Yes, it’s me. I’m one of those authors who love to sneak in a bit of romance with my mystery. It must be from all those Harlequin Romances I read with my mom when I was a teenager. I can’t help myself. As you can tell from my vector, I’m a cat lover (if I could, I’d have a dog too!) I live in South Florida with my hubby and two cats, run a landscape business and eat chocolate.

After being struck by lightning, Mac is lucky to survive. But now she can hear voices in her head. Voices she doesn’t recognize. It’s a killer’s voice that intrudes into her thoughts. She can’t stop the killer’s actions, but when the police suspect her boyfriend, Peter, she is determined to prove his innocence. 
And stop another murder.
Working with her new friend, Moira and Peter, Mac narrows down the suspects and sets a trap. But will she be the one caught in it?

And now here are my answers to the questions…

Which is more important to your book, the mystery or the love story?
Always the mystery. I love to lead the reader on a path to the clues and characters. If one of those paths detours into a bit of romance, well that’s just like finding a secret garden in the middle of your pathway.

What type of love story plays out in your book—friends to love, enemy to love, instant love, or something else?
 I have done both friends to love and enemy to love. I think I like the enemy to love because there is so much room for conflict and misunderstanding. Both of these can distract from the mystery enough for clues to be hidden and red herrings laid out.

Does the love element cause problems for your protagonist?
 In Whispered Voices, it causes Mac a lot of tension when she has to pretend to be Peter’s girlfriend. They’ve been friends forever and he has no idea how she feels. Mac would rather keep her best friend rather than risk losing him by letting him know her feelings.

What inspired you to start writing?
A Dare! 6 years ago, I was with friends and mentioned I’ve always wanted to write a book. Well, they dared me to do it and I laughingly accepted. But they didn’t let me off that easily. I was constantly asked if I’d started writing, until I gave in to stop the nagging. The first book I wrote from that dare was Murder for Neptune’s Trident. Now 29 books, novellas and short stories later…

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
 I’m a chocolate lover, there I’ve admitted it! I have to have a small dish of M&M’s on my desk as I write. I may not even eat them (or at least not all) but they have to be there. I also need to be alone with music to write.

 What comes first, the plot or characters?
 Actually, for me it’s the cover. I love to find pre-made covers and then I come up with a story and main character.

This is the last of the Love-Kissed Cozy Mystery interviews. I hope you enjoyed them and have found some new books and authors to enjoy. The next three interviews are a bit of surprise, and I hope you will enjoy them. Until then-go cozy up with a good mystery!

Victoria LK Williams