Special Guest Kris Bock – Author of Something Deadly on Desert Drive (The Accidental Detective) #AuthorInterview / #Giveaway – Great Escapes Book Tour

Something Deadly on Desert Drive (The Accidental Detective)
by Kris Bock

It is my pleasure to welcome Kris Bock to Escape With Dollycas today

Hi Kris,

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I live with my husband and our two ferrets in a small town in New Mexico. I’ve been here for twenty years, three times longer than I’ve lived anywhere else.

I originally wrote for children, using the name Chris Eboch. I have eight middle-grade novels (for ages 9 to 12) published under that name, plus over 100 books as a ghostwriter or in educational publishing.

Around 2008, I started writing adult romantic suspense under the name Kris Bock. Six of those books are out, such as  Desert Gold, which follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. More recently, I wrote six books in a sweet romance series starring the workers and customers at a cat café (and the cats, of course!).

My Accidental Detective series launched this year, with two books out so far. The main character has spent thirty years traveling the world as a war correspondent. Now a recent injury has sent her back to Arizona and her childhood home to recover. She finds dealing with her family and the challenges of turning fifty almost more difficult than the mysteries she solves.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

The amount of research varies dramatically depending on the book. I wrote my first novel pre-Internet. Since it was a middle-grade historical adventure set in Mayan times, I spent hours at the library and museums. I’d also spent two months traveling through Latin America. (That’s The Well of Sacrifice, written as Chris Eboch.)

Now if I have a question, I can often look it up in a few minutes. I haven’t been writing historical fiction, which makes things easier too. A mystery might require more research than a romance, because the plot is more complicated.

Real life experiences also give me ideas. I’ve drawn on experiences interviewing a falconer, visiting archaeological sites, hiking in the mountains, and most recently going up in a friend’s two-seater plane. I blogged about my Southwest travel and inspiration here.

Do you ever suffer from Writer’s Block?

Not really. If I’m struggling to write, it’s typically either exhaustion or I don’t know what happens next. In both cases, I either take a break or maybe go for a walk to think about what needs to happen next. I do a lot of dictation during walks, because the rhythm distracts my body so my mind can work.

I also find deadlines and needing to pay bills to be very good for getting past writer’s block.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

Start writing! Don’t rush to publication. Take time to learn the craft. I’ve written two books of writing advice, Advanced Plotting and You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers. You can find many more books, articles, and classes. Critique partners can help you stay on track. But nothing will help unless you actually sit down and write.

When you are not writing what do you like to do?

I enjoy walking, hiking, archery – and of course reading.

Did the COVID pandemic affect you and your writing?

It didn’t really affect my writing. I’ve been working from home for years, so things mostly continued as they had been. We don’t have kids, fortunately, as I can’t imagine having to supervise their schooling while working. My husband only worked from home for about a month. Then he was the only one in his office.

Living in a small town means we can take a walk and hardly pass other people. We don’t do a whole lot of inside activities except in our own house.

However, it was hard to not see friends and family as much. Online chats helped, and in some cases let me connect with new people or long-distance friends I wouldn’t have seen anyway. I think we are all getting a little tired of Zoom though.

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

If I had a year off and unlimited money, I’d travel around the world! More realistically, I’m very much looking forward to a trip to New York City in the fall, for a retreat with writing friends. I’d also like to get to Seattle every couple of years, as I have several good friends there.

What is next on the horizon for you?

Two more Accidental Detective mystery novels are written and scheduled: Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek and Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain. I have a billionaire cowboy series launching in the fall with The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas. I’m writing a series with my brother, scriptwriter Douglas J. Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. This comedy series features “Felony Melanie,” Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Two books are out and one is written. (Find the first two books at Amazon US or other e-book retailers. You can check out the series with a free sample if you sign up for our Rom-Com newsletter.)

I’m keeping busy!

Thank you Kris so much for visiting today! 

Keep reading to find out about Kris’s new book!

About Something Deadly on Desert Drive

Something Deadly on Desert Drive (The Accidental Detective)
Cozy Mystery – Humorous Amateur Detective Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Arizona
Tule Publishing (June 21, 2022)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 209 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09QRYQDBY

Starting over at fifty might be hard, but it shouldn’t be deadly…

Still recovering from an injury that might have permanently derailed her career as an international war correspondent, Kate Tessler is living in her childhood bedroom and pondering her second act when another case lands in her lap. Kate’s father and his coffee group are worried. Their friend Larry married a younger woman who now insists he has dementia and won’t let any of his friends visit. They’re convinced that Larry’s wife and her two adult, dead-beat kids are out to steal his money. Can Kate help?

Soon Kate and her unusual gang of sidekicks are unofficially, officially investigating. But before they can dig out the truth, a murder raises the stakes. Now they need to prove Larry is both mentally competent and not a killer. They’ll have to find the real murderer—without risking their own lives in the process.

More About Kris Bock

Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for her newsletter. You’ll also get a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels

Kris is also writing a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for our romantic comedy newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. Or find the books on Amazon US or All E-book retailers

Find Kris:

Website   Blog   GoodReads Author Page    BookBub   Amazon US Author page or Amazon UK page.   Twitter   Instagram   TikTok   Facebook   Pinterest

Find the book:

Tule   Amazon Kindle   Amazon Kindle UK   Barnes & Noble Nook   Apple Books    Kobo    Google Play

Coming October 3, 2022

Also by Kris Bock

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 1 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 2 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
August 3 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – RECIPE
August 4 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST
August 4 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
August 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
August 6 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
August 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
August 8 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
August 8 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 9 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST
August 9 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
August 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – RECIPE
August 11 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
August 11 – Novels Alive – SPOTLIGHT
August 12 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
August 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 13 – Books Blog – SPOTLIGHT
August 14 – Rebecca M. Douglass, Author – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent