Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Eileen Brady to talk about Unleashed (4 August 2015, Poisoned Pen Press, 249 pages) a Cozy Mystery, book two of Kate Turner DVM Mysteries.
Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops
Hello Eileen, welcome to BooksChatter!
What was the inspiration for Unleashed?
The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Unleashed - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.
I will definitely have to read your Kate Turner series! It sounds like a blast!
Can you tell us something quirky about Unleashed, its story and characters?
If you could / wished to turn Unleashed and the Kate Turner DVM Mysteries series into a movie, who would be your dream team?
Aww, hello Lily! Look at those gorgeous eyes! And of course I have to laugh as my vet also has a very bossy Pomeranian!
Thank you so much for joining us today, Eileen, and I really look forward to reading Unleashed.
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What was the inspiration for Unleashed?
"My latest book, UNLEASHED, A Kate Turner, D.V.M. Mystery was inspired by a true case of suicide that turned out to be a murder. Immediately I thought it would be interesting if one of Dr. Kate’s clients, a young artist named Claire died, but the murderer staged it to look like a suicide. What the killer didn’t know was Claire’s Cairn Terrier, Toto, had stayed overnight at the Oak Falls Animal Hospital and Kate had just arranged for Claire to pick him up. Knowing her friend wouldn’t abandon her pet Kate sets out to discover the truth."How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?
"Well, I am a veterinarian and so is my main character, Kate Turner. However, because I am a fiction writer I made her taller, thinner and more blond than I am. But seriously, her house-call clients are taken from my 20 plus years of experience as a working doctor with a big dash of imagination mixed in."
"Unless you are self-published, most authors are consulted only after a preliminary cover is designed by the graphic artist who works for your publisher. In my case, the Poisoned Pen Press came up with a cover I love for MUZZLED, which shows a dog paw-print smeared with blood! I’m forever grateful to Pete Zrioka for the look of my series."Why should we read Unleashed and what sets it apart from the rest?
"There are several things that set my books apart from the rest.That does make me smile - having a fair few cats myself I am a regular with our vet (... I should practically have shares in the business...) and I am quite familiar with many, many ailments... at one point our household resembled an animal hospital!
The fact that I am a veterinarian with an animal doctor main character means that I write from an experienced vantage point. If Dr. Kate gives her patient a diagnosis of hypo or hyper-thyroid disease, you will be getting real medical advice and treatment, in a fictional setting of course.
The second thing is mixing mystery with humor. I wanted my reader to laugh and enjoy some of her eccentric house call clients – like the house-bound lady who comes to the door with her Chihuahua in matching outfits! One of my readers gave me the highest compliment by saying it made her laugh out loud when she really needed it."
I will definitely have to read your Kate Turner series! It sounds like a blast!
Can you tell us something quirky about Unleashed, its story and characters?
"Well, we have a pot-bellied pig with a rash on his skin who lives indoors with his owner, a cat who gets her dog friend to open the door for her, and a tattooed biker who loves to bake. Those are just some of the people you meet in UNLEASHED. You also get to sit in on a bridge game that’s more gossip than cards as Kate tries to unmask a killer."Who would you recommend Unleashed to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?
"The Kate Turner, D.V.M. series is what is known as a “cozy” – which is suitable for all ages. The original model for this genre are the novels of Agatha Christie, where a body is discovered and the rest of the book is spent trying to figure out which suspect did it.
If you love animals and mysteries I’m sure you will love this series."
"What a great question. Without a doubt, Dr. Kate would be played by Meryl Streep. In fact, she is described in the book by various people as a young Meryl Streep – but taller, and not so dramatic.What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?
Her love interest, Luke Gianetti, might be Robert DeNiro (Godfather era) or Orlando Bloom and since I can choose anyone I want I pick Steven Spielberg as the director.
It would take place in a small town, like Woodstock, in the Hudson Valley of New York State and I’d be the scriptwriter!"
"My writing habits are pretty eclectic. I write poetry, short stories, children’s picture books, cozy mysteries and now I’m working on a thriller. Because I am also a reviewer for Mystery Scene Magazine I get to read plenty of books, from medieval mysteries to the latest Lee Child book. Some of the authors I am currently reading are James Rollins, Betty Webb and one of my favorites, the late Michael Crichton non-fiction book, Travels."What is your writing process?
"Normally I start with a vague idea, a snippet of a plot or something that has caught my fancy that I’d like to write about. Then I work on the beginning and sort of figure out the end. The rest of the book is a big mystery to me, and that is the fun and the terror of writing. One thing I always do when I begin a new day is read the previous day’s work, do some edits, and take off from there."What is in store next?
"UNLEASHED is the second book in the Kate Turner, D.V.M. mystery series. Currently I am busy writing the next book and trying to figure out who is the murderer. Sometimes my characters just refuse to co-operate. The tentative relationship between Kate and Luke is strained in the next book, although they do have to attend a non-human wedding! Like always there will be plenty of laughs and clues to keep you guessing right up to the end."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?
"My husband and I share our home with a timid rescue dog, Emma and a bossy Pomeranian PLUS 3 cats. Attached is a picture of me with our oldest, a Cornish Rex cat named Lily."
Aww, hello Lily! Look at those gorgeous eyes! And of course I have to laugh as my vet also has a very bossy Pomeranian!
Thank you so much for joining us today, Eileen, and I really look forward to reading Unleashed.
Unleashed - available NOW!
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It's always a pleasure getting to know more about the author behind the mysteries we read. Thanks so much for featuring Eileen Brady on your site today!
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