Murder in the Family Blog Tour: Author Interview + Giveaway

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for Murder in the Family by Ramona Richards, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Title: Murder in the Family
Author: Ramona Richards  
Publisher: Firefly Southern Fiction  
Genre: Cozy Mystery  
Release Date: September 17, 2019  

Greed Poisons Even The Sweetest Well

Storm chaser Molly McClelland must return to her small Alabama hometown when she unexpectedly inherits her hoarder aunt's house . . . and all of its contents.

Despite her suspicions that her aunt was murdered, Molly wants nothing more than to sell everything and get back to the life she loves. Especially once her homecoming reignites the decades-old family conflict that drove her away in the first place. But when Molly uncovers caches of cash, journals revealing secrets-and a body-amongst the stockpiles, she finds herself locked in a cat-and-mouse dance with a deadly endgame.

Molly teams with local sheriff, Greg Olson, to find the truth. But will her determination and his skills be enough, or will the killer-or killers-put an end to their efforts once and for all?

 PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Christianbook

---

 

Ramona Richards is the associate publisher for Iron Stream Media, the parent company of New Hope Publishers, Iron Stream Kidz, and Ascender Books. She has been an in-house editor for Abingdon Press, Thomas Nelson, Rutledge Hill Press, and Ideals magazine, and has freelanced for a dozen other publishers. The author of nine novels, three books of devotions, and numerous magazine articles, she is a frequent speaker for women’s and writers’ groups, and has presented at numerous conferences across the country. Her latest book, Murder in the Family, released in October from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.  

CONNECT WITH RAMONA: Website | Facebook | Twitter

---

Hi Ramona! First of all, I want to thank you for taking the time to answer these questions and allowing my readers the chance to get to know you and your latest book-Murder in the Family- a little bit better. I always like to start these interviews with something fun… tell us 5 random facts about yourself that we WON’T find in your bio!

Oh, what fun. Let’s see…

·         I used to belong to the Society for Creative Anachronism (and I still miss it.)

·         I sang with a Southern gospel quartet for about 8 months (we weren’t great, but it was a lot of fun).

·         I have an unfinished model of a B-29 in my garage, waiting for me to find time to get back to it.

·         I cross-stitch, but I give everything away (except for two pieces I gave to my mom and inherited back from her).

·         I collect art, with a preference for local artists.

Murder in the Family sounds absolutely fantastic. I love a good murder mystery/suspense novel. As a writer, what first drew you to that particular genre?

I’ve always loved a good mystery. As a kid, I dove into the Robin Kane books by Eileen Hill, as well as the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. I’ve tried other genres, including science fiction, but I keep coming back to suspense.

I love this idea of the secrets found hidden within the home of a hoarder, but I have to know… what inspired this idea?

I had relatives who were hoarders, and a couple of friends as well, although none were as bad as some of the cases on the television show Hoarders. My dad and I were packrats and my mom and brother were the exact opposite. They regularly purged anything in their houses that wasn’t nailed down or in use. Same family; different attitudes. I became fascinated with why hoarding happens, what is our strange relationship with possessions. What are the different reasons that bring someone to that point? Not all the journeys are the same.

In addition to writing, you are also an editor. Being around so much great (and perhaps not so great) writing, have you learned a lot about what works and does not work in a story? Do you feel like that experience has made you a better writer?

I hope so! Being an editor forced me to do something I ignored earlier in my career: to be constantly learning. Even after all these years, I’m constantly studying what makes a book work, the preferences and expectations readers have for different genres, and what holds a story together. Some of the basics never changes; other elements change constantly.

Writing is art and craft and business. The three dovetail to get a book to the greatest number of readers. It’s exceptionally beneficial to stay aware and open to new ideas and opportunities.

I have found that writers are so often some of the best readers too. If we were to take a look at your ‘to read’ pile, what might we find there?

I think I have officially reached the SABLE stage, as my crafty friends might say: Stash Above and Beyond Life Expectancy. My TBR stack recently reached maximum capacity on my coffee table, so I moved some to a bookcase. The current collection includes science fiction, writing books, a number of suspense/mysteries, a biography of George Washington, a biblical studies book, and a couple of self-help books written by friends.

According to your bio, you are also a movie buff! What are some of your favorites? 

Oh, this is like picking favorite children. The Matrix will always top the list because it broke a decade-long writer’s block. I love some of the classics, with a preference for psychological thrillers and science fiction, but I’m also a sap who loves broad, silly fun movies like Sweet Home Alabama and The Man from UNCLE. I adore Fried Green Tomatoes, but then I adore Fannie Flagg’s books.

I cannot wait to check out Murder in the Family myself, but in case anyone is still on the fence, what should everyone know about this book? Why will we love it? 

I’ve had a lot of reviewers say, “I know those people!” Which is a fantastic compliment. It’s about family fights and unconditional love, and the struggles to understand the people who make you crazy. It’s about what makes a community special, the unbreakable bonds people develop in their lives, and the nature of what we truly leave behind when we’re gone. There are some funny moments, some danger and suspense…and an orange cat named Blossom.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions. Before we go, I know I cannot wait to see what’s coming up from you! Can you give us an idea on what we can look forward to next? Any projects you are currently working on that you can share?

Absolutely! In fall 2020, Kregel Publishing will release my next book, tentatively called Reclaiming Daisy Doe. It’s set in the same county as Murder in the Family, but in a different town and all new characters. I hope it’s the start of a series, but we’ll have to wait and see. I’m working on two other books as well, but they haven’t sold yet.

Thanks for having me!

---

(1) winner will receive two signed copies of Murder in the Family by Ramona Richards (it's Christmas!), a $15 Visa gift card, and a signed copy of one of the author's older books!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight November 7, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 14, 2019. Open internationally except where prohibited by law or logistics. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

---

 

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.