4/25 -5/1

IR-  What does it mean to you to be called an author?

AP-  Being called an author means something more than being a writer. To me, “author” means that you’ve been dedicated enough to your craft to have produced a book that is out there in the world for readers to discover and enjoy. It could be six readers, or six million. 

IR-  Can you tell us a bit about the story and its main characters?   

AP-  Libby Beckett hadn’t planned on having so many mysteries to solve when she returned to her hometown to open a yarn shop. But when controversial yarn dyer Julie Wilson and her chef sister are both brought to town for a local festival, the heat gets turned up on this sibling rivalry and one of the sisters ends up dead.

IR-  If you were friends with a character in this book, what kinds of things would you do together? 

AP-  Oh, it would most definitely be Margo and her pie shop. I love pie, and who wouldn’t a wise and loyal friend who owns a pie shop??

IR-  How do you define success as an author? 

AP-  For me, success is getting to do what I love to do and succeeding financially as well as artistically. I feel very blessed to have achieved those goals.

IR-  What difference do you see between a writer and an author? 

AP-  All authors are writers, but not all writers are authors. Writing is how you see and process your world. Authors share that in book form or other publications. There’s a distinction, but I do feel like too many people have turned it into a hierarchy.

IR-  What was the defining moment that made you say to yourself, “Today, I am going to write a book that I will publish.”? 

AP-  A friend dared me—literally. I had no idea if I could get it published, but it’s never wise to dare me…

IR-  How do you avoid or defeat writer’s block? 

AP-  As the creator of the Chunky Method writing productivity system, I have a finely tuned writing practice to keep my productivity where it needs to be. I love to coach other writers to do the same.

IR-  What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book? 

AP-  Just write. Craft is great to study, there are a gazillion workshops and webinars you can attend, but nothing creates good writing like actually writing. There’s no substitute and no shortcut.

IR-  What are you working on in the near future? 

AP-  The third book in the Riverbank Knitting Mysteries, IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT SHEAR, will be out in November. I also write inspirational romance, and there will be two more works in that genre coming this year as well.

IR-  What comes first for you — the plot or the characters? 

AP-  Characters, always. It seems to stem from my theater career before I was a writer. Plotting never comes easily to me.

IR-  How do you interact with your readers? 

AP-  I love to do in-person events, speeches, and signings. But I’ve also embraced all the technological ways we can “meet” our readers—that’s been great fun, too.

IR-  What is your all time favorite book or author? 

AP-  I get asked this all the time, and the answer is always Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. I hope my characters have as much depth and staying power as hers.

IR-  What is an underrated book that you think everyone should read?

 AP-  I loved Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus. One of the best debut novels I think I’ve ever read. The Starless Sea was just as enthralling but in a wonderfully different way.

IR-  What are you reading now?

AP-  I hop back and forth between fiction and non-fiction, so I’m reading RAPT by Winifred Gallagher. It’s a fascinating look at how our attention shapes our lives.

IR-  Aside from writing or reading, what are your hobbies or interests? 

AP-  It should come as no surprise that I am a devoted knitter. I’m never without yarn and needles. It is the perfect counterbalance to me for staring at words all day.

About The Book

Knit or Dye Trying (A Riverbank Knitting Mystery)

Business is booming for Libby Beckett and her fabulous Maryland shop, aptly named Y.A.R.N., but when a town festival brings a fatality with it, Libby gets all tangled up in murder.

As spring comes to Collinstown, the village launches a food festival to draw a new group of tourists. Libby, the proud owner of Y.A.R.N., has planned a yarn event to provide an alternative option to a foodie weekend. Artisan fiber dyer Julie Wilson—known for her work with animal-friendly, plant-based knitting fibers such as bamboo and hemp as well as her brilliant use of color—will hopefully draw a crowd with a special dyeing workshop.

The festival begins, but it draws more than crowds. First, a flock of sheep parades down the street, herded by farmers protesting Julie’s antiwool stance. Then Julie’s celebrity chef sister appears, and the siblings resume a long-standing rivalry. Despite all this, Julie’s workshop has sold out. Libby is thrilled, and they’re preparing for a full house. But the night before the event, Julie is found alone in the warehouse event space—dead. The witty “Watch Julie Wilson Dye” workshop title now has a terrible new meaning—and it’s up to Libby to catch a crafty killer.

Purchase Links

Link on my webpage    Amazon (including Kindle and Audible)      Barnes & Noble (including Nook)      Apple Books     Google Play     Kobo     IndieBound

About the Author

An avid knitter, coffee junkie and firm believer that “pie makes everything better,” Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction working on as many as four novels at a time.  The bestselling author of over fifty books, Allie has enjoyed a twenty-year career with over 1.5 million books sold.  In addition to writing, Allie maintains an active writing productivity coaching practice and speaks regularly on the creative process, publishing, and her very favorite topic—The Chunky Method of time management for writers.

Author Links 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliepleiterauthor/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/alliepleiter

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-pleiter-6a021b139

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alliepleiter

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/alliepleiter/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/453346.Allie_Pleiter

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allie-pleiter

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Allie-Pleiter/e/B001H6IEUO/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

To subscribe to Allie’s newsletter: http://www.alliepleiter.com/subscribe/

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

April 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 25 – Maureen Musings – SPOTLIGHT 

April 25 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

April 26 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

April 26 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 26 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

April 27 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST

April 27 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

April 27 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

April 28 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 28 – Diane Reviews Books – GUEST POST

April 28 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

April 29 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

April 29 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 29 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 30 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW  

April 30 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

April 30 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

May 1 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

May 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

May 1 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

May 1 – Girl with Pen – SPOTLIGHT