An Interview with Alan Barker

The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!

Hi Alan,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

It’s a plot device that has been at the back of my mind for some years. I read a mystery story once by another author and when all was revealed at the end I thought, ‘what if such-and-such had happened?’ and ‘could I make that work?’ So in my story I made it happen and I think it works (fingers crossed!)

There are several sub-genres of mystery fiction, but the stories in this anthology are traditional fair-play mysteries in which the reader can try to solve the puzzle before all is revealed. What makes this kind of mystery so timeless?

I think we all like an interesting puzzle and that will never change. There’s something intriguing about having fictional characters who seem perfectly normal on the outside but, for one of them, underneath it all lurks a different type of person altogether. The worse the crime, the worse the character. Which one of these people could have committed such a heinous crime ? It sparks the imagination.

Give us one classic mystery writer you admire and one new talent (not from this anthology) readers ought to discover?

I could make a very long list of classic mystery writers I admire, but the one that stands out is John Dickson Carr, aka Carter Dickson, so-called master of the locked-room mystery. To think up so many ingenious plots during his writing career was incredible. As for new talent, I particularly like Jane Harper, whose mystery novels ‘The Dry’ and ‘The Lost Man’ are outstanding.

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

Yes, this is the first story in which DI Alec Wells has appeared. I hope to give him another murder mystery to solve in the not-too-distant future.

If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

A glass of real ale would get the little grey cells working hopefully. But only one, mind, or it could have the opposite effect!

Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?

As my wife’s memory is much better than mine, I asked her if I’d ever solved a real-life mystery, and she replied a resounding ‘No !’ but added that I’ve unintentionally caused a few! To use words from my schooldays, my comprehension was never quite as good as my composition!

How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?

For me, setting is a big part of most stories. It makes it so much easier to write if you can imagine yourself there, and should enhance the experience for readers too. Most of my story ‘Spanner in the Works’ unfolds indoors, but the opening scene at Goldsworth Park lake is very familiar to me.

What do you aim to give your readers?

Giving readers something to think about after they have finished the story is quite important. And twists and turns in a mystery story are vital, to keep the reader interested.

What are you working on now?

At present, I’m between writing stories. However, much of my time is taken up with proofreading stories for some of my author friends.

Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!

An Interview with Teel James Glenn

The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!

Hi Teel,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

I’ve worked in the film industry for decades and the interpersonal relationships on tv/movie sets are often a hyper-version of the outside world—I thought it the perfect place for a ‘cozy’ type of closed set of killers. And tapping into nostalgia seemed a natural as well.

There are several sub-genres of mystery fiction, but the stories in this anthology are traditional fair-play mysteries in which the reader can try to solve the puzzle before all is revealed. What makes this kind of mystery so timeless?

Because people love puzzles, simple as that. It is like the author is playing a game with the reader and there is a gentleman’s agreement to play fair that makes if all the more fun.

Give us one classic mystery writer you admire and one new talent (not from this anthology) readers ought to discover.

I love Lester Dent—most famous known for writing the Doc Savage novels, but did two excellent Oscar Sail mysteries in Black Mask and a number of mystery novels in the 1950s. For today, I’d have to say Art Taylor is a major proponent of fair-play short stories, though he also writes crime tales that are not mysteries as well.

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

The main character, Jon Shadows has appeared in several other short stories, two novellas and a novel ‘Killing Shadows’. They are not all puzzle-mystery tales, some are crime/adventure or Noir mysteries. He is a character that gives me chance for a wide spectrum of stories.

If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

Snappy dresser—lol. I’m all about the Fedora and trenchcoat.

Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?

The events that were the basis for my mystery novel ‘Murder Most Faire’ were based on the death of a close friend—I wrote it as both tribute to him and a way to process my grief. While his death was never ‘solved’ (some of us know it was murder but could never prove it) I DO prove it in the fictionalized book with the background of the Renaissance Faire where many of our interactions took place.

How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?

Setting is everything. If I can't put the reader in that space with my characters, I have failed in a vital part of the storytelling. With my years on TV sets, I hope I was able to place the reader solidly in my mystery.

What do you aim to give your readers?

Fun. A few minutes away from stress.

What are you working on now?

A story for a licensed, legacy hard-boiled detective anthology from the classic era of Black Mask.

Where can we find you online?

My website is: theurbanswashbuckler.com
Facebook: Teeljamesglenn
Twitter: @teeljamesglenn

Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!

Wait—why does the tea smell like bitter almonds?

An Interview with Paulene Turner

The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!

Hi Paulene,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

Mine is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche. I've long been a fan of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, and these mysteries, in my best attempt at Dr Watson's voice, are my favourite things to write.

