Monday, March 23, 2015

The Readaholics ... by Laura DiSilverio

Normally, my books grow out of a plot point, inciting incident, or protagonist. With the Readaholics, the series idea grew out of relationships. I wanted to write about the growth and interaction of five quite different women who all come together for a monthly book discussion (usually of a classic mystery).

The "I" voice in the story belongs to Amy-Faye Johnson, a 32-year-old event planner. She's been hung up on a former boyfriend for years, but since starting her own small business, Eventful!, and buying a small house, she's ready to move on. Luckily, an attractive detective has recently moved to Heaven, Colorado from Atlanta.

Her best friend, Brooke Widefield, is also a Readaholic. Amy-Faye's age, she married into Heaven's richest family immediately after graduating from college. A former Miss Colorado, she's itching to do something worthwhile with her life (her inlaws object to her working) and have a baby.

Lola Paget was a year ahead of Amy-Faye and Brooke in high school and she went off to Texas A&M for her degree in Chemistry before returning to Heaven and the failing family farm which she has turned into a successful plant nursery. She supports her grandmother and teenage sister, whom she practically raised since their parents died when Lola was fifteen.

Maud Bell is the group's oldest member at 66. She's a hunting/fishing guide during the summer and builds websites and maintains a conspiracy theory blog (www.outtogetyou.com) during the winter. A former activist and corporate bigwig, she distrusts governments and police departments and frequently butts heads with the town's mayor (also a Readaholic).

Kerry Sanderson is in her late 40s and has a teenage son living at home. Her daughter and grandson live in an apartment over the garage. A self-made women who succeeded in real estate, Kerry is Heaven's part-time mayor and the voice of reason when the Readaholics start poking into the murder of their sixth member, Ivy Donner.

Expect lots of humor when these five women dive into investigating Ivy's murder in The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco. They quickly discover that reading about murder is a different prospect entirely than solving one . . .

I've had tons of fun getting to know these women as I write about them, and I hope you'll enjoy meeting them, too. Please pre-order the book by clicking here for release on April 7th!

(Oh, and in each outing they're reading a different classic mystery that somehow plays into the murder they're solving. I'll give away a signed ARC to the first person to comment with a correct guess as to what book they're reading in The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco!)

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I love the idea of the Readaholics, Laura. Thanks for introducing your cast of characters. I'm pretty sure I know the classic mystery answer.....let's see which of our readers gets it first.

Laura DiSilverio is a retired Air Force intelligence officer and author of 15 mystery and suspense novels. Her first Book Club Mystery, THE READAHOLICS AND THE FALCON FIASCO, hits stores on April 7. Her standalone suspense novel, THE RECKONING STONES, debuts in September. A Past President of Sisters in Crime, she pens articles for Writer’s Digest, and teaches writing in various fora. She plots murders and parents teens in Colorado, trying to keep the two tasks separate.

Learn more about Laura and her books at her website and blog.  She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

13 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

With those five characters, you could write a lot of books in the series. Congratulations, Laura!

Laura DiSilverio said...

That's the plan, Alex! LOL Thanks for dropping by today.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I just added that to the little notepad I keep for books I want to read. Sounds like something I could read on the front porch with a pot of coffee at my side.

MarlynB said...

The Maltese Falcon?

Laura DiSilverio said...

Susan--It goes well with a pot of coffee, a cup of tea, or a bottle--I mean a glass!--of wine.

Marlyn--You win! Send me your address (my email's on my website)and I'll mail you a signed ARC of the first Readaholics book.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Congratulations, Marlyn!

And thanks, Laura, for being my guest today and doing the giveaway.

Laura DiSilverio said...

Thanks for having me, Pat! I just announced on FB that I'm here and that I'm giving away a couple of more ARCs to random commenters because I'm having such fun. :-)

Patricia Stoltey said...

Excellent, Laura. Your post will stay at the top of the blog page through tomorrow, so I'll continue to help spread the word.

Terry said...

That was fast, Marlyn! Laura, sounds like a fantastic series: I'm in!

Laura DiSilverio said...

Thanks, Terry!

Patricia Smith Wood said...

I love the premise of the books, Laura! Sounds like a great cast of characters, with an almost unlimited supply of murders to solve. I'm guessing the classic mystery they are reading here is The Maltese Falcon.

Dean K Miller said...

What a wonderful cast of characters and idea for novels. The relationship angle is endless for new works.

Laura DiSilverio said...

You're right, Patricia--the Readaholics are discussing The Maltese Falcon, a book I blush to confess I'd never read before creating this series.

Thanks, Dean. I'm hoping readers relate to the Readaholics and that if the series is not "endless," it's a least long-lasting!