ghost in the Wind (2015).


Haunted Home Renovation mysteries by Juliet Blackwell (Berkley Prime Crime).

If Walls Could Talk, (2010), Dead Bolt (2011), Murder on the House (2012), Home for the Haunting (2013), Keeper of the Castle (2014), Give up the Ghost (2015).

Ophelia & Abby  mysteries by Shirley Damsgaard (Avon).

Witch Way to Murder (2005), Charmed to Death (2006), The Trouble With Withches (2006), Witch Hunt (2007), The Witch is Dead (2007), The Witch's Grave (2008), The Seventh Witch (2010).


Sugar Maple Chronicles by Barbara Bretton (Berkley).

Casting Spells (2008), Laced With Magic (2009), Spun by Sorcery (2010), Spells &Stitches (2011).

Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson (Penguin Group).

Undead and Unwed (2004), Undead and Unemployed (2004), Undead and Unappreciated (2005), Undead and Unreturnable (2006), Undead and Unpopular (2007), Undead and Uneasy (2008), Undead and Unworthy (2009), Undead and Unwelcome (2010), Undead and Unfinished (2011), Undead and Undermined (2012), Undead and Unstable (2013), Undead and Unsure (2014).


Witch City mysteries by Carol J. Perry (Kensington).

Caught Dead-Handed (2014), Tails, You Lose (2015), Look Both Ways (2015).

Witchcraft mysteries by Juliet Blackwell (Berkley Prime Crime).

Secondhand Spirits (2009), A Cast-Off Coven (2010), Hexes and Hemlines (2011), In a Witch's Wardrobe (2012), Tarnished and Torn (2013), A Vision in Velvet (2014), Spellcasting in Silk (2015).

Cozy Monday

The Skeleton Haunts a House (Family Skeleton Mystery #3) by Leigh Perry (Berkley Prime Crime mass market paperback, 6 October 2015).

Sid's favorite holiday is (no surprise) Hallowe'en, because he's able to go out in public, although he enjoys wearing a costume.

This year, he and Georgia are disguised as Scooby-Doo and Velma when they visit the Halloween Howl  on the McQuaid University campus.  Georgia's sister Deborah, and daughter Madison are working at McHades Hall, the annual haunted house.

Georgia gets hot dogs for herself and Deborah, and they eat while Sid goes through the house.  Their dinner is interrupted by some louder-than-normal screams, and a walkie-talkie message for Deborah that a real dead body has been found.

The body is that of Kendall Fitzroy, a local young woman attending the Howl with three of her friends.  They obviously became separated on their way through the haunted house, and are unable to shed much light on what happened to Kendall.

Deborah, concerned about liability because she was in charge, asks Georgia and Sid to investigate. When their parents, who have been on sabbatical, return early, they (as well as Madison) join the team.

The case is complicated by the fact that Kendall did not attend McQuaid, which means that Georgia has to take advantage of some past connections at other schools she's worked at.  Also, the building used for McHades Hall doesn't actually belong to the University, but is part of a complicated bequest that may be negated if the haunted house has to be shut down.

As usual, Leigh Perry does a great job of balancing humor with solemnity, in a story so absorbing that the reader feels very much a part of Georgia's family, and it's a bit jarring to return to reality at
the end.



The publisher has generously offered a copy of THE SKELETON HAUNTS A HOUSE to one of my readers.  Please comment below by 12:01 a.m. on October 12, and don't forget to include an email address where I can contact you if you win.  Entries from the U.S. only, please.



FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of the book.

Cozy Monday

A Wee Murder in My Shop (ScotShop Mystery #1) by Fran Stewart (Berkley Prime Crime mass market, 3 March 2015).

Peggy Winn owns a Scottish imports store called ScotShop in the fictional small town of Hamelin, Vermont, and take regular buying trips to Scotland for stock.

Walking around the highland village of Pitlochry, she stumbles upon a tiny shop she'd never seen before and buys a beautiful antique handwoven shawl.  When she wraps the shawl around her, a burly, bearded man in a kilt appears. It doesn't take her long to realize that he was the husband of the woman who wove the shawl in the Fourteenth Century, and that where the shawl goes, so does he.

Back home, she's still adjusting to having a ghost (whom she now calls "Dirk") follow her around when she goes into her shop and finds the dead body of her ex-boyfriend, Mason.  

After that, things just get more and more complicated.  Dirk proves extremely helpful as she tries to figure out why Mason was there, why her shop has been torn apart, and what the cryptic note found in his pocket means.

Fran Stewart's approach to the connection between ghost and object is unconventional, but it works.  It will be interesting to see how Dirk's constant presence in Peggy's everyday life affects her more corporeal relationships, particularly romantic ones. I look forward to reading more about them.



The publisher has generously offered a copy of A Wee Murder in My Shop to one of my readers.  Please comment below before midnight on March 9th, including a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS.  Entries from the US only, please.  


FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy of the book.

Welcome Guest E.J. Copperman!

“Where do you get your ideas?”

Writers get this question all the time. It’s an honest question asked by readers and in some cases interviewers who want to know about the process. I understand the impetus behind the question.

I just don’t have an answer for it.

The fact is, if I had a formula, a foolproof means of finding a good idea for a novel, I could get one whenever I wanted and this job would be… well, I’d still have to write the book, so “easy” might be something of an overstatement. But it wouldn’t be as hard, by a discernible margin.

My latest book, Inspector Specter, is the sixth in the Haunted Guesthouse series. You’d think after five other books with the same characters it would be a struggle to find something for them to do. Not at all. This one came from the characters, which is the best place to start.

Alison Kerby owns a guesthouse on the Jersey Shore and it happens to have two ghosts haunting it. They get along okay, but that’s a long story all by itself. She also has a PI license, and in this book is asked by Lt. Anita McElone (rhymes with “macaroni”), with whom she has sort of a grudging professional relationship, to use her “ghosty connections” to solve the murder of McElone’s ex-partner, whom we met in another book in the series.

Because the story came from the characters, I could concentrate on how it affects their relationships. I knew the story would be workable because it was about the people readers have gotten to know, and new readers will find accessible even without reading the other books in the series (although would that be so bad?).

For those who want to be published writers, I can’t offer a simple way to get an idea. They tend to hit when you least expect them, so the best piece of advice is not to expect one and see how that goes. I have gotten book ideas in the shower (it’s best not to picture some of these), while trying to fall asleep, while walking the dog and while watching baseball on television. The baseball ones don’t tend to work very well, as my concentration is completely elsewhere. Some of the others haven’t been bad.

The trick, really, is to be able to tell a good idea—a sustainable one that will make it through a whole book and not just up to Chapter Six—from a bad idea (the opposite of that). And that is where some experience can actually be helpful.

Consider this: When you get a story idea, can you image what the middle of the book will be like? Beginnings are easy; they are the story idea all by themselves. Endings should take care of themselves because a premise demands a resolution. What about the middle? Can you think of a really impressive, important, fun scene that’s going to happen somewhere about halfway through your story? If so, you might have a workable idea on your hands.

Who are your characters? One common mistake with writers is that we get a terrific idea for a twisty plot, but we don’t know who’s going to populate the book. Remember that you character is the reason for the story—if it’s not specific to the personality you’re creating, your story could happen to anybody, and your reader won’t care as much about what happens. Think of the person you most want in that situation, and then maybe create a character who’s the opposite of that.

If you’re trying to start a series, think hard about sustainability. Sure, you have a great idea for this book, but if you want to bring the character back time and again, is it plausible that s/he could get into another situation worth writing about? Do you have more than one premise in your head? Do you know what you’ll do for Book #2? I once wrote a series about the owner of a one-screen movie theater that showed only comedies.

Who solved crimes. Try coming up with more than one story idea for that series sometime. It can be a challenge. (Although that series was a lot of fun to write.)

