Mystery author Amethyst Drake joins me today to chat about her new novel, The Scheme.
During her virtual book tour, Amethyst has THREE giveaways to THREE lucky randomly drawn participants. One gift is a $25 Amazon gift card + a signed book; another gift is a $10 Amazon gift card and a signed book; and the third gift is a signed book. To be entered for a chance to win one of these giveaways, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
Amethyst Drake is a passionate storyteller. She excels at crafting delightful characters and developing complex relationships among them. Her favorite genre has always been mystery, making it a natural choice for her writing. She aims to blend her personal experiences with mental health and the moral complexities of intricate interpersonal relationships into engaging novels.
Amethyst loves reading all kinds of mysteries, suspense, and thrillers and enjoys watching classic detective and espionage dramas like “Murder, She Wrote,” “Perry Mason,” and “Mission: Impossible.” She also loves hearing from readers! Connect by signing up for her newsletter or email amethyst@agswordsmiths.com.
Welcome, Amethyst. Please tell us about your current release.
Katherine Carson, my main character, is a former intelligence operative who’s now a private detective. Carson Investigations is a small but close-knit team. Katherine leads the charge, of course, but I’ve also got Jake and Lee. They both worked for the NSA before this. Jake is the rock, he’s been Katherine’s friend for years and is a big brother figure to her. Lee is outgoing but also analytical. He tends to push the others out of their comfort zones. And then there’s Sammi, who’s our eager administrative assistant with dreams of becoming a detective someday.
In The Scheme, a worried father comes to her and offers to double her usual fee to find his missing daughter. As a small business owner at the end of the Great Recession of 2008, Katherine can’t turn this offer down. But what starts as a simple investigation soon leads her and her team into a world of espionage, financial crime, and some really deep-seated grudges.
As the story unfolds, Katherine must confront both the dangers of the case and her own unresolved guilt. She develops an emotional connection to the case, which makes her more vulnerable and human. And that’s one of the main things I want to showcase in this novel. We are not just strong in spite of our past. We are strong because of our past.
What inspired you to write this book?
Katherine, the main character in this book, has been like a dear friend to me for many years. I started writing stories for her when I was a child. Then I “grew up” and started writing non-fiction professionally and stopped writing stories for Katherine.
Then last year, I started taking care of a family member who lost his mobility and developed dementia. We got along very well, but it was a very stressful and challenging time emotionally. I needed something comforting and distracting to work on, so I turned to my old imaginary friend. After rereading some of my old stories, I decided to go ahead and expand them into a novel.
Excerpt from The Scheme:
Katherine’s mixed emotions reflected the muddle of the Ames’ case. The chilly silence was broken by the ring of her BlackBerry. She answered on the second ring.
“Hey, Katie.”
“Hi, Jake.” Katherine unbuckled her seatbelt and straightened up in her seat.
“Did you make it inside your apartment?”
Katherine slumped back. “You always know, don’t you?”
“You okay? Seems like this case is getting to you.”
“I guess so. I wanted this to be easy money…find a run-away heiress, let the family figure out the relationship mess.” Katherine got out of her car and climbed the steps to her apartment.
“I suppose nothing is ever that simple.”
“I suppose not.” Katherine unlocked her apartment door and stepped into the nearly bare living room. “I just wish we had more to go on. The clues we do have seem to conflict with each other. And I think Sammi is on strike.”
“Again?” Jake chuckled.
Katherine huffed as she removed her coat and bolted the door. “What does she think detectives do? We can’t find missing people by looking into a crystal ball.” Katherine lowered herself onto the soft couch, the only piece of furniture in the room.
“Even if we could, she’d probably think that was spying, too.” Jake chuckled louder. “Cut her some slack, Katie. We were all young and naive once.”
Jake knew better than most people exactly how young and naive Katherine had once been. He was the closest thing to family she had.
“Anyway, I’d like to believe Olivia wouldn’t run off…”
Jake finished her thought. “But it’s possible that this Robert character manipulated her into doing something she would not normally do.”
“If that’s the case, then I want to find Olivia before she does something she’ll regret. I hope it’s not too late.”
What exciting project are you working on next?
I have two exciting projects in the works. Carson Crime Files Book 2 is introduced in the final chapter of The Scheme. Carson Investigations will be investigating a grizzly murder in an art museum.
I am also writing a novelette. It will feature Margaret Mitchell, a lawyer and Katherine’s best friend. This will be a cozier read that dives into the secondary plot of The Scheme. We will also discover more about the budding relationship between Margaret and Jake.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always considered myself a writer, even from a young age. I loved creating characters and telling stories as a kid. I started writing in grade school and won a few children’s poetry and essay contests along the way. In my twenties, I shifted to non-fiction, writing professionally for a non-profit’s magazines for nearly a decade. I got burnt out and took a break from public writing for a couple years, but last year I was drawn back to the craft I’ve always loved. It feels so rewarding to finally share my stories with the world!
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 am a full-time writer. My workday begins after breakfast and walk. I spend about three hours in the morning writing. Three hours at my desk doesn’t sound like a lot, but I am always churning though character arcs and plot points no matter what else I’m doing. For lunch, I relax with a true crime podcast or go out with my mom or a friend when I can. My afternoons are flexible—sometimes filled with reading, extra writing, or a project around the house. Evenings are for dinner with my husband, followed by TV and administrative tasks like updating my website and managing social media.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I would say my most interesting writing quirk is that I have a big white board on the wall of my bathroom so I can take notes while I brush my teeth or when I get out of the shower. I’m always plotting!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a secret agent, a writer, or a librarian. Or all three. I gave up on being a librarian when I learned that librarians do not, in fact, live at the library.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Thank you for reading this interview! I hope you are following the whole tour. If you are interested in following my progress on future novels, please follow me on Facebook and subscribe to my newsletter.
Links:
Website | Facebook | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Lisa, Thank you so much for hosting me today. I hope you and your readers enjoy ‘The Scheme.’
Thank you so much for hosting today – it’s appreciated.
What central message or theme were you hoping readers would take away from this book?
The central message is about overcoming the past.
Thanks for sharing this great interview!
This sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.
Sounds fascinating
This looks like a book I will thoroughly enjoy. Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations on your book