My guest today is Jackie
King. Jackie loves books, words, and writing tall tales. She especially enjoys
murdering the people she dislikes on paper.
She is a full time writer who
sometimes teaches writing at Tulsa Community College
Jackie has also written five
novellas as co-author of the Foxy Hens Series. Warm Love on Cold Streets is her
latest novella and is included in the anthology THE FOXY HENS MEET A ROMANTIC
ADVENTURER. Her only nonfiction book is DEVOTED TO COOKING.
She is a member of Sisters in
Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Oklahoma Writers
Federation, and Tulsa Night Writers.
Anne – Welcome back, Jackie.
It’s always a treat when you drop by. Before we begin, I’d like to mention
readers will find your initial Mystery We Write interview HERE.
Jackie - Hello Anne, thanks
for organizing this Holiday Blog Tour and for hosting me today. It’s great that
you were able to collect 15 of the best mystery writers around for this fun
event.
Anne – It is wonderful, isn’t
it, getting to rub elbows with such talent?! Tell us about The Inconvenient Corpse.
Jackie - If Grace Cassidy had
known she was going to find a naked corpse in her hotel bed, lose every penny
she had in the world, and encounter zany characters straight from the Mad
Hatter’s tea party, she might have kept her usual poise when she spotted
husband Charlie’s mistress at their business convention in San Francisco California Wimberly Place
Grace learns that she is made
of a tougher fiber than she had thought. With the help of some zany strangers
she hires on as the temporary inn sitter, where she bakes, cleans, and
entertains as she works her way through the maze of conflicting stories told by
the eccentric guests. Her detecting doesn’t go quite as she plans, but she
muddles her way through and solves the crime.
Anne - I understand you were
a little less enthusiastic about my request of a photo of your home office.
Jackie – Yes, when you asked
me to provide you with two things; the first and, for me, the scariest, was a
snapshot of our work area, warts and all.
You’ve never seen warts (and
piles of junk and chaos) until you’ve seen my desk. The mystery to my family
and friends, is how I create anything in such a clutter. But it sort of suits
me. I keep my house reasonably tidy, but my office is a place where I let
everything hang out. I close myself off from the mess and enter my own magic
world where I create playmates called characters, and put them into a mess of
trouble. But the good guys always win in the end. (I think mystery readers long
for justice in the real world, that’s why we read about murder and mayhem.)
No one gets to see my office,
not even my cleaning woman. So I decided that since you are forcing me to humiliate myself, I might as
well go whole-hog (as we Okies say) and send a picture of me in my work
clothes: pajamas and no makeup. So take a steadying breath and take a look.
Anne – Bless you! It’s
reassuring to know I’m not the only one who drags herself out of bed each
morning and heads directly to the computer! Oh, and if you’re worried about who
is messier, you should see my desk! Now,
about my next question…
Jackie - Your second request
was a piece of cake: either page 69 or
page 96 of one of my mysteries. How fun is that?
I’ve chosen page 69 of my cozy
mystery THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE:
...........
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Theodora said
in a tone spun from silk. She glanced at the tray and her face registered
approval. “Ah, the cookies that our Sergeant Harper so admired look lovely on
that platter. It’s evident that you’re a woman who entertains with flair.” She
moved closer and her eyes sparkled. “Yummy, the strawberries look so luscious
they seem decadent.”
Silver-tipped fingernails
swept over the tea tray and a fluttering of teal and rose chiffon floated
through the air. Theodora had found time to again change. The woman was a
clothes horse.
Grace smoothed her ivory
T-shirt. Why were so many of her clothes in neutral colors? Theodora made her
feel as if she were a wren entertaining a South American cockatiel.
“I knew you’d appreciate the
strawberries,” Grace said. “I brought them especially for you since I’ve heard
you mention that you don’t care for pastry.” She grinned knowingly. “I’m
surprised you could pull yourself away from the charming Walter.”
“My dear! Leaving Walter is
always a sacrifice but very necessary. I adore romance, but I consider marriage
a disease, and was long ago immunized by one serious and painful bout. However,
if I hang around Walter too long, I sometimes find myself forgetting my vow to
stay single.”
“Maybe you should let go and
just enjoy the romance-ride.” Grace slipped her list out from under the Town
and Country magazine and folded it into a small square, her gaze on Theodora.
“If you find yourself reaching for the gold ring, call me and I’ll tell you war
stories that would scare even a veteran like yourself.” She slipped the paper
into her pocket.
Theodora smiled but said
nothing. She reached down for a berry and bit into it, uttering a sensual
groan.
“Delicious. Absolutely
wonderful. Let me get my cup of tea and we can visit."
“I have a pot ready to brew,”
Grace said. “I was just waiting for everyone to gather.” She rose to her feet
and stepped toward the sink.
...........
Anne – I can’t wait to read
more of THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE. (It’s downloaded onto my Kindle, btw. I just need more time
to read it!)Where can readers reach you online?
Jackie – At my website, http://www.jacqking.com/ My blog: Cozy Mysteries and Other Madness can be found at: http://bnbmysteries.blogspot.com
I’d love to have readers
‘friend’ me on Facebook. I’m listed as Jacqueline King http://www.facebook.com/Jacqking
Anne – tell us about your
giveaway for the Mystery We Write Blog Tour.
