Author Lorena McCourtney Brings the Cozy Mysteries!

 Cozy up, readers I've a really special author for you. An author dear to my heart. I've fully enjoyed her Ivy Malone books and highly recommend all of them. This woman is Ivy Malone in flesh (at least I think so, wink.) With any Mac n' Ivy Mysteries up for grabs for this weeks giveaway, welcome, author Lorena McCourtney!

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PT: Welcome to a new year and to The Diamond Mine of Christian Fiction, Lorena. Tell the readers how you became a writer. Did you start young? Start later in life? And why?

LM: I started young, about 6^th grade, I think. Horse stories, of course. I was one of those “horse crazy” girls. My mother was a writer and helped me send the stories to some children’s magazines. The magazines, however, were not impressed with my youthful “talent,” and sent them right back. I sold a few agricultural articles while I was in college (my major was animal husbandry and I had in mind writing in that field) but that ambition floundered and I didn’t write for several years after college. I was busy getting married and raising a toddler, and by the time I did return to writing I knew I wanted to write fiction

PT: How did you get into writing cozy mysteries? Did you start with a different genre?

LM: I started writing with short stories for children for the Sunday School publications. (Are there still Sunday School papers?) Then I wrote some 150 stories for confession magazines. Remember confessions? Lurid titles but the actual stories were more of the good-girl-done-wrong-and-learned-her-lesson type. When I turned to book lengths, I originally wrote romances. Then I threw a murder into one and realized I liked doing a story with mystery. From there, I naturally gravitated to cozies because I’m not fond of gore and serial killers.

PT: You have some of the most interesting similes when you write. Like “sizzled like a downed electric wire.” (From That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles) How do you devise such interesting ones?

Click pic for purchase link.

 LM: I’m not sure. That’s just the way my mind works!

PT Haha! Well, I sure like those similes. Now, let’s dig into your character Ivy Malone. Would you say she’s a bit like you or completely fictional?

LM: I think there’s a little of me in many of the characters I’ve written. (The latest Mac ‘n’ Ivy mystery is my 51^st published book, so there have been many characters over the years.) But there’s more of me in Ivy than in any of those other characters. Ivy feels she has aged into invisibility, that people just don’t see her any more, and I’ve certainly felt that way!  Ivy is, however, more adventurous than I am. And, though Ivy keeps running into dead bodies and murder, that isn’t something I’ve ever personally done (thankfully!).

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PT: I definitely feel like I’m developing that LOL (little old lady) invisibility that Ivy has. Since Ivy  (and Mac) travel around in a RV most of the time, did this idea of living in an RV come from experience, a wishful dream, or just plain research?

LM: We never lived full-time in a motorhome, as Ivy and Mac do, but we have traveled in various RVs, from a truck-mounted camper to various sizes of travel trailers to several different motorhomes. Fun!

PT: Let’s get to The Tunnel of Doom. How did you come up with the plot and setting?

LM: I wanted to do a setting near home, and Mt. Shasta is only a few hours’ drive from where we live in southern Oregon. The plot just evolved from the setting.

PT: Do you have a particular time/place that you write?

LM: I have a home office, where I can spread out whatever I’m working on and not have to put my mess away at night. I’ve always considered writing a job so I just got up in the morning and went to my office to work. If I waited for the muse to strike before I started writing I’d probably still be muddling around with my first book! (However, these days, as I’m into Ivy’s senior age, I get started later in the day with writing and quit earlier.)

PT: What Bible verse is your current favorite?

LM: Phillipians 4:6 (NIV edition) is a long-time favorite: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

PT: Do your books cycle around a certain Bible verse/theme?

LM: A general foundation of all the Ivy books is, although it may not be exactly in the style or form that you’d prefer, God will take care of you and is always present.

PT: Give me 5 things fast about Lorena McCourtney that have nothing to do with writing.

LM:

1.     I love to travel, but I’ve lived in Southern Oregon for almost 65 years and think it’s the greatest place to call home.

2.     One place to which I’ve always wanted to travel is Ayer’s Rock (also named Uluru)in Australia.

3.     I collect old spurs and pocket knives.

4.     I make a great cheesecake, but grilling steak is not one of my talents.

5.     I’m short (4’11’’) and mostly invisible.

 

PT: What book are you currently working on and when is it expected to release?

LM: I’m working on Book #6 in the Mac ‘n’ Ivy Mysteries series. Title is tentatively Charlie’s Secrets, and it is set in the area where I graduated from high school. Release date? Good question! When I get it done is the best I can do.

PT: Thanks so much for being with us today, Lorena! I'm looking forward to Mac n' Ivy book #6!

If you can't wait to get your hands on Lorena's books, check out these links and go crazy with that Christmas Amazon or B&N card:

Amazon e-book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDT7NFTB

Amazon paperback: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHJ5H56H 

Barnes & Noble e-book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tunnel-of-doom-lorena-mccourtney/1142306852?ean=2940186560265

Lorena is graciously giving away YOUR CHOICE of one of the Mac n' Ivy Mysteries. Here's the drill. Leave a comment (and encourage Lorena on her writing journey) and your email address. Or you can leave your email on our contact form to be entered.

