BOOKED ON MURDER by Marilyn Levinson

JENN McKINLAY: If you know me at all, you know I have a soft spot for stories about libraries. Well, our today's guest Allison Brook (aka Marilyn Levinson) has given us an even better setting -- a haunted library! Take it away, Marilyn.

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MARILYN/ALLISON: One reason why I love writing cozy series is because it gives me the opportunity to write about many subjects. Of course my characters and their story lines are my major concern. I love the excitement of setting up murders and sprinkling my plots with clues and red herrings. But writing cozy series also offers me the chance to explore other topics. Here are two I've included in BOOKED ON MURDER, the eighth and final book in my Haunted Library series.

My sleuth, Carrie Singleton, the head of programs and events at the Clover Ridge Library in Clover Ridge, Connecticut, has come across a centuries-old diary while helping the reference librarian put the library's historical collection in order. It was written by a woman named Verity Babcock, who lived in the sixteen hundreds and was hung as a witch. Verity Babcock's diary never existed because Verity Babcock is a character I created based on what I'd read about people who were accused of being witches. Between 1647 and 1663 of the 43 cases of witchcraft, 16 resulted in executions, mostly hangings. Or at least 34 were accused of witchcraft and 11 were hung.  Numbers vary somewhat because of poor documentation. The first Connecticut hanging took place years before the Salem Witch Trials.

JENN: I was raised in CT, and I had no idea. Fascinating!

Carrie and other characters are outraged by what Verity had experienced when she was accused of witchcraft by a neighbor whose husband died after taking some of Vertity's herbal medicines. This woman had begged for Verity's help when her husband was deathly ill and had little chance of recovering. I explore the reasons why women and a few men were accused of witchcraft when witchcraft was a capital offense in the Colony of Connecticut. For years, relatives of victims and other concerned citizens tried to get these victims exonerated with no success. Finally, in May 2023, while I was writing this book, both the Connecticut House of Representatives and Connecticut State Senate voted in overwhelming numbers to exonerate 12 people who were convicted of witchcraft in the seventeenth century. I was delighted that that long overdue wrong had been righted, but for the purpose of my novel I took literary license and continued to write it as though the victims had yet to be pardoned.

A secret society is another topic I explored while writing BOOKED FOR MURDER. Carrie receives a formal invitation to attend a meeting of the Wise Women's Circle, a loosely formed organization in Clover Ridge. Carrie has never heard of the Wise Women's Circle, and she is astonished to discover that many of the women she knows, including a few she is close to, are members. At the meeting she learns that the group's mission statement is to help women in trouble or danger; women who suffer in painful silence. 

Carrie has been invited to join the group because she has helped many people. She is shocked to learn the Wise Women sometimes resort to "other" methods to achieve their ends, and has to think good and hard whether or not to join.

How about you, Reds and Readers, would you join a secret society?

About Marilyn: A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, novels of suspense, and books for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series, the Twin Lakes series, and Giving Up the Ghost. Her suspense, Come Home to Death, was released in April, 2024, and her suspense, Dangerous Relations, will be republished in 2025.

Marilyn's juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice and has recently come out in a new edition, followed by Rufus and the Witch's Drudge, the second book in the Rufus series. And Don't Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Her YA horror, The Devil's Pawn, came out in a new edition in January, 2024.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids and playing with her kittens, Romeo and Juliet.

Buy links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uuPRDZ
PRH: (all buy links): https://bit.ly/PRHBookedonMurder
 Social Links:
website: http://www.marilynlevinson.com where you can sign up for my newsletter
social media:
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BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson
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Cozy Character Development by Allison Brook

 LUCY BURDETTE: Today the Reds welcome a return visit from Marilyn Levinson aka Allison Brook, who has a new book out in her popular haunted library series. She comes with a topic that is dear to my heart--character development. Welcome Marilyn/Allison!

ALLISON/MARILYN: Carrie Singleton, my sleuth in the Haunted Library series, has come a long way since she accepted the position as head of program and events of the Clover Ridge Library the previous October. She's gone from dressing like Goth Girl to becoming a responsible member of her community. In DEWEY DECIMATED, Carrie becomes a temporary member of the town council and has to weigh in on an important decision regarding a valuable piece of property bordering the Long Island Sound. Should the Seabrook Preserve remain a preserve, be converted into an upscale park with boating and swimming, or should the property be sold for condos? 