Jackie - Hi Readers, be sure
and leave a comment on today’s post and your name will go into a drawing to be
held at the end of our tour for FREE BOOKS. I’m
giving away a signed copy of my cozy mystery THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE and
another signed copy of the anthology THE STATEHOOD FOXY HENS AND MURDER MOST FOWL containing my novella The Spinster, the Pig and the
Orphan. The book celebrates a Land Run in 1889 Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory
Anne – Thank you so much for
stopping by on the second Mystery We Write Blog Tour, Jackie. It’s been a blast,
and I’m looking forward to next year’s version!
* * *
AKA Update: I’m visiting Wendy Gager today. Please drop by her blog, and
leave a comment to win one of three e-copies of Frank, Incense and Muriel, book
one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The
winners will be announced December 9.
Tomorrow on Day 7 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour my guest is TimothyHallinan.
Comments are always appreciated and welcome, have a super day, and
happy reading!
* * *
Anne, You're the Hostess with the Mostess! (Cliche, I know, but as with many tired phrases, very true. Plus, it's 7 a.m. here in Tulsa, and I've yet to have coffee.)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for organizing the Murder We Write Blog Tour during this busy holiday season.
Jackie
This is so much fun seeing everyone's work space. I must confess I always get dressed before I sit down in front of the computer. With the family I've got, there was always some sort of crisis. Years ago, I had to take a 5 year old to emergency when I was in the middle of highlight my hair, had little pieces of aluminum foil stuck all over my head.
ReplyDeleteGood post, Jackie and I'm so glad to learn more about you.
Okay, if the prize goes to the best comment, Marilyn has to win. Love the aluminum foil story. LOL!
ReplyDeleteJackie, if you think that's a messy office, you should see mine. Oy!
One question: Why does your work station face the wall? Don't you feel trapped?
Mine faces the door--probably so I can make a quick getaway. LOL!
I love the pitch! This sounds like a great mystery.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post, Jackie! And Marilyn, you don't stagger out of bed and head to your computer in your jammies? I'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteAw, Jackie, your office isn't bad. But I like your jammies! I'd wear mine to work if I didn't have to go outside and down the hill to the office.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Jackie, and love your picture. Didn't think there was any other acceptable dress code for writing but jammies--or what goes for jammies!
ReplyDeleteMadeline
Jackie: Loved your post. I to write in my pjs too. I am so much more comfortable that way. My best writing is in the early morning when it is dark and everyone is still sleeping. Then the magic happens...
ReplyDeleteWendy
W.S. Gager on Writing
I loved reading the book, Jackie, especially Theodora because I like quirky characters.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt, Jackie. Funny and interesting at the same time.
ReplyDeleteWould it be telling too much if I said I have the same pajamas? It would? Does anyone know how to erase on one of these things?
If that's a work area with warts, then my studio has leprosy. The book sounds fun! I love mystery with a touch of humor. I got that from reading a book of Anne's!
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, You've said before that you dress before going to your computer. I must say, that makes you my hero(ine?). If I dressed when I got up, I'd end up wearing something much worse than PJ's. I can find my computer before coffee, but not a clean pair of jeans.
ReplyDeleteThaks for stopping by.
Susan, You always make me laugh with your quips. And another name in my fedora for you, my dear.
ReplyDeleteHi Kelly, I'm so glad you stopped by. I see that you write children's books, which, in my opinion, takes great skill.
ReplyDeleteYour name will also go into my hat for my drawing at the end of the tour.
Cheers,
Jackie
Alice, Madeline and Wendy, glad to know we have the same dress code. Thanks commenting.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn P., The truth is, I threatened the friend who was shooting the picture with murder and mayhem, if she didn't miss the stacks and stacks of papers and books that cluttered my floor.
ReplyDeleteAnd walking to down the hill wouldn't stop me from wearing my jammies. One desperately busy day I drove to the grocery story dressed in my working attire. That day I also proved my theory that no one looks at women-of-a-certain age, anyway.
Jean, I'm so glad you like Theodora. She's based on a writer friend of mine who always makes me laugh.
ReplyDeleteTimothy, that was supposed to be our secret!
ReplyDeleteSmokey, Why don't you have Anne post a picture of your studio with leprosy? I'd love to see it.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for dropping by. And as I've said before, anyone who leaves a comment gets his or her name in my hat for my free book drawing.
Thanks Anne, for hosting me. Tonight I'm having my critique group over for discussions on our work-in-progress. I always look forward to this, which is usually held in another member's office. But afterwards I'm pooped and just crawl into bed. I'll check back in the morning to see if there were any late posters.
ReplyDeleteEveryone who comments gets their name in my free-book drawing.
Hugs,
Jackie
Jackie,
ReplyDeleteI love the jammies.My office is a cluttered mess...books, books, and more books. Now that I've seen yours, I feel comforted to know I have something in common with such an awesome writer.
Lynn Somerville
Hi Lynn, Thanks for dropping by. I'm glad you're a jammie girl too. It gives us one more thing in common. And I'll tell you a (not so) secret. The messiest part of my office doesn't show in the picture.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Jackie
I still think you tidied up before you had the photo taken. Mine's MUCH worse than that.
ReplyDeleteI love the title of your novel and would be very pleased to win it.
How nice of you to put it in a draw.
Love
Jenny
xx
Jenny, Truly I didn't. I just made sure the shot cut out all of the stacks of books, papers, sacks of stuff for the recyclers and general junk. And I'm delighted to enter your name in my contest. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteJackie