Buckle
Up everyone while I'm busy doing edits to The Witch's Lair, #3 in the
Inquisitor series, Emily Kaplan, a renown author and massive presence
on Twitter, has agreed to talk about her heroine Josie Tucker, and
Josie's first adventure, The Bride Wore Dead to keep you entertained.
And she will.
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| Subversive hip-hop Ninja |
EM Kaplan is the
author of un-cozy, un-culinary Josie Tucker mysteries. The newest
snarky mystery, THE CUT-THROAT COED, will be released in 2016. She
also has written a fantasy/paranormal series called Rise of the
Masks.
EM Kaplan grew up
in a part of Tucson, Arizona where there were no sidewalks. Like a
tumbleweed, she moved from Massachusetts to California to Texas, and
is now settled in northern IL. She's been a Girl Scout, trombonist,
toilet-cleaner, beginner ninja, hip-hop dancer, and subversive
marketeer.
More about EM-
Who am I? These
are the basics: I’m a multi-genre author—I write snarky, humorous
mysteries as well as epic fantasy adventures. I tweet like a maniac
and try to blog weekly. I’m also a full-time office drone, mom, and
dance fitness instructor.
The Bride Wore Dead:
http://myBook.to/BrideWD
FREE
for the first time ever, from Nov. 20-23
Blurb:
Meet
Josie Tucker. Food is her life, from her mother’s old restaurant to
her newspaper column on restaurants and kitchens. She can soothe any
problem with food or drink. Missed bus? Mango-orange smoothie. Mild
doldrums? A piece of peppered beef jerky. But lately, she can’t
even stand the smell of a watery cup of broth. Being at the mercy of
an indignant and vengeful digestive system is no cup of tea.
So
what happens when she gets roped into being the last-minute
bridesmaid at a society wedding? The bride’s mother tries to kill
her with kindness. Too bad for the bride, Josie isn’t the only
victim.
Main character's
motivations
Josie
Tucker is an adult orphan. Kind of. Her dad died when she was in high
school, and her mother has dementia. If I were to profile Josie, I’d
say she has asocial tendencies, but yet, she has a close circle of
friends and is generally well-liked by both acquaintances and
strangers. Her doormat says “GO AWAY,” but her friends ignore it.
What is Josie's
secret strengths/ weaknesses
Her
outward appearance is deceptive. She has one of those faces that
makes her look as if she’s intimately involved in whatever’s been
shared with her—conversations, casual glances, whatever—on the
other hand, she can fade into the background and go unnoticed, if
need be. She inspires confidences and the spilling of secrets. She’s
non-threatening and can easily be written off by people who
underestimate her.
Any philosophical
issues in this story? If so how do you address them, how does Josie
live and over come them?
The
Bride Wore Dead has a couple of main themes, but the one that
motivates Josie is her coming to grips with the death of her father,
even after all these years—more than a decade. By the end of the
book, she’s found a surprising surrogate parent, who may or may not
be the best choice.
Any offbeat, obscure, or 80s references?
Uh…
Olivia Newton-John in the movie Xanadu. I was a big fan of that
movie, but not for the reason you’re thinking. It’s because it
had Gene Kelly. I watched a million of his movies when I was little.
When did you start
to write this one and why?
I
started writing The Bride Wore Dead before my son was born. He’s
almost 14 now, so when I was getting ready to publish it, I had to go
back and update a lot of things…Like, her lack of a cell phone and
some other technological stuff that have become more prevalent since
then.
What's next in
this series or in your next book?
The
second Josie Tucker book is called Dim Sum, Dead Some. It’s a
standalone mystery, which means you can read it first if you want.
She’s the same lovable, cranky person, but this time, she’s in
San Francisco, searching for a missing software entrepreneur named
Ivan Sorokin. This adventure takes Josie into Chinatown, Silicon
Valley, and even into a burlesque showplace. It’s based roughly on
the year I lived in San Jose…except for the burlesque part. Mum’s
the word on that.
Preview of your
next book?
I
just started writing the next Josie Tucker mystery. She’s going
back to college undercover, looking into a stalker situation. The
working title so far is The Cut-Throat Coed. All I can tell you so
far is that the book cover rocks.
When will it be
available?
Hopefully,
it’ll be out by late spring or early summer. Feel free to sign up
for my non-spammy newsletter so you don’t miss it. Here’s the
link: http://justtheemwords.com/index.php/subscribe/
Any freebies for
your fans?
I
just started writing a series of holiday-themed Josie Tucker stories.
The first one is free on my blog if you want a quick introduction to
Josie: http://justtheemwords.com/index.php/2015/10/19/halloween/
I’m doing a Josie Christmas story next.
Don't forget there's a fantasy/paranormal series called Rise of the Masks.
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| Add caption |
And
where can we find these amazing books and more about EM Kaplan?
Website and
blog: www.JustTheEmWords.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/emkaplan.author
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/meilaan
Amazon:
www.amazon.com/author/emkaplan
Goodreads:
www.goodreads.com/emkaplan
Email:
JustTheEmWords@gmail.com
As I said earlier, I am
editing The Witch's Lair, #3 in the Inquisitor Series, and I should have a few lines ready to share
next week. With luck it will be available by Valentine's day, which
is good as there is a romantic scene or three in The Witch's Lair Of course since I'm writing them, they are dark, shudder-inducing romance scenes. Be prepared to say "Oh," and "Oh my," at the same time.
Just in case you have not
started the Inquisitor series -
Junior
Inquisitor
Still
just $2.99
Smashwords
- http://goo.gl/XsGgAC
Inquisitor
Series - http://goo.gl/mJtTf8
Soulless
Monk
Smashwords
- https://goo.gl/NXw3Gr
Amazon
- http://goo.gl/p9fBn0
Inquisitor
Series - http://goo.gl/5lCyaX
