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Scheduled to Death
by Mary Feliz

The mystery kept me guessing through the entire book…I was blaming the wrong person for about 80% of the story!
~Book Babble

… fast paced and fun to read.
~Sleuth Cafe

Each character was written with such care and love that they really jump from the page and they, like the books, just keeping getting better.
~Classy Cheapskate

I had a difficult time deciding who was my favorite character in this book. Each is well rounded and has something special bout them.
~Laura’s Interests

This captivating and fast-paced whodunit tale has enough quirky characters, witty humor, drama, a growing list of suspects, intriguing twists and turns, and conspiracy theories that will keep you guessing.
~Jersey Girl Book Reviews

The plot is well developed, suspects are numerous, and I enjoyed using my detecting skills right along with Maggie.
~The Power of Words

Scheduled to Death (A Maggie McDonald Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Lyrical Underground (January 17, 2017)
Paperback: 236 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1601836663
Digital Ebook – ASIN: B01EQ2N1QM

Professional organizer Maggie McDonald has a knack for cleaning up other people’s messes. So when the fiancée of her latest client turns up dead, it’s up to her to sort through the untidy list of suspects and identify the real killer.

Maggie McDonald is hoping to raise the profile of her new Orchard View organizing business via her first high-profile client. Professor Lincoln Sinclair may be up for a Nobel Prize, but he’s hopeless when it comes to organizing anything other than his thoughts. For an academic, he’s also amassed more than his share of enemies. When Sinclair’s fiancée is found dead on the floor of his home laboratory—electrocuted in a puddle of water—Maggie takes on the added task of finding the woman’s murderer. To do so, she’ll have to outmaneuver the suspicious, obnoxious police investigator she’s nicknamed “Detective Awful” before a shadowy figure can check off the first item on their personal to-do list—Kill Maggie McDonald.

Author Interview

What initially got you interested in writing?
I started my writing career in Corporate Communications writing about vacuum tubes and other industrial products — including my favorite project, which was writing about a giant piece of high-tech equipment that found its way to a jungle customer with the help of an elephant.

For someone who has always been constrained by reality, fiction is working without a net. A novel is like running a marathon. I’m not sure any writer can adequately explain the special kind of insanity that makes running a marathon across a tight rope seem like a good idea.

What genres do you write in?

I’m currently writing cozy mysteries, although I’ve also written two (unpublished) young adult historical novels that I hope to someday retool as romance. And then there’s this true crime story I’m itching to explore…like most writers, I have more ideas than I have time to pursue.

What drew you to writing these specific genres?
I love cozy mysteries because they are essentially stories about good triumphing over evil. I love to read them because violence and gore give me nightmares and sex scenes make me blush. Cozy mysteries let me avoid the blood and guts and graphic romance, but still allow me to explore good, evil, and where they intersect. I find it interesting to consider why good people do bad things and why bad people do good things.

How did you break into the field?
My story starts the same way it does for many writers…after 10-15 years of die-hard stubbornness, doubt, and too much chocolate, I “suddenly” woke up to the reality that one of the bazillions of people to whom I’d pitched my story was calling to say they loved my book and wanted to publish it. It was the third book I’d written. I’m still pinching myself.

What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
I hope that readers will fall in love with Maggie and her family, and be willing to hang in there with her when she makes mistakes on her journey to solve the crimes and save the day. Maggie’s intelligence and connections to her community help her follow the clues, but it’s the wrong turns she takes and her hopelessly bad luck that that move the plot along. I also hope they’ll come to know some of the complexities of life in Silicon Valley that aren’t covered in news broadcasts.

What do you find most rewarding about writing?

When someone writes a review that makes it clear they “get” Maggie, or when someone tells me they love a character and hope I’ll write more about them, it makes my day. What I love about reading is finding an author whose characters become so real to me that I miss when I finish the book. Whenever I hear that someone had an experience like that while reading one of my books, it definitely takes the sting out of long days, persistent typos, and nasty reviews.

What do you find most challenging about writing?

In order to stick with it long enough to have a book published, you have to love the process. And I do. But it’s not without some serious ups and downs. When I hit one of those lows, I turn to my writer friends to keep me balanced. Every one of the writers I know has received a text or email from me complaining that I’ll never resolve a plot problem that has me chasing down inconsistencies that make it feel as though I’m trying to put socks and sneakers on an octopus. Depending on the friend, they laugh and prescribe chocolate, wine, coffee, naps or a walk.

What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?
If you don’t love it, don’t do it. Those who get published are those who stick with it…for years. Use those years to make friends with other writers, learn as much as you can, practice, and to make your writing the best it can be. Then make it better the next day. Those who don’t get published are those who give up. Also, don’t do it alone. Find teachers, friends, critiquers, editors, and beta readers who can help you strengthen your writing and support you on your journey. Don’t forget to give back–at every stage of the game. And have fun.

What type of books do you enjoy reading?
I’m a promiscuous reader. I read everything from cereal boxes to epic novels and admire the story structure of song lyrics and television ads. My favorites, though, are those with complex characters I care deeply about. I’m a huge fan of Laurie King and Louise Penny.

Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?

I walk on the beach nearly every day and know the names of almost all the dogs but only a few of the people.

What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?

My website is a good place to start: www.maryfeliz.com From there you can find links to my Facebook page, Twitter account, and how to email me or sign up for my newsletter. I love to hear from readers and answer my emails.

About The Author

Mary Feliz has lived in five states and two countries but calls Silicon Valley home. Traveling to other areas of the United States, she’s frequently reminded that what seems normal in the high-tech heartland can seem decidedly odd to the rest of the country. A big fan of irony, serendipity, diversity, and quirky intelligence tempered with gentle humor, Mary strives to bring these elements into her writing, although her characters tend to take these elements to a whole new level. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and National Association of Professional Organizers. Mary is a Smith College graduate with a degree in Sociology. She lives in Northern California with her husband, near the homes of their two adult offspring. Visit Mary online at MaryFeliz.com, or follow her on Twitter @MaryFelizAuthor.

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N

You can win your own copy! Giveaway – On February 10, the author will be giving away five ebook editions of both books to randomly selected names on my newsletter list. Here is the link where your followers can sign up for the newsletter – http://www.maryfeliz.com/newsletter/

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