How interested are you in the story? How charged up? If you’re not desperate to get this book out before someone else hits on the same idea, if you don’t feel moved to get to the keyboard right now and start pounding it out, maybe this isn’t The Idea.

If you’re writing something because you think it’s going to be commercial, because that’s the trend in publishing right now, because hey, hot teenage vampires from Dubuque are what it’s all about now and you can make a movie deal, stop. You’ll write something even you don’t want to read, and besides, by the time your book is ready to be shown to editors, the trend will be talking scarecrows who fight crime and search for love in the big city.

Don’t write something because it’ll sell. Write something that will sell because you believe in it.

There are good ideas and bad ideas. I’ve gotten both. Hopefully, Inspector Specter turns out to be one of the good ones, but ultimately you get to decide that when you read the book. In your own writing, you do your best and hope the readers agree with your assessment.



The publisher has generously offered a copy of Inspector Specter to one of my readers. Please comment below, WITH A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS, before midnight onDecember 17, 2014. Entries from the US only, please.

In My Opinion

By Olivia Dunst 

from Spell Booked by Joyce and Jim Lavene

I know the world can’t always be the way you want it to be, but come on! It doesn’t seem fair that I should be the one to die early out of the three of us. I wouldn’t wish anything on my friends, Molly or Elsie—although Elsie IS the oldest! I really wouldn’t want them to die alone in a dark alley as I did.

But I had just discovered my daughter. After all these years, there she was at the New Hanover Public Library. She’s a strong witch too, though she doesn’t know a thing about it. It’s not going to be easy training her, not like the way the three of us were trained by our mothers and grandmothers. But I had to make that decision for her sake. Her father would have taken her away in a heartbeat and I would never have seen her again. Not to mention that he probably would have taught her to be evil.

Yes, he was an evil, possibly immortal witch, but he was so handsome and had such an air about him. We had a wonderful time together. I came down from my pink love haze quickly when I found out I was pregnant. It was one thing for me to have a short dalliance with him and another to give him our daughter. Naturally some sacrifices had to be made. I must say that I think I choose to give up the worst part of her life, completely missing the poopy diapers and awkward teenage years.

Now she’s a beautiful young witch—and I’m dead. How is that fair? I was supposed to be there to teach her and watch her grow wise, and possibly more fashionable, each day. We should have been able to travel the world together. Now I’m a moldy old ghost who can’t even change my dress.

Oh there are some advantages. I could eat whatever I want and never gain weight. I wouldn’t have to worry about having Elsie’s matronly figure. But I can’t eat at all! I have a chip on my nail polish that I’m going to have to live with for the next hundred years. That’s the lifespan for a ghost.

Maybe it’s not all bad. I can’t do magic anymore but I’ve known a few ghosts who had some amazing powers. There was this wonderful ghost of a handsome Revolutionary War captain on Fifth Street at the bed and breakfast. He had some smooth moves! I hated when they tore that place down.

I have to reinvent myself. I have to learn how to be a ghost. Not a puny, pathetic ghost like those young girls looking for a ride home in every town. I want to be a strong ghost. A dashing, sexy ghost. It’s time that I took charge of my afterlife.

As soon as I figure out how to get through this door!

“Elsie? Molly?”

Joyce and Jim Lavene write bestselling mystery fiction. They have written and published more than 60 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, and Charter Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family, Quincy, their black cat, Stan Lee, their tabby and their rescue dog, Rudi.

Stealing Magic

Spell Booked (Retired Witches Mystery #1) by Joyce and Jim Lavene (Berkley Prime Crime mass market, 2 December 2014).

Molly, Elsie, and Olivia have been close friends since they were young witches.  But as they've aged, their abilities have begun not only to fade but to err.  Not wanting their small coven to disappear, they're searching for young witches to continue their legacy.

They've found a young woman named Dorothy Lane who shows potential, but as she doesn't know about her latent powers, they're trying to figure out how to approach her without frightening her.

