Welcome to the Coffee Chat!
I love when Wednesday rolls around and we come together with coffee (or tea) to talk about books with another guest author. This week, join me in meeting M. S. Spencer with her featured romantic suspense/murder mystery, The Mason's Mark.
Good morning, Meredith. How do you take your coffee?
MSS: Black and strong!
Ally: Perfect! While I pour, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:
Although M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five continents, she spent thirty years in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional assistant, speechwriter, and non-profit director. She has two grown children and a perfect granddaughter. Ms. Spencer has published thirteen mystery/romantic suspense novels, and currently divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.
Something unique about yourself: “My family on both my father’s and my mother’s side have a long history in America. My father’s mother’s family were among the first settlers at Jamestown. On my mother’s side, my grandmother could trace her roots back to at least two passengers on the Mayflower. She didn’t feel she could count one of them, however—because, as the story goes—he fell overboard in Plymouth Harbor after a little too much celebrating!”
Author contact links:
Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencermysteries
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msspencerauthor/
Linked in: www.linkedin.com/in/msspencerauthor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer
Although M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five continents, she spent thirty years in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional assistant, speechwriter, and non-profit director. She has two grown children and a perfect granddaughter. Ms. Spencer has published thirteen mystery/romantic suspense novels, and currently divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.
Something unique about yourself: “My family on both my father’s and my mother’s side have a long history in America. My father’s mother’s family were among the first settlers at Jamestown. On my mother’s side, my grandmother could trace her roots back to at least two passengers on the Mayflower. She didn’t feel she could count one of them, however—because, as the story goes—he fell overboard in Plymouth Harbor after a little too much celebrating!”
Author contact links:
Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencermysteries
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msspencerauthor/
Linked in: www.linkedin.com/in/msspencerauthor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer
INTERVIEW:
Ally: What inspired you to write your featured book?
MSS: Authors must do quite a bit of research for their books even when they know the subject well. The Mason's Mark is set in my former home town of Alexandria, Virginia at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial. A landmark of the Washington skyline, the building is not only a Masonic lodge, but a memorial to our first president.
I began with the idea that my heroine would find a dead body on the ninth floor observation platform, with no rational explanation of how it got there. To ensure authenticity I set about Googling both freemasonry and George Washington, but my search soon led me into a strange world of global intrigue and crime. I followed one thread to a remarkable scam artist named Licio Gelli who set up a fake Masonic lodge called Propaganda Due to bilk suckers and politicians. How could I resist? I added him to the mysterious corpse. Googling on George Washington tossed up lots of fascinating scandal rumors. So now I had a body, a renegade Mason and scam artist, and long-lost George Washington letters. Voila! The Mason's Mark: Love and Death in the Tower, a contemporary tale about old scandals. And a dynamite love story.
Ally: How did you get your first book or story published?
MSS: I had written a murder mystery and had an agent helping me, when she decided she didn’t like being an agent. So the manuscript went into a drawer, where it stayed until my husband mistakenly threw it out. Back then I had no copies, so I started a new book. I was submitting it at a time (2007) when publishing was transitioning to on-line submissions. My first attempt took 6 weeks for the rejection slip to arrive. The second one drew an enthusiastic acquisitions editor, who didn’t accept it, but went through the whole manuscript with advice and recommendations. I counted myself very lucky. I made the changes, submitted the book, and was accepted in only a few weeks.
Ally: Tell us about your reading habits. Favorite genres. Books read per month, year? Print or ebooks? Current favorites?
MSS: I actually love international thrillers. James Rollins is my favorite. I’ve read most of his. I like David Baldacci, too. I do not like Patterson or Grisham—in my opinion they’re awful writers. I’m a big fan of the classic English mystery writers—Marsh, Christie, Sayers, Allingham. I don’t enjoy modern fiction—too many unlikeable characters and depressing plots so vague you’re not quite sure when the book is over.
I read both paperbacks and ebooks. Hardbacks are too bulky. I don’t read as much when I’m writing, which is pretty much all the time now, but I usually take an hour a day to sit in the Florida sun and read someone else’s prose.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
MSS: I just signed the contract and am in the gentle hands of my editor for Mrs. Spinney’s Secret. It is a cozy murder mystery/romance set in Maine. With luck, it will be released this year. Here’s the story:
What do you do when Hollywood wants to make a movie in your tiny Maine village? Cassidy Beauvoir, chairman of the board of overseers of Amity Landing, is ready to throw the bums out until she meets Jasper MacEwan, the director of American Waterloo: the Rout of the Penobscot Expedition. Their budding romance is threatened by a series of deadly incidents. Are they directed at the movie crew? Or is the target local Mainers?
As the two search for answers, the trail leads them to long-held secrets of the worst naval defeat of the American Revolution—including betrayal, murder, and a lost hoard of English gold.
Ally: Which of the short answer questions did you choose?
MSS:
Ally: What inspired you to write your featured book?