There are several sub-genres of mystery fiction, but the stories in this anthology are traditional fair-play mysteries in which the reader can try to solve the puzzle before all is revealed. What makes this kind of mystery so timeless?

We all love mysteries, digging deep to find the truth behind the mask we wear in our lives. It's fun to have all the elements laid out and to try to interpret them through the eyes of your detective.

Give us one classic mystery writer you admire and one new talent (not from this anthology) readers ought to discover.

I love Agatha Christie, of course. And recently I read a mysterious book which I found fascinating by JP Delaney called A Perfect Wife. It combines my favourite things, a mystery, interesting structure and POV and A.I. I love stories about AI. I think we need to explore them, and think things through thoroughly in fiction before we launch them to the world.

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

No, this my second Sherlock Holmes pastiche. I particularly enjoyed this one as it features one of my favourite characters in the Baker Street pantheon...Irene Adler.

If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

Needing lots of cappuccino stops to sit and jot down my notes!

Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?

Constantly. People around us are always hiding something. We pretend everything's okay, we hold that mask up. As a writer, and a curious person, I constantly speculate as to what's behind the words.

How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?

I was in Baker Street, in the Sherlock Holmes museum and gift shop, quite recently. So, yes! And I watch all Sherlock Holmes on film and TV!

What do you aim to give your readers?

A lot of fun, intrigue, and sights and sounds and suggestion of smells emanating from Victorian London.

What are you working on now? 

I'm just about to launch my first novel, Secrets of the Nile, a YA time travel adventure set in Ancient Egypt. With five more books (already written!) to follow. I'm one busy indie writer/publisher!

Where can we find you online?

www.pauleneturnerwrites.com

Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!

Black Beacon Books: Goodreads

Black Beacon Books is an independent publishing house. What does this mean? Well, many things...for example, that we're free to make our own way and publish what we truly believe in. It also means we have a tight budget, and we can't afford to pay for costly advertising; and to be honest, that doesn't fit with what we represent anyway. We want to keep it real. We want our readers to promote us. We want you to tell the world about us. Will you? Once you've finished that Black Beacon Books title you're currently reading, go and leave a rating and review wherever you can. There are links to the Amazon and Goodreads pages for each book right here on the website. You can even follow us on our Goodreads page. Go ahead and do that right now, please, then get back to reading that book of ours! Thank you, dear reader.

An Interview with Maggie King

The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!

Hi Maggie,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

The tale of the legendary Robin Hood stealing from the rich to give to the poor has long intrigued me. Add a dollop or two of deception (more intrigue!) and the result is Keep Your Friends Close. Over lattes in a Richmond, Virginia coffee shop, two women join forces to solve the mystery of who killed their friend. As they consider various suspects, motives, and opportunities, what at first seems to be a simple discussion turns into a tangle of secrets, scandals, and betrayals.

There are several sub-genres of mystery fiction, but the stories in this anthology are traditional fair-play mysteries in which the reader can try to solve the puzzle before all is revealed. What makes this kind of mystery so timeless?

Mystery readers have a strong sense of justice and expect the killer, or killers, to be hunted down and punished. Solving the crime along with the detective lets the reader be part of the action—but without leaving the safety of a comfy armchair.

Give us one classic mystery writer you admire and one new talent (not from this anthology) readers ought to discover.

There are so many from both categories. James M. Cain comes immediately to mind for the classic writer. He penned great stories (The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, and Mildred Pierce) that became great movies. 

While not a new talent, Marcia Muller is contemporary. I’ve been reading her Sharon McCone series for several years.

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

Yes, it is. I can’t elaborate, as revealing anything about the protagonist at this point would give too much away.

If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

My signature fashion item would be a hat. As a busy detective I wouldn’t have time to worry about bad hair days. I could eavesdrop and do surveillance work behind a wide-brimmed hat. For undercover work at special occasions (like coronations), I’d show up with one of those oversized, elegant hats the British women wear.

Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?

Not one that involved a murder! I’m not brave off the page. I keep my real-life mystery-solving to finding keys, phones, glasses, and the like. Recently, I’ve became adept at hunting down left-behind water bottles.

How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?

The importance of setting depends on the story. The location for Keep Your Friends Close could be anywhere, at any time of year. Still, readers want a sense of the immediate surroundings in a story, so I described the decor of Zorro’s coffee shop in Richmond, Virginia’s Fan District. Clothing styles and wilting plants hint of a hot and steamy July day in Virginia. Zorro’s is fictional, but it’s based on a real place in the area that, unfortunately, is no longer in business.

What do you aim to give your readers?

Entertainment, challenge, and a surprise ending!

What are you working on now?

#4 in my Hazel Rose Book Group series.

Where can we find you online?

Website: http://www.maggieking.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaggieKingAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormaggieking/

Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!