But before they can agree on a tactic, Olivia is killed and their spell book is stolen. And though the case goes to Molly's detective husband Joe (who is unaware of his wife's secret identity), she and Elsie are afraid that he's in danger from what appears to be a powerful, nasty, and unscrupulous witch who seems to be trying to "steal" magical power.

As their own investigation proceeds, the two women learn that they, too, are in jeopardy, and the situation becomes even more terrifying.

Joyce and Jim Lavene are experienced mystery writers who create great plots and intriguing characters.  Spell Booked is a promising beginning to another wonderful Lavenes series.



FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of the book.

Sweet Home Alabama

By Heather Blake


Have you heard that “write what you know” is one of the unofficial rules of fiction writing? It makes sense, I suppose. How does one effectively write about something they’ve never experienced?

Personally, I think that rule stifles creativity.

If I’d stuck to that rule, I’d never have the familiars in my Wishcraft books (some of my favorite characters) because if I ever came across a talking mouse in real life, I’d have to commit myself. And if I had magical dewdrops that cured ailments, as in my Potion Shop mysteries, I would finally be rid of my migraines once and for all (hurrah!).

And, I’d never have set my Potion books in Alabama. I’ve never lived there. Pretty much knew nothing about it. However, I’m only half-kidding when I joke that I must have been a Southern belle in a former life. I’ve always been curious about the South, which I think began in grade school history class and took root with To Kill a Mockingbird and blossomed with books by Anne George and Fannie Flagg.

So, why did I choose Alabama in particular?

Easy. I was lucky enough to attend a conference there in 2008 and as I drove along its back roads, soaking up the scenery, I felt its history (it’s kind of indescribable, really). I knew someday I’d write a book set there.

Since then, I’ve been back several times, taking notes, immersing myself in the everyday trivialities that make a place and its residents stand out. I’ve read books. Cookbooks. Followed Alabama bloggers. Talked to friends who’ve lived there. Studied Southern vernacular. Tried to capture the ambiance without being clichéd.

I do all that because I think the writing rule should be “write like you know what you’re talking about.”

No, I’ve never used magical dewdrops. Or solved a crime. Or lived on the same street as my three eccentric aunts. Or lived in a quaint town known as the wedding capital of the South. But I make sure my writing feels like I have—and that my readers feel like they have, too.

Do you have a favorite Southern book?

***

The publisher has generously offered a copy of One Potion in the Grave to one of my readers. Please comment below before midnight on October 22, 2014. Entries from the US only, please.  Please don't forget to include an email address so I can contact you if you win!

***

Heather also has a giveaway on her website!

Heather is running a month-long One Potion in the Grave Witchtastic giveaway via Rafflecopter (9/23 – 10/23). Win a set of “Cast a Spell” measuring spoons, a set of three Yankee Candle potion bottle tealight holders, a Lego minifigure witch, and a $20.00 gift card to Barnes & Noble or  Amazon (winner’s choice). 

To enter: http://www.heatherblakebooks.com/p/giveaway.html or http://tinyurl.com/k9rzmby

***

Heather Blake (aka Heather Webber) is the author of more than twenty novels and has been twice nominated for an Agatha Award. She's a total homebody who loves to be
close to her family, read, watch reality TV (especially cooking competition shows), drink too much coffee, crochet, and bake cookies. Heather grew up in a suburb of Boston, but currently she lives in the Cincinnati area with her family and is hard at work on her next book.
You can find Heather at www.heatherblakebooks.com, on facebook at facebook.com/heatherblakebooks, and on Twitter @booksbyheather.

Cozy Monday

The Skeleton Takes a Bow ((Family Skeleton Mystery #2) by Leigh Perry (Berkley Prime Crime mass market paperback, 2 September 2014).

I felt so familiar with Georgia Thackery and her family (daughter, Madison best friend Sid, who happens to be a skeleton), that I was a little surprised to open this book and find that it's only the second in the series.  

In this installment, Madison, who's playing Guildenstern in her high school production of Hamlet, asks if Sid can provide his skull for the part of Yorick.  She and Sid double-team her mother, making it impossible for  Georgia to say "no".  But the rule is that Sid's skull stays in Madison's locker during classes, and comes home with her every night.

Unfortunately, as was bound to happen, Madison forgets Sid's skull backstage one evening. She and  Georgia rush  over as soon as they can, but the building is locked up tight.  The next day, Sid informs Georgia that he's certain he heard a murder being committed in the auditorium.  They watch the news for a few days, and though nothing is reported, Sid insists that he heard what he heard.

This being a murder mystery, it's obvious that he was right.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that I'd like a skeleton for a best friend, but Sid is a pretty cool guy.  And although his jokes are kind of lame, he's pretty smart.  He and Georgia and Madison (who are pretty darned cool themselves) make a great detecting team.

I'm looking forward to their next adventure!




FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of the book for review.
  

On Research, Or How to Create A Modern Witch

A guest post by Juliet Blackwell.

One reason I love being a writer is that I can spend a lot of time doing things like shopping in vintage clothing stores, and call it “research”. But when I set out to write the Witchcraft Mystery Series, I wanted my main character, Lily Ivory, to be not only the owner of a vintage clothing store, but also a believable modern witch…so how could I make that happen?

Of course, Bewitched reruns were among my favorite shows when I was a kid. But I didn’t want my protagonist to be silly, someone who could simply wiggle her nose and make things happen.

So while researching the Witchcraft Mystery Series, I have attended coven meetings in the Bay Area (yes, the Bay Area is one of those regions where a person can find covens open to visitors!), and I’ve spoken not only with women who identify as Wiccan, but also Feri and other pagan traditions. I’ve interviewed people who make their living as witches and fortune tellers; people who brew and cast and read tarot cards and crystal balls. I have met with psychics and ghostbusters, and learned some extraordinary things about their world, and about myself!

I also draw on my academic background in “medical anthropology”, a field that focuses on health care throughout the world, or “folk medicine”. This includes what many refer to as “witch doctors” –trusted members of the community who are experts in botanical and ritual cures for both physical and mental problems. Locally, I have consulted with midwives, naturopaths, and acupuncturists who specialize in traditional herbal remedies.

Finally, I turned to family. My mother-in-law is from a small native (Nahuatl) village, and

she’s a font of information and stories from her traditional background. My sister-in-law put me in touch with a practicing Mexican witch who scared the pants off of me! And my nieces are able to give me an insider’s view of their experiences of curanderismo, or the healing arts, in modern-day Mexico.

Lily Ivory’s world grew out of all this research. As I learned more about the history of witchcraft and the treatment of powerful women (and some men) over the years, I came to understand that a magical lineage would be a complex, fascinating, and sometimes fraught background for anyone to carry in their mind and heart. I kept asking myself: what would it be like to grow up with the knowledge that “your kind” has been mistreated throughout history, and that you might be hated and feared as well? And further, what would it be like to know, for instance, that you have the power to avenge the taunting of your classmates at school? What kind of restraint and strength of character would it take not to abuse that power?

When Lily lands in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury and opens her vintage clothing store…well, let’s just say that neighborhood is so full of iconoclasts and freethinkers that a misfit witch doesn’t stick out much. It’s the first time Lily’s been able to find community, and to open up to friendship.

Lily and the gang have led me to more research than I ever thought I’d do, and I’ve learned so much about the ins and outs of San Francisco, and the many worlds of witchcraft. I’m a lucky writer!

How about you? Have you been led on any research adventures? Any coven visits in your past (or future)? Have you ever been with a natural healer or fortune teller who seemed to just know things?

Blind Faith

A guest post by Heather Blake.

One of the most-asked questions I receive from readers is, “Where do you get your ideas?” 

