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Friday, February 17, 2017

Interview with JULIANNA DEERING and Giveaway!



Welcome to the Suspense Sisters, Julianna Deering!


So glad you could join us. Readers, Julianna is giving away a copy of her book, MURDER ON THE MOOR! This sounds like an intriguing mystery. Please be sure to comment and leave your contact information (very important) for a chance to enter the drawing.


JULIANNA DEERING has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with three spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her series of Drew Farthering mysteries set in 1930s England debuted from Bethany House with Rules of Murder (2013) and is followed by Death by the Book and Murder at the Mikado (2014), Dressed for Death (2016), Murder on the Moor (2017) and Death at Thorburn Hall (Coming Fall 2017). Also, as DeAnna Julie Dodson, she has written a trilogy of medieval romances (In Honor Bound, By Love Redeemed and To Grace Surrendered) and six contemporary mysteries for Annie’s Fiction. She is represented by Wendy Lawton of the Books & Such Literary Agency (www.booksandsuch.biz).


More about MURDER ON THE MOOR.


MURDER ON THE MOOR

At the urgent request of Drew's old school friend, Hubert "Beaky" Bloodworth, Drew and Madeline Farthering come to Bloodworth Park Lodge in the midst of the Yorkshire moors, a place as moody and mysterious as a Brontë hero. According to Beaky, there have been several incidents of mischief making out on the moor, property destroyed, fires started, streams dammed up, sheep and cattle scattered and, if local gossip is to be believed, the sighting of the shadowy figure of a great black hound. Worst of all, the vicar has been found dead on the steps of the church, and no one can imagine who would want to kill him.

Beaky is obviously smitten with his wife of eight months, the gorgeous and vivacious Sabrina Bloodworth, though it's hard to imagine what she sees in a man as awkward and plain as he. Drew can't help wondering if Sabrina's affections lie more with Beaky's money than himself and, just perhaps, with the fiery Welsh gamekeeper, Rhys Delwyn. Delwyn says poachers are to blame for the recent trouble, Sabrina claims the moor is haunted, and Beaky suspects that Carter Gray, a neighboring landowner with a longstanding grudge against the Bloodworths, is behind the episodes. But when someone else is murdered and the troubling incidents grow more threatening, Drew begins to suspect local ne'er-do-well Jack Midgley of more than poaching. But just how does Midgley fit into the scheme and who is paying him? It's up to Drew to look past his own prejudices, determine what is really going on, and find the killer before it's too late.

And now, to hear more from Julianna.



SS: When did you realize you wanted to be an author?



JD: I’ve been a reader ever since I was a very little girl and I’ve always enjoyed drama, so I guess I was born with a love of story. But the desire to write, especially the desire to be published, came to me comparatively late. When I was a teen, I played at writing “scripts” for my favorite TV shows (early fan fiction?), but I never did anything with it. When I was in college, I started writing scenes just to entertain myself when my classes were boring. Those early scenes eventually grew into my first book, In Honor Bound. It wasn’t until a friend encouraged me to try to get the book published that I really decided I was a writer.



SS: What are some of the challenges you face as a writer? Are there aspects of your life that are hard for family and friends to understand? What are they?



JD: Deadlines are always a challenge for me. I always feel like I’m chasing something, even when I actually have plenty of time. I think some of my family members think that, just because I’m working from home, I have all the time in the world to do anything I want. Besides my writing deadlines, I have a job preparing estate planning documents for an attorney. Time is always short, even if other people don’t see it that way.



SS: What genre do you write and why? Are there other genres you’ve written or would like to try?



JD: Right now, I write historical cozy mysteries set in 1930s England. As DeAnna Julie Dodson, I wrote a trilogy of medieval romances, and I currently write contemporary mysteries for Annie’s fiction. I’m interested in almost anything historical. I’d love to try my hand at some Regency romance or some kind of moody Gothic tale set in a creepy old manor house in England. Anything between the 1400s and the 1940s interests me.



SS: How do you create characters? Are they based on people you know?



JD: I generally create characters that serve whatever story I want to tell. I have in a couple of instances created a character based on a real person, most recently in my mystery Dressed for Death. In this instance, a friend of mine asked to be killed off in one of my books, and I was happy to oblige. But, as always, my friend was just the starting point of the character which grew into an entity of its own because of the story.



SS: Tell us about your current release.



JD: In Murder on the Moor, Drew and Madeline go up to the mysterious Yorkshire moors to investigate a series of strange happenings culminating in the murder of the local vicar on the steps of his own church. There they encounter old grudges, a faithless spouse, a huge spectral hound, and a fiery Welsh gamekeeper who just happens to look like Aidan Turner. Who could ask for anything more?



SS: Where did you get the idea for this book?



JD: All of the books in this series have a literary inspiration. For this one, I couldn’t think of anything better than the atmospheric Yorkshire moors, especially since I threw in just a touch of Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles.



SS: Tell us about your main character.



