I’ve been waiting years for a new Haunted Bookshop mystery by Cleo Coyle. I was so excited to read it, that I asked the authors if they’d answer a few questions. It’s out next week, and I’ll be reviewing The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller tomorrow. I’m glad the authors found time for the interview.
Cleo
(because it’s easier to call you that for the interview), would you introduce
yourselves to the readers?
(because it’s easier to call you that for the interview), would you introduce
yourselves to the readers?
Greetings, everyone, I am Alice Alfonsi, and I collaborate with my
husband, Marc Cerasini, to write The Coffeehouse Mysteries and Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries under the pen name Cleo Coyle.
husband, Marc Cerasini, to write The Coffeehouse Mysteries and Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries under the pen name Cleo Coyle.
Marc and I also work independently under our own names. We’ve
written popular fiction for
written popular fiction for
adults and children; and, as media tie-in writers,
we’ve penned bestselling properties for NBC, Fox, Disney, Lucasfilm, Imagine,
and MGM.
As for our Coffeehouse Mysteries, we’re celebrating 15 years in
print, three starred reviews, and the publication of the seventeenth entry with
Shot in the Dark. We’re now working on our eighteenth Coffeehouse title,
due for publication in 2019 by our longtime publisher (PRH’s Berkley).
print, three starred reviews, and the publication of the seventeenth entry with
Shot in the Dark. We’re now working on our eighteenth Coffeehouse title,
due for publication in 2019 by our longtime publisher (PRH’s Berkley).
I was so excited to see the return of Jack
Shepard and Penelope Thornton-McClure. It’s been a number of years, so would
you introduce Jack and Pen? And, please share their good news.
Shepard and Penelope Thornton-McClure. It’s been a number of years, so would
you introduce Jack and Pen? And, please share their good news.
Happy to! After a decade-long hiatus, Marc and I have resumed
writing our Haunted Bookshop Mysteries for Berkley. The Ghost and the Bogus
Bestseller is out this month with more titles to come. We dedicated the new
book to our readers, who never gave up on seeing Jack come back. And who is
Jack?
writing our Haunted Bookshop Mysteries for Berkley. The Ghost and the Bogus
Bestseller is out this month with more titles to come. We dedicated the new
book to our readers, who never gave up on seeing Jack come back. And who is
Jack?
Jack Shepard (deceased circa 1949) is a wisecracking PI whose
spirit haunts a little Rhode Island bookshop run by an earnest, young widow
named Penelope Thornton-McClure.
spirit haunts a little Rhode Island bookshop run by an earnest, young widow
named Penelope Thornton-McClure.
Penelope’s late father, a small town cop, gave her an early love
of crime fiction, including the hardboiled detectives of the Black Mask
school, which begs an ongoing question. Why does she alone hear Jack’s voice?
Is he an actual apparition? Or is he some kind of alter-ego? There to counsel
and bolster Pen, and express the things she can’t. Whatever the truth, when
crime happens, Jack encourages Pen to investigate— and appears to enjoy
educating her in the tricks of his trade.
of crime fiction, including the hardboiled detectives of the Black Mask
school, which begs an ongoing question. Why does she alone hear Jack’s voice?
Is he an actual apparition? Or is he some kind of alter-ego? There to counsel
and bolster Pen, and express the things she can’t. Whatever the truth, when
crime happens, Jack encourages Pen to investigate— and appears to enjoy
educating her in the tricks of his trade.
After creating the series in 2003, we wrote five entries and (for
a variety of reasons) let Jack rest in peace. The fans, however, weren’t ready
for his untimely end, which is why we finally decided to make our ghost
reappear.
a variety of reasons) let Jack rest in peace. The fans, however, weren’t ready
for his untimely end, which is why we finally decided to make our ghost
reappear.
Tell usabout The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller without spoilers.
The brand new book in our series is an entertaining murder mystery that has plenty to say about life and death; readers and writers; and our wacky book business. The story includes some intriguing insights into the book trade’s history of hoaxes (our “Bogus Bestseller” was inspired by many that
came before it).
came before it).
Readers should have plenty of fun guessing whodunit with our hardboiled ghost Jack teaching his earnest PI student, bookseller Penelope, a thing or two about how to crack a hard case. We’ll even take you back to Jack’s 1940s New York, where a missing pooch leads to a missing author, two lively
subplots that help our amateur sleuth better understand her case at hand.
subplots that help our amateur sleuth better understand her case at hand.
