A chat with Toby, the Spellbound Hound !

Toby, the Spellbound Hound is a character created by Jeannie Wycherley

What a delight! You all know how much I love doggies, and today we are going to interview a talking whippetty-Schnauzer-terrier-thingie named Toby. It's not every day that you get to talk to a talking dog! How are you, Toby? 

Hello Grandma Bertha *wags tail politely* I brought you some treats in case you’re hungry. They’re cheesy ones. Cheesy treats are my favourite favourite. It would be nice if we could share.

Oh, that's so sweet of you! Tell me, Toby, what was the first investigation you ever did? What was the

last? Do you expect to do more investigations in the future?

To be honest, as intrepid as I am, I’ve only been involved in one investigation. It was long and involved and incredibly complicated, and I had to draft in reinforcements in the shape of a human called Clarissa (she’s a witch but don’t let that put you off) and some squizzels. I think you might know them as squirrels, but they call themselves squizzels. Honest. I speak squizzel.

I also made friends with a Chaos Wizard. Clarissa calls him ‘an original’. I think she means he’s crazy, but that’s just impolite. I like him a lot!

You see what happened was that The Pointy Woman came to my little house in Devon in England and killed my owner. His name was Old Joe and I loved him so much. And before I could say ‘who’ll feed me my din-dins now?’ she had given me a voice. “Speak to none but me,” she said. And then, horror of horrors, she sent me to the kennels.

I had to escape, which is when I bumped into Clarissa. Together we started to track The Pointy Woman down and find out why she’d killed Old Joe.

I have a feeling there is another adventure in my future. I’ve been seeing someone hanging around my house. I have a feeling she needs my help.

That's very courageous of you, Toby. That's one of the things I love the most about doggies, you're always willing to do good. Now tell me, what’s your major weakness while investigating a murder?

I get side-tracked by snacks, or smells, or other dogs, or interesting people. Or itches.

What can you do that the police can't?

Besides having an amazing sense of smell and incredible hearing, I can scratch behind my ear with my back foot. I bet DC Plum can’t do that. I can also squish myself into a tiny ball and sleep anywhere. I’ve also been known to polish off more than one dinner.

It must be tough doing all that by yourself. Do you have anyone helping you in your investigations? Tell us more about them.

Clarissa is my new human. She’s actually Old Joe’s granddaughter and can you believe she had never been owned by a dog before? The first thing she did was give me a barf. Yuck! She’s a journalist and a witch, but to be honest my magick is better than hers. Don’t tell her I said that, but it is true.

She’s never got any money. I blame The Pointy Woman for that. But she is a good journalist. She’s good at research. I’ve been learning to read but I don’t really like screens so I leave all the google-goggling to her. Also, she can drive, and because I’m quite short, I struggle to reach the pedals. I like to stick my face out of the window and smell the cow manure and foxes when we’re driving down the lanes. I’m not sure Clarissa is that good a driver. I have to cover my ears sometimes because she gets a bit shouty about other road users.

What was the most difficult period in your investigation, and how did you deal with it?

There have been a few difficult periods in my investigations.  Being incarcerated in Sun Valley Pet Sanctuary and on death row, that wasn’t pleasant. Being hurt by The Pointy Woman made me very sad (but I was a brave soldier, Clarissa said). Through it all, I’ve been able to rely on my friends; Clarissa, Dom the Chaos Wizard and his dog, Star, and the dogs at the kennel. They kept me going.

Together we are stronger!

That's what friends are for, am I right? Tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn't want others to know.

I hide my borlies under the Abelia bush in the back garden, but if you tell anyone I will have to magick you into a bee. Okay?

I need to repopulate the bushes in my local vicinity because I nearly caused bee-mageddon when I practised a disappearing spell last summer. Oopsie.

I apologised but, regrettably, I don’t think I’m seen as a friend to bees.

This makes me sad because I love all creatures!

Do you have a favourite quote?

When referring to sandwich fillings, because I like them all: “That’s my favourite favourite.”

Thank you, Toby, this was a great pleasure. Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? You're a good boy! See you all soon!