JD: I love Drew. He’s fun and well educated, loves books and enjoys a bit of playful banter when possible. He’s still trying to figure out his place in the world, despite being the master of Farthering Place and sole owner of Farlinford Processing. He wants to do more with his life than just spend his fortune, though he struggles a bit with figuring out exactly what God wants him to do. I love that he’s such a devoted husband to Madeline, even if he does tease her from time to time. (And, of course, she teases him right back.) He’s a natty dresser, too, and very easy on the eyes.



SS: Is there a spiritual message in your book? If so, what is it?



JD: In this book, Drew sees that some of his own prejudices are keeping him from solving the mystery. He realizes that only God sees people’s hearts.



SS: What are you working on now?



JD: I’m working on the edits for Drew’s next adventure, Death at Thorburn Hall. In this one, Drew and Madeline go to the 1935 British Open in Scotland and find out that an accidental death wasn’t so accidental. Fans of the series will be happy to know that Carrie returns, but I can’t make any promises about whether she’ll end up with Nick. Stay tuned.



SS: Tell us three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.



JD: I used to play oboe and bassoon (a LONG time ago). I used to be a CPA. I really wish I could fly. Ummmm, I guess I’m not a very surprising person.



SS: Favorite TV shows?



JD: I usually don’t have much time for TV, though there are a few shows I’d love to catch up on when I can (Sherlock, Poldark, Victoria). I do watch all of the Dallas Stars hockey games and Dallas Cowboys football games no matter what.



SS: Anything special you eat or drink while you’re writing?



JD: Not really. Okay, chocolate sometimes, but that usually doesn’t last long because I’m pitiful at stopping at one or two pieces. I have to just not have it in the house.



SS: How do you celebrate after completing a book?



JD: I usually try to take some time off to decompress, but since the last two books I turned in were due one day apart, I haven’t had that luxury. I’ve had to do edits and promotional stuff for both books and then immediately get started on planning the next book I have under contract, which is due in mid-May.



SS: Where can readers find you on the Internet?



On the web:

www.juliannadeering.com

www.deannajuliedodson.com

On Facebook:
https://business.facebook.com/AuthorJuliannaDeering/

https://www.facebook.com/julie.dodson.9659

On Twitter:

@DeAnnaJulDodson

On Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6565151.Julianna_Deering

SS: Anything else you’d like to share with us?


JD: I love to hear from my readers. They can contact me at any of the above links or write me at P. O. Box 375, Aubrey, Texas 76227. I have some neat giveaways for my Drew books if they send me an SASE. Also I’m very excited about the cover for Drew’s sixth adventure, Death at Thorburn Hall. It will be revealed exclusively to my subscribers in the next newsletter. It’s not too late to sign up for Drew’s News either on my Julianna Deering website or through the link in my Julianna Deering Facebook page. Thanks so much for letting me visit!

Thank you so much, Julianna, for joining us. Now remember readers--if you'd like to enter the drawing to win a copy of MURDER ON THE MOOR, please leave a comment and your contact information.

Blessings!
Elizabeth Goddard

15 comments:

  1. The moors are the perfect spot for a murder! Would love to read this book.

    bbeell(at)windstream(dot)net

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  2. I love love love the Drew books. So witty, such a British feel! Can't wait to read the next one. Sorry Drew and Madeline have had so much trouble, though. But it wouldn't be a Murder Mystery without hehehe. "Murder"! paulams49ATsbcglobalDOTnet

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  3. Absolutey love this story. Would love a copy.
    jhdwayne(at)peoplepc(dot)com

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  4. I would love to read one of Julianna's books! They sound like the kind of books I would really enjoy. tennisbec(at)hotmail(dot)com.

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  5. Looking forward to this one. Thanks, Kristie tklovenestataoldotcom

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  6. Murder mysteries, yes! My kind of books. That's why I enjoy Dateline and 48 Hours on TV.
    tumcsec(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. I love mysteries!! ccutting70@msn.com

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  8. I really enjoy historical mysteries and "Murder on the Moor" sounds like a fascinating read. Love the 1930's time period. Would enjoy reading.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  9. I really enjoy historical mysteries and "Murder on the Moor" sounds like a fascinating read. Love the 1930's time period. Would enjoy reading.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. Julianna, I'm on my second "Drew" book in the series. I truly enjoy the stories. Drew reminds me of Lord Peter Whimsy. I'm such an anglophile, and love trips to England. I've also written British mysteries and have such a hoot doing it. Please enter me in the drawing! Cheers

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  11. Murder on the Moors sounds like a great book!
    Martha T.
    CRPrairie1@imonmail.com

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  12. Enjoyed the interview. Love reading novels with a British feel.
    betsylu2@msn.com

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  13. I love the "Drew" mysteries!

    psalm103and138 at gmail dot com

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  14. I have only just started reading cozy mysteries so I'm always on the lookout for inspirational ones. This series sounds like it fits the bill. Thanks for the interview and the giveaway.
    momrain(AT)aol(DOT)com

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  15. Would love to win this! adult4beckyATaolDOTcom

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