The Journey Back: Death by Proxy-Author Interview- Great Escapes Tour with Giveaway

About the book

With preparations for her upcoming wedding to handsome Wes Wesson, a Center City police lieutenant, on track and her DIY Bridal Crafts class at Hawkeye Haven’s community center wrapped up, DIY Diva Laurel McMillan looks forward to a calm pre-nuptial week to finalize her wedding plans. There’s only one problem: the week turns out to be anything but calm. Laurel and Wes narrowly escape being run down in the parking lot of their favorite restaurant. Laurel’s bridal shower is interrupted by a mysterious stranger who sends Laurel’s lovable chocolate Labrador retriever Bear into a frenzy, and when Laurel and Wes go to meet Lisa, their real estate agent, at a house she promised to show them, they discover Lisa’s sister’s body floating in the pool. Strangely, Lisa seems more concerned with selling houses than she I does with her sister’s death. After Lisa’s mother inadvertently reveals family secrets, Laurel wonders whether Lisa could have killed her own sister. Will the mayhem and murder stop before Laurel discovers the key to the killer’s game

An interview with Paula

Hello Paula. I am delighted to get the chance to ‘chat it up’ about your books.

Thank you! I'm delighted to be here, too.

Before we get into the ‘nitty gritty’ I have a some fun questions for you!

I seem to always be writing interview questions at lunch so food is on my mind.
What’s your luncheon plate? I just finished a chicken sandwich and some green beans with cranberries left over from the Thanksgiving feast.

You’ll gasp when I tell you this but I don’t drink coffee! Do you like coffee are
you Star Bucks girl?

I rarely drink coffee, but I drink four or five cups of tea most days. It's my go-to beverage.

I love a good piece of chocolate but don’t put nuts in mine. Do you like nuts in
your chocolate?

I absolutely love chocolate, especially dark chocolate, and I prefer cream centers to chewy or nutty centers.

One last one and then we will get into the new book and the series! If you
Could go anywhere in the world to write your next book where would you go?
I'd probably choose Hawaii for its great weather.

Do you have a favorite t.v. or movie character that solves crimes?
My favorites are Jessica Fletcher of Murder She Wrote and Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot.

I am so glad your touring again with Great Escapes. What is your favorite part
about book tours?

Hearing from readers and what they like in the cozy mysteries they read is my favorite part of the tours.

Is the DIY Dive series your first series?

Yes, it's my first series.

Can you tell us how you came up with the idea of a DIY Diva series?

I wanted to create a character who was an independent woman working for herself and not depending on an employer. Also, I make a lot of craft projects and do a lot of sewing myself, so it seemed easy to make her business crafty since it's something I know about. I think that also makes her craft projects seem more authentic. I include instructions for a couple of craft projects at the back of each DIY Diva mystery book, so readers can the projects themselves.

How did you decide on the location?

There are two key components of the location in the DIY Diva mysteries: one is a fictional town in Iowa and the other is the guard-gated community on the outskirts of the town, where Laurel, the main character, and her friends and neighbors live. Again, I opted for familiar territory since I was born in Iowa and lived there for many years. Although I don't currently live in Iowa, I do live in a guard-gated community that's governed by a homeowners' association, so that was familiar territory, too.

Does Laurel remind you of yourself?

In her love of her Labrador retriever and her crafting and sewing projects, she does, but not in the other aspects of her character. I would never try to solve a murder mystery!

I haven’t read Death by Proxy yet but I was wondering since Laurel is
getting ready for her wedding if she gave you any trouble with this one?

Not too much. Laurel planned a small wedding with just family and close friends, and that never changed. One thing that I didn't plan ahead of time was that she becomes so distracted by her upcoming wedding that she almost misses solving the crime.

Can you tell us a little about the process of writing your book. Do you begin
with a plan or outline for the plot and how it will end? Or does the story develop as you write?

I normally have a plan for the entire book before beginning to write. Along the way, sometimes I make changes that seem to make sense because sometimes new ideas crop up.

I have one more serious question but before we go there here is a fun one!
You got the call. . . DIY Diva series will be made into a Hallmark Movie!
What actors would have play Laurel and Wes?

Cool! Laurel has red hair, and she's in her late thirties, so perhaps Kate Mara for Laurel and maybe Bradley Cooper for Wes.

Do you have plans for other series or will you stay with the Laurel for
and DIY Diva series for awhile?

I'm planning a new series, but I'll probably re-visit Laurel and the DIY Diva series sometime in the future.

Thank you so much for taking a few minutes to chat today. I hope
we can do this again!

It's great to be here!

Best Wishes on the tour!

Thank you and thank you for hosting a stop on the tour. I really appreciate it!

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