I know what inspired the stories of Jack and
Pen, but readers may not. Would you share the backstory, please?
Pen, but readers may not. Would you share the backstory, please?
Years ago, I read the novel The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R.A.
Dick, the pen name for author Josephine Leslie. The book was a bestseller in 1945.
Two years later, Hollywood turned it into a classic film, which inspired a 1968
television series.
Dick, the pen name for author Josephine Leslie. The book was a bestseller in 1945.
Two years later, Hollywood turned it into a classic film, which inspired a 1968
television series.
What influenced me most, however, was a realization about the era
in which the novel was produced. World War II had just ended, and many young
women were grieving the loss of their husbands. Ms. Leslie’s novel gave these
women the story of Mrs. Muir, a young widow like themselves, who is befriended
by the spirit of a colorful sea captain, one who even “dictates” a bestselling
book to her.
in which the novel was produced. World War II had just ended, and many young
women were grieving the loss of their husbands. Ms. Leslie’s novel gave these
women the story of Mrs. Muir, a young widow like themselves, who is befriended
by the spirit of a colorful sea captain, one who even “dictates” a bestselling
book to her.
I appreciated the comfort that novel must have brought to warwidows of the time. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir made vivid the idea that
spirits are looking after us. Whether the spirits are real or residing within
ourselves—as imagination, passion, or creative potential—the notion is an
uplifting one.
Of
course, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is not a mystery, and though Ms.
Leslie’s novel provided a baseline inspiration for our series, Marc and I
worked hard to create a fully realized world of original characters, settings,
and stories, as well as a functioning structure that could support multiple
works of crime fiction. The amazing Carolyn Hart, of course, pioneered the idea
of a series centered around a mystery bookstore—that wasn’t new ground, but…
course, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is not a mystery, and though Ms.
Leslie’s novel provided a baseline inspiration for our series, Marc and I
worked hard to create a fully realized world of original characters, settings,
and stories, as well as a functioning structure that could support multiple
works of crime fiction. The amazing Carolyn Hart, of course, pioneered the idea
of a series centered around a mystery bookstore—that wasn’t new ground, but…
As longtime fans of film
noir and the Black Mask writers, my husband and I knew mixing that
ingredient into the series stew would spice things up. We also developed
flashback subplots for our ghost character, Jack Shepard, along with a
fictional device that allowed our earnest bookseller to join him in a kind of
unconventional PI school.
noir and the Black Mask writers, my husband and I knew mixing that
ingredient into the series stew would spice things up. We also developed
flashback subplots for our ghost character, Jack Shepard, along with a
fictional device that allowed our earnest bookseller to join him in a kind of
unconventional PI school.
Pairing Jack’s hardboiled
darkness with the lighter character of Penelope proved an entertaining match
for many readers, and we hope they’ll be pleased to see them team up again in The
Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (2018).
darkness with the lighter character of Penelope proved an entertaining match
for many readers, and we hope they’ll be pleased to see them team up again in The
Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (2018).
As a fan
of this series, I could ask so much more, but I want to pay a little bit of
homage to the Coffeehouse Mysteries. Would you give us the elevator pitch about
that series?
of this series, I could ask so much more, but I want to pay a little bit of
homage to the Coffeehouse Mysteries. Would you give us the elevator pitch about
that series?
Our Coffeehouse Mysteriesfollow the misadventures of a single mom named Clare Cosi, who runs a landmark
Greenwich Village coffeehouse for an eccentric older woman, while doing her
best to mother and protect her daughter and the young staff she manages. Clare
is a mature woman who has a complicated love life and routinely finds herself
mixed up in murder. One fan called it Murder, She Wrote meets Starbucks.
Marc and I are fine with that description since we both happen to love Murder,
She Wrote!
What
inspired the Coffeehouse Mysteries?
inspired the Coffeehouse Mysteries?
The inspiration for the
series came from my time living in New York’s East Village, shortly after I
moved to the city from Western Pennsylvania. You can see the actual building
where the Coffeehouse Mysteries were born by clicking here.
series came from my time living in New York’s East Village, shortly after I
moved to the city from Western Pennsylvania. You can see the actual building
where the Coffeehouse Mysteries were born by clicking here.
