Hello and welcome! First and foremost, congratulations on the release of your Tule debut, Panic in the Panhandle! I know that I’m excited about your release day, so let’s jump right in, shall we?
1. Tell us about a moment when you were scared while writing your most recent mystery/thriller?
When I started writing it! Seriously, I always start a new story wondering whether I can pull it off. Can I write an engaging mystery? Will it be good enough? Will my editor hate it? Will I even be able to finish the darn thing. Those are always scary thoughts. I’ve learned I have to shove them aside and power through the doubt.
2. What secret have you kept hidden – until now?
When I was a senior in high school, a rival school spray painted graffiti on our baseball diamond. I was part of a group that returned the favor one foggy Saturday night. We dug up home plate and tossed it over the center field fence. We planted a mail box at first base. We took the tarp that was covering the pitcher’s mound, spray painted “The Rat Patrol” on it, ran it up a nearby flagpole, then made our getaway. We played that school later in the season at our place. Some friends held up a banner at the beginning of that game that said we led 1-0 because we stole home. As far as I know, the identities of The Rat Patrol are secret to his day.
3. Talk about a research result that horrified you and why you were researching it.
You know, I’ve been fortunate that most of the time, I’m able to conduct my research with a research perspective. I tend to look at things as a way to learn about unusual topics and how they may affect the human body. Though, to be fair, it was kind of disturbing when I was researching how one could commit murder by using an alligator. I used the research for Panic in the Panhandle. I won’t forget it any time soon.
4. What is the funniest feedback you’ve received on your book?
I don’t know that I’ve ever received feedback that was particularly funny. That’s okay, though. Most of the comments have been very kind. I’ll that that kind of feedback any day!
5. When did you know you wanted to write mysteries/thrillers? What led you to that genre?
I was writing in another genre when I shot my mouth off in my literary agency’s group chat. I responded to a photo another author posted by saying it looked like a good setting for a murder mystery. My agent replied by challenging me to write the story, which turned into A Literal Mess, which was published in 2019. I’ve had a ball writing mysteries ever since.
J.C. Kenney is the bestselling author of The Allie Cobb Mysteries, The Darcy Gaughan Mysteries, and The Elmo Simpson Mysteries. He’s also the co-host of The Bookish Hour webcast. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He has two grown children and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and a cat.
Fall and Halloween go hand in hand, but at Tule Mystery, we believe this duo works better as a trio. That’s why we add readers to the mix, too!
So bring out your pumpkins, your colored leaves, your ghosts, your costumes, your hot cider and s’mores to celebrate September and October with these crisp mysteries:
You are cordially invited to the Halloween Tuxes and Tails fundraiser, complete with a one-eyed pirate, a flirty waitress, a real live scarecrow—and a murder at the dance. But Sunny Shaw and her cat, Jasper, will untangle the lies from the truth alongside of you, so bring your heels to this Mind Chocolate Chip Mystery installment.
College classes have started, making it the perfect time for Angel Warren to build up local tourism for her curiosities gift shop in Stonebridge, Pennsylvania. But a walk in the woods uncovers a body and a murder that leaves the town buzzing. A cozy Shop ‘Round the World mystery that will leaf you guessing.
Ah, something to cheer about: a fall carnival to raise funds for the local high school drama club. What’s not so fun for Rainbow Falls newcomer Annie Abbott: stumbling across the body of an unpleasant teacher. She really needs these clues to add up because the police have pinned her as the suspect!
The past becomes a haunting place for Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow when the notorious rivalry between York’s iconic ghost walk tour guides spirals out of control this Halloween. Shadow finds the body of one guide hanging from a tree, a la highwayman Dick
Turpin, and the assistant is killed by an explosion of gunpowder just like Guy Fawkes. Are the murders a business feud or the work of a madman?
It’s chilling déjà vu for Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit when her department is called in on a copycat murder from 25 years ago, when the victim was Benoit’s best friend. It’s time to finally nail the crooked ex-sheriff up to his elbows in these young women’s blood—but only if Benoit can keep her emotions under control after her sister, too, goes missing …
We asked our cozy authors what made them tuck tail and run, and their answers might surprise you. From heights, to bugs, to footsteps in the dark, let’s find out which author you just might share a fear with. Happy Summerween!
Jody Holford
“I don’t like having people follow me up the stairs, I don’t like people in my space in public places, I dislike walking into a dark room especially if the door has been closed.”
Jody Holford is the author of the Wannabe Sleuth series. You can find her books here.
Geri Krotow
“When I get injured or am bleeding. I can handle yours, no problem. Mine, not so much.”
Geri Krotow is the author of the Shop Round’ The World series. You can find her books here.
J.C. Kenney
“I’m not a fan of heights. Six-legged bugs creep me out, too. The weird thing is that spiders don’t bother me. I don’t know what to make of that off factoid, other than maybe I watched too many horror flicks with cockroaches in them when I was younger.”
J.C. Kenney is the author of the Elmo Simpson Mysteries series.You can find his books here. His first book, Panic in the Panhandle is releasing next month! Don’t miss out! Pre-order it today!
Kaz Delaney
“Footsteps echoing on the pavement behind me if I’m walking down a dark street (obviously at night) alone. That’ll do it. But then again, I think as mystery/crime writers, any situation can appear dangerous because our heads are always on the job. My occasionally eccentric husband once decided to bring me a cup of tea in bed, and brough two for himself. Crazy I know. His argument was that he knew he’d want a second, so made it in advance. (Don’t ask – the male brain is tricky to decipher). Anyway, I was convinced (very big tongue in cheek here) MY tea was poisoned because then he’d still have two cups beside the bed. He could get rid of mine containing the vestiges of poison and the police would find two perfectly innocent cups. No dregs of poison. He still tells people, thirty years later. Actually, I’m wondering who comes out worse in this story? The crazy husband or the paranoid mystery writer? (Caveat – obviously I didn’t really believe I was being poisoned but it was fun watching him splutter his innocence and yes, with more than a touch of the frustration that I have caused in his life. Good thing he loves me.)”
Kaz Delaney is the author of the Hart of Texas Murder Mysteries series. You can find her books here.
Candace Havens
“Parking garages late at night freak me out. I am not a fan. I’ve seen far too many television shows and movies. Nothing good ever happens late at night in a parking garage.”
Candace Havens is the author of the Ainsley McGregor series. You can find her books here. Her first book in the series, A Case for the Winemaker, is coming to screen October 5th and you won’t want to miss it! Read the first book now to get ready for it!
So, dear readers, what is the one thing that gives you the creeps?
*Feel free to email your responses to jaidencolling@tulepublishing.com to be featured in one of our articles!
As I was plotting MAID OF DISHONOR, Maddie Bell’s mother/Jenna Bell’s grandmother, Gloria “Gigi” Phillips burst onto the scene and jumped into the plot of MAID OF DISHONOR. During the first three books, Gigi lived in California and didn’t appear on the page, but after the death of her fourth husband, she decided to move back to Hemlock, NC, to be closer to Maddie and Jenna. Suddenly she wanted to be part of the Wedding Bell Mysteries.
Gigi came mostly fully formed (she’s a Betty White lookalike and an eternal optimist), but I still had to ask some “what if” questions.
The first question was where has she been all this time? I thought what if she was married to a man who lived in California? That’s a good distance away and could explain her absence. Then I wondered, what if Gigi had been married more than once? What if she’d outlived four husbands?
For the record, all of Gigi’s husbands died of natural causes. There’s nothing sinister afoot where she’s concerned, but I digress. Despite being widowed four times, Gigi is still in love with the idea of love. What if now that she was back in Hemlock, this hopeless romantic, joined her daughter and granddaughter in the wedding business? But what could she do? She didn’t seem the type who would be content tending Maddie’s bridal show. Since Maddie owns the bridal boutique and Jenna plans the weddings… the only thing missing in their bridal trifecta is a fabulous venue with a storied history.
What if Gigi purchased and renovated a storied mansion after she sold her Malibu beachfront home, and moved east to Western North Carolina?
Enter Gracewood Hall.
Of course, Gracewood Hall needed an enticing history. So, I imagined its origin…
Those who know me well know I’m enamored with Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, NC. We live a short drive from it. So, I make a point to tour it several times a year. Its history and the stories surrounding the estate always leave me wistful and wondering what it was like to be a guest in that magnificent home during such a glamorous age. What if the venue in Hemlock was like the Biltmore? Well… as much as I love the Biltmore, it was just too big… But what if it was the inspiration for Gracewood Hall?
During the Gilded Age, George Vanderbilt visited Asheville, NC, frequently and fell in love with western North Carolina’s beautiful landscape and temperate weather. The story goes that in 1889 he endeavored to build his own “summer house” in Asheville. After six years of construction, George finally welcomed family and friends to his new place on Christmas Eve of 1895.
What if the man who built Gracewood Hall – Let’s call him Mr. Wood — was one of George Vanderbilt’s first guests at the Biltmore Estate that Christmas Eve? What if Mr. Wood was so impressed with Biltmore House that he was inspired to build his own grand mountain retreat on a piece of property thirty miles south of Asheville in Hemlock, NC?
Of course, Mr. Woods’s pockets weren’t as deep as his friend George, but Mr. Wood was willing to settle for something a bit more modest – say, a third of the size of the opulent 135,280 sq ft Biltmore.
Of course, that meant Gracewood Hall was still a staggering forty-five thousand square feet. What if poor Mr. Wood died as he was moving into his dream house and he never got to enjoy it? Poor Mr. Wood.
That was a good start, but it needed more history…
What if we fast-forwarded a few decades… Enter 1940s-era movie star Carter Stanton (think Cary Grant). What if leading man Carter was staring in a film that was being made at the Biltmore Estate when he met Linda Conti, a pretty waitress at a diner in downtown Asheville. It was love at first sight. After a whirlwind romance, the two married in June of 1944.
What if the public loved Carter and Linda together. Linda was the perfect every woman. If a man like Carter could fall in love with a girl-next-door like Linda, it gave every woman hope that a handsome man like Carter would fall in love with them. The public was obsessed. Carter and Linda became American royalty.
What if the couple spent their honeymoon at Gracewood Hall. Linda fell in love with the place, and Carter bought it for her. They planned to live there and raise their family.
What if their fairy tale was short-lived?
What if after their honeymoon, Carter joined the war effort and died later that year. After his death, Linda moved out of Gracewood Hall but couldn’t bring herself to part with the place that was meant to be her fortress. So, it sat vacant until her death (a few months before MAID OF DISHONOR starts) and the Linda Conti-Stanton estate put the place on the market. Our Gigi knew someone who knew someone, and she managed to purchase Gracewood Hall before it even hit the market, renovated it, and opened it as an events venue.
With this history, it stands to reason that Gracewood Hall’s tragic past would foster rumors that the place was cursed. So, when the maid of honor at the mansion’s inaugural event is murdered before the ceremony, the tragedy resurrects the curse of Gracewood Hall. Of course, the rumors of a curse don’t bother Gigi because she believes love can conquer all.
That’s the basic rundown of how I came up with Gigi and Gracewood Hall, both newcomers to the Wedding Bell Mysteries. I hope you’ll read MAID OF DISHONOR and enjoy it as much as I loved writing it. While it’s book four in the Wedding Bell Mystery cozy mystery series, it does stand on its own. So don’t worry if you haven’t read the first three books in the Wedding Bell Mysteries series. Reviewer Kair says, “Although this is the fourth book in the series, the author does a great job filling in the characters’ backstories so you can read this book as a standalone and not be confused about all the characters.”
If you’re starting with MAID OF DISHONOR, after you finish it, I hope you’ll go back and read the first three books in the series.
If you’ve already read books one – three, welcome back to Hemlock!
Advanced praise for MAID OF DISHONOR:
“Once again, Ms. Thompson drew me into Maddie and Jenna’s world that now includes Maddie’s mom, Gigi, who is delightful! No one draws characters quite as deftly as Ms. Thompson…” ~ Nan Reinhardt – Goodreads
“The storyline has many twists and turns… I highly recommend you read this book.” ~ Kair – Goodreads
“I got caught up in the fuss and enjoyed it immensely.” ~ Beverly – Goodreads
“Super book!” ~ G. Terenzio – Goodreads
“…keeps you guessing right up until the end.” ~Renee – Goodreads
About The Author
Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author Nancy Robards Thompson has worked as a newspaper reporter, television show stand-in, production and casting assistant for movies, and in fashion and public relations. She started writing fiction seriously in 1997. Five years and four completed manuscripts later, she won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award for unpublished writers and sold her first book the following year. Since then, Nancy has sold more than 50 books and found her calling doing what she loves most – writing mysteries, romance, and women’s fiction full-time.
Tis the season for No. 2 pencils, notebooks, crayons, and glue sticks, hopefully all at great prices as you raid the big box stores for deals. But why do students get all the fun? Those of us who have long left school buses in our dust still deserve a back-to-the-routine treat. So throw these titles into your cart (they cost less a pack of topper erasers, so your budget won’t notice) and study up on these whodunnits:
#1. Have You Seen Sarah Baker?, TA Cruz
High school English teacher Sarah Baker is at the center of a large manhunt after her husband reports her as missing. But is she in trouble or did she run from the events stacking up in her classroom? The twists in this psych thriller will leave everyone guessing. An A rating with Amazon reviewers:
“I have never wanted to hunt down an author before I read this! TA Cruz, how could you? We’ve been warned, but still unprepared for the roller coaster ride!”
“It has been a while since I last enjoyed a mystery thriller book, and this one will make it to my top favorites of 2024. The book has so many unexpected twists and turns that it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Every chapter keeps you guessing, and just when you think you’ve figured out who did it, TA Cruz throws in another clue that makes you doubt everything you know.”
#2. A Corgi Conundrum, M. Alfano
Leslie Winters is back in the fourth book in this Pecan, Texas Pet Groomer cozy series, with a loyal corgi who helps her sniff out the villain that murdered the middle-school secretary and left her body in the ag barn. Leslie moonlights as a substitute agriculture teacher herself, so she’s not just in the wrong place at the right time. This time, her involvement is personal.
Releasing October 23, 2024—preorder your copy now!
#3. Tangle of Lies, CJ Carmichael
Once a teacher, always a teacher. Bobbie Galloway may have retired as the high school science teacher, but when one of her former students is murdered and another is the prime suspect, she’s not one to take a recess. She’s suspicious of everyone and she won’t stop until she gets justice. An A rating with Amazon reviewers:
“A strong, diverse cast drew me into this interesting and unique setting of a Canadian border town. I appreciated the realistic mix of characters—strong & weak, resilient & flawed, clever & dangerous. Add a lovely plot twist or three and you have a rock solid whodunnit.”
#4. Homecoming and Homicide, Jody Holford
How do you make friends in a new community? Volunteer to help with the local high school drama club’s fundraising event! It’s all fun and games until a crusty teacher turns up dead after the carnival event—and newcomer Annie Abbott and her boyfriend look guilty. Now her homework is to clear her name. An A rating with Amazon reviewers:
“This series is a new favorite … Holford did a fantastic job of tying everything up in a nice bow at the end. I was blown away by the murderer. I’m still shocked I missed the clues.”
