1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
When bookseller Delaney Nichols is invited to a Burns Night dinner, little does she know that her and her coworker Hamlet’s lives are about to be turned upside down. The dinner leads to a real fire and a murder for which Hamlet becomes a suspect. Delaney will have to work hard to douse the flames of suspicion and help find the real killer.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Back when I started the series, I knew I wanted to write something that took place in Scotland. I wanted to go to Scotland (and I was lucky enough to go back then), and I wanted to “create” a bookshop. I didn’t know a thing about Edinburgh, but somehow, we booked our room right in Grassmarket. Once there, I knew I’d found the perfect spot for The Cracked Spine.
4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life?
Absolutely! I kind of do. She’s in my head all the time.
5–What are three words that describe your sleuth?
Curious, grateful, bookish.
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Answer: I learned a ton about the poet, Robert Burns, but the part of his life that I found the most fascinating was that though beloved and extremely talented, he lived only until the age of thirty-seven, never really seeing any riches from his work during his lifetime.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
Both. I always go over the pages I wrote the previous day before I write new pages. However, I try to keep my first draft moving along quickly. Fast edit as I go, and the second draft always takes the longest, with a slow tedious edit that makes me think I might have picked the wrong profession.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I wish there was a food I didn’t like – well, other than black licorice, I suppose. I really enjoy trying new restaurants, but I haven’t done much of that over the last couple of years, but I always love trying a new place’s cheeseburger and skinny fries (obviously, I’m talking about the shape – if anyone’s found fries that make you skinny, let me know please). I’m not overly adventurous, but I’ve not met many foods I didn’t enjoy at least a little.
9–Describe your writing space/office!
It’s a spare bedroom in my house. My husband and I are empty nesters, so it works well. I have a hummingbird feeder and a hummingbird-and-butterfly-friendly plant right outside the window, which gives me something to look at during moment of ponder (read: when I’m lost as to what to do next).
10–Who is an author you admire?
So many! I’m going with one of my first favorites: Phyllis A. Whitney. To this day, I cherish the memories of hurrying down to the B. Dalton Bookstore in the mall to find her latest. I will love her forever.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
Again, so many – all the usual suspects of course (Little Women, Nancy Drew), but Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire changed my whole perception of fiction. I was pretty young when I first read it, but it solidified for me the fact that fiction can be about absolutely ANYTHING, if you write it right. And, boy, did Anne Rice write it right.
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)
My agent called just as my husband Charlie, son Tyler, and I were leaving Disneyland in California. We had a very small rental car, and our very tall son was crammed in the back seat. We’d never taken Tyler when he was little, so we took him when he was thirteen. The whole trip was a memorable experience, made more so by the idea that Magic Kingdom really was magic – I’d worked for thirteen years to get that call. When you wish upon a star . . .
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
Probably thriller, but I’ve been enjoying Science Fiction lately.
14–What’s your favorite movie?
Once again, so many, but one of my favorites is a recent release. The Martian.
15–What is your favorite season?
Before I lived in Arizona, fall was my favorite. I still like fall, but I love January through March in this part of the world.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Mellowly. A little singing from family members and something sweet. Although, that might not be much different than any other day . . .
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
- The writing – the writing! Oh, the writing! I loved it, though it’s not a happy show.
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Simple, rib-sticking, comfort foods. Steak and potatoes are wonderful, though I don’t eat them very often.
19–What do you do when you have free time?
Read and ride my bike. I crochet some, but not very much. I wish I enjoyed crafting, but it’s not my thing.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
After THE BURNING PAGES on April 5, the next Alaska Wild book, WINTER’S END, will publish in December. Also, the next Scottish title has been decided. Fateful Words will publish in 2023.
Thank you!
THE BURNING PAGES by Paige Shelton
Delaney Nichols faces off against an elusive arsonist in the seventh Scottish Bookshop Mystery, The Burning Pages, from beloved author Paige Shelton….
One winter’s night, bookseller Delaney Nichols and her coworker Hamlet are invited to a Burns Night dinner, a traditional Scottish celebration of the poet Robert Burns. She’s perplexed by the invitation, but intrigued. The dinner takes place at Burns House itself, a tiny cottage not far from the Cracked Spine bookshop but well hidden. There, it becomes clear that Delaney and Hamlet were summoned in an attempt to make amends between Edwin, Delaney’s boss, and one of the other invitees, who suspected Edwin for burning down his own bookshop twenty years ago after a professional disagreement.
But after the dinner, there’s another fire. The Burns House itself is burned to the ground, and this time there’s a body among the ruins. When Hamlet is accused of the crime, Delaney rushes to prove his innocence, only to discover that he might actually have a plausible motive…
Mystery Book Lover | Mystery Cozy [Minotaur Books, On Sale: April 5, 2022, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781250789488 / eISBN: 9781250789495]
Buy THE BURNING PAGES: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Love’s Sweet Arrow | Walmart.com | Book Depository | Target.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Paige Shelton
Paige Shelton was born in Nevada, Missouri, but wasn’t there long.
After a childhood full of many moves, and high school and college in Des Moines, Iowa, she landed in Salt Lake City, Utah. There she met and married her husband, had a son, and worked at a variety of advertising-like jobs. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to be a writer and loves every moment she spends with her characters and their mysterious ways.
Farmers’ Market Mystery | Country Cooking School | Dangerous Type | Scottish Bookshop | Alaska Wild
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