Becoming engaged is a serious matter, especially for a gal who grew up in a dysfunctional household. Carrie loves Dylan, but looking forward to a wedding and marriage is a scary proposition and isn't the same thing as helping your BFF with her marriage plans. Carrie's concerned because Dylan never says much about his parents or his growing-up years. She's worried—are there skeletons in the family closet?

Maybe, maybe not, but Dylan's uncle Alec's ghost turns up in the library, causing a whirlwind and scaring the patrons. Carrie and her ghostly friend Evelyn Havers have to whisk him away until they figure out how Alec ended up dead in the building next door that's being renovated to become the library's new addition. Can Carrie convince Dylan to talk to his uncle despite the fact that Alec has let him down several times in the past?

Then there's the in-your-face TV investigative reporter who wants to team up with Carrie to find out who killed Uncle Alec and a popular Clover Ridge resident. All this and more keeps Carrie on her toes, but she's strong and resilient and manages to deal with everything life throws her way.

For those of you who love to read cozies, are change and growth important qualities you like to see in characters as a series progresses? What cozy series do you read that show growth in characters? I enjoy writing about Carrie and Dylan’s relationship. Is romance something you like included when you read a cozy series?

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted Library series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. DEWEY DECIMATED, the sixth in the series, was just published. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series, the Twin Lakes series, and GIVING UP THE GHOST. Her juvenile novel, RUFUS AND MAGIC RUN AMOK, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice. It will soon be reissued, followed by three more books in the series. AND DON’T BRING JEREMY was a nominee for six state awards.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.

It's June and Love Is In the Air by Marilyn Levinson aka Allison Brook

LUCY BURDETTE: I know we're coming up on Christmas, not Valentine's Day, but in mysteries, it's always a good time to talk weddings...This morning we welcome Allison Brook aka Marilyn Levinson who has a new book out in her haunted library series...

ALLISON/MARILYN: Love is in the air--at least it is for Carrie's best friend, Angela Vecchio, and her fiancé in DEATH ON THE SHELF, the fifth book in my Haunted Library series. Of course no wedding plans run smoothly and that's mainly due to some of Angela's relatives. Her hot-tempered brother is in from California, drumming up investors for his most recent movie. And Angela's two older, sophisticated cousins who used to intimidate her have taken over her bridal shower because the restaurant where it was supposed to take place burned down. What else can go wrong?

Carrie's father, long divorced from Carrie's mother, has found a woman he adores and plans to marry. But not every married couple in DEATH ON THE SHELF is happily wed. Angela's cousins, Donna and Roxy, have both married doctors. While their economic situations are secure, their relationships are shaky. In fact, Roxy has divorced her husband because he cheated on her, and she's an emotional wreck. Donna and her husband Aiden seem to be growing apart. Why is Roxy stopping by Aiden's office most days? Is something going on that shouldn't?

Carrie's relationship with Dylan, her significant other, is moving in the right direction. But observing her great aunt and great uncle's solid marriage and her cousins' happy family life with their two young children, she wonders if she's capable of sustaining a lasting relationship, given her dysfunctional family background.

Writing a series gives me the opportunity to place my characters in various situations where they resolve problems and deal with past events that affect their present lives. I get to see how new insights help them change and mature. I especially love to see how they relate to one another. At the end of DEATH ON THE SHELF, Carrie discovers the murderer and a relationship she never suspected. 

Are you intrigued by characters' relationships in cozies and traditional mysteries? 

About Marilyn/Allison: A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted Library series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series.

Her juvenile novel, RUFUS AND MAGIC RUN AMOK, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice. AND DON'T BRING JEREMY was a nominee for six state awards.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.

ABOUT DEATH ON THE SHELF: "Clover Ridge librarian Carrie Singleton is thrilled to attend her best friend Angela's wedding, but Angela's family can be a bit...much. Angela’s wealthy cousin Donna hosts an extravagant bridal shower at her resplendent home, but the celebrations turn to gossip as the guests notice Donna's surgeon husband, Aiden, spending a bit too much time with Donna’s cousin Roxy. At the wedding reception, the sweet occasion turns darkly bitter when Aiden topples into the chocolate fountain - dead.” 

