BooksChatter: ℚ Bones To Pick: Brie Hooker Mysteries [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Linda Lovely to talk about Bones To Pick (24 October 2017, Henery Press, 276 pages), a Humorous Cozy Mystery, book one in the Brie Hooker Mysteries series.

“How vegan Brie Hooker balances cheese loving carnivores, more than one romantic interest, and murder in Linda Lovely’s Bones to Pick is a humorous delight. A well-crafted series debut.” — Debra H. Goldstein, IPPY Award-Winning Author of Maze in Blue

“Linda Lovely’s newest mystery series is packed with suspense and action and some spicy romance. Its excitement wasn’t the only thing that kept me flipping pages. The characters are funny and sweet and I look forward to getting to know them better in future books. I ate up every morsel.” — Dorothy St. James, Author of the Southern Chocolate Shop Mysteries

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Linda Lovely; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for Bones To Pick?

"My family doctor was encouraging me to stick to a vegan diet when I visited a local goat dairy. I’d been considering a humorous mystery series and the idea of a vegan and a carnivore relative co-habiting on a goat dairy farm made me chuckle. Voila! I had two of my main characters, Brie Hooker, an aspiring vegan chef, and Aunt Eva, a cantankerous producer of goat cheese and lover of rare steak."

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

"I did try to (mostly) follow a vegan diet for a couple of years, but I was too much of a cheese addict for it to last. I’m more Aunt Eva than Brie, and not just in eating habits. We’re both older and have earned the right to be stubborn and cantankerous on occasion.

I’ve always made my living as a writer so I don’t share a profession with any of my characters."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Bones To Pick - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I loved the cover the minute I saw it. I’m so happy Henery Press assigned my cover to illustrator Stephanie Savage.

The mystery begins to unfold in chapter one when Tammy the Pig unearths a human skull on the Aunt Brie’s goat farm. I loved the way the cover portrayed the pot-bellied pig’s sweet innocence in her grim role."

Why should we read Bones To Pick and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"This is my first venture into a humorous cozy mystery series. While the mysteries and romantic suspense/thrillers I’ve previously published all had some humor, this series let me be more light-hearted.

We all need humor these days! Yet I’ve tried to retain the tension of the thriller. I certainly haven’t shied away from putting Brie in life-and-death situations. I’d call it a cozy—no profanity or graphic depictions of sex and gore—but with romantic tension and hold-your-breath thrills."

Can you tell us something quirky about Bones To Pick, its story and characters?

"When I decided to set the series on a goat farm, I knew I’d be naming lots of animals. So I drew up a list and let relatives pick the animals they wanted to be their namesakes.

My sister Rita picked a mule; niece Tammy chose a pot-bellied pig. Nephew Mark picked a coyote. And on it goes.

I plead the fifth as to whether the animals also got some of my relatives’ personalities."

Who would you recommend Bones To Pick to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I think BONES TO PICK will appeal to readers who are tired of excessive gore and bored by lengthy descriptions of sexual encounters but still want a true mystery and a side of romance.

This series should please readers who prefer a strong, intelligent heroine, who must use her brains to extricate herself from danger as she unmasks and thwarts the villains she encounters. But readers will also find the heroine is very human. Brie can’t quite figure out how to handle her attraction to two appealing men."

If you could / wished to turn Bones To Pick and the Brie Hooker Mysteries series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Brie would be Kate Winslet.
Aunt Eva would be Shirley MacLaine.

One of Brie’s love interests would be Jude Law."

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

"I am having lots of fun with this series. But I also plan to write at least one more book in both my Smart Women, Dumb Luck romantic thriller series and my traditional Marley Clark Mystery series.

My go-to reading is mystery/suspense/thriller, but I belong to a book club that nudges me into reading both nonfiction and literary fiction. This month’s book club selection was the nonfiction April 1865: The Month That Saved America by Jay Winik."

What is your writing process?

"I’m a pantster. When I start a book, I know who my main characters will be and I know what themes will run through the book. But I have only a vague notion of how it will all play out. And sometimes the villain may actually change.

Writing to an outline would take all the fun out of it for me."

What is in store next?

"I just turned in the second Brie Hooker Mystery to my editor. Readers will meet a number of new characters including Aunt Eva’s friend Carol, who is running for governor of South Carolina, and Carol’s son, Zack, a pro football quarterback, who comes home to attend a fundraising event for his mother.

New themes? Political divides…football and gambling…revenge."

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?

"I’m a five-year member of the Writers’ Police Academy (WPA) “family.” I handle registration and other organizational details for this one-of-a-kind annual event, which is held at a real police academy. The goal is to help writers get their crime fiction “right.”

It’s also major fun. It’s given me a chance to storm a building with a SWAT team, fire an AR-15, handcuff a subject, feel my blood-pressure climb when deciding if I should shoot an armed suspect when there are civilians nearby and interact with dozens of law enforcement and legal system professionals."