Please help me welcome today’s guest, Kay Pritchett
Giveaway: I am giving away a copy of any of my books in the Mosey Frye Mysteries series. Participants only need to check out my webpage at moseyfryemysteries.com and contact me through the “contact” option. I will pick one name out of a hat and be in touch. Those who live abroad may enter to win an eBook.
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
I was born in Greenville, Mississippi, but have lived most of my life in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where I now reside. My husband Chris Huggard have enjoyed a life of teaching, writing, going to conferences, and whiling away the time with our co-workers at the University of Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas Community College. Life in the ivory tower is a little more interesting than you think. Nonetheless, we like to break out occasionally and travel the plains and mountains of the West or the picturesque villages of Europe. My fascination with Spanish literature landed me in Spain for seven years, while Chris’s interest in mining history has taken us to old mining sites around the world. Last summer, we had the chance to explore a magnificent medieval salt mine in Wieliczka, Poland.
Where did you get the idea for your book title?
When I wrote The House with a Secret Cellar, I picked a title that referenced the mysterious cellar of Morris House, which is the primary setting of the novel. I envisioned it as a old-school ‘man cave’ with piles of books, an ancient typewriter, and a round table encircled by straight-back chairs and stocked with playing cards and poker chips. This underground hideout epitomized the long-dead owner, who, escaping the outside world, consoled himself with reading, writing, and an occasional card game with his buddies.
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?
When I first tried my hand at fiction, every attempt strangely evolved into a mystery, despite my effort to guide the story elsewhere. And besides that, every attempt to pen a short tale sounded so much like the first chapter of a novel that my workshop companions kept asking for the second chapter. I finally got the message and gave in to writing mystery novels.
Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc., you’d like to share?
The only unusual thing about this book is the new character Lauren Wilson, who reflects my desire to inject a bit of myself—my disposition, let us say—into the novel. Neither of the two women featured in Mosey Frye Mysteries—I’m speaking of Mosey Frye and her sidekick Nadia Abboud—is very much like me. But Lauren, who is the new forensic psychologist at Blanchard College in Hembree, mimics me physically and psychologically. As she concocts scenarios to explain the crime, she lets her imagination run away with her. I confess to being capable of that myself.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book? What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?
Following my own inclinations is the tough part for me. I often struggle with the desire to carefully plan the storyline, but unlike many, I have never been good at sticking with an outline, even from my high school days. I’m what psychologists might call a “perceiving type,” which means that I prefer to dive headfirst, allowing my intuition to lead the way. Be that as it may, a nagging voice inside my head refuses to let me “pants” in peace.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read [your book]?
I want readers to be entertained and to feel the book was suspenseful and also fun. If they get a sense of the region that the story mirrors, the Mississippi River Delta, that would be a plus.
What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?
Some years ago, I would have said the Charlize Theron of The Cider House Rules for Mosey and someone tall, dark, and handsome, like Antonio Banderas, for Olivera. But nowadays, they would have to be younger actors because Mosey is in her mid-thirties and Olivera, his forties.
If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be?
A functioning computer, a vessel for drinking water, and a lot of SPF.
If you could be a character in any of your books, who would you be?
Gosh, I think Mosey Frye. She’s tall, slender, and blonde and has an awful lot of fun.
If you could spend time with a character from your book, whom would it be? And what would you do during that day? (PG-13 please 🙂
This is a hard choice, but I guess I’d pick Gus Olivera. I’d love to hang out in some fictional spot like the Tavernette or Al’s Super Club and drink something tasty—maybe a margarita or a mojito.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
Tough criticisms? I prefer not to think, but I guess my favorite comment came from one of my students, who referred to my mysteries as “grown up Nancy Drew.” Though I have never tried to re-create Nancy Drew, I think Mosey Frye must be at least a very distant cousin from below the Mason-Dixon Line.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Some of my characters are similar to real people, and those are usually minor characters, such as the haughty retired geography professor in Murder at Waite House, a dead ringer for an old neighbor of mine. But most are entirely from my imagination.
Who is the most famous person you have ever met?
I’d have to say Bonnie Raitt.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I avoid actual messages, but there is some historical information of interest in The House with a Secret Cellar. It has to do with casta paintings, a genre I ran across while researching portraits of women in old New Orleans. It turns out that the Bourbon monarchs, wanting to mold social relations among their subjects in the American colonies, persuaded artists to present their models in a particular way. Hence, relationships between different ethnic groups might be depicted sometimes in a positive light and sometimes not so much. A quaint form of manipulation, no?
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Seventeenth-century writer Miguel de Cervantes, author of the first modern novel, Don Quijote de la Mancha. Cervantes’s take on perspective is truly outstanding. I would always want to respect and represent the point of view of characters, even those I’m not fond of.
Your favorite…
Movie: Il Conformista by Bertolucci
Music: The Eagles
Place you’ve visited: Siena, Italy
Place you’d like to visit: the Amalfi coast
TV show from childhood: Bonanza
TV show from adulthood: Yellowstone
Food: Italian
Excerpt:
Olivera joined Eads again in the corridor. “So, as I was saying, I bet what happened is Mosey, after she stopped wherever she stopped, hurried on to Morris House, saw something, went to investigate, and this guy, this Paul Krueger, stepped out of the bushes and hit her over the head.”
“Huh.” Eads gave Olivera a discerning look. “You sound, well, not entirely sympathetic.”
He shook his head. “Of course, I’m…” He stopped.
“You’re not sympathetic,” she insisted.
Strangely, under the penetrating gaze of Eads, an expert at deciphering the truths of corpses, he suddenly found himself devoid of strength, as if he were the lifeless body. Utterly disarmed, how could he respond except with complete honesty? “Okay, okay, you’re right. I’m not entirely sympathetic. Not that I would want any harm to come to her…or anyone else, for that matter.”
“You think she had it coming,” Eads said with a tone of disdain.
“No, no, no. Not that she had it coming. But, you know, sometimes a lesson learned is a good thing.”
“As long as the person learning the lesson—”
“Don’t say that.” He raised a finger to her lips. “Hush, don’t say that,” he repeated. Then, in the dim hall between Emergency and the morgue, Olivera did what he’d been wanting to do for weeks—no, months, actually. The slightly emotional eruption in both him and Eads, triggered by their first real clash, brought a particular yearning to fulfilment. Lowering his hand from her lips, he looked into her eyes and kissed her, first gently, then passionately. She didn’t resist—he wasn’t sure whether out of shock or mutual longing—but he soon found out. For when she withdrew his arms from her waist, she didn’t step away but, taking him by the hand, led him toward the door at the end of the hall.
Buy link(s):
You can find all the mysteries online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other top retailers or purchase directly from the publisher at https://wildrosepress.com/shop/.
About the Author:
As a mystery writer, Kay delights in blending the charming wit of amateur sleuth Mosey Frye with the suave sophistication of police chief Gus Olivera. She’s all about sprinkling her Mosey Frye Mysteries with lively banter, highlighting the dynamic interactions between Mosey and her trusty sidekick Nadia, as well as the intriguing dialogues between Olivera and sharp-witted coroner Eads McGinnis. Her goal? To transport readers into the thrilling world of an Agatha Christie whodunit, but with a delightful twist—think verandas and paddle boats! Read all about the series at moseyfryemysteries.com.
Author Alicia Dean 