Back in 1985, this part of
Manhattan was far from the trendy, hipster neighborhood that it is now. The
area was rough and gritty with plenty of street crime. I was working at my
first job out of college, a cub reporter’s position at the New York Times.
That may sound impressive, but the work was far from glamorous. The hours were
long, the pay pitiful.
Manhattan was far from the trendy, hipster neighborhood that it is now. The
area was rough and gritty with plenty of street crime. I was working at my
first job out of college, a cub reporter’s position at the New York Times.
That may sound impressive, but the work was far from glamorous. The hours were
long, the pay pitiful.
Since my working-class
parents couldn’t afford to supplement my living, which is how many well-off
young people survive high urban rents, I did what most of the planet’s
population does to make ends meet—I improvised. A female friend in an NYU grad
program agreed to share the rent with me. She slept in the tiny bedroom, and I
used a pullout couch in the Lilliputian living room.
parents couldn’t afford to supplement my living, which is how many well-off
young people survive high urban rents, I did what most of the planet’s
population does to make ends meet—I improvised. A female friend in an NYU grad
program agreed to share the rent with me. She slept in the tiny bedroom, and I
used a pullout couch in the Lilliputian living room.
While this cramped, shotgunapartment was located across from a rundown park notorious for drug dealing, it
also sat above a small coffee shop and bakery called Bread and Roses. That
friendly women-run shop on the ground floor of my old address offered a warm
and cozy oasis, smack in the middle of the big-city land of not-so-nice noir.
Years ago, in a published
essay for Mystery Readers International,
I used the phrase “Urban Cozy” (as far as I know, I coined the term) in an
attempt to describe the particular blended sub-genre in which we write—amateur
sleuth mysteries with cozy mystery elements, like close relationships and
humor, but set in an urban environment with edgier crime stories.
essay for Mystery Readers International,
I used the phrase “Urban Cozy” (as far as I know, I coined the term) in an
attempt to describe the particular blended sub-genre in which we write—amateur
sleuth mysteries with cozy mystery elements, like close relationships and
humor, but set in an urban environment with edgier crime stories.
Certainly plenty of authors
blend genres, and we’ve been influenced by many writers who came before us
(more on that below), but the particular voice and vision for our Coffeehouse
Mysteries came from my early experience living and feeling that odd
juxtaposition of cozy and noir.
blend genres, and we’ve been influenced by many writers who came before us
(more on that below), but the particular voice and vision for our Coffeehouse
Mysteries came from my early experience living and feeling that odd
juxtaposition of cozy and noir.
Keeping our cozy readers in
mind, Marc and I ultimately set our fictional Village Blend not in the East but
a short distance away in the more beautiful, landmark preserved West Village.
Yes, with a bit of cheeky irony, we made sure our amateur sleuth lived in a
picturesque “village”—and, in all honesty, our NYC neighborhoods share many of
the same attributes as the villages of more traditional mysteries. People work
hard to run their businesses. They care for their families and friends. They
try to do the right thing in their community. They gossip and make mistakes;
withstand heartache and loss; and, most of all, do their best to (as our
character Madame would say) “Survive everything, and do it with style.”
mind, Marc and I ultimately set our fictional Village Blend not in the East but
a short distance away in the more beautiful, landmark preserved West Village.
Yes, with a bit of cheeky irony, we made sure our amateur sleuth lived in a
picturesque “village”—and, in all honesty, our NYC neighborhoods share many of
the same attributes as the villages of more traditional mysteries. People work
hard to run their businesses. They care for their families and friends. They
try to do the right thing in their community. They gossip and make mistakes;
withstand heartache and loss; and, most of all, do their best to (as our
character Madame would say) “Survive everything, and do it with style.”
Now, just
a couple personal questions. How did the two of you meet?
a couple personal questions. How did the two of you meet?
Though we were both born
and raised in different small towns outside of Pittsburgh, PA, Marc and I
didn’t meet until we each moved to New York City. We got to know each other
while working in the same office, over twenty-five years ago, and we’ve been
together ever since. We’ve been New Yorkers ever since, too, and reside in
Queens.
and raised in different small towns outside of Pittsburgh, PA, Marc and I
didn’t meet until we each moved to New York City. We got to know each other
while working in the same office, over twenty-five years ago, and we’ve been
together ever since. We’ve been New Yorkers ever since, too, and reside in
Queens.
How did
you decide to write together?
you decide to write together?
For years, we wrote
independently, publishing popular fiction for adults and children and tie-in
projects for a number of studios, including Disney, Imagine, Universal, Marvel,
and Lucasfilm.
independently, publishing popular fiction for adults and children and tie-in
projects for a number of studios, including Disney, Imagine, Universal, Marvel,
and Lucasfilm.
Marc also wrote nonfiction,
including The Future of War: The Face of 21st Century Warfare; Heroes:
U.S. Marine Corps Medal of Honor; (a major essay in) The Tom
Clancy Companion; and O.J. Simpson: American Hero, American Tragedy,
which spent 4 weeks on the New York Times list (1 million copies
printed, 700,000 sold).
including The Future of War: The Face of 21st Century Warfare; Heroes:
U.S. Marine Corps Medal of Honor; (a major essay in) The Tom
Clancy Companion; and O.J. Simpson: American Hero, American Tragedy,
which spent 4 weeks on the New York Times list (1 million copies
printed, 700,000 sold).
Around the same time, I
authored four paranormal romance novels for Berkley (Eternal Vows, Eternal
Love, Eternal Sea, and Some Enchanted Evening). That
experience led to my ghostwriting Hidden Passions, an original novel
based on an offbeat, paranormal NBC daytime drama. The book spent 8 week on the
New York Times bestseller list and was named media tie-in book of the
year by Entertainment Weekly.
authored four paranormal romance novels for Berkley (Eternal Vows, Eternal
Love, Eternal Sea, and Some Enchanted Evening). That
experience led to my ghostwriting Hidden Passions, an original novel
based on an offbeat, paranormal NBC daytime drama. The book spent 8 week on the
New York Times bestseller list and was named media tie-in book of the
year by Entertainment Weekly.
My Harper editor on the
novel, who also knew Marc’s work, asked if we’d like to work together on a new
project, and we said yes. It was our first official collaborative
project and also the first work of tie-in fiction attached to the Emmy-award
winning Fox TV series 24.
novel, who also knew Marc’s work, asked if we’d like to work together on a new
project, and we said yes. It was our first official collaborative
project and also the first work of tie-in fiction attached to the Emmy-award
winning Fox TV series 24.
We learned some interesting
thriller techniques from Virgil Williams, 24’s story editor at the time,
who guided and advised us along the way. We both enjoyed working together and
agreed that a great next step would be to develop our own mystery series.
thriller techniques from Virgil Williams, 24’s story editor at the time,
who guided and advised us along the way. We both enjoyed working together and
agreed that a great next step would be to develop our own mystery series.
How do
you work together? Who does what in the writing?
you work together? Who does what in the writing?
Our collaborative process
is a little like two chefs in one kitchen. We brainstorm the menu (rough
outline) together. Then we go off and cook up different parts. Throughout the
months of writing, we’ll continue to suggest ideas to each other—over morning
coffee, evening meals, and long walks through our neighborhood. But we always write
our sections alone, dreaming up things in separate rooms. Then we come together
and share. I go over Marc’s pages and he goes over mine, each of us working to
improve, smooth out, or punch-up the other’s prose.
is a little like two chefs in one kitchen. We brainstorm the menu (rough
outline) together. Then we go off and cook up different parts. Throughout the
months of writing, we’ll continue to suggest ideas to each other—over morning
coffee, evening meals, and long walks through our neighborhood. But we always write
our sections alone, dreaming up things in separate rooms. Then we come together
and share. I go over Marc’s pages and he goes over mine, each of us working to
improve, smooth out, or punch-up the other’s prose.
We never outline a book
from start to finish. After we agree on a concept and general direction, we’ll
throw our characters into the thick of things and let them tell us the story
from there. By the midpoint, we’re brainstorming again, researching new twists,
turns, and locations, and we rarely know the ending until we’re about
three-quarters through. We like it that way. If we can surprise ourselves,
we’re more likely to surprise and entertain our readers.
from start to finish. After we agree on a concept and general direction, we’ll
throw our characters into the thick of things and let them tell us the story
from there. By the midpoint, we’re brainstorming again, researching new twists,
turns, and locations, and we rarely know the ending until we’re about
three-quarters through. We like it that way. If we can surprise ourselves,
we’re more likely to surprise and entertain our readers.
