Today I'm happy to be spotlighting author

Abigail Keam

author of the Mona Moon Mysteries

          

                    

"Like her last name, Mona Moon shines with brilliance. She is one of many great historical mystery female protagonists that are worth reading about. It is a legacy of which she, and in turn, her author, are proud members." -Julie Sara Porter, Bookworm Reviews
 
Madeline Mona Moon is not your typical young lady. She is a cartographer by trade, explorer by nature, and adventurer by heart. She has inherited a fortune from her uncle and is one of the richest women during the Great Depression. But there's a problem. Mona attends an elegant party given by Elspeth Hopper, the daughter of a world-renowned archeologist of Egyptian Queen Ahsetsedek IV's tomb. Not long afterwards, Elspeth's maid is found murdered, and the local sheriff considers Mona a suspect. That doesn't sit well with Mona. She's determined to clear her name and find out who killed the maid and why. When she discovers the low-down varmint, she'll take care of him her way! She doesn't carry a gun in her purse for nothing. That's how Mona does things in 1934.

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Release date October 31!

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MURDER UNDER A WOLF MOON

Book 5

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LKBR:  Thank you for joining us today, Abigail Keam.

AK: Thank you for having me. I always enjoy chewing the cud with you.

LKBR: Please tell us a bit about Murder Under A Wolf Moon. 

AK: Murder Under A Wolf Moon is the fifth book in the 1930s historical Mona Moon Mysteries.  It’s about Mona Moon, who inherits her uncle’s estate, and now lives on a horse farm in the Bluegrass. She goes to a party where she discovers the newlywed hostess, Elspeth Hopper, weeping in her bedroom and tells Mona a tragic story of hate and deceit with the family into which she has married. Several days later, Elspeth’s maid, is murdered and Elspeth fears she is next. Intrepid heroine, Mona, is determined to find out the culprit and save the day.

One thing I love about this series is that I can discuss real issues from that era, especially how it affected women. I write about women for women. I also love inserting real people and events into the story. It makes for a more compelling read.

LKBR: What are your plans for this series? 

AK: I am currently writing Murder Under A Black Moon, the sixth  novel and will keep writing this series as long as people enjoy reading about that decade. I do in-depth research, and if readers learn a little bit about history along the way, so much the better, since I love writing both the history and story telling. I put an addendum at the end of the book, in case the reader wants

additional information about a real person or place in the book. 

In Murder Under A Black Moon, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, visits, and I incorporate many of her quotes and actions in the story line. A woman before her time, Alice Longworth, was known for her acerbic wit and audacious actions. I think readers will get a kick out of her interacting with Mona. At least, I hope they do.

LKBR: Are you working on any new projects?

AK: I also write the Josiah Reynolds Mystery series, about a beekeeper who turns amateur sleuth, but I am leaning towards writing a completely new series—perhaps a thriller this time.

LKBR: When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

AK: I was in the second grade when I wrote Bobby Bobo Got Baptized At The Big Bone Baptist Church—a little story about a local singer baptized at my church.  My teacher called my mother to come in, and I thought I was in trouble, but to my surprise, my mother wasn’t angry at all. She seemed proud. And so she should have been. From an early age, she and I would take the bus to the Cincinnati library every week, and she would check out a shopping bag full of books for me. Books were precious to her. I always credit my mother for giving me the tools to become a writer.

LKBR: Was getting your first book published everything you thought it would be? The feelings? The process?

AK: It’s been a hard road to travel. Doors kept shutting in my face. I lost a lot of years waiting for a break. My flagship series is the Josiah Reynolds Mysteries, but in the beginning, I was told by publishers that no one wanted to read about a middle-aged beekeeper—she was too old. “How can that be?” I always asked. “No one reads Miss Marple anymore?” Frustrated, I took the indie road and never looked back. My first novel, Death By A HoneyBee, has been downloaded over a million times.  I will be publishing my thirtieth mystery this year. Don’t let anyone tread on your dreams. Just keep plugging away.

LKBR: What is your favorite part of being a writer?

AK: The solitude.

LKBR: Have you ever read a book that has stayed with you long after reading it?

AK: I remember reading Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire and thinking that people would be reading her novel 300 years from now. I love Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wursts’ Daughter Of The Empire series and have read the trilogy six times—very creative, female-oriented fantasy. I also love Dashiell Hammett and James M. Cain’s work. The Maltese Falcon and Double Indemnity is a must read for any crime reader. Let’s not forget Sue Grafton’s work—A Is For Alibi. I could go on, but you get the gist.

LKBR: Why are reviews, good or bad, so important to authors?

AK: Reviews are most important on Amazon and it has to do with their algorithms. If a book doesn’t get enough reviews, Amazon basically buries the book. That is important as they are the powerhouse when it comes to selling books.  Also reviews by bloggers, book influencers, and libraries are important.  They can help establish a writer’s reputation.

I always read my reviews as there might be something to help me write a better book. However, I write for myself. I never use a formula and each book is different in pace and structure. Sometimes the murder is on the first page. Sometimes it happens halfway through the book. I’m interested in describing my protagonists’ lives—living through them. While my books are humorous, I write about issues and situations that can be dark.

LKBR: On what sites do you recommend readers leave their reviews?

AK: Amazon, Kobo, Apple, and Barnes/Noble.   Also, readers recommending on Facebook and Bookbub is very helpful.

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

AK: It was a pleasure.  Thank you.

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