Buy link: Penguin Random House

website: Marilyn Levinson

It's All About the Relationships by Allison Brook

LUCY BURDETTE: Allison Brook aka Marilyn Levinson visited the blog about a year ago to talk about her publishing journey.  Today she's back with a new book and a new subject, one dear to my heart--relationships! Welcome Allison...

ALLISON BROOK: A few years ago after my Significant Other finished reading some of my mysteries, he turned to me and said, "Sure, you write about murders and mystery, but it's really about the relationships." I was very happy that David, who rarely read fiction, "got" me.

People fascinate me. I often wonder what makes them tick. I'm curious about their habits, their secrets, their relationships, the way they lead their lives. It's one of the main reasons why I write fiction. My characters are the most important elements in my novels—be it a mystery, romantic suspense or book for kids.

My characters drive my story. They create and alter situations, conflict with one another, love, hate and murder. Carrie Singleton, my protagonist and sleuth in the Haunted Library mystery series, comes from a dysfunctional family. She grew up having a father who was a professional thief and away more often than he was home. Her mother was self-absorbed and not very maternal. Carrie adored her older brother, but Jordan died in his early twenties. It's no wonder that she feels disconnected and can't settle down in any one place after college.

When Carrie reaches her lowest point, she goes to stay with her great aunt and uncle in Clover Ridge, CT, the town where her father's family once owned a farm and where she and her brother spent happy summers. Aunt Harriet and Uncle Bosco give Carrie the love and sense of security that has been absent from her life. And when, in DEATH OVERDUE, the first book in the series, a good position in the library is offered to her, she has the good sense to heed the advice of her aunt and uncle and Evelyn the library ghost who urge her to take it instead of moving on.

Carrie has a good friend in outspoken Angela, who works at the circulation desk. But other relationships are more complicated. Sally, her boss, is unfriendly if not downright hostile, feeling that Carrie was foisted on her by Uncle Bosco, who's on the library board. Carrie proves her mettle and over time she and Sally become friends.

Evelyn, the library ghost who can be seen only by Carrie and her little cousin, is supportive  and a good friend to Carrie. However, Evelyn has her own concerns and isn't always helpful in Carrie's murder investigations. One reason is Dorothy, Evelyn's niece, the reference librarian. Dorothy is a most unpleasant person who likes to ferret out her fellow workers' secrets then threatens to expose them if they don't do as she "requests." All of Dorothy's spite is turned against Carrie because Carrie has been given the position she coveted. Carrie learns how to deal with Dorothy but remains wary of her.

In READ AND GONE, Carrie's father shows up unexpectedly after years of no contact and asks her to help him retrieve his share of a heist from his thieving partner. Carrie wants no part of this, of course, but when her father's partner in crime is murdered and her father's Suspect Number One, she feels obliged to prove he's no murderer. She also wants to find the gems before he does so she can return them to their rightful owner. The father-daughter relationship is fragile. Carrie has been hurt by her father's neglect and she rebuffs his overtures. He hasn't changed his secretive ways, she notices. Carry and her father spend more time together than they have in years and begin to affect one another. Carrie realizes how much Jim loves her and how much she loves him. By the end of the READ AND GONE, both have changed significantly.

Carrie is smitten by Dylan Avery, her handsome landlord who spends a good deal of time away investigating gem and fine art thefts. This is her first serious relationship, which she doesn't handle very well when she discovers that Dylan was investigating the heist her father pulled off and was searching for her father. She's hurt and insecure, imagining the worst: Did Dylan get close to her in order to find out where her father was? Carrie wonders if she's capable of having a loving relationship that leads to marriage.

The great thing about writing a series is writing about my characters and how they change and develop through their relationships with one another.

 Lucy: Your turn now Reds. Do you read series for the relationships? Or are you just as happy with stand-alones?

You can find Allison Brook, aka Marilyn Levinson, in these places:

website: http://www.marilynlevinson.com

Amazon: http://bit.ly/Amazon_MarilynLevinson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/Goodreads_MarilynLevinson 

Twitter: @MarilynLevinson

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marilev/

Allison Brook on Surviving as a Writer Over the Long Haul

LUCY BURDETTE: I love stories about persistence in publishing. Because most of us don't become overnight sensations. We slog in the trenches and have some happy moments along the way. So I wanted you Reds to meet Allison Brook aka Marilyn Levinson, who has a new book out from Crooked Lane Books called DEATH OVERDUE. Welcome Allison!

