Good Morning, Booklovers!
Welcome to this week’s Coffee Chat. Our guest author is mystery writer Karen Neary Smithson.
Thanks for coming on a cold and snowy morning in the Midwest, Karen. What can I get you to drink?
KNS: I’m not a fan of hot drinks so I prefer water with a slice of lemon.
Ally: While I grab our drinks, please tell readers something about yourself.
Author Bio:
Karen Neary Smithson has been a child advocate, human rights commissioner, and an art educator. As a member of various critique groups she has honed her craft and finds writing magical. In addition to writing fiction, she is a professional artist whose paintings have been displayed in local galleries and shows. Karen has been known to pop up as an extra in Baltimore based movies and television programs. She lives with her husband and three show cats in historic Ellicott City, Maryland.
Unusual fact: “I am a numismatic. My main area of interest is ancient coins of the Hellenistic period and the Roman Empire.”
Author Contact Links:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/KarenNearySmithsonAuthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17739503.Karen_Neary_Smithson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/keneary1
Karen Neary Smithson has been a child advocate, human rights commissioner, and an art educator. As a member of various critique groups she has honed her craft and finds writing magical. In addition to writing fiction, she is a professional artist whose paintings have been displayed in local galleries and shows. Karen has been known to pop up as an extra in Baltimore based movies and television programs. She lives with her husband and three show cats in historic Ellicott City, Maryland.
Unusual fact: “I am a numismatic. My main area of interest is ancient coins of the Hellenistic period and the Roman Empire.”
Author Contact Links:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/KarenNearySmithsonAuthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17739503.Karen_Neary_Smithson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/keneary1
INTERVIEW:
Ally: Why did you decide to write a book? What keeps you writing?
KNS: I first considered writing after recently graduating from college. I was working as a counselor at a spouse abuse shelter in Florida. The plight of the women residing in the shelter prompted me to write a book. I wanted it to be entertaining, but also informative so that if a woman in an abusive situation found herself within the pages of the novel the character’s arc would provide not only a strategy, but also a measure of hope. I chose to write fiction because I figured it would be more engaging then an essay chocked full of facts and statistics regarding spousal abuse. As an avid reader, I’d spent many happy hours with my nose stuck deep within the pages of all types of books so, I figured it couldn’t be too difficult to write a novel.
The process of creating a world full of imaginary characters fascinated me and I quickly found myself hooked. I continue to write because it’s a creative process that I find challenging, but also a lot of fun.
Ally: Where did you get the story idea for your featured book?
KNS: I’d been writing historical fiction, but hadn’t had any success in getting published so I decided to switch to a different genre. Since I enjoy reading mysteries, I decided to take a stab at writing one. But, I really didn’t have any plot ideas. One day I was reading a Writers’ Digest article regarding a memoire written by a woman who worked as a nanny for Hollywood celebrities. I shared the article with my husband and he said, “Why don’t you write Death of the Hollywood Nanny?” It sounded like a good idea. But, of course, there were roadblocks since I knew next to nothing about actors and the movie making industry (the little I knew was gleaned from being on a few TV/movie sets as an extra). After some initial research I began writing—and that’s when the fun part began. The novel did require a lot of ongoing research, but I didn’t mind. The result turned out to be Death in Disguise.
Ally: How did you get the first book published?
KNS: After sending Death in Disguise to independent editors and incorporating feedback from my critique groups, I decided to take the traditional route to publication. I sent out queries to agents that represented mystery writers. After receiving the expected rejections and those "good” rejections that offer some positive feedback, I found an agent who believed the book had merit. Within two months my agent had secured me a publishing contract.
Ally: What’s the most meaningful thing a fan could say about your book?
KNS: There are several meaningful things a fan could say about my book. The most significant comments would include that the book is well-written, engaging, a page-turner, and couldn’t figure out who the killer was until the end of the book.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
KNS: My current writing project is the sequel to this one, which is titled Death Unmasked. I plan to be finished writing it by the end of the winter. I hope that it will be released next fall but that decision will be made by the publisher. Another project that I’m working on is my first cozy mystery novel. It’s so much fun writing a cozy and it’s interesting since it has a totally different feel and flow than my current works.
Ally: Let’s see your answers to the five quick answer questions you selected.
DNS:
Ally: Why did you decide to write a book? What keeps you writing?
