Join Fiona and the gang for a hot whodunit on the sandy
beaches of Presque Isle, Pennsylvania!
Book Details:
Book Title: Waves of Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 190 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: April 11, 2017
Tour dates: May 15 to 26, 2017
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Book Description:
School’s out for the summer!
Kindergarten teacher, Fiona Quinn is looking forward to spending some quality time in her yard and with her boyfriend, Detective Nathan Landry. However, Fiona’s plans get squelched when her mother volunteers her to edit a manuscript for famous romance author, Wyla Parkes.
What’s so bad about that? The author insists Fiona must work on the manuscript at her beach cottage on Presque Isle--three hours away from her yard and Nathan. Spending six weeks in an adorable cottage on a private beach doesn’t really seem all that bad until people start turning up dead—beginning with the author! Fiona’s summer of sun and sand is instantly transformed into a murder investigation. Can Fiona and Nathan crack the case or will the murderer get away on a wave of deceit?
Join Fiona and the gang for a hot whodunit on the sandy beaches of Presque Isle, Pennsylvania!
Buy the Book:
Author…Where do Characters Come From?
People are always asking me, “where do you get your stories from, and where do your characters come from?” “Are they people who you know? Is it someone who I know?” Sometimes they will gasp while cupping their hand over their mouth in complete panic and ask, “Oh, my God! Is it me?”
*giggle* If it were the person, do you think I’d actually admit it to them?
Okay, so where does a character like Fiona Quinn come from? Fiona is a product of my heart. I absolutely love characters who are flawed, who get flustered. Characters who try to the right the debacle and it all turns out wrong—such is the case with my unlikely sleuth, Fiona Quinn.
Fiona is a kindergarten teacher who lives in Pittsburgh. As a matter of fact, she lives in the very house that I grew up in at 529 Oxford Street, in a little neighborhood called, Westwood. Fiona grew up much like I did—taking dance classes. She almost became a ballerina, until a skiing accident. In book #1 Murder on Pointe, poor Fiona is dragged into a murder investigation by going undercover as a ballerina—and thus, we begin our stories of this darling young woman who has a knack for solving mysteries. In books #2 Merry Murder, Fiona can’t wait for her parents to return to Pittsburgh for the holidays. She’s got everything perfectly planned, until her great Uncle Wilbur, who is a department store Santa, is murdered, and again, Fiona jumps into action to try to solve the case before Christmas arrives!
Of course, Fiona has lots of help in solving mysteries. There is the quirky, but oh, so charming, Detective Landry—he is so much fun to write, and kind of reminds me of my husband. And in Merry Murder, we meet Fiona’s mom, Nancy. Believe it or not, when I was creating the character Nancy Quinn, the character told me her name was indeed, Nancy. No, Janet wouldn’t do—nor would Carol or Jean or Penelope—it had to be Nancy. Period.
At this point in the conversation, the person I’m talking to tilts their head to one side, narrows their eyes and askes, “Seriously? The characters talk to you?”
Absolutely!
If you’re an author reading this you know exactly what I’m talking about. Characters tell us when they want to fall in love or when a relationship just isn’t working out, and yes, oftentimes they will tell us what their name is. They tell us how they are feeling and what they fear, and as authors we react accordingly.
In book #3 Waves of Murder, I’ve taken Fiona to Presque Isle, located in Erie, Pennsylvania—about three hours North of Pittsburgh. Hold the phone! Fiona’s ghostly grandmother, Evelyn, who lives in the attic wasn’t too pleased to hear the story was moving to where she was not present. That’s right, Evelyn whispered in my ear. So yes, I had to accommodate Evelyn, and make sure there were scenes that involved her character in this book. To be honest, I think Fiona’s readers would’ve been just as disappointed as she was if I had left Evelyn out of the story.
So where do the characters who whisper into our ear come from? Many places. They come from our childhood, our relationships, experiences, and things we witness—currently or from long ago. Characters are asleep in the deep crevasses of an author’s mind—they awaken and emerge making themselves known to us when the time is right, and then our fingertips race over the keys to make them flesh and bring them to you.
Meet the Author:
For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. She was a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. Now she adds the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series for her young granddaughters, and has found that so many adults love them too.
Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
BOOK SPOTLIGHT TOUR:
May 15 - Library of Clean Reads - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 15 - Book Crazy Scrapbook Mama - book spotlight / giveaway
May 15 - Working Mommy Journal - book spotlight / giveaway
May 15 - Corinne Rodrigues - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 16 - Reviews in the City - book spotlight / giveaway
May 16 - Celticlady's Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 16 - Books, Dreams, Life - book spotlight / giveaway
May 16 - Blooming with Books - book spotlight / giveaway
May 17 - Rainy Day Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway
May 17 - Sleuth Cafe - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 17 - Zerina Blossom's Books - book spotlight / giveaway
May 17 - Mystery Suspense Reviews - book spotlight / guest post
May 18 - FUONLYKNEW - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 18 - The Book Drealms - book spotlight / giveaway
May 18 - Laura's Interests - book spotlight / giveaway
May 18 - #redhead.with.book - book spotlight / giveaway
May 19 - Babs Book Bistro - book spotlight / giveaway
May 19 - Brooke Blogs - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 19 -100 Pages a day - book spotlight / giveaway
May 19 - Puddletown Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway
May 22 - Hall Ways Blog - book spotlight / giveaway
May 22 - Literary Flits - book spotlight / giveaway
May 22 - Books for Books - book spotlight
May 22 - Bound 2 Escape - book spotlight / giveaway
May 23 - Kristin's Novel Cafe - book spotlight / giveaway
May 23 - Katie's Clean Book Collection - book spotlight / giveaway
May 23 - Cassidy's Bookshelves - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 23 - Travelling Through Words - book spotlight / giveaway
May 24 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 24 - Seasons of Opportunities - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 24 - Bookworm Cafe - book spotlight / giveaway
May 25 - JBronder Book Reviews - book spotlight
May 25 - Carole's Book Corner - book spotlight /
May 25 - Deal Sharing Aunt - book spotlight / giveaway
May 26 - 3 Partners in Shopping Nana, Mommy + Sissy, Too! - spotlight / giveaway
May 26 - StoreyBook Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway
May 26 - Jessica Cassidy - book spotlight
Enter the Giveaway!
Ends June 3
thanks sooo much for hosting me and Waves of Murder today!
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