Honestly, some of the time I have no idea where they come from. The ideas are just there. Most of the time, however, an idea comes from a situation I see or hear. It sets off a spark that I then flame into a full-blown plot by playing the “what if” game. What if that happened to one of my characters? Then what if my character did this, did that?

The behavior, the blind faith, of those parents struck me hard. What if that was one of my sons? What would I do in that situation? How would I react? Better yet…what if it happened to one of my characters?

For The Goodbye Witch, it was a magazine article I read that created the spark. A human-interest piece about a young woman who’d been murdered. Nineteen years old. A high-achieving college student. The whole world ahead of her. There was a preponderance of evidence against the woman’s boyfriend that he’d committed the crime. DNA. Witnesses. A confession (though later retracted). Yet…his parents steadfastly refused to believe their son, their pride and joy who was also a college student on the fast-track to greatness, could have had anything to do with this heinous crime. No way. Not their boy. They proclaimed his innocence to any and all who would listen (and still do, despite his conviction).

What if?

In The Goodbye Witch, Wishcrafter Darcy Merriweather’s best friend, Starla, is living her worst nightmare. Her fugitive ex-husband, Kyle, has returned to the Enchanted Village. Years ago, he escaped jail after being arrested for Starla’s attempted murder. His family – his parents and two brothers – and most of the village took Kyle’s side after the arrest. As the village’s golden child, Kyle could do no wrong in their eyes.

Darcy, of course, is livid at the absolute allegiance to Kyle. How could everyone simply ignore all the evidence against him?

What if?

It’s not until Kyle’s found dead, and Starla becomes the number one suspect in his death, that Darcy learns how easily someone can put blind faith behind a loved one accused of a horrible crime. She’ll do anything and everything to clear her friend’s name.

Because nothing is ever what it seems in the Enchanted Village, it takes all Darcy has learned about the Craft and help from her family and friends (mortal and Crafters alike) to discover the true motive for Kyle’s death. And when she does, she’s completely unprepared for the consequences of those actions and how they affect her own life…

Heather Blake (aka Heather Webber) is the author of more than twenty novels and has been twice nominated for an Agatha Award. She's a total homebody who loves to be close to her family, read, watch reality TV (especially cooking competition shows), drink too much coffee, crochet, bake (mostly cookies), and occasionally leave the house to travel to the beautiful mountains in the northeast. Heather grew up in a suburb of Boston, but currently she lives in the Cincinnati area with her family and is hard at work on her next book.

Berkley Prime Crime has generously offered a copy of The Goodbye Witch to one of my readers. Please comment below before midnight on May 19, 2014. Entries from the US only, please.
Please don't forget to include an email address where I can contact you if you win.

A Muse Ment

A guest post by Victoria Laurie.


Several years ago, when I was first fleshing out the character of M. J. Holliday—the protagonist of my Ghost Hunter Mysteries series, I knew that I wanted her to have a pet suitable enough for her rather independent and fearless nature, and be a pet that would live a long life, perhaps be M. J.’s one and only fluffy companion from youth through most of her adulthood.

Now, M. J. comes from famous and somewhat eccentric stock—her great-great uncle was none other than Doc Holliday. So, I wanted M. J. to have the same sort of rebel spirit as her famous relative, but I also wanted her to be marked by a tragedy early in her youth, which perhaps expedited the psychic medium gift she was innately born with. With all of that in mind, I created a backstory where, when M. J. was eleven, her mother died of cancer, sending poor Mary Jane into a state of muteness for nearly a year.

To draw her out of that silent well of sadness, M. J.’s grandmother bought her a pet parrot—an African Grey, for her birthday. Her grandmother told M. J. that the only way to teach the bird to speak, was to set the example.

The ploy worked and M. J. named her bird after her famous great uncle. From the beginning, Doc has been a series regular and, for a number of reasons I’m so happy I chose such a fascinating creature for her muse.