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Jeannie Wycherley has always been blessed with a wildly overactive imagination. Her formative years were spent inhabiting the glorious worlds that other writers had created, and even now she finds it a wrench to leave Narnia and Alderley Edge behind. As a child she loved history, and visited many sites of interest, with her family, in the UK and around Europe, and was a keen – and sorrowful – observer of the evil man perpetrates. No surprise therefore that she went on to study history at University, and left – or was eventually politely turfed out – with a PhD in modern and contemporary social history.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanniewycherley/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Thecushionlady

Website: https://www.jeanniewycherley.co.uk/

Buy my books: http://author.to/jeanniewycherley

A chat with Rita Calabrese, the italophile detective!

Buongiorno, amici miei! This is Grandma Bertha, and this Thursday I'm interviewing a detective who loves a good pasta - and who doesn't?  Not only does Rita Calabrese has the coolest name in the world, she's also a keen detective and gave us a witty interview.

Hello, Rita! People love it when I start with this question: what was your first investigation? What was the last, and do you plan to continue doing this?

My first case was the mysterious poisoning—in the hospital, no less, where you are supposed to be safe!—of football coach Jay Stiglitz. About a year later, we were celebrating the three hundredth anniversary of the founding of Acorn Hollow, when a skeleton was discovered during the unveiling on the town’s time capsule. Talk about a cold case!

I never heard that one before! So, was it your choice to become a detective? Or didn’t you have a choice?

I fell into it when Acorn Hollow’s beloved football coach was poisoned. At first, I just wanted to know what really happened, but when the police started looking at my son Vinnie, I really sprang into action! Hell hath no fury like a mama bear prodded into action!

You should see what a grandmother can do! And what’s your daytime occupation? How does it relate to your investigations?

I’m a serious, hard-bitten journalist (don’t you just love the sound of that? I do!) tackling human interest stories about Acorn Hollow’s most fascinating citizens. And some of my subjects are persons of interest in murder investigations—or know something useful!

I found my first case through a newspaper, when I was young. It's a great way to keep in touch with crime without actually getting into danger. Do you watch crime TV show and movies? What are your favorites?

I watch the Italian mystery series starring Inspector Montalbano. Luca Zingaretti is so handsome, and I love all the Sicilian scenery!

Italian horror films are the best too! I love the giallo genre. Apart from Montalbano, who do you see yourself closest to: Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple or Sam Spade?

Definitely not Sherlock! I’m don’t smoke, DEFINITELY don’t do drugs, and all my friends and associates are smarter than Watson. I suppose I’m a little like a female, Italian version of Poirot, but much less vain—while he prides himself on his glorious mustache, I’m not above having a few silver roots in my jet-black hair. Some might say I resemble Miss Marple, but I’m younger (or, at least, young at heart!). Plus, I don’t just sit there with knitting needles! I pull out my notepad and pen and start firing off the questions. And if I get stuck, I fire up the oven and churn out the biscotti!

Knitting helps me think when I'm investigating. Do you have anyone helping you in your investigations? Tell us more about them.

Of course! As someone who’s dropped off more trays of homemade lasagna for my neighbors than I can count, I have lots of favors I can call in. People are always willing to tell me some pettegolezze—that’s gossip, in case you’re not Italian.

And sometimes help comes from the most unexpected sources. In this last case, I got invaluable assistance from my husband’s shady cousin, Calvino, who operates a dodgy vitamin emporium in Atlantic City. He’s a font of knowledge about all kinds of shady things, and it seems like he’s related to every Italian in the Northeast!

Grazie for the interview, Rita! And thank you, my dear readers for your support. Don't forget to check the books in the side bar. Matt's novel Sherlock Holmes and the Glad Game features the meeting of the famous detective with Pollyanna, from the classic children's books. It's making quite a bit of success, and if things continue this way, we might have an audiobook version soon. See you next week!

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Maureen Klovers has held numerous positions in government, including a stint as a U.S. intelligence officer, and was a political commentator on DC 101's talk radio show "Neighborhood Stuff." Ms. Klovers has traveled extensively in the United States, Europe, China, India, and Latin America. She's hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, been escorted through a Bolivian prison by a German narco-trafficker, and fished for piranhas in Venezuela. She received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (with a focus on Latin American politics) from the College of William and Mary in 1999 and a Master's of Public Policy and Master's of Business Administration from Georgetown University in 2006. She lives with her husband, Kevin, in Arlington, Virginia.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5441376.Maureen_Klovers

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Maureen-Klovers/e/B006V5FGG6/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

A Chat With Olive Peroni, the Cold Cream Detective

Olive Peroni was created by Barbara Silkstone in The Cold Cream Murders

Hello, guys and gals! Sorry for not posting an interview last week, but life sometimes gets on the way. My guest today is a bit of a smartass, but that's a good quality in a detective. Her name is Olive Peroni, a family therapist from New York City who recently moved down to Florida and discovered her grandmother had left her the Peroni family secret recipe for miracle cold cream. 

