Shea MacLeod writes urban fantasy, paranormal and contemporary romance, paranormal women’s fiction and cozy mysteries. She lives in Oregon, after living for 6 years in London. Some of her many series include the Lady Rample Mysteries, Sugar Martin Vintage Cozy Mysteries, and Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries. She has a new series called Season of the Witch.
Cocktails, capers, and corgis in 1948 England! A murder in an English country manor sends Sugar and her furry sidekick, Tippy, on the hunt for a killer.
Who is your protagonist’s sidekick? Tippy is a corgi with serious attitude, but he doesn’t hesitate to get in the thick of crime solving.
What role does the animal play in the story? Initially, he’s the reason it forced Sugar to stay in England (she’s American). She doesn’t know much about dogs, and he doesn’t much care for her (although he adores her love interest), but eventually they rub along rather well together. He pretty much goes everywhere she does.
Does your animal help or hinder your sleuth? Usually, he helps. That is, when he wants to. He does things at his own pace.
Give us 1 example of the interaction between your main character and the Fury Sidekick. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but in one of the books, Tippy saves someone from sure death by attacking the bad guy. In another, he uncovers a vital clue.
Is your book part of a series, if so, tell us about the series. Yes! There are currently four books in the series which takes place in post-WW2 England. Sugar is an American who discovers she’s inherited a cottage in England from a distant relative. Unfortunately, it comes with strings! One of which is her new sidekick. Needing an income, she takes up a job assisting a lawyer by going undercover to find out who is stealing valuables from stately manors across the countryside. Only…she stumbles across a body…
Give the readers a hint of what’s to come for your character in future books. Sugar will be returning home for a visit soon. Naturally, she will find herself in the midst of another murder mystery at a local festival.
Kathy writes the delightful Dickens and Christie Mysteries and currently has her tenth book in the series up for pre-order. She lives in Georgia with her husband and the inspiration for her furry sidekicks, a dog who loves belly rubs and a finicky eater of a cat. Book I in the series, Bells, Tails & Murder, won a 2020 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award, and Pets, Pens & Murder, Book VII, garnered a 2023 Georgia Author of the Year nomination.
She’s looking forward to tea and scones. Hunting down murderers? Not so much…Leta Parker moved across the pond to get over her grief. And so far, the serene pastoral countryside seems just the place to make a fresh start. But her visions of quaint villages and posh accents are shockingly disturbed when her tranquility is shattered by a rather dead body…
Who is your protagonist’s sidekick? In Book I, Leta’s sidekick is Wendy, her closest friend in the Cotswolds village where she’s recently retired. It’s not long before Wendy’s mum joins in the sleuthing and, by Book III in the series, they’re joined by Ellie, a dowager countess. Together, they become known as the Little Old Ladies’ Detective Agency—the LOLs for short.
What role does the animal play in the story? Dickens and Christie are Leta’s four-legged sidekicks, and they talk to her. Dickens is a loveable, loyal dog who lives for belly rubs and treats; and Christie is an opinionated, sassy black cat. Leta is the only one who can understand the two.
Does your animal help or hinder your sleuth? Oh, they help! In the first book, Dickens gets in on more of the action because he goes everywhere with Leta. It’s not long, though, before Leta gets a backpack so she can take Christie too, especially on their walks to see Martha and Dylan, the donkeys up the road. In Book V, Christie goes to Cornwall for a yoga retreat—yes, they have cat yoga—and in Book VIII, she’s a prop at a Literary Festival.
Give us 1 example of the interaction between your main character and the Furry Sidekick. This is from Book I—Bells, Tails & Murder—when Leta picks them up from the cargo area at Heathrow. Dickens peppered me with questions and comments. “Oh my gosh, Leta, I’ve missed you. Where have you been? Where are we? How could you leave me cooped up in a crate for so long?” Christie, on the other hand, screeched her complaints. “What on earth were you thinking? Do you realize I’ve been stuck in here for hours? Hours, I tell you! Let me out now, Aleta Petkas Parker! Wait, why are you putting me in the car . . . still in the crate? Let me out, quick.” And so the conversation went, back and forth among the three of us. I reminded myself that I’d have to get back in the habit of speaking to my four-legged friends the way most people speak to their pets, as though they’re only surmising what the barks and meows mean. If any of my new friends thought I was talking to my animals à la Dr. Dolittle, well, that would be a problem.
Is your book part of a series, if so, tell us about the series. Yes! Leta crossed the pond to start her life over after her husband died in a tragic accident. She says she’s making new friends and making her way. In addition to stumbling across dead bodies at an alarming rate, she and her friends are avid readers and love to travel. You’ll find book club meetings, Leta’s home-cooked Greek meals, and conversations with Dickens & Christie in every book.
The books abound with literary references, and the works of J.M. Barrie play a key role in Book I. You can expect to visit Oxford, Dartmouth, and Tintagel along the way. Tour Greenway, Agatha Christie’s summer home, and attend a literary festival in Torquay, her birthplace.
Yes, the mysteries are important, but it’s the relationship among the strong, capable women that readers comment on the most. They tell me it’s like visiting old friends when they pick up each book, and they especially like their ages—the mid-fifties to nearly eighty. As one reader put it, “It’s nice to see that life doesn’t end after fifty!”
Give the readers a hint of what’s to come for your character in future books.
