Coastal Playhouse Mysteries #1
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Archer Mysteries
Date Published: July 9, 2019
ROMEO, ROMEO, WHEREFORTH ART THOU?
Acting jobs are scarce now for former TV teen detective Antigone Alden. So when a teaching position opens up at Southern Coastal University, Tig packs up her teenage daughter and heads home to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The house she inherited from her mother isn't entirely empty, however. Her mom seems stuck between this life and the next, and now Tig is a local reporter's prime suspect in the murder of the former theater professor. Given his reputation as ladies' man, there are plenty of people with a motive.
Tig isn't a detective. She just played one on TV. Will that be enough to help her find the killer?
Interview with Jessa Archer
First, thanks so much for having me at The
Avid Reader! I’ve been holed up in my office for the past few months, and
I’ve missed chatting with people who love books as much as I do.
As
a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Oh, this is a tough one, and it changes
depending on my stage in the writing process. Right now, I’m a mother seagull.
I’ve got all these baby mystery-chicks that I’ve been hatching for years, and
now it’s time for them to spread their wings, and (hopefully) fly. All I can do
at this point is watch them take off and head toward the ocean. And begin
hatching more mystery-chicks, of course.
How many hours a day do
you put into your writing?
It’s a full-time job. I’m a bit of a
workaholic. I spent a good fifteen hours a week writing when I was working
fulltime and writing was just a hobby I shared with a few friends. Now that I’m
focusing on writing as my new career, I spend six to eight hours a day writing
and editing, and another few hours on various marketing tasks.
Do you read your book
reviews? If yes, do they affect what you write in the future?
Occasionally, one catches my eye and I’ll read
it. Generally speaking, though, I steer clear. I write the stories I love, and
I write a fairly wide array of mysteries. Not all of my books will appeal to
everyone. There will be some who love them all, and others who simply find my
books not to be their cup of tea. And that’s okay. I’ve been a voracious reader
all my life, and there are some perfectly wonderful writers who simply don’t
appeal to me. There are other writers I stalk like a hungry lion and pre-order
the second a new book is available. So I try not to take reviews personally.
Do you leave hidden
messages in your books that only a few people will find?
There are definitely a few in-jokes, usually
dealing with pop culture. People who know me personally or who are regular
readers may catch them, but others probably won’t.
Can you tell us a little
bit about the characters in Curtains for Romeo?
This is the first full-length book in my new
Coastal Playhouse series, although I’ve had a free mini-mystery, The Phantom
of the Opal, out for a few weeks to introduce the characters. The story
revolves around Antigone “Tig” Alden, who played a teen detective on TV years
ago, and her daughter Paige. After the death of Tig’s mother, the two return to
the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where Tig takes a job as an assistant theater
professor and, during the summers, manages a local melodrama theater. Tig is
curious by nature and having played a detective for years, it’s always tempting
for her to slip back into that role, even if it often lands her in trouble.
While there’s definitely some romance in this series, the stories revolve
primarily around the relationship between Tig and her daughter, and also
between Tig and her own mother, Caroline---she might be dead, but it turns out
that she’s not entirely gone.
Can you tell us a little
bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I have a very busy summer and autumn planned!
The next two books in the Coastal Playhouse series will be out by the end of
the summer, along with my new Hand Lettering series and more Legal Beagle
books. I’ll also be launching the Canterbury Golf Club series in September and
two new series set to launch in the fall. Plus, I have an idea for several
holiday-themed stories, including a tale featuring the characters from my first
series, the Thistlewood Star Mysteries.
Do you allow yourself a
certain number of hours to write or do you write as long as the words come?
As long as the characters continue talking to
me, I keep writing, even if that means working into the wee hours of the morning.
If they stop before I’m ready to quit for the day and snuggle up with a book
and my menagerie of pets, I either handle some marketing tasks, clean my house,
or turn to another set of characters. That’s the great advantage of working on
multiple series at the same time. It can be a little chaotic at times, but if
I’m not “feeling” one story, I have the option of shifting over to another
one.
Do you have a certain
number of words or pages you write per day?
I don’t have a set minimum. It usually surges
as I approach a deadline. And I’m perfectly willing to take a mental health day
now and then, to pop on the headphones and listen to a book or music, while I
walk on the beach or simply hang out in the hammock. The great thing about
being a full-time writer is that reading is part of the job. How cool is that?
What inspires you to
write?
Anything and everything. Ideas pop into my
head at the oddest moments, usually when I’m about to drift off to sleep. Or
driving to visit friends and family.
Would you rather
Read fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction. It’s not even
close. I read enough non-fiction in my previous career(s). When I read, I want
to escape.
Read series or stand-alone?
Usually, I prefer
series. I want to get to know everything about the characters and the location,
and that’s hard to do in a single book.
Read Science fiction or horror?
Depends on my mood.
I’m not a fan of “hard” science fiction, but I do enjoy a good time-travel or
light sci-fi read from time to time. And blood really puts me off, but a story
that terrifies me without spewing arteries is right up my alley.
Read Stephen King or Dean Koontz
I’ve enjoyed stories
by both, but I’d have to go with Stephen King, although sometimes he goes a bit
too far with the gore. He’s a master at creating characters, however.
Read the book or watch the movie?
Read the
book...although there are a few exceptions. And if it’s an extended series
instead of a movie, it becomes a slightly closer call.
Read an ebook or paperback?
I’m going to have to
waffle again. I love, love, love e-books for their convenience, but there’s
nothing like the smell of a book. And I would add a third option--audiobooks.
They let me read while cleaning the house, while in the shower, and while
driving.
Be trapped alone for one month in a library with no computer or a
room with a computer and Wi-Fi only?
Tough choice. I’ll go
for the latter because it would allow me to read and write.
Do a cross-country book store tour or blog tour online?
Either, but the advantage
of the online option is that I don’t have to line up friends to housesit and
tend to my menagerie of pets. Most of them are rescues, and I hate to stress
them out by putting them in a kennel or leaving them with strangers. So while I
love to travel, I stick close to home most of the time these days.
About the author:
Jessa Archer writes sweet, funny, warm-hearted cozy mysteries because she loves a good puzzle and can't stand the sight of blood. Her characters are witty, adventurous, and crafty in the nicest way. You'll find her sleuths hand lettering inspirational quotes, trying to lower golf handicaps, enjoying a scone at a favorite teashop, knitting a sweater, or showing off a dramatic side in local theater.
Jessa's done many things in her long career, including a stint as a journalist and practicing law. But her favorite job is spinning mysteries. She loves playing small-town sleuth and transporting readers to a world where the scones are delicious, wine pairs with hand lettering, and justice always prevails.
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4 comments:
Thanks for hosting - RABT Book Tours
This sounds really interesting, thank you for sharing
Great interview, thanks for sharing!
Sounds like an interesting book - I like the whole going back home and inheriting her mom's home theme
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