SRP Heroine Interview: Courtney Kelly from A Sprinkling of Murder

Welcome to The Self-Rescue Princess, Courtney, please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life.

I believe in inviting magic into one’s life, but, um, when uninvited trouble enters my shop, I realize I’ll need more than a sprinkling of my imagination to solve a murder. Yes, a murder. Since childhood, I have loved fairies. After my mother died, however, I lost touch with that feeling of magic. A year ago, at age twenty-nine, I rediscovered it when I left my father’s landscaping business to spread my wings and start a fairy garden business in beautiful Carmel, California. But the light of the magical world I’ve created inside the shop is darkened when I find the neighboring dog-grooming business owner, Mick Watkins, dead beside the fountain. To make matters worse, the police suspect me of the crime. Me! Utter nonsense.

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor? 

After my mother died, I studied hard to make my father proud. In college, I turned my attention to chemistry and earth sciences. After graduation, I joined Dad’s thriving landscaping outfit in Carmel and dedicated myself to working the land: dig, plant, don’t have fun, repeat. Boring. Dad loved it, but me? I needed something more. When I went to a Renaissance Faire, I met a fairy garden designer. I was so enamored by the whimsical creations, I begged the woman to teach me the art. As I learned to design gardens, the woman gave me tips on how to attract fairies. I remembered laughing at the notion. But guess what? When I took the risk, spread my wings, and invested in Open Your Imagination, it happened. 

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

My father is NOT pleased with me trying to clear my name. A former cop who turned to landscaping after an injury that sidelined him, he believes the police will uncover the truth on their own. But I’m not so sure. With Fiona’s help—Fiona is the fairy who revealed herself to me the day I opened the shop—I’m sure I can discover the truth faster. I do not want to go to jail. I will not look good in an orange jumpsuit.

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

During high school, I had a steady boyfriend. When we went to college, we remained faithful. After we graduated, we became engaged. And then, the day after we had a co-ed bridal shower, he announced he didn’t want to be married. Ever. He needed to focus entirely on becoming a judge. Luckiest day of my life. That was when I realized that I did not need a man to complete me. I needed me. My energy. My artistic gifts. Don’t get me wrong, I like men, and there might be someone in Carmel who will catch my eye, but I won’t need him. I have created a business that is blossoming. I surround myself with supportive friends. And if I need saving, I’ll do it with my wits, brain, and spunk.

What one advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Find your passion and pursue it with all your heart.

What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

Persevere. Despite all the naysayers, you know what you want, and you can have it if you keep focused on the goal. Also, if you’re ever suspected of murder and you know you’re innocent, fight, fight, fight for justice and the truth.

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat? 

Oh, gosh, I’d like to think this is the only time I’ll run across a dead body. Honestly, how many times does that happen to a person in a lifetime? I’m hanging up my hat. Definitely. Unless, of course, something happens…

Thank you so much for asking me such thought-provoking questions.

 

SRP Interview: Angel Delaight from #A SmallTownCanBe #Murder

1. Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life? 

You have all heard the story: big-city girl moves to small town and lives happily ever after. That’s not the forever-after Angel Delaight found when she moved to Whistle Stop,
Minnesota. First, her realtor is found dead in her new house, which is also rumored to be
haunted. Then homeless animals began showing up at her door, along with a bevy of
townspeople who seem to know what she is doing at all times. Not to mention a secret
journal turning up during a renovation, revealing more secrets hidden in this small community.

Will those secrets from the past put Angel’s life and those of her friends and family in
danger? When the big-city girl meets a small town, it can be murder.

2. What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

It wasn’t a decision I made when I moved from Chicago to small-town Whistle Stop,
MN. It was made for me when a dead body ended up in the house I bought to
renovate.

3. Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

No, absolutely not. I moved from Chicago to a small town for peace and tranquility and
to figure out the rest of my life.

4. Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of
amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

I am a carpenter by trade. I know it is an unusual career for a young woman, but I
followed in my dad’s footsteps. I decided to take a break from the work world when my
dad sold his construction company, and though I could have worked for the new owners
or taken over the helm, I felt the need for something different. Who knew I would be
solving mysteries involving the history of a small town in Minnesota. I was least pleased
by dead bodies. That wasn’t in my old job description.

5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I am a strong woman. I am good at problem-solving and I found I have creativity in my
head. I have a soft heart and my patience at times runs a little thin, especially when my
privacy seems to be invaded.

6. Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to
you.

I used to think being a self-rescue princess meant being able to solve anything on your
own, not dwelling on the problem but taking action to solve it. I turned down proposals because my fiances wanted me to change who I am, meaning my career. I believe a strong woman is confident in who they are. You have to learn to be alone with you and like spending time with the authentic you. Moving to Whistle Stop I learned that letting others help you is also a sign of strength and not a weakness because by accepting their offer you also help them because they feel valued.

7. What one advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Take the time to figure out who you are. Don’t make decisions out of fear because you
doubt your value.

8. What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

Eating chocolate and drinking wine helps.

9. If your story or life had a theme song, what would it be?

It’s A Wonderful World.

10. Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up
your detective hat? 

I am not quitting. I still have some mysteries to solve and I have learned small towns hold secrets and they come out when you least expect them. The Whistle Stop sage will continue.

SRP Heroine Interview: Belinda Blake from The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Today, Belinda Blake is stopping by to chat with us.

Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life.

As part of my exotic pet-sitting business, I’ve decided to take a job at a wolf sanctuary. But I haven’t even been there a full day and I’m already realizing that might not have been the smartest decision…

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

My sister, Katrina, would tell you that I’m not one to look at things and recognize risks…in all honesty, sometimes I accidentally plunge right into dangerous situations. But I usually have a very good reason for doing so! In this case, the wolf sanctuary owner was desperate for help and she was willing to pay me handsomely.

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

My mom gets distressed when she finds out I’ve been in danger, but since I live a few hours from her, she doesn’t always KNOW all the situations I’ve been in…and my sister Katrina and my friend Jonas also tend to spend a lot of  time warning me to be careful. I’m not an amateur sleuth by trade—I pet-sit exotic pets and just happen to run into some dangerous situations in my line of work. I also review video games on the side, and that’s actually becoming a pretty successful endeavor for me.

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

I live alone, and I’ve been on my own for quite a few years (some of those years in the Peace Corps and in New York City), so I’ve had to learn to be more aware of my surroundings and look for red flags. But I am an optimist by nature, so I tend to be a bit too trusting. Just ask my sister Katrina, who trusts NO ONE when she first meets them!

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I think I’m a very compassionate person, but that can be a blessing and a curse, since I don’t tend to realize when people have nefarious motivations. When wrongs have been done, I want to get to the bottom of things and make things right for the victims’ families. But I tend to rush into things without thinking, and I don’t like being locked down, so I kind of roll along in life without planning things out thoroughly.

 

 

SRP Heroine Interview: Jen Ward from Number’s Up

Today, we’re meeting Jen Ward.

Jennifer Ward’s To-Do List:

1) Turn in my business partner and his lying, cheating, law-breaking client to the SEC for insider trading.

2) Cooperate with the FBI. Do not kiss— scratch that. Do not yell at Special Agent Nicholas Kelly, the FBI agent leading said investigation.

3) Discover a dead body…

Jennifer Ward, MBA, CPA, and business consultant, likes a nice, orderly lifestyle. Schedules and To-Do lists are what get her through the day. So when the by-the-numbers fashionista finds her business partner was breaking the law, she turns him in to the SEC. Which brings the FBI to her door, and her ordered world to an end.

But that was three weeks ago. Things couldn’t possibly get worse. Right?

Until Jen discovers her business partner dead in his hotel room. With Nic the handsome FBI agent dogging her every step, Jen must use her skills to discover the truth. Who killed Henry? And will she be next?

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

He was my partner. Yeah, he might have ruined our business and caused the FBI to investigate me, and… Okay, maybe it was the grief that made me do it. Logic would suggest not getting involved.

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

No. No fighting. We have gone over this. I’m supposed to stay away from guns, and ranting at the bad guys. I’m not like Lark. I listen. Most of the time.

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

I’m not making this a career… it’s more of a side hobby. That I don’t tell people about.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I’m smart. I’m an incredible CPA and business consultant. I’m logical and organized. And maybe a little lost. But only a little.

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

It means I get the job done, no matter what happens. I do what’s right, no matter the cost. I depend on me.

What one piece of advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Don’t let one thing over take your life completely. It’s easy to prioritize work over your life, but then you might end up a stressed out ball of anxiety that never has food in there fridge. Don’t end up stressed out and foodless, buying shoes to make herself feel better.

What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

Money does not give you security.

If your story or life had a theme song, what would it be?

The Champion by Carrie Underwood

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat?

Well, there wasn’t supposed to be any other plans…

SRP Review:Drop Dead Ornaments by Lois Winston

Disclaimer: The reviews I post on The Self Rescue Princess won’t be the usual style of book review that talks about all the points and elements of a novel. My intention is to focus on heroines that I believe exemplify the spirit and character of a self-rescuing princess or are on their way to achieving that status.

Drop Dead Ornaments features Anastasia Pollack, a mother of teenagers and an editor for a craft magazine who finds herself drawn into a murder investigation when her son’s girlfriend’s father is accused of the crime.

Anastasia is a take-charge woman with a heart for her family–even her ex-family members who don’t (in my opinion) deserve her kindness. But, that trait is what makes Anastasia who she is and why I adore her so much. She knows these annoying family members flaws and deals with it the best she can. I love how the book not only focuses on the mystery but also what else is going on in the heroine’s life.

What I like best about Anastasia is how she balances her quest for justice with the needs and fears of her family. She has gotten herself into some huge scrapes in the past that have placed her life at risk and is doing what she can to assure her family she take her safety into consideration…though she can’t turn her back on someone in need. I also enjoy how Anastasia has a respectful “professional” relationship with the homicide detective. I sensed that while they both annoyed the other, they didn’t consider the other one an enemy.

I can’t wait to read more of her adventures and the progress of her relationship with her family and her boyfriend.

SRP Heroine Interview: Cora Chevalier from Assault and Beadery

Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life?

All of my dreams are coming true. Since moving to Indigo Gap, North Carolina, I’ve been blessed with a great boyfriend, a lovely home, and a booming craft retreat business. But on the eve of my first Crafty Mom’s Escape Weekend, tragedy strikes again in Indigo Gap. This time, it’s curtains for Stan Herald, the disagreeable director of the local theater group, who’s murdered on the opening night of their new production. Worse, my friend Zee is accused of the crime.

I’m determined to prove my friend’s innocence, but Zee’s mysterious past is making that difficult. And with a list of suspects longer than a double spool of satin cording, getting a bead on the real culprit won’t be easy. With my friends Jane and Ruby at my side I must string together the clues and solve Stan’s murder before the killer gives an encore performance.

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

My friend Zee is innocent. I know it. I have to help. It doesn’t seem like the police are helping her.

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

No, I never did. Even though I used to work at a women’s shelter, I have never been involved in a murder investigation until I moved to Indigo Gap.

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

I run a craft retreat and I’m a craft blogger. As to who’s least happy about my sleuthing, that would be a toss up between the local police and my boyfriend Adrian.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I’m a people pleaser, which I think is a good and bad  trait. I want to help, but sometimes people  take advantage and I get myself into trouble. I’m creative and love to craft and write, but am not so good with details, like paying the bills and making things add up in the books!

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

Being able to rely on yourself, know that you can handle just about any situation. Also, part of being confident and strong is being vulnerable at times. Showing vulnerability is not a weakness.

What one advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Listen to that little voice inside of you and act on it.

What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

People can fool you—and themselves.

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat?

I’ve hung up my hat—for now!

SRP Heroine Interview: Carrie Singleton from Read and Gone

Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life? 

Recently, my life has been just about perfect. I love being the Clover Ridge Library’s head of programs and events. I have a great boyfriend and wonderful friends. And then my father, whom I haven’t seen in years and happens to be a thief, shows up at my cottage wanting me to help him get his half of a heist of gems from his crooked partner. As if I would ever do anything like that!

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

When my father’s partner-in-crime is found murdered, my father becomes suspect number one. Now crooked as his is, my father is no murderer and I feel obliged to clear his name. I must find those gems before my father or any of the several people searching for them finds them.

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

Yes, actually, since I helped solve a cold case and a recent murder in my community a few months ago.

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

I’d say Lieutenant John Mathers, the police chief of Clover Ridge Police Department, would rather I didn’t get involved in his cases. John is a good friend of my Uncle Bosco and he worries about my safety.

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

Some of us have grown up in a dysfunctional family as I did, but that’s no reason to let it interfere with having a wonderful, worthwhile rest of your life. Try not to be bitter; allow yourself to have loving, caring relationships. Unless it would be toxic to let a family member back into your life, be willing to give this person another chance if he/she has changed.

What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

I realized how much I love my father. Growing up, I was very hurt because he was never around, even when he wasn’t in jail. Spending time with him as an adult, I saw that he loves me and shows it as best he can. Much as I’d like it, I cannot expect him to behave like a typical father.

If your story or life had a theme song, what would it be?

You Can’t Choose the Members of Your Family

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat?

I intend to continue sleuthing when the need arises. To be perfectly honest, I LOVE sleuthing. It’s challenging and exciting!

 

 

 

 

SRP Heroine Review: Alex “Red” Vlodnachek from Confessions of a Red Herring

Welcome, Red. Thank you so much for visiting us at The Self-Rescue Princess. Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life? 

I’m Alex Vlodnachek. My best friend, Trip, calls me “Red.” I was a reporter for a D.C. metro daily for a dozen years. Then I followed a higher paycheck to a boutique P.R. firm. Big mistake.

Short version: Boss is a sociopathic slime ball. Big public row with boss. Framed for boss’s murder.

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

Honestly, at this point, I feel like crime is fighting me.

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing?

That’s a toss up between my grandmother (Baba) and the killer. Neither one is very happy I’m trying to out a murderer.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Probably that I don’t stop to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses. Face it, if I had that kind of mindset, I’d have never gotten into this mess.

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

Discovering who really killed my boss. Not for any altruistic motive, like “truth” or “justice,” either. I’m doing this for my own survival. Try finding a new job when you practically have “murder suspect” stamped on your forehead.

What one piece of advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Eat more chocolate.

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat?

Trouble has a way of following me. Just recently, I took an evening to attend a glamorous cocktail party at the B&B across the street. I was thinking it would be fun. You know, put on a nice dress and enjoy a glass of champagne, a little small talk, a few canapés. Instead, I got pulled into a missing person’s case. And that was before I found a body.

 

Dana Dratch is the author of CONFESSIONS OF A RED HERRING. A former newspaper reporter and current personal finance writer, she’s currently writing the sequel, SEEING RED — which has Alex, Trip, rescue-pup Lucy, and the whole crazy Vlodnachek family going up against spies, art thieves, and a very determined murderer.  

Connect with her at:

Website (and blog): ConfessionsofaRedHerring.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17143743.Dana_Dratch

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/dana-dratch

Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/danadratch

 

CONFESSIONS OF A RED HERRING

As a reporter, she’s used to covering the news.

Now she’s the headline.

 

Alex Vlodnachek has been a reporter for 12 years, a P.R. rep for three months, and a murder suspect for all of 24 hours. When her agency’s double-dealing CEO is stabbed, scheming co-workers cast the new redhead as a compelling red herring. The story is media catnip—especially her salacious nickname: Vlod the Impaler.

Even Alex has to admit she looks guilty.

Out of a job and under suspicion, Alex is running low on cash, when she’s visited by a second disaster: her family. Soon her tiny bungalow is bursting with her nearest and not-so-dearest. To keep herself out of jail—and save what’s left of her sanity—Alex returns to her reporting roots. She goes undercover to reclaim her life, break the story

And unmask a murderer. Pretty much in that order.

What she doesn’t know: The killer also has a to-do list. And Alex is on it.

SRP Heroine Guest: Nora Alexander from Murder of a Good Man

Hi there.  My name is Nora Alexander coming to you from Piney Woods Texas. I came here to deliver a letter and am staying at the lovely Piney Woods Bed and Breakfast.  Piney Woods is in East Texas near the Louisiana border. When oil went bust in Texas, this town had to find a new way to survive. There is still evidence of a more thriving economy, like that run-down hotel on Main Street. Someone could really do something with that place.

What’s that you say? What’s wrong with the post office?

Not a thing, but there are some things you just have to do yourself. My mother just passed away and now I have this letter. Even though she was too sick to tell me, I think getting this letter delivered had to be one of her final wishes.  The recipient of the letter is Mr. Adam Brockwell. In our entire time together, I never heard her mention this man’s name.  Did she owe him money? Is he a relative? An old boyfriend? Whoever he was, he was important enough to be on her mind in her final days.

I haven’t delivered the letter yet, but here’s the thing. When I drove into to town today, there was a billboard that said Adam Brockwell for Piney Woods Pioneer. I’m guessing this is some sort of local honor that they bestow on a helpful citizen. He sounds like he must be a good man. Once more, I’m leaning toward the old boyfriend theory. What do you think?

Okay. My writer is bugging me to tell you to be sure to enter the giveaway for this book. You can enter below for your chance at an ecopy of Murder of a Good Man or a $20 Amazon Gift Card.

 

SRP Heroine Interview: Piper Prescott from Ginger Snapped

It’s a new year, and The Self-Rescue Princess has even more fabulous heroines for you to meet. Our first for 2018 is Piper Prescott. Welcome, Piper.

Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life.

Over the past year, my relationship with the often infuriating Chief of Police, Wyatt McBride, has mellowed into a friendship of sorts.  I’m still distracted by the darn dimple of his that makes an appearance now and again when he smiles a certain way, but I’m always secretly pleased when he pops into Spice It Up!.  Goes to show my female hormones haven’t stopped functioning yet.  Being the owner of a little spice shop here in Brandywine Creek, Georgia, keeps me on my toes.  My daughter Lindsey is a high school senior now, and she keeps me pretty busy, too, with college admission forms and things like senior prom.  In a weak moment, I even volunteered to be on the prom committee.  As though my life wasn’t full enough already, a local Realtor showed up dead recently in McBride’s fishing hole and now the whole town is regarding him as a person of interest.  How’s that for turning the tables on my favorite lawman?

What made you take on such a risky endeavor?

I don’t know what was riskier, opening my own business following a divorce or trying to solve a murder.  I only know when folks started suspecting Wyatt I couldn’t simply sit idle.  I may have had my run-ins with the man but I knew deep-down  he wasn’t a killer.

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

No way!  Brandywine Creek is no bigger than a flyspeck on a map and is post card pretty.  Sure every city has crime, but here it consists of mostly petty stuff.  Murder happens elsewhere, not in Brandywine Creek. I’m a shop owner not some fancy detective.  I’m naturally curious, like to ask a lot of questions (even the unpopular ones) and Spice It Up! has become a place where women like to gather—and gossip.  Few things I love better than fitting together the pieces of a good puzzle.

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing?

Just about everyone I know casts aspersions on my avocation, but if I had to pick three people here goes:  Chief of Police, Wyatt McBride tops my list.  McBride’s given me more lectures than I can count on the pitfalls of playing amateur sleuth.  They all boils down to him telling me that I should mind my own business and leave the crime solving to the pros. He’s been especially testy since getting shot during a showdown I had with a former hitman. Next on my list would be my ex-husband, C.J. Prescott.  He thinks I’ve completely lost my marbles and doesn’t mince words.  Coming in third would be my daughter, Lindsey Nicole.  After some of my escapades, she had the nerve to tell me that I’m the troublemaker in the family and in need of a curfew.  Imagine!

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Stubbornness can be both a curse and a blessing.  I persist in finding answers to vexing questions when another might take a step back and let things go.  It’s also lead me into some pretty dicey situations.  I tend to act impulsively on occasion and become a risk taker, often to my detriment.