Like many of us, it seems that you've been on the roller coaster of publishing. First you sold a young adult book to Holt, and then you self published several mysteries, and now you have a brand-new series beginning under a new name with Crooked Lane Books. We'd love to hear about the journey!

ALLISON BROOK: I started writing many, many years ago when publishing was a very different kind of business. When my two sons were small, I began writing short stories. This was the time of the typewriter and snail mail. I’d taken a few writing courses, but didn’t have the immediate support and camaraderie new writers have by joining the Guppies chapter of Sisters in Crime. I took a course with an author named Roberta Gellis. Roberta became my mentor and dear friend. She helped me birth my first few novels. I acquired an agent and sold the third book I’d written –AND DON’T BRING JEREMY. This juvenile novel was a nominee for six state awards.

I thought this meant that I’d arrived and I’d have no trouble selling my books. Only this didn’t happen. I sold a few more novels for kids. RUFUS AND MAGIC RUN AMOK—about a boy that discovers he’s a witch that I wrote before Harry Potter came out—was a Children’s Choice. I decided to change genres and to try my hand at writing romantic suspense and mysteries. I began selling to small presses, many of which publish ebooks. I had both good and bad experiences, and found it necessary to self-publish a few of my books. Most recently, my new agent shopped around DEATH OVERDUE, the first in my new series, and Crooked Lane Books gave me a two-book deal.

LUCY: Your main character in this new cozy mystery series is a librarian. Have you worked as a librarian in a past life? If not tell us how you came up with her.

ALLISON: I’ve never been a librarian, but I spend a good deal of time in my library, attending programs and checking out books and movies. I’ve gotten to know many of the people who work in my library. I’m familiar with their specific job requirements, which was most helpful when I started writing DEATH OVERDUE, the first book in my Haunted Library mystery series.

 A few summers ago, I was attending a one-man drumming program in our library’s beautiful park. Lauren, our Head of Community Services, had introduced him. As I listened to the drummer, it occurred to me that having a sleuth in charge of programs and events would give her many opportunities to meet people in different walks of life. The library itself is like a small village within a village.

LUCY: How do you like working with a small press that features mysteries?

ALLISON: I love it! I have the best editor, someone I knew before, and absolutely love the cover of DEATH OVERDUE. More important, readers love it! Because of the wonderful exposure CLB has given my book, Blackstone has make an audio of the book; I’ve received a starred review and Pick of the Month from Library Journal; received a nice review from Publishers Weekly; have had my book with Net Galley, which led to many wonderful reviews on Goodreads, resulting in the book being #111 of the 200 most popular books published in October, 2017, and DEATH OVERDUE being a Mystery/Literary Guild book club selection. I could never have gotten this exposure on my own.

LUCY: Will you share some tips for writers who are hoping to get published in these times?

ALLISON: There are many, many books being published these days, and you want to make your book stand out as best you can. First of all, learn the elements that go into a good novel. This takes time. Join writing groups like Sisters in Crime. Take classes, either in person or online. Join a critique group that’s familiar with the type of book you write. You want to belong to a group that provides support and helpful criticism. Read in your genre. Keep on writing. Writing is a process. It can’t be rushed. Be aware of marketing, what is wanted in your genre, while nurturing your own style and voice. So much of this sounds contradictory, but this, too, is part of the process: to believe in yourself while keeping an open mind to those critiquing your work. 

If you were planning to write a cozy mystery series, which occupation would you select for your amateur sleuth? Any other questions for Allison?

A former Spanish teacher, Allison Brook aka Marilyn Levinson, writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for young readers. She loves traveling, reading, knitting, doing Sudoku, and visiting with her grandchildren, Olivia and Jack, on FaceTime. She lives on Long Island with Sammy, her feisty red cat. This is her first Haunted Library mystery. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and her website.

ABOUT DEATH OVERDUE: Carrie Singleton, forgoes her purple hair and Goth attire to become Head of Programs and Events at the Clover Ridge Library. She finds herself embroiled in solving a cold case and a new murder with the occasional help of the library’s sixty-something ghost amid family squabbles, romance and discovering her place in life.