MSS: Authors must do quite a bit of research for their books even when they know the subject well. The Mason's Mark is set in my former home town of Alexandria, Virginia at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial. A landmark of the Washington skyline, the building is not only a Masonic lodge, but a memorial to our first president.
I began with the idea that my heroine would find a dead body on the ninth floor observation platform, with no rational explanation of how it got there. To ensure authenticity I set about Googling both freemasonry and George Washington, but my search soon led me into a strange world of global intrigue and crime. I followed one thread to a remarkable scam artist named Licio Gelli who set up a fake Masonic lodge called Propaganda Due to bilk suckers and politicians. How could I resist? I added him to the mysterious corpse. Googling on George Washington tossed up lots of fascinating scandal rumors. So now I had a body, a renegade Mason and scam artist, and long-lost George Washington letters. Voila! The Mason's Mark: Love and Death in the Tower, a contemporary tale about old scandals. And a dynamite love story.
Ally: How did you get your first book or story published?
MSS: I had written a murder mystery and had an agent helping me, when she decided she didn’t like being an agent. So the manuscript went into a drawer, where it stayed until my husband mistakenly threw it out. Back then I had no copies, so I started a new book. I was submitting it at a time (2007) when publishing was transitioning to on-line submissions. My first attempt took 6 weeks for the rejection slip to arrive. The second one drew an enthusiastic acquisitions editor, who didn’t accept it, but went through the whole manuscript with advice and recommendations. I counted myself very lucky. I made the changes, submitted the book, and was accepted in only a few weeks.
Ally: Tell us about your reading habits. Favorite genres. Books read per month, year? Print or ebooks? Current favorites?
MSS: I actually love international thrillers. James Rollins is my favorite. I’ve read most of his. I like David Baldacci, too. I do not like Patterson or Grisham—in my opinion they’re awful writers. I’m a big fan of the classic English mystery writers—Marsh, Christie, Sayers, Allingham. I don’t enjoy modern fiction—too many unlikeable characters and depressing plots so vague you’re not quite sure when the book is over.
I read both paperbacks and ebooks. Hardbacks are too bulky. I don’t read as much when I’m writing, which is pretty much all the time now, but I usually take an hour a day to sit in the Florida sun and read someone else’s prose.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
MSS: I just signed the contract and am in the gentle hands of my editor for Mrs. Spinney’s Secret. It is a cozy murder mystery/romance set in Maine. With luck, it will be released this year. Here’s the story:
What do you do when Hollywood wants to make a movie in your tiny Maine village? Cassidy Beauvoir, chairman of the board of overseers of Amity Landing, is ready to throw the bums out until she meets Jasper MacEwan, the director of American Waterloo: the Rout of the Penobscot Expedition. Their budding romance is threatened by a series of deadly incidents. Are they directed at the movie crew? Or is the target local Mainers?
As the two search for answers, the trail leads them to long-held secrets of the worst naval defeat of the American Revolution—including betrayal, murder, and a lost hoard of English gold.
Ally: Which of the short answer questions did you choose?
MSS:
- An item on your bucket list: The Galapagos. I’ve always wanted to go there on one of those small explorer boats. Failing that, Australia.
- What type of music do you prefer? Opera…and country music.
- Favorite quote: “No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money.” Samuel Johnson. Or, if you prefer: Vive la différence!
- Your pets: None now, but before I moved to Florida, we had dogs (Toby & Ajax), cats (too many to name, but the last were Chloe and Iggy Pop), hamsters (Lucky and Cat Food—the latter unfortunately appropriately named, the former not so much), and a lovely variegated Kingsnake named Phoebe.
- Best place you’ve ever visited: OMG, as I said in my bio, I’ve lived or traveled in five of the seven continents—only missing Australia and Antarctica. I loved the Peruvian Amazon, Egypt (Cairo & the great temples of Karnak), Paris (which appears at least once in almost all of my books), the fabulous Istanbul (best food in the world), the exotic Morocco…all wonderful. I could never choose. Oops—I forgot Chincoteague, the Maine coast, Yellowstone…Um…I’ll have to get back to you with a complete list, likely to be in several volumes.
- A memorable book you’ve read: Atlas Shrugged. I read it in high school and never forgot its lessons. It’s also a very sensual love story.
The Mason's Mark: Love and Death in the Tower
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Murder Mystery
Rating: PG-13
In both the best and worst first day at work ever, docent Claire Wilding meets the man of her dreams, but her carefully rehearsed guided tour of the George Washington National Masonic Memorial falls apart when she discovers a dead body.
Together with Detective Ernest Angle, she's drawn into a dark world of black ops and Italian renegade masons, of secret cabals and hidden treasure. Also cloaked in mystery is her new love Gideon Bliss. A George Washington expert, he haunts the Memorial, his manner evasive. What is his secret? Claire fears she'll fall in love with him only to learn he's a thief or even a murderer.
Juggling two eccentric mothers, an inquisitive sister, and an increasingly smitten Ernest, Claire must find answers to a complex web of intrigue, including which black ops agent to trust, whether our first president strayed, and if she and Gideon will ever be together.
Buy links:
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