Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for A Night to Remember by Danny and Wanda Pelfrey. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
A Night to Remember
by Danny and Wanda Pelfrey
A Night to Remember An Adairsville Heritage Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in series
Setting – Georgia
CrossLink Publishing (September 14, 2022)
Paperback : 209 pages
Riley Gordan is back in Adairsville, Georgia anticipating a leisurely vacation from the rigors of law school with her college friend, Trish. Then, as part of a political plot, one of her Sunday School girls is kidnapped. Stumbling upon the abduction, Riley and her friends are drawn headfirst into a search for the girl.
Their probe leads them into a fast paced and dangerous string of encounters that include a Neanderthal named Houston, searches in some of the most hazardous places in North Georgia, a green Kia Soul, an old man with a big gun, and ultimately murder.
It is an adventure that provides some unusual twists and turns and is highlighted by a beautiful relationship between an old baseball player entering politics and a spunky adolescent who are jointly known around town as “Nate and The Kid.”
Interview with the Author Danny Pelfrey
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
It’s good to be with you. Thank you for inviting me.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My wife, Wanda, and I, who besides being my life partner is also my co-author, live in a cozy cape cod cottage in the little town of Adairsville, Georgia. It’s the same town where we grew up and were high school sweethearts. After college, we spent time in the pastorate in Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio before returning to our Georgia roots. We love telling people about our charming little town which we do by designating it as the setting for our mystery stories. We are blessed with two lovely daughters, one a teacher and the other an attorney. We love spending time with our five grandchildren. I still occasionally fill the pulpit for a vacationing pastor friend or on special occasions but spend most of my time these days writing and marketing what I have created. I find it to be an enjoyable life.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing for most of my adult life. Early on, I wrote articles for various publications. Those forty plus articles published by various national periodicals were mostly about practical aspects of ministry. I also did a newspaper column for several years which we called “As I Remember it.” My first book, published by a traditional publisher, ONE-WAY CHOICES IN A WRONG-WAY WORLD, was published in 1991. I then began to wonder if I could write fiction which led me, with the help of my wife, to spend several years writing the first mystery in the “Davis Morgan series.” Since then, we have created five more such mysteries, and I have authored two more non-fiction books. So, while Wanda and I have been writing for many years, we have only been producing fiction for maybe seven years. And let me add that writing has never been more fun.
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
I’ve always loved books, but I can’t say I always wanted to be an author. It was observing the joy my wife received from completed writing assignments that first caused me to become interested in the craft. I was well past my thirtieth birthday before I began to develop ideas that I thought might make a decent book. I did not first choose the cozy mystery genre. I first wrote non-fiction. I frequently read mysteries, starting with Hardy Boys books while still in elementary school, so when I started experimenting with fiction, it was natural for me to try my hand in that genre. Today, working on a cozy mystery is pure enjoyment. I love sitting at my desk and making neat stuff happen.
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
I read in a lot of genres; theology, history, literature, westerns etc., but for sheer entertainment, cozy mysteries are still at the top of my list. A book seller friend recently recommended the old Perry Mason mystery series. I am presently reading THE CASE OF THE ANGRY MOURNER.
Do you have a favorite place to write?
I write in my study with an antique library table in front of me and a desk to my right. I only need to turn my chair to transfer my attention from the computer to the desk. Three walls of the study are mostly book lined and the wall in front of me forms the gallery for framed covers of the books I have written. Other objects in the room are an antique pulpit from my home church and a favorite easy chair. A beautiful stained-glass window, also from my home church, adorns the space above the desk.
What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?
My computer, printer, and an Underwood typewriter from the 1930s are on the library table. On the desk to my right, I have seven leatherbound books from the middle 1800s, a large magnifying glass like Sherlock Holmes might use, a small lamp, and usually a lot of clutter.
What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?
I don’t remember the first book I read as a child, but I do remember my mother reading to me THE BOBBSY TWINS IN THE COUNTRY while I was still very young. At about age nine, I discovered a series about the childhood of famous Americans, and I must have read at least twenty of those one summer. From there, I graduated to the Hardy Boys books.
Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?
I like physical books best. That is probably because I am a creature of habit and physical books are what I have read all my life. I have never read an e-book and only listen to audiobooks on road trips.
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
That is easy. I would not leave the good ole U.S.A. I would love to spend a year writing at Cape Cod. The Cape has long been a favorite vacation spot of ours, but those stays have never extended past two weeks. I would love to experience a yearlong residence, though I’m sure the winter months would be a little rough.
What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?
The person who has most influenced me as a writer is my wife, Wanda. Her desire to be a writer goes all the way back to high school, and that ambition became a reality as she started receiving writing assignments from various publishing companies to do curriculum and educational materials shortly after finishing college. Her book, MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CHILD’S TEACHABLE MOMENTS, went through at least six printings. I am sure I would never have written anything had it not been for her influence, help, and the contagious joy she received from putting words on paper.
Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?
I have several author friends who are supportive, but I have never seriously discussed an active project with any writer but my wife. I know it’s odd, but I am a rather introverted personality who just doesn’t feel comfortable doing that. I am a member of one writing group, but not active. Aspiring authors shouldn’t look to me as an example in this matter.
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
With A NIGHT TO BE REMEMBERED being released this month, I am taking a short break from writing to concentrate on marketing that project. I will soon be back at the computer with Kirby and Riley, working on volume three of the Adairsville Heritage Mystery Series. The plan is for a four-book series, though that is up to the publisher. I have never received a contract for a series. It’s one book at a time, but my confidence has grown with the acceptance of six consecutive submissions. I am grateful to the folks at CrossLink for a great experience.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions! I really enjoyed reading your answers!
Thank you for having me!
About Danny and Wanda Pelfrey
Danny and Wanda Pelfrey are graduates of Atlanta Christian College (now Point University). Danny earned a masters from Kentucky Christian University. He spent 45 years in the pastorate. Wanda served as a primary Montessori teacher for twenty-four years. They have two daughters and are blessed with five amazing grandchildren.
Wanda’s career as a writer took off shortly after college, when she started writing curriculum and educational aids for a variety of publishers. Her book, MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CHILD’S TEACHABLE MOMENTS, published by Moody Press went through several printings and brought her a lot of attention and respect as a writer. However, she put her writing career on hold shortly thereafter to become a teacher.
Danny’s interest in writing was fostered by his wife’s love of the craft. He wrote articles for various publications, a newspaper column, and eventually three non-fiction books. Traditional publisher CrossLink released three of the four Davis Morgan Mysteries co-authored by the couple, as well as the first two books in the Adairsville Heritage Mystery series. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is #2 in the Adairsville Heritage series.
The Pelfreys live in their little Cape Cod cottage in their small north Georgia hometown of Adairsville, Georgia which serves as the setting for their mysteries with a message. They enjoy a life that is often centered around their five grandchildren and their love for putting words on paper.
Author Links:
Webpage: http://www.pelfreybooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danny.pelfrey.566
Twitter: https://.com/dwpelfrey
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/14319146.Danny_Pelfrey
*Purchase Links:
Amazon Barnes & Noble CrossLink
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A Night to Remember TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 14 – I Read What You Write – CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 14 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
September 15 – Brooke Blogs – AUTHOR GUEST POST
September 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 17 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
September 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 19 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
September 20 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
September 21 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 21 – My Journey Back the Journey Back – SPOTLIGHT
September 22 – Lady Hawkeye – AUTHOR GUEST POST
September 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
September 23 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
September 24 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
September 25 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
September 26 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 27 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT
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Thanks for sharing your talent!
A Night to Remember by Danny and Wanda Pelfrey sounds like a book that I would enjoy reading!
Thank you for hosting A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.
You’re welcome! I enjoyed reading your answers. My dad has been a lay pastor on and off since he retired from teaching almost 30 years ago.