Be sure to check the book giveaway tab for winners!

Multiple interview and book giveaway with Pelican authors!

Today on The Diamond Mine, I'll be interviewing more than one author, and offering a free copy of one of each of their books. To qualify for the drawing, please leave a comment on the link at the end of the interview, with your email, and you'll be entered!
First up is Kathy Neely!

Today we're focusing on her book, "Beauty For Ashes!"

How long can he hide the truth? 

His Secret was safe until he fell in 

love.

Nathan Drummond’s actions at the age of eighteen had devastating consequences. Writing became therapeutic, leading him into a successful career as a mystery writer. With seven novels to his credit, Nathan is rapidly becoming a household name. 

Family responsibilities force him to return to his home town , pushing him too close to painful memories. Although he’d intended the living situation to be temporary, Nathan didn’t count on falling in love. 
As guilt threatens a return of panic attacks, Nathan begins to write a novel paralleling the tragic event from his youthful folly. Will the novel be seen as a work of fiction, or will it expose his secret?

Hello Kathy! Welcome to the Mine. I have a few questions for you! When did you decide you wanted to write a book, and how did you get to that decision?

As an avid reader, I began writing at a time in my life when I didn’t have time to commit. I worked full time as a teacher, then later as an elementary principal while I was raising three sons. I would plug away at my manuscript then neglect it for months. Those months became years. Every now and then, I would pull it out and work on it. When retirement approached, I thought of that old, neglected manuscript. That’s when I began to take writing seriously. I joined a writing group, attended conferences, and met with two other writers weekly to critique and be critiqued. That manuscript is now my novel, The Least of These.

That's so interesting!My own pattern is similar. All my boys were grown when I started writing novels, even though I'd begun snippets of books many years earlier! 

What is your favorite genre to write, and why?

I write inspirational contemporary fiction. While I love historic fiction, and hope to write something in that genre someday, my mind continues to weave stories that are contemporary. I love to read about unconventional friendships, and that gave birth to The Street Singer. In that novel, you’ll read about the growing relationship between Trisha, a law student, and Adda, a 75 year-old street singer. I also love legal thrillers. While my novels are not that genre, you’ll find my fascination with law in The Street Singer and in Beauty for Ashes. While I wouldn’t label my novels as romance, you’ll find an element of that in each.

What do you want your readers to experience by reading your stories?

I read fiction for recreation. I want my readers to find an escape in the form of a story, one that they’ll remember long after they turn the final page. My stories reflect my Christian worldview without being preachy. My goal is to offer a clean, wholesome novel, yet one that remains authentic. 

Here’s a snippet of an e-mail from a reader regarding Beauty for Ashes. “I’m sitting in my car … Like sobbing. My. Eyes. Out!! This is a beautiful, well written story with so many layers. Guilt. Hate. Joy. Forgiveness. Wow! Very well done.” 

Authentic—that’s what I want my readers to experience.

That's wonderful! It's so gratifying to hear reader reactions like that! What do you experience when writing your stories?

I truly love writing. I can get lost in my own thoughts when planning a story. Characters become real and take on their own personality, sometimes different than I originally intended. Nathan, a novelist and the protagonist in Beauty for Ashes, describes this well. He’s explaining to Angie what writing is like for him.

Excerpt: “They are real people. I have to make myself become them. My mind lives out each scene. What would they feel? How would they react? I’m an actor playing a role, except that I have to play each role, each character. I immerse myself completely, then find words to capture it.”

Wow!! You nailed it. What a spot-on description!

So, what are you working on now?

I’m completing a novel titled True North. It’s a story about a mother’s love. After a teenage pregnancy, she gave her baby up. Twelve years later, she has another chance to be part of his life. Until the unthinkable happens. Throw in a little romance and a subtheme of astronomy.  That’s all you get. No spoiler alert.

Sounds like another great story from you! Kathy, thanks so much for being on The Diamond Mine. It's been a pleasure to host you! Okay readers, don't forget to leave a comment for Kathy at the end of the interview, using the comment link. Here's a bio, plus links for Kathy and her books:

Kathleen Neely is the author of The Street Singer, Beauty for Ashes, and The Least of These.  She is a former elementary teacher. Following her years in the classroom, she moved into administration, serving as an elementary principal. Kathleen is an alumnus of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and Regent University in Virginia. 

Among her writing accomplishments, Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions. She continues to speak to students about writing. Kathleen is a member of Association of Christian Fiction Writers.

She resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two cats, and one dog. She enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.

Beauty for Ashes purchase link: https://pbgrp.link/2Gvkr3e

Website – www.KathleenNeely.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/kathy.neely.98

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeelyKneely3628