When I “met” this author it was another one of those a-ha moments. I had read one of her books a few years ago, A Dyeing Shame: Death at the Beauty Box
I have really enjoyed all three books in her Memphis BBQ Mysteries. My review of the latest will follow her guest post. I am so happy she is her today!
Welcome to Cozy Wednesday Riley!! um Elizabeth!!!
Thanks Lori!!
Hi Everyone!!! I hope you enjoy my post.
Why it’s Dangerous to Unleash Writers on An Unsuspecting Public
It’s interesting to me that writers get so many invitations to speak at book clubs, libraries, and other events.
Clearly, people don’t realize the dangers of unleashing writers on the general public. Oh sure, writers seem harmless. To folks who don’t know us very well.
8 Ways Writers Cause Trouble…
1. We spy on people. We really do. We listen in on your conversations and pay closer attention to you than you think. Maybe you’re turning into a bit character in our story. Maybe there’s some mannerism of yours that fits one of our characters to a T. Maybe you even look exactly like a character we made up! That happened to me once and I had to surreptitiously take a picture of the person who was twins with the one in my imagination.
2. Sometimes we don’t listen to you very well. We get that dreamy look on our faces when we get an idea for our story. Once a lady was talking to me about soccer team snacks and giving me a date to bring them. All I could think about was how she looked like Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and how I could use a Camilla in my story…I ended up having to scramble later, when I found out it was my weekend to bring the snacks.
3. We could potentially wipe out the unsuspecting public of its entire supply of coffee, chocolate, wine, and office supplies. If given the opportunity. And maybe, some money.
4. We have really strong imaginations. I called the police to a local park one time because there was a gun case there. It ended up being a pool cue case (still not sure what it was doing at the park, though.) The other mother in the park at the time looked at me in amazement.
5. Sometimes we talk to ourselves. Most people aren’t sure quite what to make of that. It’s easily explained, though—we’re just trying out a few lines of dialogue. Really.
6. Mystery writers, in particular, are always on the lookout for reasons why people might want to kill each other. Best not to tell us about your fiery argument with your ex, boss, or next-door-neighbor.
7. We’re noisy typists in the library. Try not to sit near us if you value your quiet reading time.
8. We’re frequently wallflowers at parties. You’ll spend most of your hosting time trying to get us to talk to other people.
…And 2 Ways We Don’t
On the upside…we always have bookmarks if you need them! And, hopefully, some good stories for you to escape with.
Got any interesting writer stories or writer sightings (either of writers behaving or—even better—of writers misbehaving)?
~Elizabeth
About This Author
Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin/Berkley (as Riley Adams), the Southern Quilting mysteries (2012) for Penguin/NAL, and the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink. She blogs daily at Mystery Writing is Murder, which was named by Writer’s Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers for 2010 and 2011. Hickory Smoked Homicide,
Thanks Elizabeth, I can’t wait for the Southern Quilting series!!!!
Hickory Smoked Homicide (A Memphis BBQ Mystery)
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
Published by The Penguin Group
3rd in the Series
Cover Illustration by Hugh Syme
Cover Design by Annette Fiore Defex
Welcome to Memphis Tennessee, home of Aunt Pat’s Barbeque Restaurant and the best BBQ around.
Lulu Taylor is the owner of this fine establishment, named in honor of her great-aunt. Lulu knows just about everyone in Memphis and if she doesn’t know someone, one of her friends does, which usually lands her smack dab in the middle of much more than a bit of BBQ sauce.
Beauty pageants are a pretty big thing right now for tots and teens. Memphis hosts more than a few and one pageant coach, Tristan Pembroke, thinks pretty highly of herself even though most people don’t think much of her at all. When the coach’s body is found dead in a closet at a party and the police start pointing fingers at Lulu and her family she knows she has to help the police again find the real killer. As she studies the whole picture the real culprits become clearer and clearer, she has to prove it before anyone else gets hurt.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
With a large dose of humor and some very colorful characters this whodunit is stick to your ribs awesome. I loved it!
The characters in this series are so bountiful and quirky you just have to love them. The police jumping to the wrong conclusion is standard in mysteries, and several suspects are quickly revealed but this author adds an unexpected twist that I never saw coming.
Fans of this series will love it. If you haven’t started this series there is no better time than the present.
Thanks to the great people at Penguin I have
2 copies of this wonderful book to giveaway!
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
BBQ and murder sounds very interesting! Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks so much for hosting me today, Lori! I’m excited to be here. And thanks so much for the kind words for the book. I really appreciate it!
Ha! I like this Elizabeth – especially the dreamy eyed look one gets when an idea hits mid-conversation. That’s exactly what happened to me with the notion for The Rock Walker! At a gallery opening. Luckily it was dreamy eyed artists I was talking to. I’m also more and more prone to chatting to myself as I make my way about town. I figure that with my white hair, folks might cut me some slack. Thanks for hosting Elizabeth, Dolly. She’s always a good read.
Enjoyed your description of a writer as spying on people.
Interesting post! If I am in the room with an author, I will always wonder who in the room could be a possible new book character! This sounds like a fun cozy and I love the BBQ aspect. I love unexpected twists in a book too!
