I just love it when a character comes to life. Today, Ellery Adams, author of the Books by the Bay mysteries, A Killer Plot and A Deadly Cliché, introduces us to Olivia Limoges, restaurant owner and star of both books. Thank you, Ellery.A Speed Date With Olivia Limoges (Interviewed by her author, Ellery Adams)
EA – So here you are. A tall, slim, independently wealthy, 40-year-old bachelorette. How can an attractive single lady keep busy in the small coastal town of Oyster Bay, North Carolina?
Olivia – I didn’t need a man’s shoes in my closet to have a fulfilling life, thank you very much. Not only do I own two restaurants—the five-star-rated Boot Top Bistro and most recently, The Bayside Crab House—but I’m writing a novel.
EA – Historical fiction, right? It must be difficult to concentrate on your book with all the burglaries occurring in town.
Olivia – Odd, those. The thieves have been leaving clues behind at every scene. My friend Harris (he’s a sci-fi writer who looks remarkably like Peter Pan) recognized that the clues are all presented in the form of clichés.
EA – Can the Bayside Book Writers solve the riddle before the crimes become more violent?
Olivia (raising her chin with pride) – My friends and I have been asked to ruminate over these conundrums by Chief Rawlings himself. We were instrumental in helping the police wrap up a murder investigation before. Even my beloved standard poodle, Captain Havilland, provided assistance.
EA – Yes, I recall the exciting conclusion of A Killer Plot. Has anyone ever commented on the name connection? Limoges and Haviland?
Olivia (looking slightly surly) – If I had a dollar for every person who stopped me on my way to Grumpy’s Diner to ask if we were both named after French porcelain I’d be richer than Midas.
EA – I’m glad you mentioned the diner. It’s hard to believe that a roller-skating dwarf waitress with an affinity for Andrew Lloyd Webber is your best friend.
Olivia (dark blue eyes flashing dangerously) – Dixie may be short of stature, but she has more heart and brains than the rest of the town put together!
EA – Isn’t Flynn McNulty, owner of Through the Wardrobe bookstore smart enough for you? He’s charming, funny, and good-looking. What more could you want? But you two seem to be having problems…
Olivia (a blush tingeing her cheeks pink) – Flynn and I could only reach a certain level of closeness. I’m not good at that stuff. My mother died in a tragic accident when I was seven and my father was an angry drunk who disappeared in his fishing boat in the middle of a storm when I was ten. This doesn’t exactly lay groundwork for normal adult relationships. It’s taken me thirty years to make a few real friends. It’s going to take me a little longer to…to let a man inside the walls I built around my heart.
EA – Maybe Chief Rawlings has a high-quality battering ram. Here, let me pour you a finger of Chivas Regal Reserve and we’ll sit on your deck and listen to the ocean. After your adventures in A Deadly Cliché, you’re going to need a drink and a dose of serenity. Olivia (raising a crystal tumbler in a toast) A major hurricane, robbery, murder, the possibility of finding my father alive, blackmail, bullying, fellowship and forgiveness. And perhaps, the courage to take a chance on…love. All that in one book. Just pass me the bottle, Ellery.
Ellery Adams – Thanks for stopping by to get to know the heroine of my Books By the Bay mysteries, A Killer Plot and A Deadly Cliché. Many authors carry around ideas for the book they most want to write, referring to them as the “books of my heart.” Sometimes, we have to wait for a publishing house to take a chance on our idea. It can take years. But finally, we get the chance to put or best work on paper. This series contains the books of my heart. I write every word with joy, ever excited to return to Oyster Bay, North Carolina, and eternally grateful to the readers who allow me to continue and to folks like Lesa, die-hard supporters of traditional mysteries.
Any questions on writing? Mysteries? My books? My favorite cocktail? Ask away!
Thank you, Ellery, and Olivia! So, don't hesitate to ask questions of either one. Anyone who posts a comment will be entered in a drawing for an autographed copy of A Deadly Cliché. If you want to be included in the drawing, please include your email address in the blog comment. Ellery will be drawing a name at the end of the week, and she'll send out the book to the winner.
Ellery Adams' website is http://www.elleryadamsmysteries.com
A Deadly Cliché by Ellery Adams. Berkley Prime Crime, ©2011. ISBN 9780425240236 (paperback), 296p.
