Here it is Friday and time to visit with our favorite beautician Marla Vail. I guess when she’s not doing hair she’s baking coconut fudge pie. Her talented author has written 15 books in the Bad Hair Day Series and if you are an aspiring cozy mystery writer she has an excellent how-to book Writing the Cozy Mystery.  The giveaway for this book is a Fall Festival Basket so scroll down and find the prize guy.

About the Book

Trimmed to Death (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
15th in Series
Orange Grove Press (September 25, 2018)

Mix together a cocktail for murder, add a few salty suspects, toss in a dollop of sweet humor, and you have the recipe for Trimmed to Death, #15 in the Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series.

Savvy hairstylist and amateur sleuth Marla Vail enters a charity bake-off contest at a fall festival sponsored by a local farm. While she waits to see if her coconut fudge pie is a winner, Marla joins a scavenger hunt where people playing character roles are the targets. Instead of scoring points with a live person, she finds a dead body planted face-down in the strawberry field. Who would want to cut short the life of food magazine publisher and fellow bake-off contestant Francine Dodger? As she investigates, Marla learns there’s no shortage of suspects. A celebrity TV chef, food critic, olive oil importer, food truck owner, pastry chef, and cookbook author may be stirring up more than their next recipe. Can Marla unmask the killer before someone else gets trimmed from life?

Recipes Included!

You can find Trimmed to Death at these online retailers:

Universal Link Amazon B&N iBooks Kobo

About the Author

 

Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have made the IMBA bestseller list and been selected by Suspense Magazine as the best cozy mystery. Nancy has also written the instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery. Her imaginative romances, including the Drift Lords series, have proven popular with fans as well. A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. When not busy writing, she enjoys fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.

Author Links:

Website: http://nancyjcohen.com

Blog: http://nancyjcohen.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nancyjcohen

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/91508.Nancy_J_Cohen

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/njcohen/

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyjcohen

Booklover’s Bench: http://bookloversbench.com

Newsletter Sign-Up: http://nancyjcohen.com/newsletter/

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And now here’s an interview with MARLA VAIL: beautician, stylist, and amateur sleuth!

Please tell us about your latest adventure.

I entered my coconut fudge pie into the bake-off contest at a local farm festival. While waiting for the judges to announce the winners, I discovered another contestant dead in the strawberry field. As I got to know the people involved, I realized Francine Dodger, food magazine publisher, had numerous acquaintances whose secrets she might have discovered. I decided to help my husband, Detective Dalton Vail, solve the case so we could move on to more important things, like expanding our family.

Do you have any friends/sidekicks helping you out?

My friend Tally’s opinion has always been helpful. She’d recovered from a bad accident and encouraged me to enter the bake-off. She’s handy at reviewing suspects and providing a fresh perspective.

Do you have any special skills to fight crime?

Working as a hairstylist, I have to be a skilled conversationalist and an acute listener. I’m much less threatening than my husband, a police detective. So suspects will often reveal things to me that they know I might pass on to the cops. Whereas Dalton takes a direct approach in questioning people, I can be more subtle and encourage folks to chat in a friendly way.

Are you a full-time detective or do you do something else?

I own a hair salon and day spa, and I still have my own clients as a stylist, so I work full-time behind the chair. But I make time for my sleuthing exploits.

What are you most frightened of in this story?

All of the suspects have something to hide. Someone has killed twice to guard their secret. I might be next on his or her list.

Is there anything funny that happens to you or another character in this story?

I loved playing the Find Franny live scavenger hunt game until I found Francine lying face-down in the strawberry field. We had to find people playing roles such as Patty Pepper, Eddie Eggplant, Tommy Tomato, and Betty Blueberry, among others. I learned interesting facts about food from each person. Too bad the outcome wasn’t better.

If I were to choose an actor or actress to play your part in a movie, who would that be? Do you see any other characters in your story as actors or actresses that our readers might know?

Some of these folks may be older by now, but for Marla I’ve had my eye on the following:

Shenae Grimes-Beech from various TV movies; Italia Ricci who plays Emily Rhodes in Designated Survivor; Taylor Cole from “The Art of Us” Hallmark movie; Lyndsy Fonseca from Nikita; and Erica Dorrance from Smallville. For Dalton, I’ve noted Carlos Fonnegra from Continuum, but that show was a while ago and I’d rather leave Dalton to my imagination.

 

Do you have other mysteries you would like to tell us about? Is this the first book in the series, or have you cracked a few other cases?

Trimmed to Death is number 15 in the Bad Hair Day series. You can jump in at any point, but the first book is Permed to Death if you want to start at the beginning. Also, the first four books so far are in audiobook format.

Do you have any final words you would like to leave with our readers?

Please consider leaving a review if you like how I solve the mystery. It’ll help me get other cases. And if you need to get your hair done, stop by my salon. I guarantee you’ll be pleased with the results.

Let’s give your author a chance to speak. Anything you would like to add?

Yes, speaking of other books…In addition to eight scifi romance novels, I’ve written a nonfiction instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery. An expanded second edition is coming Nov. 12. This book will teach you how to write a cozy mystery. It has tips for seasoned authors in maintaining and keeping a series fresh. For readers, it’ll give you insight into the plotting process and other writing secrets. Consider adding these books to your holiday gift bags. Thank you for giving Marla a chance to meet you!

Where can we find your author online?

Social Media

Website:  https://nancyjcohen.com

Blog: https://nancyjcohen.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancyjcohen

Linked In:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyjcohen

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-j-cohen

Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancyjcohen

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/njcohen/

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+NancyJCohen/

Booklover’s Bench: https://bookloversbench.com

YouTube: https://bit.ly/1djD5nY

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/nancyjcohen

 

Buy Links

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/nancyjcohen

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/nancy-j-cohen

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/artist/nancy-j.-cohen/id411505950

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=Nancy J. Cohen

Audible: https://adbl.co/2gMlVw1