Welcome to my blog, Olive! Now, tell me, how did you start in this business? What's your most recent investigation, and do you plan to continue doing this in the future?

I morphed into a crime solver within a few days of moving to Starfish Cove, a quiet seaside community located on the west coast of Florida. Hours after meeting Lizzy Kelly my world topsy-turvyed into one astonishment after another. The combination of our energies nudged me to take my foot off the brakes and swerve into the bumper car lane of life.

Speaking of cars, in my first investigation Lizzy and I discovered the thumping noise in her car trunk was not mechanical—it turned out to be a body—one familiar to Lizzy. I fell back on my schooling as a psychologist to unveil the killer, but not before a second person bit the dust in a most unusual manner.

My most recent investigation was the demise of Lizzy’s father. Grams found him dangling by his feet from the chandelier in his penthouse apartment. Grams was determined to solve the case—it was stressful. At ninety-four, she shouldn’t be hot-footing it around like she does.

Book 4 in the series is underway. I’ve had to lock Grams in her room to keep her from helping me. I can hear her now—picking the lock with a bobby pin.

Don't underestimate her, Olive! Old people are full of surprises. And I bet you have your weaknesess too, right?

I can’t stand to get my face wet. Don’t laugh! Imagine tracking down killers while living in a beachside community where people deliberately get their faces wet on purpose—go out on boats—dive in the water. It’s awful!

And what’s your daytime occupation? Does it help your investigations?

When I discovered Nonna left me her secret Italian recipe for miracle cold cream, I went into partnership with Lizzy. It was one of those crazy things that happens before you give it much thought.

We brew and sell miracle creams that help sooth the complexions of ladies who spend too much time in the sun. So far, it’s Lizzy’s eccentric friends and family who have needed investigating.

I'd love to hear more about this Lizzy, and the other people helping you in your investigations.

My new business partner, Lizzy Kelly is my helper. She’s a popular figure in Starfish Cove. Lizzy is like capturing a sunbeam in a bottle. She’s taught me that it’s okay to giggle even while tripping over a body. Lizzy’s pushing thirty, dresses like one of Charlie’s Angels in retro clothes and impossibly high wedgie heels. It was months before I realized she was a good five inches shorter than me.

She adores her rescue pet, WonderDog. The mixed breed hound looks like a child’s crayon drawing of The Big Bad Wolf, with Brillo-pad hair, white whiskers and a hero’s heart. He has saved our lives more than once. WonderDog’s best buddy is my white foundling kitten, Puff.

Grams Dingler, Lizzy’s grandmother, provides unwanted help. She almost always wears colorful

retro outfits with matching orthopedic shoes. Big as minute, she wears a fedora with a note stuck in the hatband that reads—REPORTER. She works for the Silverfish Gazette. The local gossip and coupon newspaper’s slogan is—“Catch the news before it crawls away.”

Would you ever do something against the law to help your investigation?

That’s a rhetorical question—right?

You'd be surpised with the answers I get to that question! Who do you see yourself closest to: Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple or Sam Spade?

I’m a dry land Sam Spade with a smattering of Nancy Drew.

Do you know anything about the psychology of the criminal mind?

Hello… I’m a psychologist.

Duh! And what about the authorities? How do you deal with them while doing your investigation?

Pretend like I’m paying attention. Nod when required. Then do it my own way.

That's how I do it too. I love it when I show them I was right all the time. What gives you the most satisfaction about investigating a case?

When I discover my instincts were right. Also it pleases me to find justice for the victim.

What was the most difficult period in your investigations?

In my second case —Smokey Eyes—I accidently fell clinging to the side of a sailboat. I got my face wet with icky marina water!

