SUMMER OF MYSTERY – Murder She Reported

AdminJuly 31, 2018Post a Comment

Welcome to the “Summer of Mystery Reads” happening July 9th to August 17, 2018, at THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF!

DISCLAIMER: This content has been provided to THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF arranged by Great Escapes Book Tours. No compensation was received. This information required by the Federal Trade Commission.

Murder, She Reported
by Peg Cochran

About the Book

Murder, She Reported
Cozy Mystery (Historical)
Setting – New York
Alibi (July 31, 2018)
Print Length – 230 Pages
Digital ASIN: B0776JSR44

Manhattan, 1938. Tired of being trapped in the gilded cage of her family’s expectations, Elizabeth Adams has done what no self-respecting socialite would think to do: She’s gotten herself a job. Although Elizabeth’s dream is to one day see her photographs on the front page of the Daily Trumpet, for now she’s working her way up as the newsroom’s gal Friday.
But fetching coffee isn’t exactly her idea of fun. So when veteran reporter Ralph Kaminsky needs a photographer to fill in for a last-minute assignment, Elizabeth jumps at the chance. At the Waldorf Hotel, Elizabeth is tasked with tracking down the season’s “It girl,” Gloria DeWitt, who will be making her society debut. Working her own connections to New York’s upper crust, Elizabeth manages to land an exclusive interview with Gloria.
Then Gloria’s stepmother is shot dead in a Waldorf bathroom, placing Elizabeth at the scene of a headline-worthy scandal: “Murder of a Society Dame.” Now Elizabeth will have to get the scoop on the killer before her good name gets dragged through the gossip columns—or worse. . . .

Interview With the Author

What initially got you interested in writing?

Like so many mystery writers, the Nancy Drew books were a strong influence. I loved them and wondered if maybe—someday—I could write a mystery myself. I found what I thought was the perfect place to hide a body down the street from our house and I amused myself by imagining who the victim was and who would want to kill them. I don’t recall writing any of it down—it was just something I daydreamed about.

What genres do you write in?

Right now—cozy mysteries and historical mysteries.

What drew you to writing these specific genres?

I’ve always loved reading mysteries and always imagined myself writing one. I knew more about the structure of a mystery than, say, a romance. Writing historical mysteries is something new—I love research and it certainly involves a lot of that. I’m also grew up watching a lot of old movies and fell in love with the 1930s and 1940s.

How did you break into the field?

A fellow writer alerted me to the opportunity to audition for a work-for-hire project—an editor at Penguin Random House had an idea for a cozy series and they were looking for someone to write the books. I sent three sample chapters to the agent organizing the project and after several drafts, she sent it on to the editor. She liked it and I got the contract to write the series. I was so excited that I forgot my mother’s phone number when I tried to call her to tell her the good news! I then pitched my own series (several actually) and now here I am.

What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

It’s not so much what I want them to take away as what I want them to feel. I want them to feel as if they’ve had a vacation from reality spent among interesting characters with a fun puzzle to solve.

What do you find most rewarding about writing?

When a reader writes to tell me she enjoyed my book and that it brought her pleasure. That’s a great feeling. I also love being able to escape into a different world while I’m writing. Murder, She Reported takes place in NYC in 1938. I’m having so much fun picturing that time period—the elegant clothes, the swanky nightclubs and life without cell phones!

What do you find most challenging about writing?

For me, plotting is the most challenging. It means making sure all the holes are plugged, that interesting connections are made, that all loose ends get tied up. The plot is the puzzle in a mystery. But I love the process.

What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?

Don’t quit! I had 400 rejections in two years (from agents and editors) on three projects I was circulating before I got to “yes.” Also join some online writing communities and learn from others. And learn as much as you can about the business—because publishing is ultimately a business.

What type of books do you enjoy reading?

Obviously I love mysteries! I also read women’s fiction, psychological suspense and contemporary fiction that can’t be categorized.

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

Hmmmm…I worked in the art field for many years managing at NYC gallery that was owned by the son of the artist Henri Matisse. I wish I could say I run marathons…but I don’t. I love to cook.

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

My web site (www.pegcochran.com) is in the process of being overhauled with a new look but check it out (it may be done by the time you read this.) I’m also active on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pegcochran).

About the Author

Mystery writing lets Peg indulge her curiosity under the guise of “work” (aka research). As a kid, she read the entire set of children’s encyclopedias her parents gave her and has been known to read the dictionary. She put pen to paper at age seven when she wrote plays and forced her cousins to perform them at Christmas dinner. She switched to mysteries when she discovered the perfect hiding place for a body down the street from her house.

When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, cooking, spoiling her granddaughter and checking her books’ stats on Amazon.

A former Jersey girl, Peg now resides in Michigan with her husband and Westhighland white terrier, Reg. She is the author of the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series (written as Meg London), the Gourmet De-Lite series, the Lucille series, the Cranberry Cove series, and the Farmer’s Daughter series.