Welcome LynDee Walker (and enter two great giveaways!)

LynDee Walker grew up in the land of stifling heat and amazing food most people call Texas, and wanted to be Lois Lane from the time she could say the words “press conference.” An award-winning journalist, she traded cops and deadlines for burp cloths and onesies when her oldest child was born. Writing the Headlines in Heels mysteries gives her the best of both worlds. Her debut novel, Front Page Fatality (A Nichelle Clarke Headlines in Heels Mystery), is an Amazon new humor #1 bestseller. LynDee adores her family, her readers, and enchiladas. She often works out tricky plot points while walking off the enchiladas. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is working on her next novel.

And today we have LynDee Walker with us. She has been doing a blog tour with Great Escapes Book Tours to promote her new book,  BURIED LEADS. LynDee  will give a swag package to one person who leaves a comment below and she is also giving away a very cool gift basket cross tour that includes a $25 gift card to the bookstore of the inner’s choice. To be entered for that, leave a comment below AND  enter HERE. Welcome, LynDee.

Do you have habits or routines you find yourself following to be able to get into writing mode? Or do you just sit down from 8 a.m. to noon, come hell or high water and write every single day?

Neither, really. I have three small children, so it’s more like I dive for my MacBook and write when I have a chance! When school is in session, I put the older ones on the bus in the morning and come home, get coffee, and write for about an hour before the baby gets up. When school’s out, it’s every word for itself. I usually either write by the pool while they play, or go to Starbucks and work in the evening and on the weekend when my hubby is home.

What do like and dislike about writing?

I love my characters, and I love sitting down at my keyboard and seeing what they’re going to do next. I don’t love the days when it’s hard to get going as much, but I’ve found that when I just push ahead, I get to the good stuff pretty quickly.

What is the harshest review or criticism you’ve had about your writing, published or made to you personally, and how did you deal with it?

Is there wood in here to knock on? I think I might have a slightly different view of this than a lot of authors, because I was a journalist for a long time. I was threatened with everything from jail time to lawsuits over stories when I was reporting, and I ticked off political-type folks with investigative pieces more than once. When you’ve managed to collect yourself and make it out of police HQ without running or throwing up after the chief himself threatened to put you in jail, someone disliking your novel seems tame by comparison.

No book is universally loved. There are people who didn’t like Gone With the Wind and Harry Potter. I got one 1-star review that said I kept talking about high heels and it was annoying. I figured the big heels on the cover should give away that they’re part of the story, but every reader is entitled to their opinion, and I try to remind myself that not everyone is going to love Nichelle as much as I do.

Do you have a favorite character in your book and why?

Oh, it’s like asking me to pick a favorite child! It depends on what day it is. I love Nichelle, of course, but I have soft spots for a lot of the crew. Bob, because he’s a mishmash of some great men I’ve known who were father figures in my life. Joey, because he’s fun to write. Grant Parker, because being inside his head is fun. I wish I had his confidence.

What do you like to do to balance the demands writing places on you?

Play with my kids and exercise. Writing as much as I have this year means I spend a lot of hours in front of the computer that I used to either spend with them, or on my feet, or both. When I feel guilt about that, I remind myself that they have a happier mommy when mommy is writing, and also that I’m very blessed to be able to write novels from home and get paid for it. I might have to set them up with a game and a snack in the playroom for an hour or two, but I don’t have to be away from them all day to work.

What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

There’s so much to share here:

First up, I have a Headlines in High Heels novella coming December 10, in the anthology HEARTACHE MOTEL from Henery Press. Terri L. Austin, Larissa Reinhart, and I all took the heroines from our mystery series and sent them to a seedy motel in Memphis with an Elvis theme, drag queens, and plenty of hijinx. Mayhem ensues, of course. Nichelle gets locked in Graceland with a huge story and a thief who doesn’t appreciate her poking around.

By the time this goes live, I’ll have just turned the third Nichelle novel over to my editor. My working title is SMALL TOWN SPIN, but I’m not a hundred percent sure if it will stick. Nichelle is investigating a suspicious string of suicides in a small town on the Virginia coast. It’s scheduled for release in April 2014 from Henery Press.

And I’m working this fall on revising a women’s fiction/magical realism novel I love, that has nothing to do with Nichelle. I hope to have news about that to share soon.

Now three things that have nothing to do with writing:

• What is your favorite food? Cheese enchiladas from La Hacienda Ranch in Dallas.
• What is your favorite TV show? All-time? Gilmore Girls and Buffy the Vampire Slayer tie. Currently running new episodes? Bones.
• What is your favorite music? I listen to a sprinkling of everything, but mostly country. Just about every song Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley do makes my playlist, along with the entire Garth Brooks and George Strait libraries, plus some Elvis, Billy Joel, Nirvana, Boyz II Men … I like songs that tell stories.

Thank you so much for being here today, and good luck with the  new book. I was a little shocked to find out there are people who don’t like Gone With The Wind but the way I look at it, you either like GWTW, or you’re wrong 🙂

Book Details
Genre: Cozy Mystery – 2nd in Series
Published by: Henery Press
Release Date: October 15, 2013
Number of Pages: 276

Synopsis

When an Armani-clad corpse turns up in the woods, crime reporter Nichelle Clarke smells a scoop. A little digging, and Nichelle uncovers a web of corruption that stretches all the way to Washington, D.C. Politics. Murder. And a dead lobbyist. It’s everything Nichelle’s ever dreamed of.

The cops are playing it close, the feds even closer, and Nichelle’s afraid her boss will assign the story to the political desk any day. Richmond’s new ATF SuperCop makes an arrest before she can say “Louboutin,” but Nichelle’s gut says he’s got the wrong guy.

Her sexy Mafia boss friend warns her off the case, her TV rival is hot on her designer heels, an ambitious copy editor wants her beat, and victims are piling up faster than she can track them down. As Nichelle zeroes in on the truth, it’ll take some fancy footwork to nab this headline before the killer nabs her.

MY REVIEW

When I saw the cover and the high heels I was thinking mystery lite. In fact, LynDee Walker’s book brought to mind Hank Phillipi Ryan’s Charlotte McNally Mysteries. So I guess you can say I liked it. Nichelle is caught up in a death and a story whose roots might be in gambling or prostitution or tobacco. Or perhaps all of them. Perhaps there was some blackmail in the picture that lit the fuse. It’s Nichelle’s job to figure it all out even though everyone is warning her off whether  because of the danger, or  the competition trying to beat her to the scoop, or even the co-worker who wants to take over her job. The story is well written, well researched, has interesting characters and will keep you guessing right up until the end. I can’t wait for Ms. Walkers next book. Oh… and there is a possible romance in the future – but will it be ATF agent Kyle or Mafia boss Joey? I’m voting for Joey if anyone cares.  ♥♥♥♥♥ 

LynDee’s links:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Goodreads
• Pinterest
• Website

 

Tour Participants
October 14 – Mommasez… Review & Giveaways
October 15 – Musings and Ramblings Review, Guest Post & Giveaways
October 16 – dru’s book musing Guest Post & Giveaways
October 17 – Thoughts in ProgressInterview & Giveaways
October 18 – Lily Pond Reads Review & Giveaways
October 21 – Mystery Playground Guest Post & Giveaways
October 22 – Kaisy Daisy’s Corner Review & Giveaways
October 23 – Melina’s Book Blog Review, Interview & Giveaway
October 24 – According to Squenn Review, Interview & Giveaways
October 25 – Brooke Blogs Review & Giveaways
October 27 – Socrates’ Book Review Blog Review & Giveaways
October 28 – SavingFor6 Review & Giveaway
October 29 – rantin’ ravin’ and reading Review, Interview & Giveaways
October 30 – Traveling With T Review, Guest Post & Giveaaways