It’s Wednesday! Coffee Chat time!
It's been a hectic week, and I'm more than happy to sit down with a cup of java and indulge in book talk. Today’s guest is Kathleen Marple Kalb, the author of A Fatal First Night, a historical mystery set in the Gilded Age.
Welcome, Kathleen. How do you take your coffee?
KMK: Black when I’m working, cream and sugar after dinner as a treat!
Ally: Shall we make this a two treat day? While I prepare your coffee, please tell readers something of your background.
Bio:
Kathleen Marple Kalb grew up in front of a microphone and a keyboard. She’s currently a weekend morning anchor at 1010 WINS Radio in New York, capping a career she started as a teenage DJ in her Western Pennsylvania hometown. She’s the author of the Ella Shane Mystery historical mystery series: A FATAL FINALE is out now, A FATAL FIRST NIGHT on 4/27/21. And, she just began a darkly comic new chapter series on Chanillo.com: ON THE SIDE OF THE ANGELS.
Something You Don’t Know About Me: The first time I went on the air as a professional news anchor (at a small local station in Springfield, VT) I forgot my name! Took me two seconds to un-freeze, and then I was okay.
Where to Find Me:
Website: https://kathleenmarplekalb.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kathleen-Marple-Kalb-1082949845220373/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KalbMarple
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenmarplekalb/
Kathleen Marple Kalb grew up in front of a microphone and a keyboard. She’s currently a weekend morning anchor at 1010 WINS Radio in New York, capping a career she started as a teenage DJ in her Western Pennsylvania hometown. She’s the author of the Ella Shane Mystery historical mystery series: A FATAL FINALE is out now, A FATAL FIRST NIGHT on 4/27/21. And, she just began a darkly comic new chapter series on Chanillo.com: ON THE SIDE OF THE ANGELS.
Something You Don’t Know About Me: The first time I went on the air as a professional news anchor (at a small local station in Springfield, VT) I forgot my name! Took me two seconds to un-freeze, and then I was okay.
Where to Find Me:
Website: https://kathleenmarplekalb.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kathleen-Marple-Kalb-1082949845220373/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KalbMarple
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenmarplekalb/
INTERVIEW:
Ally: What inspired you to write your featured book?
KMK: I was involved in theatre in high school and college, and I loved the idea of setting a mystery during the run of a show. Using a made-up opera based on the story of the Princes in the Tower (the young heirs allegedly killed by Richard III during the Wars of the Roses) gave me the freedom to set up the show to suit the plot…and make sure Ella gets to do plenty of swordplay, which is her signature thing. And I wanted Hetty, who’s a reader favorite, to finally get a good assignment.
Ally: How did you get your first book or story published?
KMK: The hard way. Close to two years of querying agents with two earlier unsuccessful projects, to the tune of 200+ rejections, much of that during a family health crisis. It was clear very early on that Ella was different, but it took me a while to be able to accept that the other stories just weren’t going to happen and really push ahead. But I finally ripped up the first half of what became A FATAL FINALE and revised it – for the second time – on the advice of my now-agent. That led to him signing me…and he found Ella a home at Kensington literally within weeks. Of course, then there was the lockdown debut…but that’s another story!
Ally: Do you write with a theme or message in mind?
KMK: Not in the sense of any direct political or spiritual message…I think those are things best left to people to figure out on their own. But I absolutely do write strong women, and Ella isn’t afraid of talking about her faith, both in the comfort she takes in her father’s Catholic Mass and the way her mother’s Jewish ethics drive her to treat people well. And I do admit to one message: kindness. Ella’s a strong believer in being kind to everyone…and so am I.
Ally: Do you know the book’s ending before you start writing? How specific is it? Does it ever change?
KMK: I get the beginning and the end first and then work in. Usually, being a mystery writer, I have an idea of what the solution is, and build the story to get there. It’s like a puzzle. Sometimes the characters and plot surprise me along the way – and it’s tremendously fun when they do!
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
KMK: A FATAL FIRST NIGHT is due for release April 27, 2021. A FATAL FINALE, the first Ella Shane adventure, is out now.
Ally: Which questions did you choose for the lightning round?
KMK:
Ally: What inspired you to write your featured book?
KMK: I was involved in theatre in high school and college, and I loved the idea of setting a mystery during the run of a show. Using a made-up opera based on the story of the Princes in the Tower (the young heirs allegedly killed by Richard III during the Wars of the Roses) gave me the freedom to set up the show to suit the plot…and make sure Ella gets to do plenty of swordplay, which is her signature thing. And I wanted Hetty, who’s a reader favorite, to finally get a good assignment.
Ally: How did you get your first book or story published?
KMK: The hard way. Close to two years of querying agents with two earlier unsuccessful projects, to the tune of 200+ rejections, much of that during a family health crisis. It was clear very early on that Ella was different, but it took me a while to be able to accept that the other stories just weren’t going to happen and really push ahead. But I finally ripped up the first half of what became A FATAL FINALE and revised it – for the second time – on the advice of my now-agent. That led to him signing me…and he found Ella a home at Kensington literally within weeks. Of course, then there was the lockdown debut…but that’s another story!
Ally: Do you write with a theme or message in mind?
KMK: Not in the sense of any direct political or spiritual message…I think those are things best left to people to figure out on their own. But I absolutely do write strong women, and Ella isn’t afraid of talking about her faith, both in the comfort she takes in her father’s Catholic Mass and the way her mother’s Jewish ethics drive her to treat people well. And I do admit to one message: kindness. Ella’s a strong believer in being kind to everyone…and so am I.
Ally: Do you know the book’s ending before you start writing? How specific is it? Does it ever change?
KMK: I get the beginning and the end first and then work in. Usually, being a mystery writer, I have an idea of what the solution is, and build the story to get there. It’s like a puzzle. Sometimes the characters and plot surprise me along the way – and it’s tremendously fun when they do!
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
KMK: A FATAL FIRST NIGHT is due for release April 27, 2021. A FATAL FINALE, the first Ella Shane adventure, is out now.
Ally: Which questions did you choose for the lightning round?
KMK:
- a. An author (living or dead) I’d love to take to lunch: Elizabeth Peters
- b. A favorite TV Show: Original Law & Order
- c. The nail polish I’m wearing: Bright blue
- d. Unique things in my bag: Radio Station ID – and a stray Lego
- c. My pet: Merritt T. Kalb, the Queen of Cats (black tuxedo)
A Fatal First Night (Ella Shane Mystery #2)
Genre: Historical Mystery
Rating: PG
A FATAL FIRST NIGHT is the return of swashbuckling Gilded Age opera singer Ella Shane, best described as part Beverly Sills, part Anne of Green Gables, and part Errol Flynn.
Ella, who sings male roles and handles her own swordplay, investigates murders with the help of her “confirmed bachelor” cousin Tommy Hurley and a cast of colorful friends. This time, the premiere of her new opera, The Princes in the Tower, is ruined when the singer playing Richard III apparently kills a man in his dressing room.
As Ella tries to clear him, her reporter friend Hetty finally gets a chance to cover a murder trial. Before it’s over, the cast will have to unravel a series of interlocking mysteries, including the unexpected return of a good friend, shocking revelations – and declarations.
Pre-Order: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496727244/a-fatal-first-night/ (links to other booksellers)
First book in the series, A FATAL FINALE, for sale now: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496727237/ (links to other booksellers)
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