BOOK TOUR
I'm very happy to be a stop on the
blog tour for
Stan Schatt
and his new book
MURDER AT THE RIVER BEND RETIREMENT RESORT
When a very disagreeable resident of the exclusive River Bend Retirement Resort is murdered, bestselling mystery writer Miriam Lipsky has to find the real killer to save her dear friend from prison. She finds the retirement home seethes with intrigue, passion, and jealousy. To make matters worse, it's hard to distinguish what residents actually saw from what they imagined.
Miriam finds she has to search for the killer while juggling an autistic grandson, a divorced daughter with a tendency to choose the wrong man, her best friend's overly friendly husband, and a stalker who who leaves her more and more threatening notes. To make matters worse, her rabbi who won't take no for an answer when it comes to fixing her up.
Miriam, a widow after a disastrous marriage, has given up on love. Just when she is sure that part of her life is over, someone new appears from a very unexpected place.
Murder at the River Bend Retirement Resort is a cozy mystery with a sleuth who has to learn on the job. Despite her best intentions, Miriam makes mistake after mistake and yet moves ever closer to discovering a cold blooded killer who has no remorse.
Miriam finds she has to search for the killer while juggling an autistic grandson, a divorced daughter with a tendency to choose the wrong man, her best friend's overly friendly husband, and a stalker who who leaves her more and more threatening notes. To make matters worse, her rabbi who won't take no for an answer when it comes to fixing her up.
Miriam, a widow after a disastrous marriage, has given up on love. Just when she is sure that part of her life is over, someone new appears from a very unexpected place.
Murder at the River Bend Retirement Resort is a cozy mystery with a sleuth who has to learn on the job. Despite her best intentions, Miriam makes mistake after mistake and yet moves ever closer to discovering a cold blooded killer who has no remorse.
An Interview with Stan Schatt
LKBR: Thank
you for being here today!
SS: I’m very happy to be here with you.
LKBR: When did you first know you wanted to be an
author?
SS: When I
was around twelve, I went to my school library and couldn’t find a novel that
covered what I was interested in. I went home and wrote a short novel in
cursive. In retrospect it wasn’t very good, but it certainly got me interested
in writing.
LKBR: What was your inspiration for this series?
Where did the name come from?
SS: I have
written a police procedure trilogy starting a female detective and a psychic
reporter (the Frankie and Josh series with Pen-L Publishing), and I wanted to
try my hand at a cozy mystery since I met so many people who told me they
preferred cozies. Another motivation is that I think it’s good to have an older
heroine who still winds up having a romance.
The
name of my main character (Miriam Lipsky) came out of thin air –I did want an
old-fashioned type name since she is 55. It wouldn’t fit to give her a name
like Tiffany.
LKBR: Do you ever get writer’s block? If you
do, how do you work through it?
SS: I
generally work on a couple of books (one novel and one non-fiction) at the same
time. I’ve managed to write over forty books this way. It seems to keep me from
developing writer’s block since I can change modes—writing fiction and
non-fiction are very different.
LKBR: Do you have a favorite place to do your
writing?
SS: I can
write anywhere, but mostly it’s at a desk in our study. I can write with the TV
on, people talking, etc. Nothing bothers me when I get into a zone.
LKBR: What is your writing schedule like? Do you
write a certain number of hours a day, or go by word count?
SS: I write
in bursts, generally at least some writing each day. I can write all day when I
get in a zone. The only time I have worried about word count and schedule was
when I had contracts for books while working for full-time. I had to budget my
time very carefully after work and on weekends to meet my contracts.
LKBR: What is the hardest part of writing? What
is the easiest part?
SS: Well,
with mysteries the hardest part for me is to fully develop the plot so there
are no loose ends. I want plenty of red herrings, but I also want a reader to
be able to go back after having read the book once and discover that the clues
that were overlooked would have led directly to the killer. The easiest part of
writing for me is coming up with ideas for the books. I have several files
labeled “Mystery Novel Idea” or “Science Fiction Novel Idea” or “YA Novel
Idea.” Each folder now has several ideas for future novels in it.
LKBR: Do you have plans for a new series?
SS: Perhaps.
I do have a book currently out for consideration by a publisher. If the
publisher decides to publish it, I will turn my attention to a sequel.
LKBR: What book are you reading?
SS: I just
finished Michael Connelly’s The Late Show. Since I’ve written a book about
Connelly, I have read and re-read all of his novels and short stories as well
as the articles he wrote as a crime reporter for the LA Times.
LKBR: What are three things you want your readers
to know about you?
SS: 1. I’ve done almost everything ---autopsy
assistant, English Professor, software trainer, sales manager, network manager,
law enforcement administrator, etc. My wife says she’s been married to 12
different men.
2. I’m
curious about almost everything. I’ve written books on law enforcement, poetry,
telecommunications, career changing, politics, etc. as well as novels covering
several genres including science fiction, paranormal mysteries, police
procedure mysteries, cozy mysteries, young adult adventures, etc.
3. I try to incorporate a lot my experiences in
my fiction. As an example, my wife and I traveled to Cairo, and I’ve written an
adventure describing a 14-year old girl’s experiences in that city at the time
of the Arab awakening.
LKBR: Thank you so much, Stan for letting us get
to know you better!
MY REVIEW
A
cozy mystery unlike any I have ever read, MURDER AT THE RIVER BEND RETIREMENT
RESORT was a quick paced read that was entertaining from beginning to end.
Author
Stan Schatt has developed an eclectic cast of characters. Protagonist, Miriam,
who is a mystery author, was a wonderful character I enjoyed getting to know.
Her divorced daughter, who is a handful, her grandson who has Asperger’s, the
town sheriff, Miriam’s friends, and residents of the Retirement Resort, all
make this a very original story.
The
mystery aspect was most captivating. So many questions to be answered, so many
directions it took before everything started to fall into place. It was fun to
see Miriam put her mystery writer’s mind into the investigation, and see how
different it was to her than fiction.
If you’re looking for a cozy mystery with a
different style and voice, MURDER AT THE RIVER BEND RETIREMENT RESORT is one
you should really check out.
ABOUT STAN
Stan is the author of over 40 books including the Frankie and Josh mysteries. He has published books on career changing, technology, and writers that include Michael Connelly and Daniel Silva.
Author Links
Webpage: www.stanschatt.com
@stanschatt
GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/search?q=Stan+Schatt
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 18 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
September 19 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews - REVIEW, INTERVIEW September 20 – Readsalot – SPOTLIGHT
September 21 – Mythical Books – REVIEW
September 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
September 23 – Valerie's Musings – REVIEW
September 24 – Laura's Interests - SPOTLIGHT
September 25 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW
September 26 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
September 27 – Community Bookstop – SPOTLIGHT
September 28 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
September 29 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT October 1 – Lori's Reading Corner - SPOTLIGHT
As always, please leave a comment and
let me know what you think!
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Happy Tuesday, Lisa.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun read.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book. o have to check it out. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete