@GoddessFish Interview: An Intimate Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

An Intimate Murder

Catherine O'Brien Mystery, #3
Stacy Verdick Case

Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Before the Fall Books
Date of Publication: October 7, 2014
Number of pages: 288
Word Count: 76,930
Cover Artist: Designs by Jeff

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN     Kobo     Smashwords

A Catherine O'Brien Mystery.

When Jonathan and Susan Luther are murdered in their home, St. Paul homicide detective Catherine O'Brien and her partner Louise discover this isn't the first time the Luther family has been visited by tragedy. Is it a case of bad family luck or is there something more?

Excerpt: 

I locked eyes with her and wished, not for the first time in my life, that I had telekinetic abilities. If I had, I could mentally disembowel Jane Katts. That’s probably why God never blessed me with that particular gift.

“Hello Detective.” Jane Katts’ tone was overly pleasant. She must have trumped me in some way and now she’s was just waiting for me to concede the trick.

“Close the door behind you, O’Brien.” The chief rocked back in his chair and smiled.

There was nothing in his smile except pleasantry, which made me more nervous than the one Jane Katts had given me. A broad smile was so alien on the Chief’s face that I was certain that Jane Katts had managed to pull a switcheroo and replace the chief with a pod person of her own design; one who is not hard-edged and sand-papery as I have come to expect but instead soft, with as much grit as a nail file.

“I’m afraid there’s not enough chairs so one of you will have to stand.” The smiley version of our chief of police said.

I braced my feet a shoulder width apart and crossed my arms over my chest, I preferred to stand for whatever nasty surprise Jane Katts had in store for me.

Louise sat and introduced herself to Jane. They exchanged a handshake.

“Ms. Katts is the reporter who asked for the exclusive interview.”

He glossed over the detail about her being the reporter who had engaged in a calculated smear campaign against the department.

“She would like to change the angle of her story to get more of an inside view.” The chief’s eyes cut to my face and I saw a hint of the real chief behind whatever hoodoo Jane Katts had performed on him.

Trailer: 

Interview: 

Today, we welcome Stacy Verdick Case, author of the Catherine O’Brien series, to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give a big Geeky welcome!

Oh, the geek in me feels very welcome. I’m sorry to everyone who thought I was the Stacy Case the pretty, thin, blonde reporter from CBS News. I’m not her, I’m Stacy Verdick Case the curvy, brunette, writer of humorous mysteries. I know, I was disappointed too, but I’m here and I’m glad to meet all of you! Thank you so much for letting me spend some time on Musings and Ramblings. It feels like home.

Let's start with some writer specific questions before moving into the fun stuff. That way everyone can really get to know the person behind the writer. We will finish things off with a round of Think Fast. Ready for the interrogation to begin?

Interrogate away! I’m a fiction writers which means I lie for a living. You can’t scare me! Okay, you scare me, but less than spiders, and a little more than needles. Fire away!

Writing Specific

How do you deal with Writer's Block?
I drink. A lot. I cry. A lot. I swear. A lot. Seriously, though as stupid as this sounds I write my way through it. Let me explain that because it DOES NOT make sense. The times that I’ve been afflicted with WB have been times in my of high stress. For some reason my creativity runs for the hills. I think because when you’re in crisis you are completely focused on what’s happening to you and you can’t draw yourself away from that to “be creative”. So, I write about what I’m going through. I have a book specifically dedicated to what I call bitch pages. I have to get all that anger, frustration, sadness, etc. out of me and onto the paper. It works. Writers need to write and if that gets taken away from you because of WB your crisis gets worse and your stress gets worse because oh my god I can’t write! If you’re going through this right now I suspect it’s because you’re in crisis. Try writing some bitch pages. Just whine on the pages until you start feeling better. I have one whole page where I wrote f*ck over and over, and the funny thing was I slept so good that night. It does not matter what you write only that you do write.

How involved are you with Social Media and self-promotion?
Intimately. Writers are not cut out for this stuff. A bunch of introverts trying to navigate the waters of social media is a sad, sad sight, but this is what the job is now. Promoting and social media is expected of every author now. I had to take marketing classes and read a bunch of marketing books to get up to speed because it’s not in my nature to talk about myself.

