Interview with MaryAnn Kempher, Author of Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder

For many years, MaryAnn Kempher lived in Reno Nevada where most of her stories are set. Her books are an entertaining mix of mystery and humor. She lives in the Tampa Florida area with her husband, two children, and a very snooty Chorkie.

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Did you like mysteries when you were growing up?

Yes, absolutely.

What was the first story in that genre that you wrote?

Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder, book one of a seven book series. It’s considered a romantic suspense, but I think romantic/comedy with a touch of mystery is more accurate description. Books two through seven are mysteries with little to no romance, but a lot of humor.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

With Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder, my favorite part to write was the dialogue between the two main characters. For the mystery element of my writing, I like giving clues, but also red herrings. I love when my readers say they thought they’d figured out who the killer was, but were wrong.

What do you find most difficult about writing in this genre?

Writing the middle of the book. Usually, the beginning and ending write themselves, but the middle—getting from A to C, always gives me grief.

Is there an author in this genre, mystery, that you admire most?

I’ve always been a fan of Agatha Christie; Hercule Poirot is my favorite literary character.

What is up next for you?

I just published my seventh book, so I’m taking a short break. After my break, I’ll start writing a new series. Sort of a spin-off, with two very beloved characters from the first series.

Do you have anything to add?

My books can be read out of order, but I don’t recommend it. Most of the characters from book one are in all the books, so they become like family.

About the Book:

Title: MOCHA, MOONLIGHT AND MURDER
Author: MaryAnn Kempher
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 248
Genre: Romance Mystery

One night, 28-year-old, Katherine O’Brian, decides to walk to an all-night diner. The only problem? It’s midnight, but Katherine lives in Reno Nevada, a city that never sleeps; she can clearly see the diner’s lights in the distance. It’s no big deal, until she passes someone’s garage where a man is loading a dead body into the trunk of his car.

And now, she’s in trouble. She outran the man that night, and while she has no idea who he is, he knows who she is. And he wants her dead.

As if attempts on her life weren’t stressful enough, Katherine has gone back to college. She’s determined to finally finish her degree, but her lab partner is driving her crazy. He’s hot, but annoying. And she’s not sure which she wants more—a night of mad, passionate sex or a new lab partner. It varies from day to day.

Will Katherine give in to her lust for her partner or will she give in to her desire to throttle him? If she’s in the ground before graduation, it won’t matter.

Not your typical romance, not your typical mystery.

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Amazon → https://amzn.to/2OkHlii

interview with Cy Wyss, Author of An Eye for a Lie

Cy Wyss is a writer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has a Ph.D. in computer science and her day job involves wrangling and analyzing genetic data. Cy is the author of three full-length novels as well as a collection of short stories and the owner and chief editor of Nighttime Dog Press, LLC.

Before studying computer science, Cy obtained her undergraduate degree in mathematics and English literature as well as masters-level degrees in philosophy and artificial intelligence. She studied overseas for three years in the UK, although she never managed to develop a British accent.

Cy currently resides in Indianapolis with her husband, daughter, and two obstreperous but lovable felines. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, and walking 5k races to benefit charity.

Catch Up With Cy Wyss On:

cywyss.com , Goodreads , BookBub , Twitter , and Facebook !

Did you like mysteries growing up?

I think I like mysteries because my father liked mysteries. He used to read me Nancy Drew books before bed, and he introduced me to Hercule Poirot and Miss. Marple. He was definitely a mystery buff and that rubbed off on me.

What is the first mystery story you wrote, whether published or unpublished?

My first story was more of an action-adventure: Cathy and Melanie go to the Artic. It was about my best friend’s and my journey to a snow-filled wasteland where we got threatened by polar bears. At the time, I was reading the Miss Pickerel novels. They do have elements of mystery, but are more straight up adventure.

What is your favorite part of writing mysteries?

I love putting together a group of characters with secrets and dark pasts and just watching them interact. Someone is going to be murdered, and someone will be the killer, but I often don’t know who when I first make the cast of the book. Or, I might start with a trope, such as a love triangle, and see how far I can push the characters until one of them breaks and kills another. One thing about mysteries is that the books usually start with the murder, so all the action is in the past. For the detective, it is all about figuring out who the characters really are, which then leads to knowing what they likely did.

Is there a mystery author you most admire?

Agatha Christie is always the mystery author I think of first. Her style is direct and straightforward and her characters idiosyncratic and distinctly memorable. Actually, growing up, the author who most impacted my style was probably Arthur Conan Doyle. I read and studied all the Sherlock Holmes novels ad nauseum, and I’m sure that’s part of the reason I find myself creating super-perceptive male heroes, and why I end up telling their story from a viewpoint that is not their own. A character can be as overconfident as he wants to be, as long as you tell about his greatness from a secondary character. A character espousing their own greatness is a no-go.

What is up next for you?

I plan to release at least two more mysteries in 2019: the second and third books in my Eyeshine series about an investigative photojournalist who turns into a cat overnight. It is a really fun premise. If there’s enough interest in Inspector Richter, I’d like to do a sequel where we see them in Washington.

Do you have anything to add?

Just a couple of things. First off, I have monthly giveaways that newsletter recipients can win, so be sure to sign up at https://www.cywyss.com. Also, thanks very much for having me!

From My TBR Pile: The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

There's a serial killer on the loose, bent on working his way through the alphabet. And as a macabre calling card he leaves beside each victim's corpe the ABC Railway Guide open at the name of the town where the murder has taken place. Having begun with Andover, Bexhill and then Churston, there seems little chance of the murderer being caught - until he makes the crucial and vain mistake of challenging Hercule Poirot to frustrate his plans.

Series: Poirot (Book 13)
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins; Masterpiece Ed edition (June 4, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0007119291
ISBN-13: 978-0007119295

Order here!