Today, Hartford Books Examiner welcomes Lucy Burdette.
Burdette is the pseudonym for Madison’s own Roberta Isleib, a clinical psychologist who has published eight previous whodunits – five in the golf lover’s mystery series and three in the advice column mystery series. Her books have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. Isleib’s short story “The Inheritance” was included in the recent MWA anthology The Rich and the Dead, edited by Nelson DeMille. She is a past president of Sisters in Crime and blogs with seven other mystery writers at www.jungleredwriters.com.
The first Key West Food Critic Mystery, An Appetite for Murder (Signet, $7.99), is out today under the Burdette name. New York Times bestselling author Diane Mott Davidson raved, “What fun!...Key West and food – a winning combination,” while Julie Hyzy, national bestselling author of the White House Chef mysteries and Manor House mysteries noted, that the book “combines a lush, tropical setting, a mysterious murder, and quirky characters. The victim may not be coming back for seconds, but readers certainly will!”
From the publisher:
Hayley Snow's life always revolved around food. But when she applies to be a food critic for a Key West style magazine, she discovers that her new boss would be Kristen Faulkner-the woman Hayley caught in bed with her boyfriend! Hayley thinks things are as bad as they can get-until the police pull her in as a suspect in Kristen's murder. Kristen was killed by a poisoned key lime pie. Now Hayley must find out who used meringue to murder before she takes all the blame.
Now, Lucy Burdette dishes up a taste of her new book...
1) What inspired you to write AN APPETITE FOR MURDER? Can you highlight the particular challenges of writing a book that is meant to launch a new series?
Two things inspired me, Key West, Florida, and food! More on both of those shortly...
As to the series question, I enjoy writing about a character over a course of books. I get to know her better than I would in just one, and can uncover all kinds of interesting twists in her background and character as I write. Although I suggest that new writers flesh out biographies for their characters before they begin writing, I admit that I don't do that myself. Occasionally that means I back myself into a corner, but most of the time it's been great fun to discover the truth about Hayley Snow as I write. And fun to think ahead to which characters will take on a recurring role or move onto center stage in a future book.
2) Tell us about your alter-ego, Lucy Burdette. What are the advantages to having a pseudonym? The drawbacks? Are there days that you wake up wondering who exactly you are?
Ha, ha, John, I always pretty much know who I am, though I haven't had a booksigning yet where I've had to answer to "Lucy." I suppose that will be the real test! My new publisher asked if I'd be willing to write this series under a new name and I was game. I chose the name of my maternal grandmother, who was an artist. I like to think she would have been pleased. The only drawback I can see so far is getting the word out that Lucy=Roberta to fans of my other books.
3) You’ve taken your interests – golf, psychology – and woven them into previous series. What is your relationship with food and how has that influenced this new book?
It's such a pleasure to write about things I love--and food is certainly one of them. I love to eat, to read about new recipes, to cook, to eat out in restaurants, to read about food in both memoirs and fiction. This series has given me license to do all that with a vengeance! My husband likes to tease that "Isleib" means "is stomach" in German. His other fictionalized translation for my family name is "large lunch followed by a restful nap." No telling what he'll make up for Burdette...
4) Each chapter of AN APPETITE FOR MURDER begins with a clever food-related quote. How do you feel that these morsels enhance the story? Also, what was the selection process like – and do you have a favorite that you’d care to share with us?
Finding the quotes was so, so much fun. I started with more standard citations that would be familiar to many people, for example Miss Piggy's famous "don't eat more than you can lift." But then the more I read, the more possibilities I found so I could tailor the quote to fit the action and the characters in each chapter--foreshadow what's to come in many cases. And I came across gems like this one from Dwight Garner: "It is possible to imagine him having a small meal of minor critics for breakfast, as if they were kippers..."
5) The setting (Key West) is as strong a character in the book as the people who populate its pages. How'd you go about capturing the essence of a particular time and place? Also, just how much travel can you get away with in the name of “research”?
Key West IS a strong character, both in the books and in real life.
You'll find such an interesting mix of people on the island--gay, straight, rich, homeless, old, young--lots of folks who don't exactly fit into a mainstream life find Key West fits like a second skin. And it's tropical, and gorgeous, and funky, and full of fabulous restaurants and artists and literary types. And truthfully, I find I do a much better job of writing about the setting when I'm actually there! So I'm hoping to get away with a lot...
6) I’ve gotta ask: Just what is it that makes a “killer” Key Lime pie?
The million dollar question...you have to use key lime juice, not regular lime juice. And in my opinion, a graham cracker crust and probably a whipped cream topping. No key lime cheesecake please. And like my character, Hayley, I'm intimidated by meringue so I haven't tried to make it.
***
With thanks to Roberta/Lucy for whetting our appetite…
The second Key West Food Critic Mystery, Death in Four Courses, is scheduled for release in September.
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