What one thing do you wish someone had told you before you started writing?
That the work doesn’t start until after the book is published. Writing is easy. It’s fun. Everything that comes next feel like driving in gridlock every day to go to a job with a boss who is a total hose-bag!

How did you choose the genres you write in?
I didn’t, I just sort of fell into it. I started out writing romances but sometimes I think romances are funny. I still love them but trying to come up with an inventive way to say penis is funny to me. So I was in one of those moments of crisis (see writers block above – did you just get here?) and I needed to write. A former boss of mine absconded with a lot of my money and I do mean A LOT and I wanted to kill him, so I did. On paper. That became my first book A Grand Murder. I’ve been writing Catherine O’Brien ever since. So Felony Acts = Death in a Book. Got it.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I once had an agent say to me, “I’m sorry but I only represent work with merit.” It was like a dagger to the heart. So unnecessary. I think there’s a large concentration of sociopaths who become agents. I didn’t handle it as professionally as I should have, because I responded back, “Thank God you told me because I only write meritless crap.” I think I laughed entirely too much right here.
The best compliment I’ve ever received? That is tougher to pin down. I’m so grateful to every reader who reaches out to me to tell me that they loved Catherine or that they couldn’t put the book down. I had one blogger tell me her 3 favorite authors were Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, and me. That was a really great day to be included with two women I admire very much. Honestly though any time someone compliments one of the books or characters, or wants to know more about their lives, I’m so giddy I could pee myself. Wow, that is a nice compliment!

Fun Stuff

What was the last concert that you saw?
Macca at Target Field! Sir Paul McCartney. It was awesome! What a show. So Jealous!!

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
My daughter asked me that no too long ago and we determined that flight is the most awesome super power EVER! That way mommy would never be stuck in traffic and late again (I know I suck. I missed meeting her teacher at school).

If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be and why?
Abraham Lincoln. I have several books of his writing and his work fascinates me. Beyond the fact that he was a rocking great president (yes, I said rocking great. Cope.) I would love to sit with him as a writer and talk words, language, process. All the stuff that I jaw jack with my modern day writer friends about. Wouldn’t that just be fascinating? No, just me? Ummm... Yes, just you. *grin*

You are going to be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 luxury items. What would they be?
I am? Do you know when? Because I would like to avoid that flight. Since you’ve condemned me to this fate I NEED a case of SPF 100 sunblock (seriously I would wither and die in a day without it), my wedding quilt my Grandma made me, and a Chinese folding fan. A quilt and a fan? Covering multiple temperature bases. Good thinking

Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who are they and why?
Oprah Winfrey and Carey Grant. First how cute would I be! It boggles the mind. Oprah because of her spiritual seeking and um, she’s a billionaire (with a B) and Carey Grant because I’ve always thought he was funny. It's that dry wit of his. *nods head*

If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
More Chutzpa than Brains

Think Fast

Elvis or Sinatra? Elvis
Italian or Chinese? Chinese
Summer or Winter? SUMMER
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Dead Tree or Electronic? I’m a tree killer

Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?

I’m not sure how wise I am, but I can tell you the mantra I’ve live by and I think it’s served me very well, “Well, why not?” Every time someone has ever told me something couldn’t be done (even myself) I’ve always had that moment of why not? And then I prove them wrong. I hope you all kick down the doors and prove all the haters wrong, ‘cause I believe in you!

Giveaway: 

Stacy will award a $50 Barnes and Noble GC to one winner, and a signed ARC of An Intimate Murder (US only) to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during this tour and her review tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:

Stacy Verdick Case was born in Willmar, Minnesota. After a brief stint as a military brat, where she lived in Fort Sill Oklahoma and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, her family moved back to Minnesota.

Stacy has written all her life earning a High School Writer Award and a Daphne Du Mauier Award for excellence in Mainstream Mystery/Suspense.

Stacy currently lives in a suburb of St. Paul with her husband of twenty-years, her five-year-old daughter, and their two cats.

An Intimate Murder is the third book in the Catherine O’Brien series.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads