Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
SECRET LIVES AND PRIVATE EYES is my debut novel. I’ve had several short stories published in the VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES series.
Currently, I am President of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, and a member of Guppies and Lethal Ladies Write.
Originally from Virginia Beach, I have been a mystery fan since Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew. I live in Central Virginia with my husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
SECRET LIVES AND PRIVATE EYES is my latest novel. In the book, my private investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, has been hired to uncover some secrets that some don’t want revealed. Her two cases intertwine, and she has to figure out the secrets before someone else is murdered.
Business has been slow for Private Investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, but her luck seems to change when a tell-all author hires her to find rock star, Johnny Velvet. Could the singer whose career purportedly ended in a fiery crash almost thirty years ago, still be alive?
And as though sifting through dead ends in a cold case isn’t bad enough, Chaz Wellington Smith, III, a loud-mouthed, strip club owner, also hires Delanie to uncover information about the mayor’s secret life. When the mayor is murdered, Chaz, is the key suspect. Now Delanie must clear his name and figure out why landscaper Tripp Payne, keeps popping up in her other investigation. Can the private investigator find the connection between the two cases before another murder – possibly her own – takes place?
Secret Lives and Private Eyes is a fast-paced mystery that will appeal to readers who like a strong, female sleuth with a knack for getting herself in and out of humorous situations.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to organize my characters and plot, so I’m a “plotter.” I outline and create character summaries. Then I start to write, and sometimes the characters have a mind of their own, and they don’t follow the outline. So even though I plot, I’m also a “pantser,” one who writes by the seat of her pants.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have loved books for as long as I can remember. My favorite authors are F.S. Fitzgerald, E. Hemingway, and H. Lee. But I’ve loved mysteries since Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew. I moved from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock and then to anything I can get my hands on.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second book in the Delanie Fitzgerald series. Her adventures with Duncan, Margaret the Wonder Dog, and Chaz, the strip club owner continue.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There are so many sites out there. I think anywhere you can connect with readers is a good site. Thanks, Awesomegang for the opportunity!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
DO NOT GIVE UP! If you want to have your work published, it’s a lot of hard work, but it’s worth it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I am so fortunate to be a part of Sisters in Crime and the Guppies. Members of both are so supportive and generous with their time and advice. The best advice I received was not to give up. It is a lot of work to get your manuscript ready for publication. It’s also a lot of work to market your book. It takes a lot of time and energy.
What are you reading now?
I just finished Art Taylor’s ON THE ROAD WITH DEL AND LOUISE. Right now, I’m reading Judith Flanders’ THE INVENTION OF MURDER.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to finish the second and third books in the Delanie Fitzgerald series. I have a mystery story coming out next year in a wine-themed anthology. I also have an idea for a cozy mystery series.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s a tough one. I’d probably bring a couple of anthologies to give me lots of good reading. I’d bring the Bible and my Shakespeare collection. It would probably be smart to bring a survival book or two too.
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Heather Weidner Website
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