Love a kick-ass female protagonist and an interesting mystery? EM Kaplan's got you covered.

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.

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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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

          Amazon - http://goo.gl/D6KrbX

      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