Today I have the lovely Meg London here to discuss her new release, Laced With Poison, the second title in her Sweet Nothings Lingerie series. If you love mysteries, then you definitely need to pick up this great series.
1. Tell me about your new release Laced With Poison.
Laced with Poison is the second in my Sweet Nothings Lingerie Series writing as Meg London (I write the Gourmet De-Lite series under my own name, Peg Cochran.) Once again we follow the adventures of Emma Taylor, her aunt Arabella, their friend Sylvia Brodsky and, of course, Pierre Louis Auguste, Arabella’s French bulldog. Sweet Nothings is holding a trunk show at the home of socialite Deirdre Porter when one of the women takes ill and subsequently dies. Tests reveal she was killed by a poison flower used to decorate cupcakes served at the event. It’s a mystery where the past ends up affecting the present! I’ve always wanted to write a story like that.
2. Where did you come up with the idea for this series?
I can’t take the credit. The idea comes from my brilliant editor at Berkley Prime Crime. I was hired to write the series based on her concept. She had a big hand in plotting the first book in the series, but this one is all my own as are a lot of the characters.
3. Have you always loved mysteries?
Yes! Ever since I discovered Nancy Drew as a kid. I started plotting out my first mystery when I was seven years old. I even found the perfect place to bury a body.
4. Are any of your characters based on people that you know?
No. Although my mother is convinced she’s in every book I write!
5. What are you working on now?
I’m taking a bit of a break after writing six books in less than three years! I’m waiting for revisions for books #3 in the Gourmet series and the Lingerie series. I’m also waiting to find out if either series is going to be continued. Meanwhile, I have another proposal in the works, and I’m thinking about a short story to bridge the gap between Gourmet books #2 and #3.
6. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Don’t give up! If you really, really want it, don’t quit! I had 400 rejections on three projects that I was circulating within a two year period (mostly agents) and then finally I go a break. But I had two other agents before this, and I’ve been really serious about getting published (as opposed to “dreaming” about it) for 15 years.
Thank you so much for being here on Books-n-Kisses. 🙂
Thank you for having me here today at Books-n-Kisses! I love hearing from readers so stop by my web site www.pegcochran.com and/or www.meglondon.com.
About the Author:
Peg grew up in a New Jersey suburb about 25 miles outside of New York City. After college, she moved to the city where she managed an art gallery owned by the son of the artist Henri Matisse. When her first daughter, Francesca, arrive, the new family moved back to the New Jersey suburbs where her second daughter, Annabelle, was born.
After her husband died, Peg remarried and her new husband took a job in Grand Rapids, Michigan where they now live (on exile from New Jersey, she likes to joke). Peg managed to segue from the art world to marketing and is now the manager of marketing communications for a company that provides services to seniors.
When she’s not writing, Peg can usually be found cooking, which she loves. When asked to bring a dish to a potluck she invariably opts to bring dessert – partly because she loves making sweet dishes and partly because she and her husband always manage to be late so there’s no point in putting them in charge of appetizers.
TITLE: Laced With Poison
SERIES #: Sweet Nothings Lingerie #2
CHARACTERS: Emma Taylor, Arabella & Sylvia Brodsky
AUTHOR: Meg London
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/02/13
BOOK SYNOPSIS: You’re invited to the Sweet Nothings trunk show. See what the shop has to offer, taste some wonderful food, catch up with friends, and solve a murder….
Emma Taylor is happy to be drawing in customers at her aunt Arabella’s lingerie shop, Sweet Nothings, but replacing the store’s broken window is going to cost a small fortune. Hoping to hoist up their sagging profits, Arabella arranges to have a trunk show at the home of a local socialite who will invite all of her friends and take care of the catering. All Emma and Arabella have to do is show up and show off their wares. Seems simple enough….
A gorgeous spread is prepared for the event, including delicious cupcakes topped with edible flowers. But after one of the partygoers takes a bite and winds up dead, the guest list becomes a suspect list. Now Emma must separate facts from idle gossip before the killer gives the cops the slip.
REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Jennifer NUMBER OF STARS: Five Stars
REVIEW: Laced With Poison is the second novel in the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series and this was a very enjoyable mystery for me. Things are starting to look up for Emma Taylor when Sweet Nothings is scheduled to present a trunk lingerie show at Deirdre Porter’s house, which could open up more opportunities for the store. During the festivities, a prominent guest, Jessica Scott, is killed after eating a delicious cupcake that was brought to help cater the event. Now, Emma must use her sleuthing skills to help clear her friend’s name or her cupcake business will be destroyed because of the accusations.
I’m happy to say that this book was a fast-paced mystery with a quirky cast of characters and the right amount of suspense that is bound to entertain any mystery lover. I really enjoyed learning more about Emma and her aunt Arabella, who each have love interests in this story. But my favorite character has to be the snarky yet lovable Sylvia Brodsky, who has more spunk than any other character that I have seen before. The mystery was intriguing and well-written and I had a difficult time figuring out the murderer until their identity was revealed at the very end. I think that this is a great series and I can’t wait to read the next one in the Sweet Nothings series.
I enjoyed the interview and review.