Ask the Author: Linda Reilly
Answered Questions (22)
Linda Reilly
Hi Melissa! Yes, there will be at least one more Grilled Cheese mystery. My editor estimates that it will be released by the end of this summer. I am hoping to publish more, but that's something I will have to work out with the publisher. I'm so pleased that you love the series. It's been so much fun to write. Best wishes and Happy Spring! Linda
Linda Reilly
Sue Ellen, thanks so much for writing. The publisher ended the Cat Lady mysteries with the fifth book, so I'm afraid there won't be any additional books in the series. I'm pleased to hear that you enjoyed them. Makes my morning brighter!
Linda Reilly
Luis, how wonderful to hear from you! I'm not sure yet about whether or not there will be an audio version. I know that other authors whose books are published with this publisher do have audio versions. After I get feedback from my new editor, I'm going to pose that question. I will let you and all my readers know as soon as I have an answer. Best wishes to you and your wife and family for a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving ~
Linda Reilly
Debbie, at this time I am not sure, but within the next few months I hope to have an answer to that question. I sure hope it will be available in audiobook!
Linda Reilly
Tracie, I'm pleased to tell you that there will be more Grilled Cheese mysteries! The fourth one (no title yet) will be released some time in the spring. The print books will not be in bookstores, but can be ordered from online booksellers. It will be sold predominantly as an e-book. Thanks so much for asking!
Linda Reilly
Talk about timing! Last evening, both my cats began staring at a spot on the bathroom wall -- for hours. They're doing it again this morning, leaving me to wonder...what unseen object or being is hiding behind that wall? A squirrel? The ghost of the tenant who lived (and passed) in the apartment prior to my moving in? I can easily imagine this as the opening scene for a paranormal or ghostly mystery.
Linda Reilly
Hilary, thank you for inquiring. Sadly, the publisher decided not to continue the Deep Fried series after the third book (A Frying Shame), but I do miss Talia and company! It was a fun series to write, and I hope to create a similar series in the near future.
Linda Reilly
From the mist emerged a reptilian face I’d seen only in my dreams. But this wasn’t a dream, and in the fiery eyes that burned tunnels through my soul I saw the unspeakable inevitability of death.
Linda Reilly
Lillian, I am sorry to say that the publisher has discontinued the Deep Fried series. I miss Talia and her crew, though. Thanks so much for your interest in the series. Much appreciated. Best wishes for a happy holiday season!
Linda Reilly
Hi Linda, so nice to meet you! Hope you love southern NH as much as I do.
I got started writing back in the 1990s, when my first "mini-mystery" was published by Woman's World magazine. It took me until 2011 to have my first novel accepted for publication, so I had to persevere for many years. During those years, though, Woman's World published many more of my short mysteries (along with a few romances), so that gave me hope that I'd one day have an actual book accepted for publication!
I don't have any book signings scheduled right now because my current series, the Cat Lady Mysteries, is published in e-format. I will, however, be at the Merrimack NH Public Library on April 18, 2018 at 7 PM to chat with the members of the library's book club. The library has invited the public, so you would be most welcome there. I would love to meet you, as well. And I would enjoy hearing about your writing!
Thanks for writing. What a great way to start off a Friday morning!
I got started writing back in the 1990s, when my first "mini-mystery" was published by Woman's World magazine. It took me until 2011 to have my first novel accepted for publication, so I had to persevere for many years. During those years, though, Woman's World published many more of my short mysteries (along with a few romances), so that gave me hope that I'd one day have an actual book accepted for publication!
I don't have any book signings scheduled right now because my current series, the Cat Lady Mysteries, is published in e-format. I will, however, be at the Merrimack NH Public Library on April 18, 2018 at 7 PM to chat with the members of the library's book club. The library has invited the public, so you would be most welcome there. I would love to meet you, as well. And I would enjoy hearing about your writing!
Thanks for writing. What a great way to start off a Friday morning!
