Available @ Amazon as well as other retailers
Biography
Deborah Malone's first novel Death in Dahlonega, finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer's Category Five writing contest! Deborah was also nominated for 2011 and 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, for the historic magazine Georgia Backroads since 2001. She has had many article and photographs published, and her writing is featured in Tales of the Rails, edited by Olin Jackson, as well as the "Christian Communicator." She is a member of the Georgia Writer's Association, Christian Author's Guild, Advanced Writer's and Speaker's Association and the American Christian Fiction Writers.
Guest Post From Deborah Malone
My Journey to PublicationPack your suitcase and come take a little journey with me. Let’s start at the beginning. I believe I came out of the womb with a book in my hands. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love to read. I can still remember the smell of the library in my elementary school. I don’t know if it was dust or mildew, but I associated it with books. I loved that smell!
When I got a little older my friend introduced me to the library downtown. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Book heaven that is! I think I read every mystery in the young adult section. I know many of you will remember Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon (then there will be others scratching your head). My main character, Trixie, in the Trixie Montgomery Cozy Mystery Series is named after Trixie Beldon.
When I was growing up my mother had severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and required a lot of help from me. I would read my books to take me away from all the responsibility for a while. Looking back I believe my mother realized how important books were to me because she always made sure I had plenty to read.
I married at nineteen and had two girls over the next few years. My youngest daughter became very ill leaving her seriously disabled and requiring around the clock care. So I stayed busy raising my girls. In 1999 I went through a divorce and Niki and I moved in with my dad. I would take care of both of them for the next 10 years until my dad moved into assisted living. During those years I started writing, and this like reading would take me away from the tremendous responsibility for a little while. I worked on my first book off and on for the next ten years.
Then one day I learned about the on-line writer’s group, American Christian Fiction Writers. I knew I wanted to write my book as Christian fiction, but didn’t know how. I learned everything I could about the craft of writing (and still learning) and rewrote my first book, Death in Dahlonega, as a Christian cozy. This doesn’t mean that it is a preachy or judgmental book, but one that is just good clean fun. I hope I can make my readers laugh a little and take them away from their stress for a minute.
My first book, Death in Dahlonega, was published in 2011 by Lamp Post Publishing of California. There are now four books in the Trixie Montgomery Cozy Mystery Series. My latest book is, Buckhead Dead, the first book in the new series, Skye Southerland Cozy Mystery Series. I am working on the second book in the series, Decatur Dead. One thing that is unique about my books is that even though they are fiction all of the settings are real. If you knew the area you’d recognize the buildings, roads, restaurants, etc. But you don’t have to be familiar with the area to enjoy the book. It is just icing on the cake.
A fun thing about my book, Buckhead Dead, (an affluent suburb of Atlanta) is that one of the main characters, Honey Truelove, wears Merle Norman Romance Red Lipstick. I had a book signing the other day at a nearby Merle Norman and we had a ball. It was like having a great big girl party. I’ve had a lot of good feedback from those that have read, Buckhead Dead. I am now wearing Honey’s signature color, Romance Red, and really like it. I didn’t think I could wear red lipstick, but I’ve had a lot of compliments on it.
I’m looking forward to finishing the next two books in the series to see what kind of adventures the girls, Skye, Honey and Ginger take us on. I hope that you will take that journey with them, too, and that you’ve enjoyed going on a little journey down memory lane with me.
Here is what I thought....
This book is about an interior designer who unknowingly ends up in the middle of a murder investigation. Since they are stuck in the middle, Skye and her assistant Honey decide they will try to solve the crime.
This book fell kind of flat for me. It is written well and the characters are quirky and silly (in a good way) but I never could get to a point where I wanted to keep reading or know what was going to happen next. I guess for me I need a more suspenseful mystery. I enjoyed the Atlanta area setting as it is close to my home now. I also enjoyed the character of Skye. I think she was my favorite in the book. I did enjoy some aspects of the book. I think maybe a cozy mystery is just not for me.
Thank you to CelebrateLit for the opportunity to review this book. A positive review was not required.
Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY!!!
Blog Stops
March 29: Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
March 30: Our Perfectly Imperfect Life
March 31: Just Commonly
April 1: ArtisticNobody
April 2: Through The Open Window
April 3: Mary Hake
April 3: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
April 4: Bigreadersite
April 5: Daysong Reflections
April 5: Cassandra M’s Place
April 6: Lights in a Dark World
April 7: Bukwurmzzz
April 7: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
April 8: Red Headed Book Lady
April 8: Texas Book-aholic
April 9: For the Love of Books
April 10: Reader’s Cozy Corner
April 11: Books! Books! Books!
March 30: Our Perfectly Imperfect Life
March 31: Just Commonly
April 1: ArtisticNobody
April 2: Through The Open Window
April 3: Mary Hake
April 3: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
April 4: Bigreadersite
April 5: Daysong Reflections
April 5: Cassandra M’s Place
April 6: Lights in a Dark World
April 7: Bukwurmzzz
April 7: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
April 8: Red Headed Book Lady
April 8: Texas Book-aholic
April 9: For the Love of Books
April 10: Reader’s Cozy Corner
April 11: Books! Books! Books!
thank you for this review
ReplyDelete