The Fog Ladies: Date with Death
(A San Francisco Cozy Murder)
by Susan McCormick
I am delighted to welcome Susan McCormick to Escape With Dollycas Today!
Hi Susan,
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a writer and a doctor, recently retired. When I was doctoring, I could only write on the weekends I wasn’t working, at 4:30 in the morning when the Seattle morning sun shined in and woke me up. I wrote three books that way, from 4:30am to 9am when my family was sleeping and before the weekend action began. Now that I can write all day, I still prefer that quiet early morning time.
What are three things most people don’t know about you?
I was in the Army for nine years, stationed in San Francisco, Washington DC, and the Mojave desert.
I love giant dogs and have loved St. Bernards, and English Mastiff, and Newfoundlands. Big heads, big slobber.
My best ideas come when running, which is very hard now that I have bad knees and have to walk. Walking is not the same as running.
What books/authors have most inspired you?
I love Alexander McCall Smith’s No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
The parts of the book that require know-how are all medical, so, being a doctor, I don’t really have to research, just brush up a tad. So, no true research at all.
Do you ever suffer from Writer’s Block?
I don’t. It’s almost the opposite, too many ideas, too many directions. Perhaps because my early writing was limited to the early morning hours on the weekends only, and I had to make such good use of that tiny time, I am accustomed to sitting and writing, and if something is not flowing, starting a different scene and coming back to the troubled spot later.
What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Keep trying. I heard for many years from agents and editors that they loved cozies, but there was not market at that time, that people wanted noir and vampires and unreliable narrators. Then, suddenly, cozies were back, and I had two small presses vying for my story. However, and this is key, over that time of rejection I also honed that story immensely, working with a developmental editor and taking suggestions from the agents willing to share. I also kept writing, so that when the first book was published, Book 2 was ready as well.
When you are not writing what do you like to do?
Most writers are readers and so am I. My favorite pastime is reading curled on the couch or lounging on the deck. I’m also a runner turned walker due to bad knees, and I love to walk along the lake near our house. My husband and I enjoy travel, and we are doing more and more now that we are empty nesters and retired.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go and why?
Far too many choices. My husband and I are ticking off places now, trying to spend good amounts of time to immerse ourselves, and each place is wonderful and fabulous and we would return to all.
What is next on the horizon for you?
Writing, writing, writing. Fog Ladies Book 5 is in my head. I have written a suspense story set in a hospital with an estranged mother/son team. Another suspense is plotted out. So many ideas, far too little time. Even though I have so much more time now than I ever had before.
Thank you, Susan, for visiting today!
Keep reading to find out about Susan’s new book.
About The Fog Ladies: Date with Death
The Fog Ladies: Date with Death (A San Francisco Cozy Murder)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – California
Wild Rose Press (October 2, 2023)
Paperback : 338 pages
ISBN-10 : 1509249818
ISBN-13 : 978-1509249817
Digital ASIN : B0CCWC8B95
The Fog Ladies are at it again, spunky senior sleuths and an overstressed young medical resident solving murders from their elegant apartment building in San Francisco. They join a senior dating group, and romantic intrigue soon turns to murder. Graham Parselle, lady killer extraordinaire, plunges off a cliff on a Senior Singles outing. Did one of his dates pitch him over? Or is Olivia Honeycut’s new beau to blame?
Great Escapes Praise
I highly recommend The Fog Ladies: Date with Death because it is truly entertaining! The setting, characters, and murders make this a must-read cozy mystery book!
~Christy’s Cozy CornersI love the way that Ms. McCormick writes. She truly puts me in the story. I can feel the dampness of the fog. My favorite scene involved Boris, Alma, and a cable car. It is fantastic! My rating for The Fog Ladies Date with Death by Susan McCormick is five stars. I recommend this series to all you cozy readers out there.
~Baroness’ Book Trove
More About Susan McCormick
Susan McCormick is an award-winning writer and doctor who lives in Seattle. She graduated from Smith College and George Washington University School of Medicine, with additional medical training in Washington, DC and San Francisco, where she lived in an elegant apartment building much like the one in the Fog Ladies books. Susan served as a doctor in the US Army for nine years before moving to the Pacific Northwest and civilian practice. In addition to the Fog Ladies series, she also wrote Granny Can’t Remember Me, a lighthearted picture book about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and The Antidote, a middle grade to adult medical fantasy. She lives with her husband and two sons and loves giant dogs, the bigger and slobberier the better.
Author Links
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Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 2 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
October 2 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
October 3 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
October 3 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
October 5 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
October 5 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
October 6 – Mystery, Thrillers, & Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
October 6 – Christa Reads & Writes – REVIEW
October 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 7 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT
October 8 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
October 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
October 10 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
October 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 11 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
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So excited to be here. A big thank you for the tour!
What a great cozy mystery! I enjoy reading stories with senior characters and have added this book to my tbr list. Interesting interview. Thanks for sharing.