Dear Readers, I’ve
loved Margaret Brownley books since I read the first one. And this Undercover
Ladies series is one of my favorites.
He never met a
Pinkerton detective he liked;
She never met a man
so stubborn. –Calico Spy
Welcome back,
Margaret. How did this book come about?
Hi Lena , thank you for
letting me visit. Calico Spy is the third book in my Undercover Ladies series. Katie
Madison is a Pinkerton detective working undercover as a Harvey girl. Someone is killing off the
waitresses and Katie hopes to find the killer before the killer finds her—or
before she burns down the restaurant trying.
Tell us about the
book’s cover and what makes it unique.
I think this is my favorite cover of the series. The scene
takes place at the Harvey House where my heroine is working undercover to solve
the Harvey girl
murders. If you look closely you can see the train out the window. Train
passengers had only a half hour to eat. To accommodate them, Fred Harvey
invented “fast food” service. The cup in the heroine’s hand plays an important
role in the story.
Please explain and
differentiate between what’s fact and fiction in the book.
All the information about Fred Harvey and his restaurants is
factual. Also factual is the information about Pinkerton detectives. Many
people don’t realize that Allan had an entire department of female detectives. He
hired his first one in 1856 and quickly saw the advantage. Women could go where
men could not and were able to befriend the unsuspecting wives of outlaws.
How much research did
you have to do for this book?
Before starting the Undercover series I read sixteen of
Allan Pinkerton’s books to learn how crimes were solved before fingerprints,
DNA, and cameras were available. For Calico Spy I read every book written
on Fred Harvey and the Harvey
girls. I also took a trip to Barstow , California to the old Harvey house there. It’s now a Chamber of
Commerce and museum but is still intact. I used it as a model for my book.
What are some of the
most interesting things you found about this subject that you
weren’t able to use
in the story?
I’ve come to believe that Fred Harvey is one of the unsung
heroes of the west. His restaurants put thousands of young women to work in
respectable jobs. More than five thousand women who traveled west to work at
his restaurants also found husbands. I think that gives him the world record
for matchmaking.
What inspired and
surprised you while you were writing the book?
I never plan or plot a book in advance so I’m always
surprised at how a book turns out. The thing that surprised me most in this
book is the hero’s story and how his faith was tested.
What do you hope the
reader takes away from the story?
My main goal in writing any story is to entertain the
reader. I also love making people laugh, so you’ll always find humor in my
stories. The hero’s struggles certainly made me think about my own faith and
what I would do in his shoes. I wouldn’t be surprised if readers have similar
thoughts.
What is the next
project you’re working on?
I just finished the second book in my new Match Made in Texas series. The first
book, Left at the Altar will be
released in November followed by To Win A
Sheriff’s Heart.
I’ll be looking
forward to those books, too. Be sure to schedule them on my blog. What do you
do when you have to get away from the story for a while?
I usually call up my grandchildren to see if any of them can
play.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Calico, Kansas
1880
Katie Madison tied the black satin ribbon at her neckline
and frowned. The lopsided bow wouldn’t do. She yanked the ribbon loose and
tried again. Today she was all thumbs and everything that could go wrong, did.
Already she’d broken a shoelace, snagged a stocking, and torn the hem of her
dress.
Just as she finished tying the bow for the third time the
bedroom door flew open and her roommate’s brunette head popped inside. “Katie!
Hurry or you’ll be late.”
“I’m trying, I’m trying.”
Mary-Lou’s green eyes narrowed and her southern drawl grew
more pronounced. “Pickens has a burr in his saddle. Said if you don’t hurry
he’ll have your head!”
Katie’s stomach knotted. She was already in trouble with the
restaurant manager. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“A minute might be too late.” The door slammed shut, and
Mary-Lou’s footsteps echoed down the hall as she yelled for the other Harvey girls to hurry.
“Y’all better hurry now, you hear?”
Katie whirled about for one last look in the mirror and
hardly recognized the image reflected back. The black dress with its
high-collar, starched white apron, black shoes and stockings made her look more
like a nun than one of Pinkerton’s most successful female detectives.
