BOOK TOUR
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Tea shop entrepreneur Theodosia Browning has been tapped to host a fancy Limón Tea in a genuine lemon orchard as a rousing kickoff to Charleston Fashion Week. But as fairy lights twinkle and the scent of lemon wafts among the tea tables, the deadly murder of a fashion designer puts the squeeze on things.
As the lemon curd begins to sour, the murdered woman’s daughter begs Theodosia to help find the killer. Tea events and fashion shows must go on, however, which puts Theodosia and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, right in the thick of squabbling business partners, crazed clothing designers, irate film producers, drug deals, and a disastrous Tea Trolley Tour.
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!
Laura Childs,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Lemon Curd Killer, a Tea Shop Mystery
Hi Laura, thanks for being with us today!
Thanks for having me back – it’s always a pleasure.
Please tell us about your newest book.
In Lemon Curd Killer,
tea shop entrepreneur Theodosia has been tapped to host a fancy Limón Tea in a
genuine lemon orchard as a kickoff to Charleston Fashion Week. But as fairy
lights twinkle and the scent of lemons wafts among the tea tables, the afternoon
turns deadly as a fashion designer is murdered. The woman’s daughter begs
Theodosia to help find the killer amidst a dizzying backdrop of fashion shows,
fancy teas, drug deals, and a disastrous Tea Trolley Tour. I wrote this
cozy-thriller (a thrillzy!) with plot, pacing, and action reminiscent of a
thriller – then sprinkled in a generous amount of tea lore and recipes. This is
also book #25 of the beloved Tea Shop Mystery series – a series that was
pronounced “One of the absolute best cozy mystery series” by Book Riot and was
recently featured as a question on Jeopardy!
Readers always have a favorite character. Do you have a favorite from this series?
Readers do tell me they get a kick out of reading about
Theodosia, my main character. But I’m rather in love with Drayton, Theodosia’s
tea sommelier and sidekick. And here’s the fun thing: Drayton is
sixty-something, a proper Southern gent who always wears a bow tie, and is
slightly critical of contemporary society. So to drop Drayton into all sorts of
adventures, investigations, and unsavory events is good for more than a few
laughs.
Once you’re finished writing a book, how long is it before you start writing the next?
To be honest, I usually have two or three books going at the
same time. So when I completely finish writing a book, I jump to the next one
that’s due. Sometimes I finish a book at noon, then spend the afternoon working
on the next one, sometimes I take a week off to clean up my office (which is
always a horrible wreck).
Where do you do your best writing?
I have an office (the horrible wreck) in the lower level of
my home where I do my writing. But an idea can hit me anywhere at any time, so
I always carry a little notebook. Oh, and airplanes. I love to write on
airplanes.
What are the different ways you do research for your books?
I hear about authors who do weeks or months of research –
and that’s great. For them. But I simply don’t work that way. If I have what I think
is a good storyline, I just go for it. Any research I do – whether it has to do
with places, historical data, crimes, tea, artwork, etc. – I do along the way.
When I need something researched I do it quickly and then pop it into my
manuscript. I think the key to writing a novel is to jump in feet first and
write as much as you can as fast as you can. Once you have a goodly amount of
words on paper you can always go back to edit, add, or tighten things up.
Have you ever started writing a story just to find the idea simply isn’t working?
Yes, but it was a long time ago before I seriously started
writing screenplays and novels as a career. When I first took a flyer at
writing a book, I simply didn’t know how to write long format fiction. Then I
realized you have to have a definite plan. First off, you need a concept – not
just a wild and crazy idea – but a concept that is unique, original, and will hopefully
capture your reader’s interest. You also need a storyline – this is different
from the concept because it has to be a continuing, logical, exciting narration
that will carry you through the entire book. And, finally, to make this all
work, you need to create an outline. My outlines begin on a big sheet of paper.
I write down the murder, the suspects, how my protagonist will go about finding
clues, and a whole bunch of action sequences. Then I transfer it to my computer,
filling in along the way, and taking my outline to about eighty pages. When
that feels solid I write the whole book straight through. Do things change?
Sure. Sometimes the story can take a drastic twist, but an outline still gives
you a fighting chance.
Any new projects in the works?
There are always new projects in the works. I just put the
finishing touches on Honey Drop Dead,
which will be released in August 2023, and Murder
in the Tea Leaves, which should
come out in March 2024. And I’ve already started on The Mad Hatter Murder.
What do you love to do in your free time? LOL. Do you get much free time?
With three series in the works, I honestly have to force
myself to have free time. But I enjoy travel, horseback riding, and the always
uplifting retail therapy.
Where can readers to to learn more about you and your books?
Go to my website at www.laurachilds.com.
I give a little synopsis of each book as well as a few sample chapters. Also,
you can follow me on Facebook at LauraChildsAuthor where I share recipes, new
releases, and do giveaways.
Thank you so much, Laura, for letting us get to know you better!
Thank you so much for your kind invitation, I always love hanging out here!
About Laura Childs
Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries
Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries 
The Scrapbooking Mysteries
The Cackleberry Club Mysteries
Laura’s Links: Website – Facebook
Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - IndieBound - PenguinRandomHouse -
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Congratulations to Laura for #25 in this series (and the book covers are always beautiful).
ReplyDeleteHappy Saturday!
Pat T
Thank you for being part of the book tour for LEMON CURD KILLER by Laura Childs. Enjoyed the interview with Laura. It's always fun to learn little tidbits about an author whose books you love. Can't wait for the opportunity to read and review this one!
ReplyDelete2clowns at arkansas dot net