Sunday Afternoon with Erika Chase

What better way to spend your Sunday afternoon than with Erika Chase!

Her new book Read and Buried, the second one in the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series  is about to be released on Tuesday Dec. 4th and if you haven't read this series, You so must!!!!!!!!

You will love it from the beginning!!!!

Overview:

Overview

Hosting an award-winning novelist is quite a Christmas coup for the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straw Society. But when he’s murdered in Lizzie Turner’s house, she’s got a holiday homicide on her hands …

For their very first guest author event, most of the book club members can’t wait to pull out all the stops in Southern hospitality. But for Lizzie, Derek Alton is nothing but trouble—from his massive ego to his smarmy moves. When he’s found murdered in her living room, it seems someone decided that this womanizing writer would be better off dead than read.

After suspicion falls on Lizzie’s friend, she and her fellow book club members discover that Derek wasn’t who he pretended to be. Cracking this case means going up against Lizzie’s boyfriend, police chief Mark Dreyfus, and unearthing a novel’s worth of nasty secrets. And as they get closer to uncovering Derek’s scandalous final manuscript, someone hiding in plain sight is out to write finis to Lizzie’s sleuthing for good…

Thank you for being here with us today Erika,

Tell us about yourself.

I write full time these days but I’m a former ad copywriter/journalist/community educator/mystery bookstore owner. I’ve been writing short stories for many years and am part of those dangerous dames, The Ladies’ Killing Circle.  My first published novel was “A Killer Read”, the first in the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries. Book number two, “Read and Buried” hits the bookshelves on Tues., Dec. 4^th!I also love Siamese cats (live with two of them, or rather, they allow me to share the house), chocolate, and choral singing.

What are you working on next?

The third in the series, “Cover Story” which should be out in the fall, 2013. I’m also playing around with settings for a new series.

How did you come you with this series and titles?

The series was my editor’s idea and the titles, a collaborative effort between the two of us.  It’s a natural fit for me because of my background in the mystery bookselling community and my own involvement in a book club. I think they’re terrific! My editor is quite creative and wonderful so it’s a pleasure working with her on this series.

What or who inspired you to write?

My eighth grade English teacher, Mr. Kent.  He encouraged us to try writing novels so I did. It was dreadful, although I loved it. Never did complete it but I think it’s buried somewhere in some drawer of grade school memories. (Where it will stay!) I was horse-crazy at the time, so guess what it was about!

What are the first 5 books in your to be read pile?

At the top of the pile is what’s next up for my book club (so I’d better hurry to it), titled “Girl in Translation” by Jean Kwok. The remainder (in this specific pile anyway – I do have several strategically placed around the house) are all mysteries:

“A Grave Waiting   by Jill Downie

“Written in Stone” by Ellery Adams

“The Dark Vineyard” by Martin Walker

“The Beautiful Mystery” by Louise Penny

Meet the Author

Erika Chase is the former owner of a mystery bookstore and in that guise has spoken to many book clubs over the years, happily recommending authors and series. Her own book club places chocolate on an equal footing with the books they read. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and magazines, and short-listed for awards. She’s been an advertising copywriter, journalist, and community educator as well as a long time volunteer with the local police service. She resides in the home of her two Siamese cats.  

Have you all read this series? Leave a comment for Erika if you like!