I based Doc on a very famous African Grey parrot named Alex, who was the subject of a thirty-year research project into the intelligence of birds. Alex’s name was actually an acronym for Avian Learning Experiment. The project was conducted by Alex’s owner, Dr. Irene Pepperberg, whose groundbreaking research forced animal behaviorists everywhere to reconsider the “dumb bird” theory.

Turns out birds are crazy intelligent, and Alex proved that he actually had the ability to understand language. He could count to ten, understood the concept of zero, and he had over a thousand-word vocabulary. I found the research I did into African Greys so utterly fascinating, in fact, that a few weeks after learning that Alex had died unexpectedly, I decided to get a Grey of my own.

In September of 2007 even though I’d never owned a bird before, I brought home my very own Doc. Those first few weeks I was terrified of the beautiful little gray bird with a flashy red tail, and did little more than feed him and change the paper in his cage. Nervous about causing him undo stress, I didn’t try to hold him, or touch him and we both sort settled for eyeing each other nervously from across the room.

Then one day I just decided to get the heck over it, and dove in. I taught Doc how to step onto my fingers, and settle on my shoulder. The more I experimented and handled him the more comfortable we got with each other and every day since has been wonder and absolute joy.

Before Doc, I never understood how incredibly sweet birds could be. Doc will take an almond out of my hand, then lean in for a kiss. This is something he developed all on his own; it wasn’t something I taught him. It shocked me to my toes the first time he did that, because it was such a human thing to do, you know? To kiss someone after receiving a treat felt almost spiritual in its sweetness.

I was also unprepared for how clever and funny my birdie could be. He’s a regular prankster that bird. Sometimes he’ll lean his head in for a kiss, and just as I’m about to give him a peck he’ll blow a raspberry and mimic my laugh. Again, that was something he put together on his own.

And like Alex, Doc also seems to have a keen understanding of language. We’ve actually had conversations that go something like this:


Doc: “Come here!”
Me: “Can’t right now, birdie.”
Doc: “What you do?”
Me: “I’m working, honey.”
Doc: “Thhhhbbbbbbbt!” (As you can see, he’s quite adept at blowing raspberries.)


When he first came to my home I thought, What a delightful muse to inspire me while I write. I had no idea the richness he would bring to both my life and my writing. I keep Doc in my office, in a large cage with plenty of windows and it’s also close to my desk, so most of the people who call me must put up with the Chatty Cathy in the corner. I remember one particular afternoon when I was on a conference call with my editor and my agent and Doc was in the background making every single fart noise he could think of. Loudly.

After about ten minutes of trying to ignore it, I finally laughed nervously and said, “In case you two were wondering, that’s not me; that’s my bird.”

There was a bit of a pregnant pause, before my editor said, “Sure it is, Victoria. Sure it is.” (I’m still embarrassed!)

And just last week I thought, How fun would it be to teach Doc to say, “Bow-chicka-bow-bow.”? It only took ten minutes and I was deeelighted with how cute he sounded.

What wasn’t so fun (at least at the time) was the frustrating conversation I had with my insurance agent over a major screw up on their part a day later while Doc serenaded us with, “Bow-chicka-bow-chicka-bow-chicka-BOW-BOW!”

Ever try to be stern with someone on the phone while “Bow-chicka-bow-bow!” plays in the background? Yeah…it goes about as well as you might expect.

Overall, however, Doc has proven to be the most wonderful muse, and has provided some real life levity to add to The Ghost Hunter Mysteries. If you’d like to learn more about his antics, both real and mythic, I hope you’ll check out my latest release in that series, The Ghoul Next Door, available January 7th, 2014!


 

Victoria Laurie is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty books. With two series in full swing, Victoria divides her time between The Psychic Eye Mysteries and The Ghost Hunter Mysteries. As a professional psychic herself, Victoria knows all too well the tricky world of the paranormal in which her protagonists psychic Abby Cooper, and spiritual medium M. J. Holliday tackle murder, mayhem, and the occasional demon with plenty of plucky humor and determination. You may find Victoria on the web at victorialaurie.com and https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictoriaLaurieFans/.