Even her unruly red hair had been forced to conform to Fred
Harvey’s strict regulations. Parted in the middle, it was pulled back in a knot
and fashioned with the mandatory net. The rigid hairdo did nothing for her,
appearance-wise. All it did was make her eyes look too big and her freckles
stand out like brown polka dots.
Wrinkling her nose, she turned away from the mirror. It’s a
good thing she’d chosen to be a detective as she had neither the looks nor
housekeeping skills needed for landing a husband.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
My website: www. margaret-brownley.com
Facebook:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/margaretbrownly
Thank you for letting me share my story!
Thank you, Margaret for sharing this new book with us. It's always a pleasure to have you on the blog.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Calico Spy (Undercover Ladies Book 3) - Amazon
Leave a comment answering Margaret's question for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
50 comments:
Hi Lena, thank you so much for letting me guest on your wonderful blog. It's always a treat. Happy New Year!
would love to win angela in KY
This sounds so much fun!
Connie from KY
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Angela in KY. Thank you for stopping by and good luck!
Hi Connie, it was a fun book to write. Hope you get a chance to read it! :)
I would like to work in Nebraska or Kansas as a waitress. Now I would NEVER be a waitress in real life as I've seen some of the rude unruly customers they have to put up with, hat's off to them! My grandpa, dad and mom were both chef's and my mom also worked as a waitress, owned a restaurant and cooked for a bunkhouse on a ranch.
wfnren at aol dot com
Margaret, I loved the first two books in this series and can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this one. :)
So, me as an undercover detective. Are we talking this century or a previous one? Hmm...I'll pick one that would work for both--a Baker or country cook. Ooo, or maybe a southern gospel singer. Call me crazy. :)
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. :)
Happy Trails,
Crystal
Tx
If I was an undercover detective, I'd work in a coffee shop as a barista...always fun chatting up with customers..and who doesn't drink coffee or tea? Thanks for the giveaway! Would love to win.
Annie from MD
I love Margaret's books! Thank you for the opportunity to be a winner!
Melanie Backus, TX
This sounds wonderful thank you.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
I have been wanting to start this series since I first discovered it. I am a big fan of humor with my romance and that's what's drawing me to them.
Terrill - WA
Hi Wendy, that's really interesting. With all the chefs in your family mealtime must be something special. I love that your mom cooked for a bunkhouse. Not many women can claim that!
Hi Crystal, working undercover as a gospel singer is an interesting idea. I guess somebody would have be killing off the choir. Love it!
Hi Annie from MD,
Working in a coffee shop would be great fun and you could pump your customers for clues. People are more relaxed when they're eating and drinking so that's the time to do some undercover sleuthing.
Hi Melanie, thank you! Good luck.
Hi Mary in Australia, thank you for stopping by!
Hi Terrill, I love mixing humor with romance, too. I think people in love really laugh more, don't you?
If I were a detective, I would be sort of like a younger Miss Marple. Unassuming middle-aged woman, maybe work at a bed and breakfast or a nice hotel. BJM from SC
Oh I do love the fun of reading a Margaret Brownley book! She just has a knack for bringing a bit of levity and pure fun to the reading. Love to read this one, Margaret!
Vera in North Carolina
OOps! Guess I should'a told about me as a detective or waitress. Neither would have been very good. My only detective skills were/are those of detecting what the kids were up to when quieter than normal and the only waitressing was for the family table where the 5 kids ate with hubby and myself - or when family gatherings of 20+ filled our home.
Great interview! Sounds like a fun read. Thanks for the chance to win!
Beth in Montana
Sounds like a great book! Thanks for the giveaway! Sydney Harries GA
This sounds like a fun read! If I was an undercover detective I might be a mail carrier. You would always have to go to a persons house daily, except the week ends of course!
marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
Maryann in NY
Her books sound great. North Platte Nebraska
These books sound so good!
betherin02 (at) gmail(dot)com
Beth S.
West Salem, IL
I think I have read one book in this series and enjoyed it a lot. I would love to read this one.
Edward A in VA
If I were going to be an undercover detective, I probably would blend in pretty well in an office environment. Thanks for the interview and giveaway!