That must have been a nightmare for you! Thank you for stopping by, and please see a shrink about that wet face thing. But, in all honesty, I'll make sure to check your cases, they sound like a lot of fun!

See you all next week, with a new interview!

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Barbara Silkstone's most current series is COLD CREAM MURDERS ~ GLOSSY LIPS, SMOKEY EYES, and coming soon: SOAP ON A ROPE. This series will have at least 6 books when complete. The adventures take place in the imaginary burg of Starfish Cove, Florida ~ a place near and dear to Silkstone's hometown of Redington Beach on the Gulf of Mexico just north of St. Petersburg, Florida. 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Silkstone/e/B0047L8A8W/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Silkstone-Author/156097004489447

Twitter: @barbsilkstone

A Chat with Brigid Barnes, the Cottonwood Springs Sleuth

Brigid Barnes is the main character of the Cottonwood Springs Cozy Mystery by Dianne Harman

Today's guest has solved a good share of mysteries in her time. I firstly approached Brigid to chat about her last case at the Alamo, thinking of all the old western movies I watched when I was young. Turns out she's not just a great detective, but knows also a dog lover, which makes me like her even more.

So tell us, Brigid, how did you start in this business? What was your latest investigation? Do you expect to continue doing that in the future?

The first investigation I did was just after I moved back to Cottonwood Springs. My closest friend was murdered at her Bed and Breakfast. Her brother was the sheriff and he was too emotional over the murder to investigate, so his deputy asked if I would help.

The last investigation occurred when I was on my honeymoon in San Antonio, Texas. When my husband and I were on a tour of the Alamo, a guard was murdered. I couldn’t help it, I had to find who murdered him. Fortunately, I had some help with a retired K-9 police dog.

Yes, there will definitely be more investigations in my future.

I'm glad, the world needs good investigators. But that doesn't always pay the bills, am I right? What’s your daytime occupation? How does it relate to your investigations?

I’m an editor and I work out of my home, so I have a lot of freedom and can take the time necessary to work on a murder mystery when it occurs.

That's important! And how do you deal with the police and other authorities while investigating? 

I was more or less recruited by a deputy sheriff when my close friend was murdered and my friend’s sister, the sheriff, was unable to unemotionally investigate the case. Because I wasn’t in a uniform or officially part of law enforcement personnel, people opened up to me. The deputy sheriff became the sheriff and often asked me to help him with cases. He also suggested that I take self-defense and other courses pertaining to law enforcement, which I’ve done.

Actually, he and I have become quite good friends.

That's nice. Policemen often can't see subtle details of crime. Sometimes it takes an amateur sleuth to solve it. And how's your investigation style?

I would like to think that I can communicate with people just as an everyday person, not part of law enforcement. People tend to tell me things they wouldn’t tell someone in uniform and I know that helps. The first thing I do is to come up with a list of possible suspects, people who might have wanted or had a reason why the victim should be out of their lives. After that, I do a process of elimination, such as checking alibis, etc. Usually someone will slip up.

They always do, don't they? I have to confess, that's the part of the job that gives me the most satisfaction. What's yours?

Seeing that justice comes to the person who committed a crime. No matter what the crime, someone will be affected adversely by it, and those are the people I like to help.

That's why we do what we do! Thank you for your time, Brigid, and hope you continue kicking butt in your future investigations.

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Two-time USA Today Bestselling Author and seven time Amazon All Star Author, Dianne Harman, draws her stories and characters from a diverse business and personal background. She owned a national antique and art appraisal business for many years, left that industry, and opened two yoga centers where she taught and certified yoga instructors. She's traveled extensively throughout the world and loves nothing more than cooking, playing backgammon with her husband, Tom, and throwing the ball for their dog, Kelly.

Being a dog lover and having attended numerous cooking schools, she couldn't resist writing about food and dogs. Dianne is the author of several cozy mystery series: Cedar Bay, Liz Lucas, High Desert, Midwest, Jack Trout, Northwest and her latest, Cottonwood Springs. Each of these books contains recipes from her travels. She's also the author of the award-winning suspenseful Coyote Series, Midlife Journey Series, and the Slade Kelly Suspense Series.

Web Site http://www.DianneHarman.com

BookBub: http://ow.ly/NDaE30m1lTU

Amazon: http://ow.ly/b6Bn30m1m8v 

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RXVf92

A Chat with Belinda Blake, the Exotic Pet-Sitter

Belinda Blake is the main character of Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass by Heather Day Gilbert, available at NetGalley and for preorder on Amazon, Kobo, AppleBooks, Nook, and all online vendors

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, everyone! My name is Albertha Isobel Hepburn, but nobody calls me that anymore. I'm Grandma Bertha, and this is my blog. My grandson Stu said I should have one, now that I solved a few murders in my spare time and became a celebrity. I want to contact detectives from all over the world to learn more about this job, so I can catch my next criminal in record time.

My first one was this young woman, Belinda Blake, who has the coolest profession in the world. So, Belinda, tell everyone: what's your daytime occupation, and how does it relate to your investigations? 

I'm an exotic pet-sitter, which basically means I'm willing to watch the pets no one else wants to get close to. I've built a clientele in Manhattan, and now that I've lucked into renting a small carriage house in Greenwich, Connecticut, I'm growing my client list there. My clients will often pay me to stay in their homes and care for their pets when they go on vacations.

As a side job, I play video games and review them in game magazines and online. I have quite a few loyal readers, and they've been begging me to start a Twitch (live gaming) stream online, so I'm kicking that around.

As you might have guessed, I'm not the kind of person who likes being locked down with a mundane desk job. I like variety and I'm an introvert, so pet-sitting and gaming are perfect fits for me.

I'm realizing that murders can happen anywhere—high society Greenwich or small-town upstate New York, where my parents live. And sometimes, pet-sitting gives me the cover I need to ask questions.

I love walking my doggies around, but if one day I get a pet anaconda, I'll make sure to contact you. Are you a fan of crime novels? What are your favorites?

I've recently joined a book club with my parents' neighbor, Jonas Hawthorne. We've been working

our way through classics. After reading, I discuss them with Jonas on the phone, or if I happen to be in Larches Corner, where my parents live, I'll join up with the book club at the local coffee shop. The latest one we read was The House on Haunted Hill by Shirley Jackson, and that was too dark for me. I'm an Agatha Christie girl, and I have plenty of her mysteries on my bookshelves. I especially like her sleuth Parker Pyne.

I didn't read The House on Haunted Hill yet, but I love the movie with Vincent Price. He played a madman better than anyone! Speaking of which, what do you know about the psychology of a criminal?

Funny you should ask that, since my psychologist sister, Katrina, thinks I'm a little too trusting. But I've learned a few things from what Katrina has told me over the years, and I'm becoming more wary (although Katrina still thinks I'm too reckless). One thing I've realized is that some of the best liars actually get to the point where they believe their own lies...and those are the ones you have to watch out for.

That's so true! Part of our job is to identify this kind of people. And how would you describe your investigation style?

I wouldn't call it organized—more like intensely dedicated. When necessary, I'll take chances so I can get the information I need. Since I'm a bit of a daredevil, it takes a lot to make me afraid, but let's just say that late last year, I wound up in a situation I could've never seen coming...

Now here's a question you'd never see coming: tell us something about yourself that you wouldn't want other people to know.

Sometimes I actually get homesick for Larches Corner, which doesn't make sense, because I left my small town years ago for college and the Peace Corps, then I started pet-sitting in Manhattan. I explained to my parents that I wanted the excitement of the city and all the opportunities it could afford. Yet some nights, when I open my carriage house windows, I can almost feel the cool breezes that drift off my parents' field, and I remember night skies so dark and clear, you feel like you can see every star. I've been getting nostalgic more lately, and I need to refocus, because my exotic pet-sitting career has really taken off here in Greenwich.

Thank you for your time, babes, and hope your business continues to go well. Hope to see you again soon! 

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Heather Day Gilbert, an ECPA Christy award finalist and Grace award winner, writes contemporary mysteries and Viking historicals. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect those they love. Like Belinda Blake, Heather plays video games, although so far she hasn't done any exotic pet-sitting or hunted any murderers.

Find out more on HeatherDayGilbert.com.
Website: http://heatherdaygilbert.com/
Twitter: @heatherdgilbert
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherdaygilbert/
NetGalley for Snake in the Grass:
 https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/161867
Amazon for Snake in the Grass: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HVYQ9XZ/
(Pre-order now and it'll be delivered on June 25th)