KNS: I first considered writing after recently graduating from college. I was working as a counselor at a spouse abuse shelter in Florida. The plight of the women residing in the shelter prompted me to write a book. I wanted it to be entertaining, but also informative so that if a woman in an abusive situation found herself within the pages of the novel the character’s arc would provide not only a strategy, but also a measure of hope. I chose to write fiction because I figured it would be more engaging then an essay chocked full of facts and statistics regarding spousal abuse. As an avid reader, I’d spent many happy hours with my nose stuck deep within the pages of all types of books so, I figured it couldn’t be too difficult to write a novel.
The process of creating a world full of imaginary characters fascinated me and I quickly found myself hooked. I continue to write because it’s a creative process that I find challenging, but also a lot of fun.
Ally: Where did you get the story idea for your featured book?
KNS: I’d been writing historical fiction, but hadn’t had any success in getting published so I decided to switch to a different genre. Since I enjoy reading mysteries, I decided to take a stab at writing one. But, I really didn’t have any plot ideas. One day I was reading a Writers’ Digest article regarding a memoire written by a woman who worked as a nanny for Hollywood celebrities. I shared the article with my husband and he said, “Why don’t you write Death of the Hollywood Nanny?” It sounded like a good idea. But, of course, there were roadblocks since I knew next to nothing about actors and the movie making industry (the little I knew was gleaned from being on a few TV/movie sets as an extra). After some initial research I began writing—and that’s when the fun part began. The novel did require a lot of ongoing research, but I didn’t mind. The result turned out to be Death in Disguise.
Ally: How did you get the first book published?
KNS: After sending Death in Disguise to independent editors and incorporating feedback from my critique groups, I decided to take the traditional route to publication. I sent out queries to agents that represented mystery writers. After receiving the expected rejections and those "good” rejections that offer some positive feedback, I found an agent who believed the book had merit. Within two months my agent had secured me a publishing contract.
Ally: What’s the most meaningful thing a fan could say about your book?
KNS: There are several meaningful things a fan could say about my book. The most significant comments would include that the book is well-written, engaging, a page-turner, and couldn’t figure out who the killer was until the end of the book.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
KNS: My current writing project is the sequel to this one, which is titled Death Unmasked. I plan to be finished writing it by the end of the winter. I hope that it will be released next fall but that decision will be made by the publisher. Another project that I’m working on is my first cozy mystery novel. It’s so much fun writing a cozy and it’s interesting since it has a totally different feel and flow than my current works.
Ally: Let’s see your answers to the five quick answer questions you selected.
DNS:
- a. Favorite book--Les Misérables
- b. Nail polish you have on—My favorite, “I Red a Good Book”
- c. Do you believe in love at first sight? No, not a first sight, even so, two months after meeting my husband we became engaged. So, I believe if it’s true love it won’t take long to find out!
- d. What comes to you first—character or plot? Once I have a plot, no matter how sketchy, I’m ready to write.
- e. Your pets—I have three cats, all recues, that became champion show cats. Because they weren’t pedigree cats they showed in the Household Pet category. Caspurr is a blue-eyed white domestic short hair. Coppurr is a red with white classic tabby, and his brother, Jaspurr, is a red with white, long haired mackerel who placed 13th in the nation.
Death in Disguise (A Beth Getty Mystery)
Genre: mystery
Heat rating: mild
Teenaged girls are being murdered in Los Angeles. Four in one week.
The latest victim isn’t like the others—not a runaway or prostitute—but a nanny working for a celebrity couple. And this has Sibeal “Beth” Getty, perplexed. Beth, an Irish born fashion model gifted with an uncanny sixth sense, was acquainted with the nanny and knew of her aspirations to become an actress. The veiled motive for the deaths haunt Beth and after reading the nanny’s stolen diary, she is hell-bent on unraveling the mystery surrounding the slain teens.
But she doesn’t know the first thing about conducting a murder investigation, that’s her detective husband’s line. With a healthy dose of determination and her intuition in high gear, Beth forges onward. She begins to link unconnected details and stumbles into a tangled web of deception that makes clear, nothing is as it seems. Help comes from an unexpected source when Beth’s self-centered, actress friend offers a lead and a hand in solving the crime. As Beth inches closer to detecting the murderer’s true identity will she be the next victim on the killer’s list?
Buy Link:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Disguise-Beth-Getty-Mystery/dp/B079Z23NQQ
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