Loraine in TX
First, I would want to dress as comfortably as possible, as well as do work that would either be where I would fit in based on experience (companion to senior or lady's personal assistant) or for fun (pet sitter, cats or smaller dogs or undercover investigator). Probably wearing jeans and comfortable shirt loose denim skirt and comfy shirt. Where? One of several places I am curious about such as small towns in CO, VA, WA, or Oregon. Or back in Tucson. Much fun to play 'what if' and live vicariously through characters! Jeanie in Phoenix.
It's a stretch to imagine me as a detective going under cover! I'd probably just have to be the middle-aged woman who just blends in and picks up info by listening. I haven't yet been able to read any of this series (though they are on my want to read list) but I've read several of Margaret's other books and thoroughly enjoy them. She has such a great blend of humor, adventure, and romance that makes her books fun to read. Thanks for the chance to win Calico Spy.
pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com
Kansas
I'm not sure what my disguise would be but I would love to work in the Library of Congress.
Janet E.
von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com
Florida
Thanks for the chance to win Margaret's book. I love reading her books. live in ND
If I were an undercover detective I'd want to work a job that I could interact with people but at the same time, be unassuming & watch everything going on. Then get people to feel comfortable enough around me to start talking....I'd shudder at this but maybe a bar tender. People who drink tend to be loose on the lips...lol! I'd hate every minute of the job, but I think you'd learn a lot. Eventually someone may say something relevant to a case ;-)
This book sounds great! I've read another Pinkerton series by a different author (whom I can't remember now) and enjoyed it tremendously. I have no doubt I'd like Margaret's just as much. Thanks for sharing a bit of history on both the Pinkerton's and Harvey Girls. Always like getting to learn something new!
Trixi in OR
Looks awesome!!! Love the Harvy Girls movie with Judy Garland.
Enter me.
Blanch, NC
Enter me in your awesome giveaway!!
Conway, SC.
Hi BJM, I love the idea of a younger Miss Marple and a bed and breakfast. What fun!
Hi Vera, I think mothers have great detecting skills. It sounds like you would do just fine as a Harvey girl. You'd probably not set the kitchen on fire like my heroine.
Hi Beth G, Sydney, Kim and Beth S, thank you for stopping by and good luck!
Hi Maryann in New York, a mail carrier is one I hadn't thought of. But you're right; you do have a great excuse for going up to everyone's house and checking out their mail. BTW: the mailbox scene in Undercover Bride where the heroines gets the postmaster to retrieve a mailed letter was based on an actual stunt pulled by a Pinkerton agent.
Hi Edward and Loraine, nice to "meet" you both. I can see how working undercover in an office might come in handy. Edward, you didn't tell us your disguise.
Hi Jeanie in Phoenix, I love your idea of going undercover as a pet sitter! Now wouldn't that be a barrel of laughs?
Hi Pam, well a good detective has to also be a good listener so you'd be great!
Hi Library Lady, wow, now there's an idea; the Library of Congress. I wonder what valuable clues could be found there? Maybe something about a valuable historical document? Or a treasure map...
HI Apple Blossom and Sharon, thank you for visiting with us today. Good luck!
HI Abigail, I loved the Judy Garland movie too. She wore a large white bow in her hair. I was so disappointed when I read that the Harvey girls weren't allowed to wear hair ornaments. That meant my heroine couldn't have a bow like Judy.
Hi Trixi, I know what you mean by working at a bar. But you're right; alcohol adds up to loose lips. I always thought it might be a good idea to work as a hairdresser because something about "letting one's hair down" seems to make women want to talk.
I really enjoy reading about Harvey girls and would enjoy your book. Sm.CA. Wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)coming up
Book sounds very interesting. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy. Enjoyed the interview.
Brenda in VA
Hi Margaret & Lena! I loved your Last Chance Ranch series & I'm really looking forward to adding Calico Spy to my library so I can finally read all 3 Pinkerton books in a row.
Kristen in OK
kam110476 at gmail dot com
Thanks for the interview, Lena and Margaret. Calico Spy sounds like fun. I'd love to win it. I believe if I were an undercover agent I'd be a teacher. (My former life. :)) That way I could fit seamlessly into any community.
Sandy in Texas
Sounds like a fun book!
-Melissa M. in TN
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