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Cliff Hanger
(A Maggie McDonald Mystery)
by Mary Feliz
About the Book
Cliff Hanger (A Maggie McDonald Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Lyrical Underground (July 16, 2019)
Paperback: 215 pages
ISBN-10: 1516105303
ISBN-13: 978-1516105304
Digital ASIN: B07JLLRRT2
When a hang-gliding stranger is found fatally injured in the cliffs above Monterey Bay, the investigation into his death becomes a cluttered mess. Professional organizer Maggie McDonald must sort the clues to catch a coastal killer before her family becomes a target . . .
Maggie has her work cut out for her helping Renée Alvarez organize her property management office. Though the condominium complex boasts a prime location on the shores of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, aging buildings and the high-maintenance tenants have Renée run ragged. But Maggie’s efforts are complicated when her sons attempt to rescue a badly injured man who crashed his ultra-light on the coastal cliffs.
Despite their efforts to save him, the man dies. Maggie’s family members become the prime suspects in a murder investigation and the target of a lawsuit. Her instincts say something’s out of place, but solving a murder won’t be easy. Maggie still needs to manage her business, the pushy press, and unwanted interest from criminal elements. Controlling chaos is her specialty, but with this killer’s crime wave, Maggie may be left hanging . . .
About the Author
Interview with the Author
What initially got you interested in writing? I have always written. In my youth, that meant letters to family members. Later, in addition to school work, I wrote to sort out my thoughts and feelings. But I didn’t consider any of that writing, and I didn’t think of myself as a writer. In my work life, I had various titles including “writer” and “editor” but my topics were corporate communications and public relations for a big company with diverse products, none of which were very easy to understand. My job, in a nutshell, was to provide employees, the community, and potential customers with a clearer picture of the company and its impact on the world. But I still wouldn’t have called myself a writer. Not until I started writing personal essays to entertain myself as a young mother. Later I wondered if I could write a novel, in the same way that some people might wonder if they could climb Mt. Everest. It seemed like an impossible dream with a steep learning curve and a lot of very hard work. But I wanted to try.
What genres do you write in? For now, I’m strictly a cozy mystery writer. I think my character driven stories might have a little more meat to them than some offerings in the genre. I won’t rule out genre jumping in the future, but my next few project ideas are all cozies.
What drew you to writing these specific genres? While I love thrillers and romantic suspense as much as I love mysteries, I didn’t want to write sex scenes, gritty violence, or torture. That pretty much landed me smack in the center of the cozy mystery realm. I think cozies have reputation for being frothy and sweet. And that makes some folks steer clear. But many cozy authors, including me, are happy to ditch sex and violence because it gives us more room to explore character, a sense of community, and how people unite to restore hope after evil has brought fear and division into their lives. Our stories thus can become richer than the offerings in some other genres.
How did you break into the field? I can’t say I did everything wrong, but I sure made a lot of mistakes. Including submitting to a publisher before I was finished submitting to agents. Kensington Publishing had just bought Lyrical’s romance line and was expanding it into mysteries. They were looking for direct submissions, and I was weary of waiting to hear from agents, so I sent off my stuff. By the time they responded, I’d forgotten I’d sent my manuscript to them. I had to check my spreadsheet to be sure. That makes it sound relatively easy, but I spent at least ten years writing other projects in young adult fiction that no one wanted. In retrospect, I’m glad those early works are still gathering dust. They’ll need considerable development and polishing before they see the light of day.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works? A sense of hope. Bad things sometimes happen to my characters, but it all works out in the end for them and for their communities. I hope that’s the way the larger world works in the long run but I love letting readers get a glimpse of that in miniature. Love ultimately wins.
What do you find most rewarding about writing? One of the most satisfying moments is when I look at something I wrote months ago, thinking it was dreadful, and discover that I had something to say and succeeded in getting most of it on the page. Of course, it will still need lots of revision, but my ideas are there. It reminds me that I might just know a little something about a little piece of this business.
What do you find most challenging about writing? When a writer has a contract, she might be starting book six immediately after handing in the completed manuscript for book five and while she’s working on the final edits or proofreading book 4. It’s super hard to remember how much work went into the earlier books to get them to their polished states. Each book starts with a mess, and that makes it very difficult to begin. It’s a little akin to psyching yourself up to jump in an icy lake on a sweltering day. You dip your toe in and every cell ices over. But if you close your eyes, hold your nose, and jump, it can be exhilarating.
What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field? If you can’t work hard, pushing forward, for ten years, don’t start. It takes an incredible amount of patience and determination to hone your craft to a place where a novel will be acceptable to public consumption. There aren’t any short cuts. And there certainly are many many more lucrative pursuits!
What type of books do you enjoy reading? I’m a promiscuous reader and will read almost anything that is well written. I love a good science fiction/fantasy set in a new world. And I’ll gobble up a good thriller or romantic suspense. But, hands down, Louise Penny’s mysteries are my favorites.
Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you? I’m a certified California naturalist, and a total bird geek.
What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work? My website is a great place to start! https://www.maryfeliz.com
Author Bio
Mary Feliz writes the Maggie McDonald Mysteries featuring a Silicon Valley professional organizer and her sidekick golden retriever. She’s worked for Fortune 500 firms and mom and pop enterprises competed in whale boat races and done synchronized swimming. She attends organizing conferences in her character’s stead, but Maggie’s skills leave her in the dust. Her first book, ADDRESS TO DIE FOR, received a Kirkus Star and was named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews.
Author Links: Website – Blog – Facebook – Twitter
Purchase Links:
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 16 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
July 16 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 16 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
July 17 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, EXCERPT
July 17 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
July 17 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 18 – Handcrafted Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
July 19 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
July 19 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 20 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
July 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
July 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
July 22 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 22 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
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Mary Feliz
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