Murder on the Bucket List
Series: A Bucket List Mystery (Book 1)
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Midnight Ink (July 8, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0738745091
Synopsis
The septuagenarian women of the Summer Ridge Bridge Club have gathered
in secret late one July night to check skinny dipping off their bucket
list. But as Francine observes, the jittery members seem more obsessed
with body issues and elaborate preparations than actually stripping down
and getting in the pool. A pungent smell emanating from the pool shed
provides a perfect distraction. When a dead body flops out, it’s an
answered prayer for Charlotte, since the first item on her list is to
solve a murder.
Unfortunately for Charlotte and Francine, before they can discover who
really killed the man, they must negotiate neighborhood tours of the
crime scene, press coverage of their skinny dipping, an angry
Homeowner’s Association, a disastrous appearance on Good Morning
America, media offers sought by a hungry publicist, and a clever killer.
Birdhouse Books Interviews Elizabeth Perona (Tony Perona and
Liz Dombrosky)
Birdhouse: When did you realize you
wanted to be a writer?
Tony: I first remember wanting to be a writer when I
was in grade school at St. Christopher's. The teacher-I think it was Mr.
Click-asked us to write a fictional story where an inanimate object came
to life. Mine was about the tree that gave its life to become the manger the
Christ child slept in. I enjoyed writing the story, got really good feedback,
and was hooked.
Liz: I was in the honors college while attending Ball
State University. When it came time to decide on an honors thesis
project, I knew I wanted to do something creative instead of a
long research project. I chose to write a children's book about some animals
who reused and recycled to clean up their home and create a beautiful
fountain out of their trash. One of my friends illustrated it as her
project. By no means is this story ever going to be on the bestseller list,
but it was a fun way to get my feet wet.
Birdhouse: What was your favorite book as a
child?
Tony: I loved, loved, loved the Velveteen Rabbit, and still do to
this day. The next books I remember enjoying were the Hardy Boys series.
I could read one in a single day if my mom didn't make me go outside and
play, but she rarely let me stay inside. LOL. Anyway, I loved going to
the library and checking them out.
Liz: I was (am) a Harry Potter kid. I
loved every book in the series. They have the perfect balance of magic,
darkness, suspense, along with interesting characters. My grandma knew
how much my sister and I enjoyed them, so she always made sure to preorder
them for us, and we would wait for them to arrive at our house on the
release day. Then we would fight over who got to read it first...
Birdhouse: What
is your writing day like? Do you have any interesting writing quirks?
Tony: Because I have a full time job with the Town of Plainfield (Indiana), I
generally write in the morning before I go to work and on my lunch hour. Most
mornings I get up around 5:00 and write until 6:30 am. Lunch hours vary
according to my schedule, but I try to do 12:30 to 1:30 pm. I don't know
that I have any quirks, but I can be very tired in the morning and not
remember half of what I write until I see it at lunchtime.
Birdhouse: What was the
most surprising thing you learned while creating this book?
Tony: Most of my
previous writings had been in first person. This one is in third person.
After working on it, I discovered I prefer writing in first. Now that we've
used third person in this book, though, I guess I better get used to it.
We're committed to a three book contract.
Liz: Just how much work,
time, and energy go into every single step of the process of getting
published!
Birdhouse: Who are your favorite authors?
Tony: If I mentioned current
writers, I know I'd forget half a dozen of my friends whose writing I
adore, so let me talk about a few writers who have inspired me over the
years: first, Thornton Wilder, whose body of work is limited but whose
influence is not. His novels and especially his plays (Our Town, The Skin
of Our Teeth, and The Matchmaker) have universal themes that will always
resonate with humanity. Second, Robert Frost. Though he's a poet and I do
not aspire to be one, I love the universality of his themes (as with Wilder's
work), and the images and stories he created in his poems. Third, Agatha
Christie. It was her novels and plays that inspired me to try my hand at
mystery writing.
Birdhouse: What is your next writing project?
Tony: As I mentioned
in an earlier comment, Liz and I are committed to a three book
contract. We just turned in book #2, so we have rewrites we'll have to do on
it and also write book #3. Beyond that, we'll have to see whether
Midnight Ink extends our contract, which we really hope they will!
Somewhere in my partnership with Liz I'd like for us to try a love story
under the Elizabeth Perona brand. We'll just have to see!
About The Authors
Elizabeth Perona is the father/daughter writing team of Tony Perona and
Liz Dombrosky. Tony is the author of the Nick Bertetto mystery series,
the standalone thriller The Final Mayan Prophecy (with Paul Skorich),
and co-editor and contributor to the anthologies Racing Can Be Murder
and Hoosier Hoops & Hijinks. Tony is a member of Mystery Writers of
America and has served the organization as a member of the Board of
Directors and as Treasurer. He is also a member of Sisters-in-Crime.
Liz Dombrosky graduated from Ball State
University in the Honors College with a degree in teaching. She is
currently a stay-at-home mom. Murder on the Bucket List is her first
novel.
Author Links
Purchase Links:
www.barnesandnoble.com/s/elizabeth-perona;
www.amazon.com/Murder-Bucket-List-Mystery/dp/073874509X/
Giveaway
Win a print copy of Murder on the Bucket List. Giveaway ends 7/15/15.
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