I love this series and can’t wait to read this new book. Riley uh, Elizabeth,no Riley – oh – anyway – I loved reading your interview this morning. I would love to be a fly on the wall when you are writing. And as for getting confused about your weekend to bring snacks – that’s not just a writer thing – that’s an overworked Mom thing.
Thanks for giving me a good start to my morning.
Beverly aka Booklady
Dollycas – Thanks for hosting Elizabeth.
Elizabeth – This is absolutely hilarious! Yes, writers are indeed dangerous, especially if allowed in any office supply store or any public place where people congregate. And might I also add… Mystery writers are very dangerous if let loose around anything that’s potentially harmful. They handle sharp objects, poison and other weapons and ask a disturbing number of questions about them…. 😉
Always enjoy your recipes on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen.
Best wishes for success of Hickory Smoked Homicide and the entire series.
I love being able to read how authors come up with ideas. I have only met one author and I do remember she did seem to be looking everywhere and now I know why. I have read one of the BBQ books and loved it. The quilting series will go on my wish and tbr list, when out.
We always have bookmarks – great way to end that, Elizabeth!
Love the post, I now know how I can spot writers because I have never been lucky enough to spot them in the wild before. Though I did wonder why the coffee was wiped out at the grocery store one time, but that could have just been the sale not a writer/writers. I haven’t heard of these books before but I love this type of book and will have to check them out.
This sounds like a good one, thank you for doing the interview with Riley.
I love the cover of your book … very clever!
LOL! Ah yes, mystery writers are always looking for reasons people might want to kill each other. Too funny! Great interview, loved it.
Just today I walked past a large sized bundled with cords wrapped around it and the first thing that went through my head was: there’s a dead body inside.
This sounds like a great series! I always like a mystery with an unexpected twist.
We can be rather scary creatures can’t we? Especially out in public!
Mystery and a Barbeque Restaurant….I can go for that! it sounds fun.
This sounds like a fun series! Anything with barbecue must be good. 😉 I liked the descriptions of the “author traits”- cute interview!
Ah…talking to yourself…
I sing to myself. You can’t imagine how prone I am to earworms–
“I must become/a lion-hearted guy!/Ready for a fight!” 😀
Haven’t met very many authors so nothing strange yet. Except I forgot to turn off my cell phone at a small speaking event with authors a library. And of course right in the middle of an author my phone rang(really embarrassed). And anthor author behind me said “Does that mean her time is up?” LOL. You are a new author to me. I really enjoy books with some humor to them. Will have to add them to my reading.
Sue B
I love your list. It made me laugh and yet it’s so true. I’m not sure the good out weighs the bad.
I might add, writer’s have imaginations like no other. And if you go to the movies with a writer, they might just whisper in your ear sweet nothings… about plot and characters.
This is hilarious! And so embarrassingly true. Love the story of the pool cue case.
Love it humor and a mystery all in one. Love the cover of the book also. I know this is one book Im going to enjoy reading
Thank you for the chance to win. I look forward to following your blog. I am a new follower.
This books sounds yummy! I must admit, I haven’t read any of these books. It sure sounds like I’ve been missing out! Thanks for the giveaway!
We have had some great BBQ in Memphis! I’d love to read this book.
Thanks for the giveaway.
I’m craving barbecue food now! I like #5 that writers talk to themselves. It’s a neat thing 🙂
This was such a great interview. This book will go in my TBR pile which is getting bigger every day.
thank you to Riley for the visit!!!
i can’t wait to read HickorySmokedHomicide!!!
good luck & congrats to Riley!!1
thank you for the giveaway!!!
This sounds like a great book! Thanks for the giveaway!
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
I really enjoyed Riley’s comments and wish her continued success, this series sounds great! I’m sure spying isn’t much different than just being really observant…don’t want you to get into trouble anywhere! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
I feel more normal after reading your list! I’m always worried there is something weird about me and maybe I need some therapy. I’m so glad to know now that my behavior is just ordinary for a writer. Thank you, Riley. I’m going to make my husband read this. He thinks I’m abnormal. Hey, he’s a nuclear physicist with Aspergers–talk about weird!
Chihuahua–I tend to get songs stuck in my head, too! But I won’t sing them. My singing is just too, too awful.
katsrus–I’ll have to remember that about the cell phone ringing! Might make a good timer at conferences. 🙂
Teresa–I tried hard to think up good things about writers, but kept drawing a blank! Ha!
Anne–Isn’t that bad? And the police were so excited about the call because they’d had a dull day! Too bad I let them down. 🙂
Thanks again everyone! I’m so glad you came by!
Holden–Thanks so much! Yes, we’re just being especially observant. 🙂 I’ve perfected the art of looking elsewhere while listening in to conversations. Ha!
Karen–We’re so much more normal than everyone else!
Love this series- it keeps getting better and better!
Wow! Maybe I should be a writer, I fit in with quite a few of the ways that writers cause trouble. I love the list! Also have so many bookmarks!
CarolNWong@aol.com
Wonderfully fun guest post! Thanks. I like the cute book titles too. Now to get one of your books to read. *grin*
Enjoyed your post. Have not read any of your books but love mystery and being from GA. I love BBQ. yum. Sounds like a great combo for great books. Thanks for stopping by to chat and share with us.
Sounds like a fun read. Thanks.