MURDER IN MARIETTA - Deborah Malone - One Free Book

Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I’ve always loved to read so I think it was natural that I’d transition into writing mysteries. They have been my genre of choice since I was a young girl and loved to read Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon. Cozy mysteries are one of my favorites and Ann George has been a big influence on my writing. As for writing Christian Fiction – Margaret Daley’s books were a big influence.

I loved to read Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon, and Margaret is one of my favorite authors. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Of course there is the birth of my children and other life events that have been happy, but this question brings me back to a time when one Christmas day my grandmother arranged to surprise me with a horse. I’d been wanting one for a long time and thought the closest I’d get to have my own would be in my dreams. I was totally surprised and had lots and lots of fun times with Apache! Aren’t grandmothers wonderful? 

How has being published changed your life?

Love this question. I have been thrown into the world of marketing. I’ve gone to book clubs, writers groups, book festivals, etc. So I’ve been very busy and I love it. I like to meet people so this is right up my alley. One of the negatives is that it takes away from my writing time.

What are you reading right now?

A Time For Peace Quilts of Lancaster County Series by Barbara Cameron. I read the first one of the series, so I’m excited to be reading the second one with the same characters.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m working on the fourth installment in the Trixie Montgomery Cozy Mystery Series. The working title is Chilled in Chattanooga and of course the setting is Chattanooga, Tennessee.

What would be your dream vacation be?

I’m not sure – but I think Hawaii would be a beautiful place to visit and relax.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I started with Dahlonega, Georgia, because I’d written several historical articles about this picturesque north Georgia town and fell in love with the area. I noticed that readers loved being able to relate to things that they recognized. So I decided to write the other ones about places that people would know. Thus Murder in Marietta was my second book.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

Hummm, I’m not sure. Let’s go with Margaret Daley. She is such a wonderful writer and I’d like to get some tips from herJ

She’s a gracious lady, and I know you’d enjoy the time. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

When I had more time I used to enjoy macro photography. I love to take close-ups of flowers and butterflies and other little insects. I took a picture of a bee getting pollen from a flower, and it was so clear you could see his little Mohawk.  I started out by shooting pictures for my articles I write for “Georgia Backroads.” I enjoyed it so much I took it up as a hobby. I’ve won several awards in armature photography.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

I’m really having a time getting a large word count. I haven’t overcome it yetJ

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Write, write and write. And don’t give up!

Tell us about the featured book.

Trixie Montgomery’s back on the beat, facing her own spectral fears covering ghost sightings at the Marietta History Museum. With sidekick and best friend, Dee Dee, in tow, the women brave a sleepover inside the haunted museum to discover what lurks behind closed doors. When their worst fears occur and a dead body is discovered right under their noses, Trixie’s reputation both as a journalist and crime solver, are once again put to the test.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Marietta, Georgia

I flipped over a fresh page in my reporter’s notebook as my best friend, Dee Dee, dug into the most enormous slice of Chocolate Fetish mocha pie I’d ever seen. Dee Dee smacking loudly, I fought to keep a journalist’s objectivity while Doc Pennington, the director of the Marietta History Museum, recounted the most recent ghost sightings.

“Doc, what I really want to know is…” My tummy roiled considering the possibilities. “Have you personally seen the resident phantom?” All at once I hoped he’d say no, but from the excitement that grew in his expression, I knew he was about to confirm my worst fears.

“As a matter of fact, Trixie, may I call you Trixie?”

I nodded and he went on.

“Shortly after I became director of the museum, I heard rumors of ghosts. Until recently

 I didn’t give them any real credence. Not until unexplainable occurrences happened.” He waited while a young man refilled our tea glasses.

“Such as?” My voice quavered as I prompted Doc, once the waiter was out of earshot.

 

“Like when the door on the empty elevator opened and closed.” Doc rubbed the bridge of his nose underneath horn-rimmed bifocals. “Once I saw a lady adorned in period clothes from the Civil War Era. Another time a man dressed in uniform appeared. I thought I’d been around this history stuff too long and my imagination ran wild.”

I glanced at Dee Dee, my memories transporting me to a time when one of the neighborhood kids wore a sheet and jumped out at me in the inky darkness. I’ve never forgotten the feeling of my heart skipping a few beats. It was a long time before the kids stopped laughing about the embarrassing stain that spread across my corduroys. Since that fateful night the mention of ghosts stirs a cauldron of ugly feelings. When Harv, my editor at “Georgia by the Way,” gave me this assignment, I knew I’d have to deal with unresolved childhood fears. Until Doc began recounting the sightings, I didn’t realize how close to the surface they would rise.

I’d been at the magazine for less than a year, and trying to prove myself among the younger, more energetic reporters. So when Harv suggested I spend a night at the museum, I said yes. Doc was a good friend of Harv’s and had made the arrangements, so I couldn’t afford to mess things up with my unreasonable fears. I forced my thoughts back to the present as Doc continued.

“I decided to have a little fun and talk up the sightings. Word spread faster than a pat of butter on a hot biscuit. People flocked to the museum to meet the ghosts. PBS, TBS, CBS, TNN and ‘Haunted House’ on the History Channel featured the story. The tale literally took on a life of its own as everyone tried to see a ghost. But when no one showed, they all said I was trying to get publicity.”

“Or that he was crazy,” Penny, his wife, hissed, patting his hand. “We were practically ostracized from the community. For a while they stopped bringing in school children.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.deborah-malone.com

www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogpspot.com

www.sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com

www.cosymysterymagazine.blogspot.com

www.amazon.com

www.barnesandnoble.com

www.facebook.com/deborahmal

Thank you, Deborah, for sharing this book with us.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Murder in Marietta


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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 Feedblitz, Facebook, 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

DEATH IN DELONEGA - Deborah Malone - One Free Book

Welcome, Deborah. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

In my Trixie Montgomery series I wrote a lot of myself into Trixie’s character. Those who know me well said they could see me when they were reading Death in Dahlonega. Trixie’s best friend Dee Dee is a combination of two of my friends – with their blessings. Some of the things they did when they were in Dahlonega actually happened when we were there – not the murder thoughJ

                         

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Hummmm, I’ll have to think about this one. I’m not sure what constitutes as quirky – I’m sure I’ve done some but can’t think of a particular one. I do have a funny story that goes with my book. When I was doing research on Death in Dahlonega I went to Dahlonega, Georgia, to the Gold Museum where the murder takes place in the book. When I told the Ranger I wanted to do research for a murder that takes place in the museum she told me to wait a few minutes. She came back and had called her supervisor and said they did not want me to write about their security system. Ugh – I didn’t know about their security system. Anyway, I thought it was pretty funny.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve always loved to write, but first real break was when I entered a contest for Guidepost and the editor wrote me and said I had been a finalist. That gave me the encouragement to continue working. Several years later I submitted an article to Georgia Backroads a historical magazine and it was published. I’ve been writing for them for ten years now.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

This is a great question. I used to only read mysteries and mostly cozies. That is still my favorite genre, but when I started reviewing books for my blog I discovered that I love all genres of books. I am so happy that I have been able to experience other genres. I would ask that readers try to read something new every now and then. I think they will be happily surprised.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I’d have to know your definition of sane first. LOL

How do you choose your characters’ names?

One thing I consider is what region they are from. I have used phone books in the area to see what names are listed. I’ve used the internet to look up names. In the book I’m working on now one of the characters is from England so I went to a web site and looked up English names. I came up with Georgia Knight.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

In my writing it would be having my book published.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Oh, this is a hard one. If I was a dog or a cat I could live in the house and be fed. If I was a bird I could fly high in the sky.

What is your favorite food?

Let’s see – I like chicken, potatoes, and salads. That’s not one, but I couldn’t list just one.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Learning all of the rules in writing was probably number one. As writers we don’t write like we talk and that is very hard. The more I write the more I understand them. Another problem was finding the time to write while taking care of my disabled daughter, Niki. But I’ve discovered if you want to write bad enough you can write through all kinds of things.

Tell us about the featured book.

Death in Dahlonega

Trixie Montgomery has gone through a rough divorce. She has moved back to her home town of Vans Valley, Georgia, where she moved in next door to her mother and great-aunt Nana. Trixie goes to work to supplement her income. She writes for Georgia by the Way a historical magazine. Her best friend Dee Dee accompanies her on a trip to Dahlonega, Georgia, where Trixie is working on an article about Gold Rush Days – an arts and crafts festival. They are watching a film on the actual gold rush days when Dee Dee excuses herself to go tinkle. While she’s gone she decides to snoop around and she stumbles upon a dead body. Not thinking she automatically pulls out the pickaxe and is found holding the bloody murder weapon. The victim, John Tatum, happens to be a man that Dee Dee had a run in with earlier that day. She rises to the top of the suspects list and when the town sheriff doesn’t seem to be looking for anyone else, Trixie decides to help her best friend. Together they must find the real killer to keep Dee Dee out of the slammer! This is a short, easy read and I hope it will be something my readers can sit down and read for pure enjoyment after a hard, stressful day. I hope Trixie, Dee Dee, and Nana’s antics will give you a laugh-out-loud moment.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One

“Dahlonega, here we come!” I cheered, triumphant at the 10 miles to go sign. My knee ached from three hours in the car, my palms slick on the wheel from the harrowing twist of road.

“Here. Have some before I eat it all.” My passenger, and oldest friend, Dee Dee, shoved the bag of trail mix under my nose.

I dug through, finding only nuts, and pushed it back. “You ate all the chocolate pieces!”

She muffled an unapologetic sounding apology, then continued singing along as Alan shifted to Clint Black.

My Jeep Cherokee bumped over a rut in the road as a semi sped downhill a trifle too fast. My grip tightened on the vibrating steering wheel as we rounded another curve on the mountain road.

I one-hand-gripped the wheel, and cooled a sweaty palm on the air vent, thinking how this trip would propel my career from probationary to full-fledged reporter. This was my big chance to prove to my editor that I, Trixie Montgomery, could write an article with substance and flair, despite the rather routine subject matter. Who says you can’t start a career after forty?

After all, “Gold Rush Days” in the North Georgia Mountains was hardly Pulitzer Prize material. Even the best had to start somewhere. Besides, what girl in her right mind could turn down an opportunity to take a little vacation and get paid at the same time?

I reached over and squeezed her hand. “Thanks for coming, Dee Dee.” I couldn’t wait for a little antiquing, sightseeing, and plenty of good country cooking. What could possibly go wrong?

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.deborah-malone.com

www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com              

www.sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com

Thank you, Deborah, for spending this time with us.


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Death in Dahlonega - paperback
Death in Dahlonega - Kindle


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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 Feedblitz, Facebook, 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