Tuesday, November 14, 2017

BOOK TOUR


I'm thrilled to be a stop on the 
blog tour for author
Vicki Vass
and her new book
DRESSED TO KILL
Book 5 in the Antique Hunters Mysteries


In 1865, Elizabeth Keckley, Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker, conspired to change the course of the Civil War. Crossing lines between North and South, the band of conspirators wove a plan that remained undiscovered for more than 150 years until Antique Hunter Anne Hillstrom finds one of Keckley’s gowns. She and fellow Antique Hunter CC Muller unravel the mystery that has left a trail of dead bodies, leading to the doorstep of their antique store, Great-Aunt Sybil’s Attic. Dressed to Kill is the fifth book in the Antique Hunters Mystery Series. Rooted in history, the series reimagines real-life events blurring the line between fact and fiction.


*****!!!GIVEAWAY!!!*****

Winners will be chosen after November 14
at the end of the tour

One lucky reader will each win a set of the
ANTIQUE HUNTER MYSTERIES!

USA - Print copies
International - Digital only 

Enter using the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post.

This giveaway is through Great Escape Book Tours, not Lisa Ks Book Reviews.


AN INTERVIEW WITH VICKI VASS


LKBR:  Thank you for being here today, Vicki!

VV: Thanks for inviting me.

LKBR: Please tell us a bit about your book/series.

VV: My series is called Antique Hunters Mysteries and is about two best friends who love history and end up entangled in mystery. Dressed to Kill is the fifth book in the series.

LKBR: How did you come up with the concept for this series? How about the idea for this installment?

VV: As the daughter of a high school history teacher, I’ve always loved history but this series is loosely based on the adventures of my two best friends, the real-life Anne and CC. This book is based on what would happen if Anne discovered a Civil War ear dress.


LKBR: Do you have a favorite character in your book/series?

VV: My favorite character in this series is Anne who is a combination of a shopaholic and Nancy Drew. I love those qualities in her and I share some of them. Although I do not admire her hoarding tendencies.

LKBR: Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others? Love, action, death, etc?

VV: All the scenes are challenging in some ways but I’d say it’s probably more difficult for me to write love scenes than action scenes.

LKBR: In your writing, have you ever used experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

VV: That is a most definite yes! This series is based on my two best friends, and they both say they are afraid to share stories with me because it will end up in the book. In the first book, Anne finds some old bowling alley lane flooring and that actually happened!


LKBR: When you’re in the process of writing/creating a book, do you use a computer, typewriter, dictate, or use pen to paper?
VV: I use a computer. After years as a journalist and writing notes, I cannot read my handwriting.

LKBR: Do you have any writing quirks or rituals that you do before, during, and/or after writing a new book?

VV: Not really. I usually try to take a little break before starting the next one.

LKBR: What does your family think about your writing? How important is their support?

VV: My family has been very supportive. I’ve been writing since I was five years old so they are used to it. My mom carries bookmarks advertising my books with her and passes them out.


LKBR: Who/What inspired you to write your first book?  

VV: I was at a period in my life where I finally had extra time so I decided to try writing a cozy mystery. The idea was inspired by my weekly antiquing trips with my two real-life best friends.


LKBR: What was one of the most surprising thing(s) you learned when trying to get your first book published?

VV: After being in nonfiction publishing for years, I didn’t experience many surprises when being published myself. I will say I have felt grateful at how enthusiastic and supportive that my fellow cozy mystery authors are.


LKBR: What book are you reading?

VV: I always have two to three books going at any time. Right now, I am reading a history of the Romanovs, the former ruling family of Russia as well as Camino Island, the recent John Grisham novel.

LKBR: Do you have any advice for aspiring cozy writers?

VV: My advice would be to read as many cozy mysteries as you can and to just write. So often we get caught up and start going back and fixing this. For me I have to push through and write the first draft and then go back. Otherwise I’ll never finish.


LKBR: Where can readers go to learn more about you and your books?


LKBR: Thank you so much, Vicki for letting us get to know you better!

VV: Thanks for letting me stop by. It’s always great to talk to you.

MY REVIEW


Outdoing herself on this fifth book in her Antique Hunter Mysteries, author Vicki Vass takes readers on an exciting mystery from history!

I absolutely loved this book! Author Vass has antiquers, Anne Hillstrom and CC Muller in possession of an Elizabeth Keckley gown. She was dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln. This is quite a coup for the ladies. However, murder and mayhem have different plans for them. With cover to cover surprises, twists and turns that made me dizzy, and as always, superb story telling from Ms. Vass, DRESSED TO KILL is one of the most exciting mysteries I’ve read this year!

And I just have to throw this into my review . . . I’ve mentioned in a past review about the Spoon Sisters Blog that starts off each chapter of the past couple of books in this series. What a fabulous device this is to make readers feel even more a part of the story. It’s so creative, and helps bring the characters to life for me. I hope this feature is continued in the future books.

I’ve been a fan of the Antique Hunters Mysteries since the first book, MURDER BY THE SPOONFUL (released as MURDER FOR SALE). DRESSED TO KILL just may be the best one yet!

ABOUT VICKI


With a passion for shopping and antiques, Vicki Vass turned in her reporter’s notebook to chronicle the adventures of Anne and CC, two antique hunters who use their skills to solve a murder case. Vicki has written more than 1,400 stories for the Chicago Tribune as well as other commercial publications including Home & Away, the Lutheran and Woman’s World. Her science fiction novel, The Lexicon, draws on her experience in Sudan while writing about the ongoing civil war for World Relief. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, writer and musician Brian Tedeschi, son Tony, Australian shepherd Bandit, kittens Terra and Pixel, seven koi and Gary the turtle. Author Links – WebsiteBlogFacebook  Purchase Link – Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 1 - Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT
November 2 - Valerie's Musings – INTERVIEW
November 3 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 4 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW, GUEST POST
November 5 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
November 6 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
November 7 – Bibliophile Reviews - REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 8 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 9 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 10 – Cassidy's Bookshelves - GUEST POST
November 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
November 13 – Maureen's Musings – REVIEW
November 13 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 14 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews - REVIEW, INTERVIEW


As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

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5 comments:

  1. Thanks, Lisa. This sounds great! Happy Tuesday, to you.

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  2. Great interview and review. Thanks for sharing Lisa.

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  3. I haven't read this series yet. I really like the antique hunter storyline. Looking forward to reading.

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  4. I haven't read this series yet. I really enjoyed the description of the books and I would love to read the series.

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  5. Love this interview and review. Looking forward to reading this series. Hope I win!. Thanks for the giveaway.

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