Giveaway Ends 7/25

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

It’s a title I’ve wanted all my life. As a child, I admired authors. I wanted to be one. It was a dream of mine that came true. 

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

This is a collection of five short stories featuring the characters from the Cobble Cove cozy mystery series. Four of the stories were previously published as eBooks only. The title story is a new story. Each story features a note about it. One of the stories, “Sneaky’s Christmas Mystery” won the highest award from the Cat Writers’ Association.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in writing this book?

Although it helped to have read the five Cobble Cove books, it isn’t necessary to understand the five stories in the collection. Most of them do refer back to events in the books, but there’s enough backstory for the reader to follow.

Tell us about a favorite character from the book.

Each of the stories feature the main characters from the Cobble Cove Mysteries. Sneaky, the Library Cat, has an active role in all of them. And, unlike the first four books in the series, Sneaky can speak to the other pets in the stories, and the reader is privy to these conversations indicated in italics, while the human characters in the book, are unaware that Sneaky and the other pets are helping them with the mysteries.

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

Alicia, like me, is a librarian and an author. She and I would read and write books together.

How do you define success as an author?

There are varying levels of success for authors, and each author defines his or her success differently. The amount of money an author makes from their book sales can indicate success. Big name authors sell millions of copies of their books and are known world-wide. Lesser known authors may not sell as many copies of their work, might not be known by the general public, and have smaller groups of followers and fans. To me, being able to share my work with readers all over the world, even in a small capacity, is a sign of success as is writing books and publishing them. So many people have a goal of writing a book and never do so. The achievement of fulfilling this goal is one of the things I consider a success for an author.

Can you share a day in the life of an author?

My typical day, when I’m working full-time as a librarian, begins around 5 a.m. I get up and check email, do social media sharing of one of my books, and write a scene to the book I’m currently working on. I then do about twenty minutes of exercise from YouTube. One of my favorites is Rep to the Rhythm. I’ve had to cut back as I’ve had some issues with arthritis of my knee, but I still do as much as I can. After exercising, I get ready for work. After work and dinner with my family, I watch some TV, do some more social media sharing, spend some time playing with my two cats, and then go to bed. 

My most productive writing time is in the morning, (I usually wake up with ideas for the next scene of the book I’m writing.), but I sometimes write at night if I’m not too tired. 

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

Writers may not publish their work and, if they do, they seldom promote it. An example of a writer would be a freelancer who writes articles for magazines and newspapers (I do that, too, for cat magazines). An author is more likely to publish books and be more involved in marketing and promoting what they write. 

What made you say to yourself, “Today, I am going to write a book that I will publish.”?

I can’t recall that exact moment. The first book I wrote and published (I wrote many unpublished books before that) was Cloudy Rainbow, my paranormal romance, that I wrote to ease my grief over the death of my cat. I featured him as a character in the book. When I wrote it, I didn’t plan to publish it anywhere. Then my husband suggested I self-publish it. In those days (2007), self publishers were popular. It wasn’t like self publishing today. I went that route with a company called Booklocker.com that was recommended to me by a fellow author. It was great to see my book in print. It ended up, not only featuring my cat in the storyline but also my days on the student newspaper at college. All fictionalized, of course. I was proud of the book, but it didn’t sell well because I had few contacts and wasn’t on social media. My library carried it, though, and a patron kept asking when I was writing the second book. It took eight years before A Stone’s Throw, the first Cobble Cove cozy mystery in 2015 and sold it to a publisher who expressed interest about it during a Twitter competition. I was thrilled. Seven years later, I have five books and my new story collection in print and over a dozen other books. 

Describe yourself in as few words as possible.

Creative, Stubborn, cat-lover, bookworm

How do you avoid or defeat writer’s block?

I hardly have that issue but, when I feel unable to write, I just take time off. Do something else, like walk or spend time with nature, and then go back to the computer. 

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

Take your time. Don’t rush it. Make sure you’ve built up a social media following. Have beta readers review the book. If you are looking for an agent, don’t give up after a few rejections. I’m happy with my two Indie publishers, but I wish I had started querying agents sooner and longer for my books. 

What are you working on in the near future?

I have a list of projects. Currently, I’m writing the second book of my new Buttercup Bend cozy mystery series. 

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

The characters. I have a plot in mind, but I let the characters tell their story and adjust the plot as they do.

As an author what do you think makes a good story?

Because I like mysteries, twists are important to me. I also think characters are the backbone of a good story, especially cozies.

Who is your audience?

Anyone who likes fun, clean mysteries with pets especially cats and plenty of subplots and characters who grow from book to book or story to story. I write other genres, too, including time-travel, poetry, and non-fiction cat articles and books.

What has been your favorite reader feedback?

I’ve had some wonderful comments about my books. I’ve had several readers saying they couldn’t stop turning the pages of my books and praising me as a talented author. Those comments are close to my heart. 

How do you interact with your readers?

I’ve done some Facebook takeovers. I have a character chat group that is hosted by one of my characters each month. I’m active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I’m hoping to be more active on Goodreads, too. I also try to do in-person signings and talks when possible. It’s been harder since the pandemic. I did a Zoom panel with the Cat Writers’ Association. I’ve done Podcasts with Stephanie Larkin of Red Penguin Books. I’ve published short stories in some of their anthologies. 

What do you look for in a story as a reader?

Great characters, an unexpected, good ending, and interesting puzzling plots.

What is your author spirit animal?

Definitely a cat.

What is the first book that you remember reading?

The Wizard of Oz

What are you reading now?

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda and Shifting and Shenanigans by Elizabeth Pantley

If you could have lunch with 3 authors who would they be?

James Patterson, Carole Nelson Douglas, Lisa Diaz Meyer. 

I would want to have lunch with James to ask him about the secret of his success and offer to co-write a book with him. 

I would want Carole there because I miss her greatly. She wrote the wonderful Midnight Louie books, and I met her at a Cat Writers’ Association meeting. She died recently. 

I want Lisa there because she’s a friend of mine who lives nearby and is a very talented dark fiction author. We have gone to many events together and both belong to the Long Island Authors Group. At lunch, we would all talk about books and how to find ways to promote them. 

What would your dream library look like?

I already have too many books in my house, so I would need a whole house for a dream library. I’d love it located in a beautiful setting where I could read either inside or outside. There would be mountains and a waterfall and flowers all year round. Inside, there would be a fireplace and a cozy window seat for reading. Cats, of course, too, because cats belong in a library. 

As I imagine it, it might be similar to the magic library in Elizabeth Pantley’s Destiny Falls Mystery and Magic cozy mysteries.

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About The Book

Sneaky’s Supernatural Mystery and Other Cobble Cove Stories

This collection of short stories includes four previously published Cobble Cove mysteries that appeared exclusively as ebooks along with a new story. The collection features the award-winning Sneaky’s Christmas Mystery, Sneaky’s Summer Mystery, KittyKai’s Easter Mystery, Barking Up the Wrong Tree, and the new title story, Sneaky’s Supernatural Mystery.

Each of these stories includes a note from the author explaining her inspiration for it and a cover image. If you’re a fan of the series, a cozy mystery lover, and/or a feline fancier, you’ll enjoy these mysteries that feature the pets in starring roles with Alicia, the librarian.

Purchase Links – Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

About the Author

Debbie De Louise is a reference librarian at a public library. She’s the author of the Cobble Cove cozy mystery series featuring Alicia, the librarian, and Sneaky, the library cat. She’s also published three standalone mysteries, a paranormal romance, a time-travel novel, a romantic comedy novella, and a collection of cat poems. Her stories and poetry appear in over a dozen anthologies. Debbie also writes articles for Catster.com. She lives on Long Island with her husband, daughter, and three cats.

Author Links

Website/Blog/Newsletter Sign-Up: https://debbiedelouise.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.delouise.author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Deblibrarian
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2750133.Debbie_De_Louise
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2bIHdaQ
All Author: https://allauthor.com/author/debbiedelouise/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbie_writer/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiedelouise/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/debbie-de-louise
Debbie’s Character’s Chat
Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/748912598599469/\
Sneaky the Library Cat’s blog: https://Sneakylibrarycat.wordpress.com

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 18 – Maureen’s Musings – REVIEW  

July 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

July 20 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

July 20 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST

July 21 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 21 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

July 22 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

July 22 – Nellie’s Book Nook – REVIEW

July 23 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 23 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

July 24 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

July 25 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT