BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Blessed are Those Who Mourn: Gabriella Giovanni Mysteries [4]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Kristi Belcamino to talk about Blessed are Those Who Mourn (29 September 2015, Witness Impulse) a Detective Mystery novel, book four of Gabriella Giovanni Mysteries.

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser: Chapter 1 | The Series | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

Hello Kristi, welcome to BooksChatter and thank you for joining us today.

Here at BooksChatter we love music, so Kristi has shared with us her music playlist for Blessed are Those Who Mourn - enjoy!

What was the inspiration for Blessed are Those Who Mourn?

"It was the natural conclusion to an ARC I had created over the four-book series. I had set up the storyline back in book two. But some of the locations and details were inspired by a research trip I took the San Francisco Bay Area last year."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Gabriella Giovanni and I are both newspaper crime reporters, so there is definitely some professional expertise I’ve drawn from my own life. In addition, we both are Italian-American, but other than that we are not alike."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Blessed are Those Who Mourn - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I wish I had some say about my covers. I have zero say. HarperCollins basically sends me the cover and says “We hope you love it like we do!” And for this latest book, BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, I could not have picked a better cover. I love it so much!"

Who would you recommend Blessed are Those Who Mourn to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"If you don’t read crime fiction, you might not like my books. They’ve been called “disturbing.”"

If you could / wished to turn Blessed are Those Who Mourn and the Gabriella Giovanni Mysteries series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Francis Ford Coppola would direct. Elizabeth Canalis would play Gabriella Giovanni. Colin Farrell would play Donovan. Not sure about the rest, but it would definitely be set in the San Francisco Bay Area."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I stick to crime fiction. In a nutshell, I like to write about bad things and bad people. I don’t know why. It’s some unexplainable part of me that also drew me to police reporting. It’s that fascination with the dark underbelly of the world."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?