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An Affair to Dismember
The Matchmaker Series, Book One
Elise Sax
Genre: Comedic romantic mystery
Publisher: Ballantine (Random House)
ISBN: 978-0345532220
Number of pages: 320
Word Count: About 80,000
Book Description:
Certain to appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich, Jennifer Crusie, and Katie MacAlister, Elise Sax’s hilarious series debut introduces matchmaker-in-training Gladie Burger, who stumbles into a dangerous quagmire of murder and red-hot romance.
Three months has been Gladie Burger’s limit when it comes to staying in one place. That’s why Gladie is more than a little skeptical when her eccentric Grandma Zelda recruits her to the family’s matchmaking business in the quaint small town of Cannes, California. What’s more, Gladie is also highly unqualified, having a terrible track record with romance. Still, Zelda is convinced that her granddaughter has “the gift.” But when the going gets tough, Gladie wonders if this gift has a return policy.
When Zelda’s neighbor drops dead in his kitchen, Gladie is swept into his bizarre family’s drama. Despite warnings from the (distractingly gorgeous) chief of police to steer clear of his investigation, Gladie is out to prove that her neighbor’s death was murder. It’s not too long before she’s in way over her head—with the hunky police chief, a dysfunctional family full of possible killers, and yet another mysterious and handsome man, whose attentions she’s unable to ignore. Gladie is clearly being pursued—either by true love or by a murderer. Who will catch her first?
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Praise for An Affair to Dismember:
“Elise Sax’s new Matchmaker series is off to a rousing start! . . . Sax gives the comic mystery genre a new spin. . . . A fun read sure to entertain.”—RT Book Reviews
“Fans of laugh-out-loud romantic suspense will enjoy this new author as she joins the ranks of Janet Evanovich, Katie MacAllister, and Jennifer Crusie.”—Booklist
“Elise Sax will win your heart.”—New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis
“In the tradition of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, Elise Sax’s new novel is a funny, sexy ride.”—Valerie Frankel, author of Four of a Kind
“What a fun book! It will leave readers begging for more.”—Kim Gruenenfelder, author of There’s Cake in My Future
Elise Sax worked as a journalist for fifteen years, mostly in Paris, France. She took a detour from journalism and became a private investigator before trying her hand at writing fiction. She lives in Southern California with her two sons. An Affair to Dismember, the first in the Matchmaker mystery series, is her first novel.
Where to find Elise:
Welcome to Phantasmic Reads, Elise! It's nice to have you here today!
Thank you so much for having me here!
You've had some interesting careers. What type of journalism were you doing in Paris?
--I mostly did television and radio, based at UNESCO, which is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. In other words, I interviewed loads of people on all kinds of topics, from the war in Bosnia to fashion shows to the Human Genome Project to genocide in Rwanda.
How did you go from journalism to private investigator?
--I wanted to make more money! And I thought…I can do research, I can interview people. So, I started working for an investigation firm in New York.
Did you have any really strange or interesting cases as a PI?
--Yes! But if I tell you, I would have to kill you.
You mention in your bio that you're taking dance. Is there a specific type you're learning, or is it all different types?
--All different types, but my favorites are swing and salsa. I wanted to learn to dance my whole life and finally one day I walked into Arthur Murray and said, “Give me a good-looking young man to dance with.” And they did!
Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
--All right. This is just between you and me… I love to write in bed while I watch TV. I doubt Nora Roberts writes that way.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
--Besides writing in bed while I watch TV?
What are your pet peeves?
--Computers losing my work. I have all kinds of backup programs, but it still happens on occasion.
What's your guilty pleasure?
--Oh, that’s a no brainer. CHOCOLATE. Any kind, but See’s is my favorite.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
--Don’t tell my editor because I’m supposed to always be writing, but I love to read, play the piano, dance, and travel.
Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?
--Yes, but I don’t kiss and tell.
Do you prefer ebooks, paperbacks or hardcover?
--I’ve never read an ebook. I bought a Kindle, but I’m afraid of it. However, I’m sure once I get over the fear, I will love it. For now, my favorite is a big, thick hardcover. A hardcover always feels like a real treat for me.
What are you currently reading, or what did you recently finish?
--I finally read Eat, Pray, Love.
Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point?
--I have a duvet. So, making the bed just means straightening out the duvet in the morning. That way, I can be lazy yet relatively tidy.
What are three things you never leave the house without?
--My keys, my sunglasses, my sense of humor.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
--I get a lot of inspiration from real life weird news stories. And I had a Grandma Zelda, but she wasn’t psychic or a matchmaker.
Who is your favorite character from your book and why?
--The tea shop owner Ruth Fletcher. She says it like she sees it.
How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?
--Oh, that’s a hard one! I mean, they are all my creations so it would be like not liking one of my children. Besides, if I don’t like a character, I kill him/her.
Which character speaks the loudest, to you? Do any of them clamor to be heard over the others?
--The series is written in the first person, in Gladie’s point of view. So, it’s her voice that I hear telling the story.
What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?
--No, I don’t read nearly as much as I would like to, but I still buy piles of books. I love all genres, from romance and mystery and science fiction to classic literature.
If a fairy godmother told you could be put into the world of your favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?
--Oh, I would so love to have a fairy godmother! I would ask her to put me in Outlander before Jamie Fraser meets Claire. Why? To deflower him!
If you could have dinner with any three authors, who would you choose and why?
--Shakespeare (just to hear him speak), JK Rowling (because she is my idol), and God (I mean, he wrote a hell of a bestseller).
How do you get past writer’s block or distractions like the internet?
--I’ll let you know when I figure it out.
Favorite book from childhood?
--The Hotel New Hampshire (I was precocious.)
Do you ever write in your PJ’s?
--Do I ever NOT write in my PJ’s?
Do you have any pets? Would you like to share pictures?
--We adopted a black lab “Dolly” from Labrador Rescuers last year.
Name a place you'd love to visit someday?
--I’ve never been to Bora Bora, but it looks amazing.
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
--Keep writing. Nobody got published by giving up.
Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
--Yes! Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoy the Matchmaker series. It’s like a little miracle that the story I write (in my bed while watching TV) can give pleasure to others. I’m very grateful.
Have you ever gone out in public with your shirt on backwards, or your slippers on, and when realizing it, just said screw it?
--Or forgot to wear my bra and my shirt was actually see-through? Or there was food on my face, stains on my clothes? Or my skirt was tucked into my underpants? Uh…Yes.
Speed Round:
The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less:
--An Affair to Dismember is a funny story about Gladie, her psychic matchmaker grandma, sexy love interests, and murder.
Pen or pencil?
--Pen
Milk, white, or dark chocolate?
--Milk
Dogs or cats?
--Dogs
Pie or cake?
--Oh, can I pick both?
Plotter or pantser?
--Plotter
Coffee or tea?
--Coffee with my cake; Tea with my pie
If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
--The power to heal. Oh, that would be a lovely superpower.
Thanks so much for spending time with us today, Elise. It was a pleasure!
Great interview!!! Congratulations on the release...
ReplyDeleteLisa :)
*who is writing this in her PJs... So glamorous!*