Linda Reilly
Emily, thank you for such kind words about the Deep Fried series -- you've already made my day! I'm sad to report that Berkley Prime Crime decided not to continue the series, so there will not be a book four. A FRYING SHAME was the last one. If you happen to be a cat lover, you might take a peek at my first Cat Lady Mystery - ESCAPE CLAWS. But, I have to say that I do miss Talia and her entourage! I wish she could have continued. Thanks again for such a lovely message.
Linda Reilly
As of December 2017, I'm working on the third Cat Lady mystery, a story that takes place in December in a picturesque New Hampshire town. Amidst falling snow and the bustle of the holiday season, a cookie contest is abruptly cut short by a nasty murder. . .
That's all I can say without spoilers!
That's all I can say without spoilers!
Linda Reilly
For me, writer's block is more like "plot block." I sometimes get stuck in the plotting stage of a mystery when I'm trying to make everything work out in the end. Even though I always know my killer, it's the subtle clues and slippery red herrings that can be tough to pin down. Lying in a quiet place and brainstorming with myself often helps. Happily, it all seems to work out by the time the book is finished!
Linda Reilly
I feel inspired to write every morning after I wake up refreshed (hopefully) from a satisfactory night's sleep. My brain cells function best in the morning, so I boot up my laptop and fire away at the keyboard!
Linda Reilly
My most recent book (as yet, unfinished) takes places around the Christmas holidays and involves a cookie competition. Since cookies are one of my favorite food groups, I've been having a blast describing the different cookies entered in the contest, which has gotten a bit cutthroat. I only wish I could bake as well as my fictional bakers can!
Linda Reilly
I think another writer said it best (though I don't remember who it was!): I get to play with my imaginary friends all day! It's so much fun to create characters--the good, the bad, and the quirky--and infuse them with different traits. I love to watch my characters grow with each new installment of the series. And it's especially fun to catch the bad guys and put them in prison where they belong!
Linda Reilly
I would love to visit the village of St. Mary Mead in England, where I would puzzle out the solutions to crimes with the delightful Miss Marple.
Linda Reilly
I’m planning to enjoy a mostly “cozy” summer, devouring books such as Julia Buckley’s Death In Dark Blue and Bethany Blake’s Death by Chocolate Lab (first in her new Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series). But I can’t ignore my love for psychological suspense, so I’m also looking forward to reading The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena, as well as Lisa Gardner’s latest D.D. Warren thriller, Find Her.
Linda Reilly
Thank you for the question, Marilyn. A little over a year ago, I was fortunate enough to be able to retire from my full time job. That left my days (mostly) free to write. Since my brain functions best in the morning, I sit down with my coffee and muffin by around 8 AM, and boot up my laptop. I usually respond to e-mails first and take a quick gander at Facebook, but then my writing day starts. I aim for at least 1,000 words a day. (On days when I exceed that I pat myself on the back!) By afternoon, my mind is a bit fried. That's when I tackle lighter writing, such as blog posts and setting up Facebook giveaways. Right now I'm working on a new, cat-themed cozy series, and it's on a fast track. Those 1000 or more words a day are going to be crucial to my turning in the manuscripts on time. I love answering this question!
Linda Reilly
I love this question, and it really made me think. I'd have to say that my favorite couple is Alvirah and Willy Meehan, created by the fabulous Mary Higgins Clark in one of her early suspense novels, Weep No More, My Lady. They appeared in several of Ms. Clark's subsequent suspense novels, as well.
Alvirah and Willy are a hard-working, childless couple who got lucky and won a huge sum on a lottery ticket. And while they no longer have to worry about paying the bills or making ends meet, their new found wealth doesn't change their hearts and souls -- they continue to help others in need everywhere and in any way they can. They are kind, caring, and (of course!) they love to snoop. I wish the world were full of Alvirahs and Willys!
Alvirah and Willy are a hard-working, childless couple who got lucky and won a huge sum on a lottery ticket. And while they no longer have to worry about paying the bills or making ends meet, their new found wealth doesn't change their hearts and souls -- they continue to help others in need everywhere and in any way they can. They are kind, caring, and (of course!) they love to snoop. I wish the world were full of Alvirahs and Willys!
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