Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Aloe and Goodbye: A Southwestern Small Town Cozy Mystery (Ruby Shaw Mysteries) by Janice Peacock. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Aloe and Goodbye: A Southwestern Small Town Cozy Mystery (Ruby Shaw Mysteries)
by Janice Peacock
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Aloe and Goodbye: A Southwestern Small Town Cozy Mystery (Ruby Shaw Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Vetrai Press (December 7, 2020)
Paperback: 228 pages
New Yorker Ruby Shaw arrives in a hillside town in Arizona with a brand-new name, a duffel bag on her shoulder, and her daughter, Allie, at her side. Before arriving, Ruby witnesses a murder that lands her in the witness protection program. That decision means she’s gone from being a successful artist to being a nobody in a postage-stamp-sized town called Paradise—a name that doesn’t fit the former ghost town. Even though their new digs are a little shabby, and there may be ghosts haunting the town, they are optimistic about their new lives, that is, until a neighbor turns up dead.
Having just arrived in town, living next door to the victim, and without an alibi, the community members are suspicious of Ruby. A local deputy befriends her, but the deputy still points to her as the culprit each time they find a new clue. If matters weren’t bad enough, Allie is having trouble fitting in at her new school, and Ruby can’t seem to hold down a job.
As they settle in, they meet the quirky inhabitants of Paradise: Bette—the chatterbox café owner, Flora—Allie’s eccentric babysitter, and Derek—who runs local history tours, which he jazzes up with ghost stories of questionable veracity.
Ruby’s life improves when she meets a handsome cook at the local café who is passionate about succulents and cacti, and may feel equally passionate about her. Even though Ruby and Allie want to stay in Paradise, a US marshal has other ideas, as he threatens to move them to a new town after Ruby gets mixed up in the murder investigation. Ruby must find the killer before she and Allie lose their new home or even worse—their lives.
Author Interview
Hi, Janice! Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
Hi Christy! Thanks so much for having me on your blog today!
Your bio says that you melt glass with a 2,500-degree torch and make beads and jewelry! That is fascinating. How long have you been wielding your torch? How did you get started? I’d love to hear more about this part of your life!
I started making beads in 1992 because I created a bracelet and didn’t have what I wanted to finish. I only had what I could buy at the bead store. I asked myself: Who makes beads? How can I make beads? I started researching—challenging to do because there was no Google back then—and finally found a workshop in Northern California. Since then, it’s been a lot of experimenting and taking workshops to hone my glass skills. I even went to Venice to take classes with glass maestros. (CCC: WOW! That is so cool!)
It was glass bead making that got me started writing mysteries. I was working in a glass blowing studio, and there were all these quirky people interacting, each with egos, petty complaints, and jealousies. The whole environment felt like I was living inside a cozy mystery! So, I started writing the Glass Bead Mystery Series. I’ve written four of those novels, and now I’m working on my new series, the Ruby Shaw Mysteries.
You’ve got an undisclosed number of cats. We’re kindred spirits! Do your cats all get along, and can you tell us a little about any crazy cat antics that go on in your home?
Right now, we are down to two cats! They are named Max and Leo, in honor of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom from the movie and musical The Producers. Max is black and white—so, like Max in the movie, he’s wearing a tuxedo. Leo is a tabby—so he looks like Leo in his pinstriped suit. Max is brilliant and uses his paws in a way I’ve never seen before. He likes to pat my face in the morning to wake me up for breakfast. When I ignore him (6 o’clock is too early!), he will start meowing. When I tell him “NO,” he will instead whisper a quiet meow in my ear. While this is all very annoying, it is also quite adorable. Leo is the opposite of Max in most ways—and is like his namesake, Leo Bloom. He is silent and will stand patiently by his food bowl while I feed Max. (CCC: So cute!)
Do you include cats (or dogs or any animals) in your cozy mystery books?
Of course! I love animals and feel that having animals in my books is essential. In the Glass Bead Mystery Series, the main character, Jax, has a grumpy cat named Gumdrop who is addicted to catnip. There is a reader-favorite scene in the first book, High Strung, that involves a catnip-laced mojito… I’ll leave it at that with the hope that some people will want to read about it! There is also a poorly trained Bassett hound named Stanley, a real goofball who offers comic relief.
The characters in the Ruby Shaw Mysteries also have pets. Ruby and her daughter Allie, who end up in witness protection and are plopped into a small hillside town in Arizona, adopt a little white dog named Boomer. He is a joyful little pooch who makes a difference in Allie’s life, which has been turned upside down by their move to this new, strange town. Ruby’s love interest is the cook at the local café and also a farmer. While you’d think he would have a dog, he has a cat named Peaches. It’s one of the things that makes Luke so appealing to Ruby.
I love the idea behind your new series! What made you decide to put your main character in the witness protection program?
I started with the premise of what I would do—what would any creative person do—if they could no longer do what they loved to do? I know that would be next to impossible for me. Ruby ends up in witness protection and is no longer able to do what she loves. She’s a painter, but the marshals who put her in witness protection are concerned that her distinctive painting style would lead to her being identified. Ruby’s new identity gives her a unique opportunity to find a new path and be creative in ways she would never have considered. Having witnessed a terrible murder that landed her in witness protection, I thought that would give Ruby a compelling reason to want to solve a murder in her newly-adopted small town.
I love quirky characters, and it sounds like you’ve got a few in Aloe and Goodbye! I’m interested in the questionable ghost stories Derek shares on his tours. Do you have one (or part of one!) that you can share with us?
Sure! Derek is a slick salesman who has been leading tours of the former ghost town. The town struggles to survive, so it doesn’t revert to being a ghost town with no businesses or residents. Derek, frantic to make a profit, decides to make up a few stories that may or may not be historically accurate. One is that a man was decapitated during a firewood chopping accident. Ruby thinks this is *highly* unlikely but has no real proof one way or another.
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
I have been writing my entire adult life. Before becoming a writer of fiction, I was a technical writer working in the high-tech industry. I’ve always loved words and learning about language and have a degree in Linguistics. It was only a matter of time before I turned to writing fiction. It’s much more fun than writing technical documentation for software products, I assure you.
I chose the cozy mystery genre because it combines the two things I love the most—mysteries and crafts. I also like the gentle nature of cozy mysteries and don’t enjoy reading about grisly murders that you find in other mystery genres.
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
As you might imagine, I read a lot of cozy mysteries. But I also read a lot of non-fiction, especially when I am writing my novels—I want to focus on my plot and not one I am reading. I’m currently reading a book called 100 Things, which is about how we can pair down the number of things that we hold onto in our lives. It’s a way to declutter not only our homes but our minds. (CCC: I need to read this!) I also read many books about writing to improve as an author and learn new ways to get my books into readers’ hands.
What does your day look like when you are working on a book?
My husband brings me coffee. (Yes, I am fortunate!) I procrastinate for a while, reading emails and headlines. And then I dive into work. I usually put in my headphones because my husband works from home, as do I, and he is on constant conference calls. It’s funny because I’m usually the loud and talkative one, and he is the quiet one, but when we are working, I’m silent, and he’s talking continuously!
I try and take a walk in the morning because if I skip it, I find that I don’t make time in the afternoon to take one. I usually get started around 10 with my second cup of coffee—yes, my life does seem to revolve around caffeine. I work until lunch, take care of email, catch up with social media, advertising, and other promotional work. After lunch, I’m back at the computer, writing at my desk until dinner. I try not to work in the evenings to spend time with my husband, watching a movie and reading.
How long does it typically take you to write a cozy mystery from start to finish?
I am a slow writer. I know there are a lot of authors who can crank out a few books in a year. I am not that person. I typically write my rough drafts during National Novel Writing Month in November (CCC: My daughter and I do NaNoWriMo too!) and then spend the following year revising and publishing. Since I’m self-published, many tasks require my attention, not strictly putting words on a page: launching books to various distributor platforms, web site maintenance, marketing, hiring freelance editors and cover designers, and sending out newsletters—it’s a lot!
I publish a book a year. This year I’m going to try and finish two. Readers have been waiting for book five in the Glass Bead Mystery Series for quite some time. Born to Bead Wild is sitting on my laptop right now in draft form. I’d like to get it done for the wonderful readers of that series who have been waiting patiently. I also want to write and publish the next book in the Ruby Shaw Mysteries because there has been so much excitement about this new series. I’m pleased with Aloe and Goodbye, and it’s been wonderful seeing all the positive reactions to it.
Do you belong to an authors’ group or have author friends who give you that extra push when you need it?
I am part of a small group of cozy mystery writers who critique each other’s books. Having a critique group is new to me, and I attribute my completion of Aloe and Goodbye to the help I received from my fellow authors in that group. I have author and avid reader friends who review early drafts of my books and often help me by pointing out plot problems.
If you could go anyplace in the world and write a novel based upon that place, where would you go?
I would go to Venice, Italy, in a heartbeat. I have been there three times—actually to the Island of Murano, the glassblowing island. I think it would be fun to write a mystery about this unique place because it is such a beguiling location with its canals, bridges, fantastic food, and art, with many opportunities to sleuth in dark alleys, cathedrals, and art studios. (CCC: Yes, that would be a great setting to write about! I’d love to visit someday!)
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
I’m focusing on Born to Bead Wild, Book Five in the Glass Bead Mystery Series. I’d put it aside for much of last year while I finished Aloe and Goodbye. That book refused to be on the back burner—it called to me every day, asking to be completed. Born to Bead Wild is about Jax O’Connell, the main character of the series, and her friend Tessa, a feisty Italian mom of three, who head to an artist retreat in a forest on the Olympic Peninsula. Jax’s neighbor and former beauty queen Val have been hired to work at the camp as their cook. When a man who has been evaluating the camp’s safety turns up dead, Jax and Tessa look for the killer, while Val tries to keep from poisoning the guests with such delicacies as vegan quinoa loaf.
I am happy to report that Born to Bead Wild is in much better shape than I remembered. That gives me hope I can release it in the next few months. I writer can hope, right? (CCC: Always!)
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions! Your answers are fascinating!!
Thanks for letting me stop by for a visit!
About Janice Peacock
Janice Peacock is a cozy mystery author who specializes in craft and hobby mysteries. She loves to write about artists who find new ways to live their lives and perhaps catch a criminal or two in the process. While working in a glass studio with several colorful and quirky artists, she was inspired to write the Glass Bead Mystery Series. The Ruby Shaw Mysteries, which are set in a small hillside mining town, were inspired by her trips to Jerome, Arizona, and Jacksonville, Oregon.
When Janice isn’t writing about amateur detectives, she wields a 2,500-degree torch to melt glass and create one-of-kind beads and jewelry. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and an undisclosed number of cats. Visit Janice online at janicepeacock.com.
Purchase Link – Amazon
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Aloe and Goodbye TOUR PARTICIPANTS
January 27
I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
The Avid Reader – REVIEW
Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 28
I Read What You Write – GUEST POST
FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
January 29
Elizabeth McKenna – Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT
Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
MJB Reviewers -SPOTLIGHT
January 30
Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
January 31
Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
February 1
Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
February 2
Here’s How it Happened – REVIEW
Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 3
Literary Gold – REVIEW
Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
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I love the cover art. Very colorful and eye catching. Adding to my read list
I so want to read this one and I love the cover too.
It looks like a good read.
this books sounds very interesting like the cover