Today’s special guest is cozy mystery author Diane Bator to chat about the third book in a series, All that Shimmers.
We chatted last year about The Conned Lady, part of her Wild Blue Mysteries series.
Bio:
Diane Bator is an Associate Publisher, Editor, and E-Commerce Co-Ordinator with BWL Publishing in Airdrie, Alberta. She has been a mystery writer for over ten years and has published nearly 20 novels. She is the host of Escape With a Writer, a blog she uses to promote fellow authors of all genres. Diane is a member of many writing groups such as WCYR, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Crime Writers of Canada. She is represented by Creative Edge Publicity.
Welcome, Diane. Please tell us about your current release.
All That Shimmers, Glitter Bay Mysteries, Book 3
When Laken Miller moves into the apartment above Vintage Sage, it seems all of Glitter Bay goes crazy, especially when Laken suspects her new home is haunted. Just when she thinks she’s the victim of mass hysteria, she finds her ex-husband’s body in the courtyard. Can Laken prove her innocence before the local police cuff her with a different kind of glittering bracelet?
What inspired you to write this book?
All That Shimmers is Book 3 in my Glitter Bay Mystery series. The series was intended to be part of something for another publisher, but became far too much work to do as part of a larger series. Once I started to write about Laken and Sage, I just couldn’t stop!
Each book in the series alternates between two sisters, Laken and Sage Miller, who are reunited in the coastal town of Glitter Bay after Laken’s modeling career comes to an end due to illness. Now that she has moved from Los Angeles to Glitter Bay and working in her sister’s clothing boutique, Vintage Sage, all kinds of things have been happening that have brought Laken’s past to the sleepy town. There are many great adventures still to come in the series!
Excerpt from All That Shimmers
From: Chapter One
A loud bang awakened me from a deep sleep with a snort. At first, I thought I’d dreamed the sound until the initial bang was followed by something breathing and scratching inside the ceiling above my bed. “Not again.”
When Sammy pawed at the back of my head, I decided he must have been the culprit. There was no way there could be a critter in my house. It had to be the English Sheepdog that always stole at least half the bed and some of the covers.
“Geez, dog, your internal clock needs a snooze alarm,” I muttered, pulling on a silky bathrobe over my Victoria’s Secret pajamas.
Using my cell phone as a flashlight, I followed him down the stairs that led from my apartment to the kitchen in back of Vintage Sage. I realized I could’ve turned on the lights now that Sammy and I lived above the store alone but a wistful part of me hoped to keep from waking up completely.
I struggled to open the lock on the back door while my dog danced around my legs. Still half asleep, I realized I couldn’t unlock a door that was already open.
“Oh darn. I must’ve forgotten to turn the deadbolt when I came in last night,” I muttered. Letting Sammy out, I shivered in the chill of the pre-dawn air. This was one of those mornings I wasn’t awake enough yet to join him in the courtyard. All I wanted was to go back to bed and dream about dancing with Cameron under the stars on the beach, which is what we’d done after dinner last night. That was probably why I’d missed locking the door. Too busy daydreaming.
I’d barely had time to glance at my phone before the dog was back at the door. He nearly bowled me over as he ran straight up the stairs without checking to see if I was following.
“Wow. No fooling around today.” Phone messages could wait. I locked the door then lumbered up the stairs pausing to click the lock on the door at the top.
What exciting project are you working on next?
There is always a new project! Currently, I’m at work on a few things:
- a fantasy novel I’m working on with a friend
- Book 6 in my Gilda Wright Mystery series coming out June 2024
- a Canadian Historical Mystery called Jesse James’ Gold for September 2024
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always considered myself a writer since I was a kid. I just always loved words and puzzles. In writing mysteries, I’ve found a way to incorporate both. I considered myself an author (I know the words are interchangeable!!) once I published my first novella and haven’t looked back!
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I was lucky I got to write full-time over the summer this year, but I found I needed a routine…and people! LOL! Currently, I write while working part-time for BWL Publishing and part-time at a local post office, which I’m sure will offer a great deal of inspiration!
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I make notes of EVERYTHING! I carry pens, paper, and notebooks pretty much everywhere I go and write down great lines, anything that inspires me, even names of people and places. Most of them end up in books eventually.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A writer. Seriously! A writer, a singer, an actor. I used to dream about appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show but that never happened. I do write books and I used to work for a professional theatre.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
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Thanks for visiting again!
Looking forward to Gilda Book 6!! Awesome interview Diane! Cheers!