Friday, May 16, 2014

Book Tour {Interview & $50 Giveaway} Fifty Shades of Greyhound by Sparkle Abbey


Fifty Shades of Greyhound by
Cozy Mystery
205 Pages
Synopsis

It was a killer party.

Caro Lamont, Laguna Beach’s favorite pet therapist is thrilled to support the elite fundraising gala for Greys Matter, a SoCal greyhound rescue group. All the guests in the couture-attired crowd are clad in varying shades of grey, the champagne and donations are flowing, and there are fifty gorgeous greyhounds in attendance. But before the evening ends a stranger in their midst is dead.

Caro sets out to help the rescue group find out the identity of the mystery guest, but soon finds herself in the doghouse with homicide detective, Judd Malone. And federal agent, John Milner. When there’s a second death, Caro is convinced she’s on the track of someone who wants a secret to stay buried, but it’s a race to see whether Caro can uncover the truth before the killer decides she’s next up.

Full of adorable pampered pets, the story re-visits lovely Laguna Beach, and some of the colorful characters readers have come to love in previous titles: Desperate Housedogs, Get Fluffy, Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, and Yip/Tuck.


About The Author

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They write the popular pet mystery series which features whodunits set in the wacky world of pampered pets, precious pedigrees, and secrets. The first book in the series Desperate Housedogs, an Amazon mystery series bestseller and Barnes & Noble Nook #1 national bestseller, was followed by Get Fluffy, Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, and Yip/Tuck.  Fifty Shades of Greyhound is the latest installment.

Interview

Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Hi, Kelly. You’ve probably already noticed there are two of us. J So sometimes we’ll answer your questions separately and other times jointly. Hope that’s okay.

Mary Lee (ML)  – I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Books were such a big part of my growing up and so I couldn’t imagine anything better than being able to create a story and share it. However, it took me a while to realize I wanted to write for publication.

Anita – I’ve always been a storyteller, whether just recounting the happenings of the day (even then I suffered from too much backstory), poems (which were terrible), break up songs (equally awful) or stories. But the thought of calling myself a writer didn’t come until much later in life.

At what age did you discover your love of writing?
ML – I think I loved stories from birth. LOL But as far as writing goes, I was probably in elementary school when I realized the joy of words on paper.

Anita – Fifth grade. One of our assignments was to write a book. We even made covers.  I loved everything about it.

What was the first story that you wrote?
ML - It involved a cat (go figure, huh) that was lost.

Anita – The Adventures of Floppy. It was about a runaway bunny.

When were you first published? How were you discovered?
ML – I was published years ago in non-fiction and self-published a book about growing up in Madison County, but my first published fiction was this series.

Anita – The Pampered Pets Mystery series is the first work I’ve had published.

We pitched this idea to Debra Dixon from Bell Bridge Books at a writing workshop. Actually more of a conversation than a pitch. She loved the premise (and the titles) and asked us to submit to them which we did and they offered us a four-book contract for the series. The series has done well, and Fifty Shades of Greyhound is Book 5.

What is the most difficult part of the whole writing process?
For both of us, the first draft is the most difficult part. We are both “plotters” so we plan out the storyline. Going through that process is essential because of the way we collaborate on the series. Then we start the first draft and once that’s done, we begin polishing. That’s the fun part!

What do you like to read?
We both read mainly mysteries or suspense.  Our favorite books are mysteries that mix in humor such as the Laura Levine, Jaine Austen, mysteries.  As far as non-fiction we also like biographies. People are fascinating.

Where can people learn more about you?
To learn more about us, check out our website: www.SparkleAbbey.com We post updates frequently. We’re also very active on Facebook www.facebook.com/sparkleabbey and Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/sparkleabbey.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?
Well, a little bit more about the two of us: We are friends and neighbors who live just a block from each other. ML is a native Iowan, Anita is originally from California. And if you’d like to hear about how we came up with the idea for the series, check out our confession on YouTube: http://youtu.be/MaYQ-hL0z2Q


Please tell us in 20 words or less, why we should read your book.
Need a break from the stress of the day? Need a mini-vacation? This is the book for you!

What inspired you to write this book?
When we pitched this book (Fifty Shades of Greyhound) to our publisher, all we had was the title and the germ of an idea. As we looked at the world of Greyhound rescue, these sweet dogs clearly became the inspiration for the book. They are elegant, fast, sweet-natured and known in dog circles as the forty mile-per-hour couch potato.  Readers who enjoy a whodunit with a twist of humor will find the Pampered Pets books right up their alley.

Author Links


Purchase Links

***Giveaway***
a Rafflecopter giveaway

No comments:

Post a Comment