In Book IX, due out this year, Leta’s long-distance boyfriend from NYC moves in with her. Exploring that dynamic and the evolution of his role in the Little Old Ladies’ Detective Agency is a key element. What’s next for Leta and Dave? I’m waiting for them to let me know.
Paula has been an instructor at 5 different colleges, teaching English composition, fashion design, sewing and jewelry making. She is a talented seamstress as well. She has written hundreds of articles about DIY craft projects. She is the author of the DIY Diva Mystery series, Fine Art Mystery series, the historical mystery of The Six Week Solution. And I had the fun of working together with her in the cozy mystery anthology Mysteries, Midsummer Sun and Murders.
Artist Amanda Trent, accompanied by her beloved golden retriever Laddie and her persnickety calico cat Mona Lisa, is determined to start a new life after her husband divorces her to marry a younger woman, but on her very first day as a new artist at the Roadrunner Gallery, she discovers a dead body. Starting over is looking more difficult than Amanda anticipated, but she’s determined to find out who killed the gallery director and make a go of her new art career.
Who is your protagonist’s sidekick? Amanda has two furry companions: Laddie, a friendly golden retriever and Mona Lisa, a mercurial calico cat. The pets have a bit of a “sibling rivalry” going, and Mona Lisa never misses an opportunity to take a swipe at her canine “brother.”
What role does the animal play in the story? The pets are Amanda’s only full-time companions, and she pays a lot of attention to them. Although they usually aren’t directly involved in Amanda’s “cases,” in book 3 of the series, Hemlock for the Holidays, they’re both instrumental in saving Amanda and her daughter Emma, who’s visiting during her college’s Christmas break, from a villainous murderer.
Does your animal help or hinder your sleuth? Besides keeping Amanda company and saving her and her daughter in Hemlock for the Holidays, Amanda’s daily walks with Laddie sometimes help her find out some new information about her “cases” as she interacts with other dog walkers. Being a pet parent also gives Amanda the idea for offering custom pet portraits, done in oil paint, and she exhibits portraits of Laddie and Mona Lisa at art fairs, during her studio tours, and on her website to drum up more art business. This turns out to be successful and Amanda enjoys painting commissioned portraits of her customers’ pets as well as the opportunity to add to her art business’s bottom line. Sometimes, a pet portrait commission also helps Amanda discover important clues.
Give us 1 example of the interaction between your main character and the Fury Sidekick.
From Artistic License to Kill: Amanda has just returned home from her daily morning walk with her golden retriever Laddie. Of course, Mona Lisa can’t accompany them, as she’s strictly an in-door kitty, so Amanda needs to show her some love, too:
“Mona Lisa was waiting for us at home, and as soon as I removed Laddie’s leash, she began meowing piteously. I picked her up and cradled her in my arms, and she began to purr. I never knew how Mona Lisa would react to my absence. Sometimes she wanted nothing to do with me after I returned, and the length of time I left her didn’t seem to make much difference, nor did Laddie’s presence or lack thereof. “Are you feeling neglected, Mona Lisa?” I asked, and she responded with an ear-splitting meow. To pacify her, I grabbed one of her feather toys and began playing with her while Laddie watched us, but didn’t try to join the game. Every time I flicked the feather, Mona Lisa pounced, and, then, teasing, I would quickly move it again. She never tired of this game, although I couldn’t say the same. “Enough for now,” I said after we’d played for several minutes. To distract her, I gave her a tuna kitty treat. She loved tuna and quickly dispatched it before leaping to the top of her kitty perch and looking down on Laddie and me. Naturally, Laddie had to have a treat, too, so I spooned a few chunks of leftover tuna into his bowl. With the pets temporarily placated, I wandered into my studio. Laddie trailed behind me and settled himself on his bed in the corner, where he could keep a watchful eye on me. Whenever I made a move to leave the studio, whether to step into our cozy little abode or to go out the back door into the yard, Laddie would jump up and follow me.
Is your book part of a series, if so, tell us about the series. The series centers on main character Amanda Trent, who’s starting life over after a divorce that she didn’t see coming. She’s moved to Lonesome Valley, Arizona, from Kansas City and has found a tiny house that has an attached studio, a perfect place for herto paint and exhibit her art during weekly studio tours. She’s joined the Roadrunner Gallery, an artists’ cooperative, where she meets other artists and becomes part of their community. On the very first day she’s scheduled to work in the gallery, she discovers that the gallery director has been killed. Amanda’s on the case, and in the books that follow, her art career takes her into more murderous situations, where she figures out whodunit.
Give the readers a hint of what’s to come for your character in future books. I’m currently working on book 4 of the Fine Art Mystery series. Naturally, Amanda will become embroiled in another murder mystery, and this time Amanda not only knows the victim, but she’s also friends with the main suspect. As usual, her loyal golden retriever Laddie and her capricious calico cat Mona Lisa keep her company while she investigates the case in an effort to keep her friend out of prison.
There are two ways to buy your copy, and both are the same price.
The first is to support my writing by buying direct, which will also give you a copy with illustrated chapter headings. The second is from the normal outlets through D2D and it’s many book retailers.
I had fun writing this story and love some of the new characters that are being introduced to the series. I hope you will too.
Now is your best chance to find my entire ebook collection for a promotional price at @Smashwords as part of their Annual Summer/Winter Sale! Find my books and many more at https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/
Thank you for your support! Happy Reading and Happy 4th of July!
Pen In Hand, Words on Page 