I recently had the chance to sit down with author Duffy Brown and talk to her about her latest book Tandem Demise. So I think you will enjoy it as much as I did!
How did you come to write cozy mysteries?
I used to write romance. I wrote for Harlequin and Kensington until my editor said my stories were more mystery than romance and I realized I liked writing the mystery part much more than the romance. I love Janet Evanovich! I love the humor and the setting and decided I wanted to make readers laugh too. I work at a consignment shop and they say write what you know so I started the Consignment Shop mysteries. Then I took a trip to Mackinac Island and knew I wanted to set a series there. Cycle Path...take off on psychopath...was born.
Who Inspires your books?
Everyone and everything. So often I’m talking to someone and they say something funny or tell me what happened to that that is hugely entertaining and I always say…that’s going in a book! Inspiration is everywhere. I want to have fun things happen and still have a murder mystery. I do that by killing off the bad guy or gal, the one who has it coming. This also gives me a ton of suspects as everyone is doing the happy dance this person is toast. The settings are so inspiring. Anyone who visits Savannah or Mackinac Island has surely wanted to set a story there. Savannah is so, so, so haunted and Mackinac Island with no cars and big horses and bikes is made for a terrific mystery.
Do you have a favorite character or book?
Auntie KiKi from my Consignment Shop series is the auntie we all should have in our lives. She jumps firsts then thinks about where she’ll land. To KiKi, family is everything. She’s a southern belle with lots of spunk. She says all the things I wish I’d said in tough spots. She’s married to a heart surgeon that everyone calls Doc Putter because he carries a putter everywhere. Two of the most fun characters ever, they write themselves.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Writers are always writing. LOL Also, I have 4 grandkids and work at the Snooty Fox consignment shop. There are never enough hours in a day. I do love watching Midsomer Murders and Father Brown. Anything Sherlock and I’m IN! My license plate is Shrlok 1 and Shrlok 2.
What made you decide on the cycle mysteries? Was it the location or the whole riding bikes around?
Everything about Mackinac is so much fun. That there are no cars and rotten cell phone service adds a lot on intrigue all by itself. Also that the only way to and from the island is ferry service is terrific. Once the last ferry leaves you are stuck on the island. And in the dead of winter there is no ferry service. Gotta love that for a good mystery. There are only 500 fulltime residents on the island and the rest tourists makes for a very close group of friends.
If you were stuck on a deserted island what are three things you would have with you out of anything?
Well, I’d like to have my husband. He’s one of those guys that if they had a toothpick and a knife they’d build you a bridge. My husband could get us off the island for sure. LOL But if it’s just me I’d want books. You can find out how to do anything in books. That way I could survive and be entertained. And what good is live without diet Coke and of course I want paper and pencil to write. I cannot imagine life without writing.
Do you have any new books out or coming out you'd like to share with my readers?
Tandem Demise, book 3 in the Cycle Path mysteries just came out. I’m starting on book 6, Wedding Day and Foul Play, of the Consignment Shop mysteries. Thanks so much for asking.
Author Biography:
Duffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She is a National Bestselling author and now conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own. She has two series the Consignment Shop Mysteries set in Savannah along with rescue pup Bruce Willis and the Cycle Path Mysteries set on Mackinac Island with judgmental cats Cleveland and Bambino.
0 shout outs:
Post a Comment