When did you know you wanted to be a
writer?
I took a creative
writing course, my first, in college and LOVED IT. Business majors (I
was being practical) don’t take many electives. Later, I heard a
free-lance writer speak at a community college in St. Louis who wrote
articles for magazines. I thought, “I can do that!” And I did for
several years before I realized I HAD to write fiction.
Who is your favorite author?
I can’t name
only one. Elizabeth George, Ken Follett, Jodi Picoult, James Lee
Burke, Anne Lamott, Michael Connelly, Ann Patchett, Charles
Krauthammer, Maria Doria Russell, Nancy Kress, Janet Evanovich,
Harper Lee, William Shakespeare, Bruce DeSilva.…I get something
different from each author. And what a gift it is.
What was the inspiration for the Aggie
Mundeen series?
I was writing a
serious suspense novel, and Aggie popped up in a class alongside my
protagonist. Aggie was older, wiser (sort of), slightly cynical, and
funny! I was hooked. After three books writing about Aggie Mundeen
and friends, I’m still hooked.
What is the easiest and the hardest
thing about writing a series?
The easiest thing
is to fall in love with your characters and watch them react and
change as they face outlandish and dangerous situations. The hardest
thing is to keep from repeating qualities that made you fall in love
with them. And you have to have a sense of where your main characters
are going, even before you start. For instance, I knew from the
beginning that Aggie and Sam, despite their dicey relationship, would
grow closer with each story. Meredith has unforeseen challenges to
face.
What is next for Aggie and Co?
Aggie, always
searching for pearls for her column, “Stay Young with Aggie,”
goes back to college to learn the latest scientific discoveries on
how genes affect aging. Single, pushing forty and in love with a
reluctant detective, Aggie has a personal interest in the subject.
Will scientists
be able to alter the aging process and keep people young? In Smart,
But Dead, Aggie probes for answers
with dangerous results.
Title: Fit To Be Dead
Publisher: Henery Press
Publish Date: July 24, 2014
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Great Escapes Book Tours & the author
Book Blurb:
Aggie Mundeen, single and pushing forty, fears nothing but middle age. When she moves from Chicago to San Antonio, she decides she better shape up before anybody discovers she writes the column, “Stay Young with Aggie.” She takes Aspects of Aging at the University of the Holy Trinity and plunges into exercise at Fit and Firm.
Rusty at flirting and mechanically inept, she irritates a slew of male exercisers, then stumbles into murder. She’d like to impress the attractive detective with her sleuthing skills. But when the killer comes after her, the health club evacuates semi-clad patrons, and the detective has to stall his investigation to save Aggie’s derriere.
Aggie, is a little bit hard to handle. She's in her thirties, but she acts like she should be in her 70s. She's so obsessed with growing old, and she's not old at all. She's also retired from a bank in Chicago. Again, I have to say WTF, because who retires in their 30s.
But the mystery is a fun one. Poor Holly. She nearly dies from being electrocuted in the club pool only to get mowed down by a car later.
That's when the crazy starts. Truth be told, if some of the things that started happening to Aggie, happened to me, I wouldn't have darkened the doorstep of that exercise club. Nope, no way. So I'll give her credit for being persistent.
There's a little side mystery going on too, involving Aggie's neighbor, and friend Grace. The end result of that mystery will definitely leave you a bit surprised. Ok, a lot surprised!
This was a really enjoyable read, even though I wasn't so keen on Aggie's personality. I do love the column she writes, and I hope it figures in more in the next books!
Rating: 4 flowers
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