An Interview with Yvonne Ventresca

The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!

Hi Yvonne,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

In this #MeToo-centered story, I wanted to explore how the ideas of truth and justice could potentially be at odds with each other.

If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

I would always be carrying a good book.

Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?

No, but when we were younger, my brother and I prevented a neighbor’s house from being robbed by spotting the intruder. The person ran away and was never caught.

How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?

I use real settings as inspiration, even if some details are fictionalized. Using an actual place helps ground the story for me as a writer. The setting for Justice for Jaynie is the suburban New Jersey town where I live.

What do you aim to give your readers?

I love to lose myself in a good story, and I hope to provide the same escape for other readers.

What are you working on now? 

Promoting my novels, Pandemic (written pre-COVID) and Black Flowers, White Lies (a psychological thriller), as well as revising my current project, a novel told in verse.

Where can we find you online?

At yvonneventresca.com, where I blog about productivity and writing, and on social
media @YvonneVentresca. 

https://www.facebook.com/YvonneVentrescaAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/yvonneventresca/

https://www.pinterest.com/yvonneventresca/

https://twitter.com/YvonneVentresca

Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!

An Interview with Josh Pachter

The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!

Hi Josh,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

My wife Laurie and I are avid travelers, and when we return from our trips I usually write a story set in one of the places we visited. In 2017, we spent a month in Iceland, The Netherlands, and Belgium, and two stories resulted: “The Secret Lagoon,” set in Iceland, appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine in 2019, and “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Murder” beat it into print by a year, appearing in the 2018 Malice Domestic anthology, Mystery Most Geographical. I should note that I love peppering my fiction with Easter eggs, those hidden “in jokes” that most people will miss but that will bring a smile to the faces of those who do manage to spot them. There are a couple of Easter eggs in “If It’s Tuesday” that American and British readers are unlikely to pick up on, but that fit the story’s Belgian setting. Inspector Bavo Van Laerhoven is named after two Flemish crime writers I’ve translated for EQMM’s regular “Passport to Crime” department: Bavo Dhooge and Bob Van Laerhoven. And the Auberge Dehouck is named after Bram Dehouck, another Flemish author.

There are several sub-genres of mystery fiction, but the stories in this anthology are traditional fair-play mysteries in which the reader can try to solve the puzzle before all is revealed. What makes this kind of mystery so timeless?

I have a sneaking suspicion that most people are afraid they’re not as intelligent as they think they ought to be. That’s why we like crossword puzzles and fair-play mysteries: because they are, ultimately, win/win propositions for us. If we solve them successfully, then we get the thrill of proving ourselves smarter than we were concerned we might be. And if we fail, well, at least we get to be right about our own limitations!

Give us one classic mystery writer you admire and one new talent (not from this anthology) readers ought to discover.

I am a big fan of Ellery Queen. It was Fred Dannay — who with his cousin Manny Lee was “Ellery Queen” — who encouraged me to write my first crime story…and who then purchased it and many more for EQMM. I love reading and rereading the EQ novels and short stories. I co-edited both The Misadventures of Ellery Queen and The Further Misadventures of Ellery Queen for Wildside Press. And a couple of years ago the Dannay and Lee heirs kindly granted me permission to write five new “Puzzle Club” stories to bookend the original five written by EQ in the ’Sixties and ’Seventies; my five were published individually in EQMM and all ten of the stories were collected last year in The Adventures of the Puzzle Club (Crippen & Landru).

If you’re a fan of the traditional fair-play mystery and you haven’t yet discovered Tom Mead, do yourself a favor and check out his delicious Death and the Sorcerer. (A sequel, The Murder Wheel, is due out this fall.)

How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?

Setting is extremely important to me, and I have set my stories in many places — often but not always places I’ve visited. Want to see? Click here.

What are you working on now?

I’m reading final proofs for my sixth “inspired by” anthology (Happiness Is a Warm Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the Beatles, coming this fall from Down and Out Books) and my first-ever novel (Dutch T(h)reat, also coming this fall but from Genius Books).

Where can we find you online?

I’m on Facebook, and I have a website: joshpachter.com

An Interview with Cameron Trost

The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!

Hi Cameron,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

It really is a tricky question because The Impossible Theft is a locked-room mystery and the idea came from the solution. What I can say is that I was lying in bed thinking up original ideas for a story when a particular object caught my eye. By the way, there's a clue in that last sentence...and that's all I'm going to say.

There are several sub-genres of mystery fiction, but the stories in this anthology are traditional fair-play mysteries in which the reader can try to solve the puzzle before all is revealed. What makes this kind of mystery so timeless?

The armchair detectives out there know the answer. We don't just want to read a story, letting the narrative drag us along. We need a puzzle and the means to solve it. We need the satisfaction of working it out before the detective gives us the solution, or to kick ourselves if the mystery is so clever we miss the mark.

