I’m thrilled to promote Murder on the Ol’ Bunions by S. Dionne Moore on my blog today. Sandra, writing as S. Dionne Moore, is a good friend and fellow critique partner. Sandra and I connected during the 2006 ACFW conference in Dallas, Tx. Her book, Murder on the Ol’ Bunions, had finaled in the Genesis contest that year, but her entry had to be withdrawen when she received a publishing contract for it!
Murder on the Ol’ Bunions is a delightful read with a quirky cast of characters. I laughed throughout the book at LaTisha’s antics and interactions with the other people who cross her path. But, as LaVar Burton says on PBS’s Reading Rainbow, “Don’t take my word for it.” Read on to learn a little about S. Dionne Moore.
Sandra graciously answered some questions I asked to allow readers to learn a little about her. Be sure to leave a comment because I am giving away a FREE copy of Murder on the Ol’ Bunions to one fortunate reader. I will draw a name from all the commenters on Friday!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sandra has been writing for years with historicals being her main focus. By the time she had a polished manuscript in hand, historicals were unpopular. She didn’t give up though and decided to try her hand at writing a mystery. A cozy mystery.
Her first book, Murder on The Ol’ Bunions , released in April of 2008. Book two of the LaTisha Barnhart Mystery series, Polly Dent Loses Grip, and book three, Eat, Drink and Be Buried will follow in April 2009 and 2010, respectively.
She’s almost always running a contest, so drop by her Website, you just might win a free gift!
ABOUT THE BOOK
LaTisha Barnhart’s bunions tell her something’s afoot as she delves deeper into the murder of her former employee, Marion Peters. When LaTisha becomes a suspect, the ante is upped, and she is determined to clear her name and find the culprit.
She’s burping Mark Hamm’s bad cooking to investigate his beef with Marion. . .getting her hair styled at a high falutin’ beauty parlor to see what has Regina Rogane in a snarl. . .playing self-appointed matchmaker between the local chief and a prime suspect. . .and thinking Payton O’Mahney’s music store lease might be the reason he’s singing out of tune when discussion of Marion’s murder arises. LaTisha’s thinking she just might use the reward money to get her bunions surgically removed. But she’s got to catch the crook first.
Small town intrigue, a delightful, vivid cast, and a well-crafted mystery make S. Dionne Moore’s debut novel a must-read! I loved it!~Susan May Warren~Award-winning author of Reclaiming Nick
“S. Dionne Moore has the rare quality of pulling together great characters and compelling plots.”
~Kelly Klepfer~ www.novelreviews.blogspot.com
If you would like to HEAR the first chapter, go HERE and click on the bookcover trailer box!
If you would like to READ, the first chapter of Murder on The Ol’ Bunions , go HERE.
1. What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? The least?
Writing THE END. 🙂 I have so much fun writing the scenes between Hardy and LaTisha Barnhart, the main characters in my LaTisha Barnhart Mystery series. Definitely writing the book is my favorite part, editing is my least favorite.
I make the time. You have to or you won’t ever get anything accomplished. It is way too easy to make excuses, or while away the time doing other things. Ask me how I know. 🙂
3. Tell us a little about your road to publication.
I began my writing journey when I published my first piece, the introduction of the book Living Miracles: Stories of Hope from Parents of Premature Babies. I’d written a piece, pouring my heart out on paper after the birth of my daughter, 3 months early, and posted it on my Geocities Website. The editors of the book saw it, loved it, and asked to use it. I was thrilled!
Mary Higgins Clark’s earliest books are my absolute favorites. I also enjoy B.J. Hoff’s historicals, especially the Emerald Isle series.
5. How have those authors impacted your writing?
Mary Higgins Clark always gets to the heart of a character without being overly wordy. She taught me that a person can write a good, tight story by paying close attention to word choice and timing.
Well. . .I don’t have bunions like LaTisha (Murder on the Ol’ Bunions), but there is a little bit of me in LaTisha. I tend to be blunt, though I’ve worked real hard to be more diplomatic. Real hard. Really. Other than that, no, I can honestly say LaTisha’s experiences have not been mine. I’ve never found a dead body, never been married 38 years, though I’m working on that one, and I’ve never majored in police science or had seven children. But I do a lot of research and pay attention to people who have done some of these things in order to make the emotions and reactions in the story true-to-life.
7. What is the greatest piece of writing advice you received?
Writer’s write. The other favorite and very true piece of wisdom is that a lot of writing is rewriting.
8. What piece of advice would you like to share with new writers?
I’d quote the two pieces of advice above. They are both very, very true.
9. What are three things your readers might find interesting about you?
Not really. Different passages in the scripture speak louder than others depending on what I’m facing at the time.
Sandra, thanks so much for being a guest on my blog today. I look forward to reading the sequal, Polly Dent Loses Grip.
Readers, don’t forget to post a comment for a chance to win a FREE copy of Murder on the Ol’ Bunions!
Thanks for having me, Lisa. I just did my first booksigning this past Saturday and it was a blast. I signed with five other authors: Mike Delloso, Gayle Roper, Terri Gillespie, Cathy Gohlke, Carrie Turansky. We had such a blast and I even remembered my camera. Pics are on my Website. The staff was great, and since this was *their* first book signing I felt less intimidated.
Sandra,I love your spunky characters and look forward to reading Murder on the Ol' Bunions and Polly Dent loses Grip. What hilarious titles!
Thanks for the writing advice.
Sandra, thank you for participating on my blog. I'll visit your website to check out the pictures. Sounds like it was a great time.
Roxanne, thanks for stopping by. I love puns and Sandra's titles always bring a smile to my face. I'm sure you will enjoy her book.
I read the first chapter and I already felt LaTisha's strong character! Please enter me for a chance to win. Thanks 😀
Rb, LaTisha is a great character. Thanks for stopping by. You're entered in the drawing.
Sounds like a fun book! Great interview, Lisa.
Put me in the drawing! I'd love to win a book.
Blessings,
Sherry
Sorry, I forgot to put my last name in the previous post.
Blessings,
Sherry Kyle
I really enjoyed your tips for new writers – especially that most writing is really re-writing.