One last note, readers
should not assume that Marc writes all the men and I the women (an unfortunate
assumption that we sometimes encounter). Each of us writes scenes and sequences
using every character. Marc writes Clare Cosi, Madame, and Penelope
Thornton-McClure as often as I write NYPD Detective Mike Quinn, coffee-hunter
Matt Allegro, and the ghost of Jack Shepard.
should not assume that Marc writes all the men and I the women (an unfortunate
assumption that we sometimes encounter). Each of us writes scenes and sequences
using every character. Marc writes Clare Cosi, Madame, and Penelope
Thornton-McClure as often as I write NYPD Detective Mike Quinn, coffee-hunter
Matt Allegro, and the ghost of Jack Shepard.
I love to
know answers to this question. When friends come to visit, where do you like to
take them?
know answers to this question. When friends come to visit, where do you like to
take them?
To Junior’s for the best
cheesecake on this or any other planet, the TKTS booth in Times Square, and
between the lions of the New York Public Library. Runner-up jaunts include the
High Line; Bryant Park; the Staten Island Ferry, and our “Coffeehouse Mystery”
tour of Greenwich Village. For adventurous souls, we’ll throw in a ride on our
local Queens #7 Train (aka “The International Express”) with noshing stops in
Little India, Little Manilla, Flushing’s Chinatown, and the Irish pubs of
Woodside.
cheesecake on this or any other planet, the TKTS booth in Times Square, and
between the lions of the New York Public Library. Runner-up jaunts include the
High Line; Bryant Park; the Staten Island Ferry, and our “Coffeehouse Mystery”
tour of Greenwich Village. For adventurous souls, we’ll throw in a ride on our
local Queens #7 Train (aka “The International Express”) with noshing stops in
Little India, Little Manilla, Flushing’s Chinatown, and the Irish pubs of
Woodside.
You
probably have different answers to this question, so I’ll take answers from
each of you. What authors influenced you?
probably have different answers to this question, so I’ll take answers from
each of you. What authors influenced you?
ALICE: A host of authors,
playwrights, and poets, have influenced me over the years. They include (in no
particular order): Nora Ephron, Raymond Chandler, Neil Simon, Thornton Wilder,
R. A. Dick (Josephine Leslie), Susan Isaacs, Fay Weldon, Janet Evanovich,
Agatha Christie, O. Henry, Mark Twain, Richard Price, Dennis Lehane, Thomas
Harris, Carolyn Hart, Diane Mott Davidson, Rex Stout, Nan and Ivan Lyons,
Dashiell Hammett, Woody Allen, Paddy Chayefsky, Tom Stoppard, Tom Wolfe, David
Mamet, Edward Albee, Clare Booth Luce, Fitzgerald, Poe, Shakespeare, Sondheim,
Sylvia Plath, (working-class poet and my former teacher) Jim Daniels, and…(okay,
I’ll stop already, but I consider the list open-ended).
playwrights, and poets, have influenced me over the years. They include (in no
particular order): Nora Ephron, Raymond Chandler, Neil Simon, Thornton Wilder,
R. A. Dick (Josephine Leslie), Susan Isaacs, Fay Weldon, Janet Evanovich,
Agatha Christie, O. Henry, Mark Twain, Richard Price, Dennis Lehane, Thomas
Harris, Carolyn Hart, Diane Mott Davidson, Rex Stout, Nan and Ivan Lyons,
Dashiell Hammett, Woody Allen, Paddy Chayefsky, Tom Stoppard, Tom Wolfe, David
Mamet, Edward Albee, Clare Booth Luce, Fitzgerald, Poe, Shakespeare, Sondheim,
Sylvia Plath, (working-class poet and my former teacher) Jim Daniels, and…(okay,
I’ll stop already, but I consider the list open-ended).
MARC: Robert E. Howard was
a major inspiration, but until I was fourteen I mostly read the books lying
around our family home so the list is pretty eclectic. Edgar Allen Poe, H.P.
Lovecraft, Jack London, Clark Ashton Smith, C. L. Moore, Shirley Jackson, Jane
Gaskell, Frank Herbert, Philip Jose Farmer, Harlan Ellison, Larry Niven,
Michael Moorcock, Ursula K. Le Guin, Philip K. Dick, Richard Matheson,
Jacqueline Susanne, Harold Robbins, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Rex Stout,
James Ellroy, and James Clavell. I began taking note of screenwriters before I
was twelve and so include Jimmy Sangster, Paddy Chayefsky, Joseph Stefano,
Charles Beaumont, and Nigel Kneale.
a major inspiration, but until I was fourteen I mostly read the books lying
around our family home so the list is pretty eclectic. Edgar Allen Poe, H.P.
Lovecraft, Jack London, Clark Ashton Smith, C. L. Moore, Shirley Jackson, Jane
Gaskell, Frank Herbert, Philip Jose Farmer, Harlan Ellison, Larry Niven,
Michael Moorcock, Ursula K. Le Guin, Philip K. Dick, Richard Matheson,
Jacqueline Susanne, Harold Robbins, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Rex Stout,
James Ellroy, and James Clavell. I began taking note of screenwriters before I
was twelve and so include Jimmy Sangster, Paddy Chayefsky, Joseph Stefano,
Charles Beaumont, and Nigel Kneale.
Again,
there may be different answers to this one. Name an author or book that you
wish had received more attention.
there may be different answers to this one. Name an author or book that you
wish had received more attention.
ALICE:
My husband doesn’t know I’m going to say this, but I’m naming his
groundbreaking literary study. Marc Cerasini co-wrote the book Robert E.
Howard: A Critical Study with award-winning writer Charles Hoffman, and the year it
was published, the book was short-listed for the World Fantasy Award. Novalyne
Price Ellis, who knew Howard well—and was portrayed by actress Renée Zellweger
in The Whole Wide World, a moving film about Howard’s life and death—was
delighted with the work that Marc and Charles did, and personally conveyed her
gratitude to them. Robert E. Howard was originally published by Starmont
House/Borgo Press, a company that went out of business and took the book out of
print with its demise. The study really should be back in print (and in
libraries!) for Howard enthusiasts to enjoy.
My husband doesn’t know I’m going to say this, but I’m naming his
groundbreaking literary study. Marc Cerasini co-wrote the book Robert E.
Howard: A Critical Study with award-winning writer Charles Hoffman, and the year it
was published, the book was short-listed for the World Fantasy Award. Novalyne
Price Ellis, who knew Howard well—and was portrayed by actress Renée Zellweger
in The Whole Wide World, a moving film about Howard’s life and death—was
delighted with the work that Marc and Charles did, and personally conveyed her
gratitude to them. Robert E. Howard was originally published by Starmont
House/Borgo Press, a company that went out of business and took the book out of
print with its demise. The study really should be back in print (and in
libraries!) for Howard enthusiasts to enjoy.
MARC: Though she received
plenty of attention when she published her first novel at sixteen, British
fantasy author Jane Gaskell is pretty much forgotten today, and her books are
long out of print. This is sad because her Atlan series (The Serpent, Atlan,
The City, and Some Summer Lands) greatly influenced me. Told in
first person by a perfectly ordinary princess taken hostage and dragged across
prehistoric South America to Atlantis, Gaskell’s saga was free of the stilted,
high-sounding language often found in the genre at that time. Along with a
vivid imagination, she possessed a journalist’s flair for detail and description,
so it’s no surprise she gave up fiction to become a reporter for Britain’s Daily
Mail.
plenty of attention when she published her first novel at sixteen, British
fantasy author Jane Gaskell is pretty much forgotten today, and her books are
long out of print. This is sad because her Atlan series (The Serpent, Atlan,
The City, and Some Summer Lands) greatly influenced me. Told in
first person by a perfectly ordinary princess taken hostage and dragged across
prehistoric South America to Atlantis, Gaskell’s saga was free of the stilted,
high-sounding language often found in the genre at that time. Along with a
vivid imagination, she possessed a journalist’s flair for detail and description,
so it’s no surprise she gave up fiction to become a reporter for Britain’s Daily
Mail.
And, my
final question. I’m a librarian. Tell me a story about a library or a librarian
in your life.
final question. I’m a librarian. Tell me a story about a library or a librarian
in your life.
MARC: I lived in a fading steel town outside of Pittsburgh that had a very
imposing library built by the town’s namesake, Andrew Carnegie. One summer my
dad was appointed to the City Council, so on Tuesday nights, seven until nine,
he had to attend weekly meetings. I often went with him because the library seemed
like a really cool place to a twelve-year-old, with its huge bronze statues of
classical warriors, swords and shields on the walls, and even a suit of armor.
On those trips, I walked around the library alone and unsupervised, after
hours. More than once, I got lost in some book in a hidden stack, and my dad
had to come find me. I remember reading Call of the Wild in two visits,
relieved no one had borrowed it in the intervening week!
ALICE: In my little
hometown, we had no bookstores, not even a proper library, but that didn’t
discourage my steelworker dad from making sure his daughters received a good
education. That was his mantra, and one of the reasons my older sister Grace is
a respected M.D. in Denver and I’m (forgive me, must say this for Dad) a New
York Times bestselling author. Without fail, Antonio Alfonsi would drive
his daughters to the Carnegie Library system’s bookmobile, which rolled into
our local Acme parking lot once a week. We were always there to greet it,
excitedly picking up or returning books. God bless this country’s libraries,
librarians, and bookmobiles, especially those that serve lower income
communities, where bookstores are as scarce as polo ponies.
hometown, we had no bookstores, not even a proper library, but that didn’t
discourage my steelworker dad from making sure his daughters received a good
education. That was his mantra, and one of the reasons my older sister Grace is
a respected M.D. in Denver and I’m (forgive me, must say this for Dad) a New
York Times bestselling author. Without fail, Antonio Alfonsi would drive
his daughters to the Carnegie Library system’s bookmobile, which rolled into
our local Acme parking lot once a week. We were always there to greet it,
excitedly picking up or returning books. God bless this country’s libraries,
librarians, and bookmobiles, especially those that serve lower income
communities, where bookstores are as scarce as polo ponies.
Thank you, Cleo, Alice, and Marc. Come back tomorrow for my review of The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller.
And, a note from the authors – FYI – Our main website is www.CoffeehouseMystery.com and for those interested in going straight to our Haunted Bookshop Mystery page, we have a dedicated web address at www.HauntedBookshopMystery.com
Those aren't the kinds of books I read, as you know, but that was an excellent, really interesting interview. When we lived in Queens (before we moved to Brooklyn when I was almost 10), we had a bookmobile that came to our block once a week. I loved the whole idea of it and I loved scouring the shelves for books. I felt like it was the right size that, given the time, I could read every book in it!
Thank you, Jeff. And, I'm sure you found a few titles you were interested if you read Marc's answers toward the end. I love to hear stories about libraries and bookmobiles. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Lesa for that interview, it was fun learning more about their lives. I have read every one of their mystery books since the beginning and loved them and have also been waiting years for the “haunted bookstore” series to continue and pre-ordered it early this year waiting for it’s publication. And yes, libraries are so important and have instilled a lifelong love of reading in so many young children, myself included. 😊
Add me to the list of big fans of both the series. However, I have always had a special place in my heart for Jack and Pen. So excited about the new book. Cannot wait and will be looking for your thoughts tomorrow. Great interview, Lesa, and thanks so much to Alice and Marc for sharing with us!!!
It's so nice to know I'm not the only one who loves Jack and Pen, and missed them. Thanks, Pat & Kay!
Ten years is a long wait, but we die hard Jack fans stay true!
We do, Libby!
Dropping in to thank everyone for your comments. And thank you, Lesa, not only for the wonderful interview but also your longtime support of our work. Our Coffeehouse Mysteries have been discovered by many new readers because of your kind coverage. We're thrilled to know you've been missing Jack and Pen, and we hope even more readers discover them with our return to the Haunted Bookshop.
We'd also like to add our happy congratulations to you on receiving the 2018 David Thompson Memorial Service Award at Bouchercon. The award, for those of you who haven't heard, honors "exemplary life-long service to the mystery and crime fiction community," and Lesa could not be more deserving of it.
Alice and Marc
CLEO COYLE
Thanks for the long interview, and I'll be back tomorrow for your review of The Ghost and the Bogus Bookseller. I alway read Cleo's newsletters cover to cover but I read some things today I didn't already know.
Thank you, Alice & Marc, for taking time for the interview. And, thank you for the congratulatory note. That award means a lot to me.
You're welcome, Grandma Cootie! I'm so glad you discovered a few new things in the interview.
Great interview! It was good learning more about them.