#Interview ~ The Baron's Cufflinks P.J. MacLayne ~ @PJMacLayne

The Baron's Cufflinks

The Oak Grove Mysteries Book 3

By P.J. MacLayne

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Interview with P.J. MacLayne:

Crystal: Today I have the pleasure of hosting  P.J. MacLayne. Welcome P.J.! I'm so excited to have you here today.Would you share a little bit about yourself with us today?

P.J. MacLayne: First, thanks for having me here today! I’m P.J. MacLayne and I'm a computer geek by day and a writer by night. I've lived and traveled throughout the US, but have settled in to live near the Rocky Mountains. I love exploring the back roads and finding awesome scenery where I least expect it.

Crystal: What are you currently working on?

P.J. MacLayne: I just wrapped up the third book in my Oak Grove Mysteries series, The Baron's Cufflinks. My heroine, Harmony Duprie, is up to her usual antics. Next up will be Wolves' Gambit, the third book in the Free Wolves series. Somewhere in there, I also have committed to writing a short story for a Christmas collection.

Crystal: Where did you come up with the idea for either your current release or your current WIP?

P.J. MacLayne: Lori Grenville, the lead character in Wolves' Gambit, was a very minor character in the first book in the series, Wolves' Pawn. She made it clear to me that she wanted her story told, and I couldn't think of a good reason not to oblige her.

Crystal: Do you have a favorite snack that like to munch on while writing? If so would you mind sharing what it is with us?

P.J. MacLayne: I try not to munch while I'm writing. My munchie of choice is anything chocolate, and I don't need the calories. So I keep water handy, and try to fool myself into thinking I'm satisfied by sipping on it.

Crystal: Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?

P.J. MacLayne: If I shared my favorite scene in The Baron's Cufflinks, I'd give away the ending. Instead, I'll share another one I enjoyed writing. To set it up: Harmony is saying goodbye to her friend (and ex-lover) Jake, who is moving away from the small town of Oak Grove to the big city of Chicago.

“Call me when you get there.” I leaned into the Charger planning to kiss Jake on the cheek. His trunk and back seat were stuffed with suitcases, boxes, and bags of his clothes and belongings, and I worried he'd have a hard time seeing traffic around him.
He turned his head at just the wrong moment and I ended up kissing his nose. Jake being Jake, couldn't resist the opportunity. He pulled my head down farther and planted a big, juicy kiss on my lips. “If you ever get tired of Eli, you know how to reach me,” he said, grinning. “Chicago isn't that far away.”
I swatted him on the shoulder. “Don't hold your breath. Besides, you'll be too busy chasing every woman in the bar to miss me.”
His face turned suddenly serious. “I'll always have time for you.”
If he kept it up, I might cry. I couldn't let him see that. I straightened and patted the roof of the car. “Watch out for the police. This car's a cop magnet.”
He nodded and started the engine. “I'll be careful. Getting a ticket would ruin the trip.” He backed out of the driveway, revved his motor and squealed his tires as he pulled away. I hoped none of the Oak Grove force was anywhere nearby. There were still a few of them who would like nothing better than to give Jake a ticket or find an excuse to arrest him.
I sat on the front steps, my coffee cup in one hand and a book I'd taken out of my purse in the other. The friends who owned the camper that Jake had been living in were due to arrive at any time to retrieve it. They had a secure storage spot to store it in, and I didn't want to risk it getting vandalized while sitting empty on the property. Besides, Sarah had an appointment to show the house in the afternoon and 'suggested' it should 'disappear' before that.
I take pride in being able to finish every book I start but this one tested my limits. I'd picked it up on a whim, but I couldn't take the idea of a billionaire vampire dinosaur shifter as a hero seriously. That may have been the point, but I wasn't in the mood for a romantic farce disguised as a cozy mystery.
Even drunk, I wouldn't be able to read it, and I couldn't foist it off on any of my friends with a clear conscience. I wondered if there was time to ditch it in the camper, buried in the bottom cabinet behind the pots and pans. If my friends ever found it, they'd never connect it to me.

Crystal:  When you are not busy writing wonderful stories to keep us lucky readers entertained, what do you like to do? Do you have a hobby?

P.J. MacLayne: I'm an avid reader, but I never seem to have enough time to read all the books from all the marvelous writers I've met along the way. I'm currently working on embroidering a baby quilt for a new grandchild that's on the way. Of course, they compete with my trips to discover new roads in the nearby mountains.

Crystal:  Do you have a favorite background noise you like to having going while you write (TV, Music, kids playing)?

P.J. MacLayne: I enjoy listening to music while I work. My fallbacks are classic rock and John Denver, depending upon my mood.

Crystal: Thanks for visiting. It has been a pleasure having you visit today. Can you think of anything else you would like to share with us today?

P.J. MacLayne: Sure! Here is the description and the buy links for my new book.

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BLURB:

What starts as Girl's Night Out ends in murder, and Harmony Duprie is a suspect.

She's innocent, of course, but with no alibi, the sheriff's department won't remove her from the list of suspects. It doesn't help when a waitress from the bar gets beaten up and the only clue is a slip of paper with Harmony's name on it. Throw in a rookie deputy dead set on building his reputation and Harmony must tread carefully.

But caution isn't Harmony's middle name and she plunges head first into danger to defend her honor.

What she finds is a web of half-truths and suspicions implicating several law enforcement agencies, with Jake, her ex-lover, stuck in the middle of it all.

Can Harmony rescue Jake and find the real culprit before she becomes the next victim?

Buy Links:
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