Give us one classic mystery writer you admire and one new talent (not from this anthology) readers ought to discover.

There are so many but I'd like to name a couple of authors I don't think other contributors are likely to pick. For the classic mystery writer, I suspect a lot of fans of the genre haven't read Harry Kemelman's work. The Man on the Ladder is a wonderful short puzzle. I'd recommend his collection, The Nine Mile Walk – 1947. As for new talent not from this anthology...hmm, well, not sure she qualifies as "new" talent, but a contemporary mystery writer who deserves more attention is Anna Scotti. Will she have mystery in The Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery? I'd like to think so!

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

Oscar Tremont, Investigator of the Strange and Inexplicable has already solved mysteries in Australia and in his new home; Brittany. You can find him right here on this website.

If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

I'd probably be eerily similar to Oscar. Funny that, isn't it? A dram of fine single malt would help get the cogs turning in my head.

Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?

My sister and I founded the Eagle Eyes Detective Agency as kids. The result of too much Encyclopedia Brown. We rode around our neighbourhood in Brisbane, Australia, on our bikes looking for mysteries to solve. We spotted some broken glass on the road once but never figured out what had happened.

How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?

Setting is critical. Now living in Brittany, like me, Oscar Tremont solves mysteries with a distinctly Breton flavour. In many cases, local culture, landscape, and legend is at the heart of the puzzle. Le Croisic, where this mystery is set, is just down the road from where I live and it's a must-visit for anyone travelling through my corner of Brittany. Follow me on Instagram for a peek at the countryside and towns here. https://www.instagram.com/camerontrost_author/

What do you aim to give your readers?

Original mysteries with a dash of quirkiness, atmosphere, and a puzzle for them to solve. Oh, and I want them to fall in love with Oscar Tremont, of course.

What are you working on now?

I'm finishing the first draft of the first Oscar Tremont novel. More news soon!

Where can we find you online? 

Almost everywhere, though I'm more active on Facebook and Twitter than other platforms. My full links are here: https://linktr.ee/camerontrost My website is https://camerontrost.com

Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!

Dark Reflections: A Collection by Paul Kane

Our tenth anniversary year is set to be our biggest yet. We published Tales from the Ruins, our first post-apocalyptic anthology, in February, The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released in July, we're currently taking novel submissions, and we will be opening a submissions window for The Black Beacon Book of Ghost Stories later on. As if all that isn't enough, we can now announce that we're closing the year with a very special release...

Black Beacon Books is proud to inform you that in December we will be publishing the latest collection from one of Britain's most talented and prolific dark fiction authors, Paul Kane. Dark Reflections is a showcase of Paul's short fiction paying homage to his literary influences, including M.R. James, Charles Dickens, William Hope Hodgson, H.P. Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Edgar Allan Poe.

We'll share more delicious details over the summer, including the reveal of the cover by Greg Chapman and a peek at the foreword by the legendary Kim Newman. In the meantime, if you've been living under a rock (one somehow bigger than Uluru) and haven't yet come across Paul's work, you can learn more about him at https://www.shadow-writer.co.uk/

 

An Interview with Edward Lodi

The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!

Hi Edward,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

I got the idea from a passing reference, in a book of nonfiction, on a tried-and-true but now forgotten (unless my story sparks new interest) way to commit murder.

There are several sub-genres of mystery fiction, but the stories in this anthology are traditional fair-play mysteries in which the reader can try to solve the puzzle before all is revealed. What makes this kind of mystery so timeless?

Who doesn’t enjoy a puzzle along with a challenge?

Give us one classic mystery writer you admire and one new talent (not from this anthology) readers ought to discover.

E. C. R. Lorac (Edith Caroline Rivett, 1894-1958). As for new talent, there are too many I could mention, so I’ll play it safe and give this one a pass.

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

No. Lena has appeared in a series of six Cranberry Country Mystery novels, beginning with Marmalade and Murder. ‘Lurking in the Shadows’ is her first short story.

If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

A fondness for, and over indulgence in, fine wines.

Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?

No. I still can’t locate my keys.

How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?

Setting is very important. I try to include as much local color in my mystery and horror fiction as is possible. I grew up on the cranberry bogs of Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts. From the age of thirteen until thirty I worked on weekends, and during school vacations, including summers, from high school through grad school, and afterwards when I was teaching. I’ve got cranberry juice in my veins. Or is it ditch water?

What do you aim to give your readers?

Entertainment, and information if I can work it in.

What are you working on now?

A short mystery story set in 17-century New England.

Where can we find you online? 

Hiding.

Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!

This tea tastes funny. 

Poppycock...there's nothing wrong with it. Drink up!