Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for A Book Club to Die For (A Beloved Bookroom) by Dorothy St. James. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
A Book Club to Die For (A Beloved Bookroom)
by Dorothy St. James
A Book Club to Die For (A Beloved Bookroom)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Cypress, South Carolina
Berkley (November 1, 2022)
Hardcover : 304 pages
When a member of an exclusive book club is checked out, spunky librarian Trudell Becket must sort fact from fiction to solve the murder.
The Cypress Arete Society is one of the town’s oldest and most exclusive clubs. When assistant librarian Trudell Becket is invited to speak to the group about the library, its modernization, and her efforts to bring printed books to the reading public, her friend Flossie invites herself along. Flossie has been on the book club’s waiting list for five years, and she’s determined to find out why she’s never received an invitation to join.
But not long after Tru and Flossie arrive for the meeting, they’re shocked to find the club’s president, Rebecca White, dead in the kitchen. Rebecca was a former TV actress and local celebrity, but was not known for being patient or pleasant. She’d been particularly unkind to the book club’s host for the evening, who also happens to be the mother of Detective Jace Bailey, Tru’s boyfriend. And Rebecca had made it clear that she didn’t think Flossie was book club material.
With her boyfriend and one of her best friends wrapped up in a murder, Tru has to work fast to figure out who cut Rebecca’s story short before the killer takes another victim out of circulation….
Interview with Dorothy St. James
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m cozy mystery author Dorothy St. James. The beautiful Lowcountry of South Carolina is both the subject of my books and also where I have lived for nearly my entire life. (I did leave for a while during my crazy college days.)
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. But I didn’t start thinking about making it a career until 2001, when I decided that I wanted to make penning novels my full-time.
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
I did always want to be an author! It might be because I was born loving books. Or perhaps it was the magical bookmobile that would visit my neighborhood when I was a tiny tot. I remember climbing aboard the brown bus and coming home with books that would take me on the most wondrous adventures. Maybe that experience made me yearn to one day become part of that world.
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
I enjoy reading all genres, except horror. Cozy mysteries are some of my favorite reads. I first fell in love with the Cat Who books by Lillian Jackson Braun as a teen. My entire family would read the books and then talk about the mysteries Koko and Yum Yum would help solve.
I recently finished reading an advanced review copy of NEIGHBORS TO DIE FOR by Linda Lovely, another Lowcountry mystery author. It was a Thanksgiving mystery with enough twists and turns to keep my up way past my bedtime.
Do you have a favorite place to write?
I have written the past several books in my bed. My bedroom is a nice quiet place where I can hear myself think. Other favorite writing places (when I need some noise around me) are the library and coffee shops. Flossie Finnegan-Baker, in the Beloved Bookroom Mysteries, took shape while eavesdropping on the conversation of a quirky family at the table next to me in a Starbucks.
What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?
I desk is a disaster area. It’s piled with toys that my 9 year-old daughter leaves for me when she comes to snag a pen or paper or other essential item. There are also stacks of promotional items that I need to start giving away. My story notebooks live on the left-hand corner of my desk. There’s also an extra keyboard—just in case—and a few how-to books. Oh, and a scented candle I picked up at a book signing for ONCE UPON A WARDROBE by Patti Callahan that I use whenever I need inspiration.
What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?
Oh, that’s a hard one. I filled my young life with so many books. Perhaps one of the earliest ones that I can remember is THE GIVING TREE by Shel Silverstein. I loved the thought of having the tree follow the child through all of life’s changes. One of my favorite children’s books is THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THE BOOK. Spoiler alert: The monster is Grover. How poignant is that? He is the monster of his own story. Aren’t we all sometimes? I can probably recite half of the pages of that book even today.
Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?
Ever since my eyesight started to get fuzzy, I’ve started reading ebooks almost exclusively. The option for ridiculously large print is a lifesaver. That doesn’t mean that I don’t also like to buy print books to store on my shelves. And when we’re traveling in our van, we will always have kid-friendly audiobooks to listen to as a family.
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?
Oh! Another hard one. I love it. I really do enjoy writing about the Lowcountry, but if I could pick a place to live for a year, I think I’d like to try out England for a while. I’d like to wander along the moors and think broody thoughts and come up with a gothic mystery.
What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?
So many writers have inspired me over the years. Some of the top ones include Lillian Jackson Braun, Elizabeth Peters, Ernest Hemingway, Kay Hooper, and Kate Collins.
Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?
I have a few writer friends who I can reach out to when I get stuck or need a boost. They are as valuable as gold. I’m also a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. I
love the sense of community that these groups foster. Also, the online communities on Facebook and Twitter have served as virtual coffee shops for me. What a great place to go to share ideas or to get advice.
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
I wish I could tell you about a cozy mystery that I’m writing, but my publisher has me taking a break from them for the moment. While I’m unemployed from that genre, I’ve been playing around with some light-hearted dragon and faerie fantasies. Writing these books have pushed me creatively and (hopefully) helped me grow as an author.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!
Thank you so much for having me!
About Dorothy St. James
Dorothy St. James is a former Folly Beach beach bum. She now lives in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, with her family, slightly (OK, terribly) needy dogs, and the friendliest cat you’ll ever meet. Author of a dozen novels, Dorothy enjoys writing both cozy mysteries and romance.
Follow Dorothy Online:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dorothy.stjames
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dorothywrites
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dorothymcfalls
Website: www.dorothystjames.com
Purchase Links – Amazon – Penguin Random House – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound
Enter the giveaway
A Book Club to Die For TOUR PARTICIPANTS
November 1 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 1 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
November 1 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT
November 2 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
November 2 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 2 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
November 3 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
November 3 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 4 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 4 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
November 4 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
November 5 – Debbie’s Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 5 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
November 5 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 6 – The Book Diva’s Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 6 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
November 7 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 7 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
November 8 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
November 8 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
November 9 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
November 9 – Nadaness In Motion – SPOTLIGHT
November 10 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 10 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Sounds like a book I will enjoy reading.
Sounds like a fun an interesting read. I love the pretty cover.
Thanks for sharing!
I love the fun cover!
This book sounds like such an enjoyable cozy to read.
Cozy mysteries with librarians are one of my favorites. I love books and this one has a unique premise which promises to be intriguing.
Congrats on your tour. I wish you the very best!
Thanks for an interesting interview. I enjoy knowing more about the authors I read