DISCLAIMER: This content has been provided to THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. No compensation was received. This information required by the Federal Trade Commission.
A Fatal Romance
by June Shaw
A Fatal Romance (A Twin Sisters Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
New Series
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
Publication Date: January 24, 2017
Paperback – ISBN13: 9781516100958
E-Book ASIN: B01F0YVQEE
Synopsis
Fixing up homes can be tricky.
Finding true love can be even trickier.
But finding a killer can be plain old deadly . . .Twin sister divorcees Sunny Taylor and Eve Vaughn have had their fill of both heartaches and headaches. So when they settle down in the small Louisiana town of Sugar Ledge and open a remodeling and repair company, they think they’ve finally found some peace—even though Eve is still open for romance while Sunny considers her own heart out-of-business.
Then their newest customer ends up face-down in a pond, and his widow is found dead soon after. Unfortunately, Sunny was witnessed having an unpleasant moment with the distraught woman, and suspicion falls on the twins. And when an attempt is made on Eve’s life, they find themselves pulled into a murder mystery neither knows how to navigate.
With a town of prying eyes on them, and an unknown culprit out to stop them, Sunny and Eve will have to depend on each other like never before if they’re going to clip a killer in the bud.
Interview with the Author
What initially got you interested in writing?
That was such an exciting experience. My teacher said he was sending me to a literary rally to represent my junior high school in English I. He said I’d be taking a written test that would mainly consist of grammar (which I knew well because he was good and my mother had the annoying habit of always correcting mine.) We would also need to write a paragraph that would be judged in case of a tie.
No teacher ever taught me writing, but he said that to practice, I should write a paragraph about a splinter.
I walked to my desk, silently grumbling about the dull topic. It didn’t take long before I carried my grammatically correct, double-checked description of a sliver of wood to him.
“June,” he said, “this is boring.”
“I know, but you told me to write it.”
Then he did the magic. He wrote, “Ouch!” and looked up at me. “Take it from the splinter’s point of view. Somebody just sat on it.”
Wow! A writer could do that? You could just make up things or people and make them say or do anything you wanted? That idea had never occurred to me. We had studied only writings by old dead men from Europe, and I didn’t want to be like any of them. I did, however, want to create things like my teacher told me about that day with his one written word- ouch.
Actually what he did was introduce me to modern humorous writing, which I had never experienced. I placed first at the rally but even before that, knew one day I would become a writer.
It would take many years before I started.
What genres do you write in?
I write mainly cozy mysteries. I’ve also written suspense, nonfiction, YA and children’s fiction.
What drew you to writing these specific genres?
I’d read a number of mysteries I enjoyed and discovered the ones I normally liked best made me laugh or crack a smile. After I read Janet Evanovitch, I was hooked.
I began writing and selling a somewhat similar series, starting with Relative Danger, and then my eight-year-old granddaughter asked me to write a book with her. We created How to Take Care of Your Pet Ghost, and she earns quite a bit from it. Her two teen sisters who were avid readers wanted to do the same. We all loved Hunger Games, so together wrote that type book called Just One Friend. People here and in towns around knew of my amazing mom and insisted I write a book about her, so I penned Nora 102 ½: A Lesson on Aging Well, which many readers say is the most inspiring book they have read. The suspense came after I’d devoured some of Mary Higgins Clark’s works.
How did you break into the field?
I had sold essays and stories to periodicals and written stage and screen plays that did well in contests. Eventually I read a number of the type novels I enjoyed and became very persistent and lucky.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
The most important things in life are family and love.
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
I can make people or things come to life and say or do anything I want. Mainly, I am thrilled when people enjoy things I wrote.
What do you find most challenging about writing?
Creating new problems at every turn for the characters is really a challenge for me.
What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?
Love it and keep doing it. You may not sell right away and possibly never. Many people love to paint. Most don’t sell their work but enjoy the creativity. Today, of course, anyone can self-publish their work. I would learn all I could about the writing process and read a lot in the area you want to write.
What type of books do you enjoy reading?
They normally make me smile.
Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?
I live in Cajun country down in south Louisiana and have never had to fight an alligator, although I had little ones as pets. My daddy would sometimes bring home a tiny one he’d catch while he was fishing. Once he brought one that I kept in a bucket and then let it run through the grass. My friend came over, and I forgot the gator. No neighbors ever hollered that one was loose in their yards, but Mom decided Dad needed to get me different pets. The tiny turtles were adorable.
I have dated the same man for decades. We live a few blocks apart. Both of us were previously married and divorced. I had five children; he had seven. A jovial person, Bob loves to talk. I need quiet to write. He comes over about mid-afternoon and stays until dark thirty. We don’t mess with what works.
I had wanted to become an author when I was a young teen, but my life was incredibly busy and I didn’t get a chance to try to write books until I was MUCH older. I didn’t sell the first one or two (or probably more) that I wrote—but since then I’ve sold and also independently published a number of books. A Fatal Romance begins my new series that is set right down here in bayou country. What a fun place! I hope you will join us!
What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?
Look for June Shaw on Amazon, BN, and other sites. I’m also at www.juneshaw.com. Connect with me at jushaw@bellsouth.net or on Facebook. Thank you for taking the time to read my writings! As you slide down the handrail of life, may all of the splinters be pointing down.
Hugs, June
About The Author
From the bayou country of South Louisiana, June Shaw previously sold a series of humorous mysteries to Five Star, Harlequin, and Untreed Reads. Publishers Weekly praised her debut, Relative Danger, which became a finalist for the David Award for Best Mystery of the Year. A hybrid author who has published other works, she has represented her state on the board of Mystery Writers of America’s Southwest Chapter for many years and continued to serve as the Published Author Liaison for Romance Writers of America’s Southern Louisiana chapter. She gains inspiration for her work from her faith, family, and friends, including the many readers who urge her on. For more info please visit juneshaw.com.
https://www.facebook.com/june.shaw.338
http://www.ekensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31823
a Rafflecopter giveaway
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
January 23 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
January 24 – Sleuth Cafe – SPOTLIGHT
January 25 – Babs Book Bistro – REVIEW
January 26 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
January 27 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
January 28 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST
January 29 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
January 30 – Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW
January 30 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
January 31 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
February 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 2 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
February 2 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT
February 3 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
February 4 – Book Babble – REVIEW
February 5 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Additional Banners
