Sometimes the best way to know a person is by asking questions, where you can learn more about what makes them tick.
Let’s see what Allie has to say today.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
What is your name?
– – Alice Jane—call me Allie—Harper
How old are you?
– – Early 30s, but I feel about 100 years older than I did this time last year.
What is your profession?
– – Retired, part-time, non-degreed, not-very-good librarian. Currently, a founding member, recording secretary, and also the “A” of the, perhaps ill-advisedly named, T&A Detective Agency.
Do you have a significant other?
– – I do. And he is so. . .significant. . .you would not believe.
What is his name and profession?
– – Tom Bennington III. Hot, blind, associate professor of English literature, and the entirely unintentional winner of an extremely lethal 550-million-dollar MondoMegaJackpot.
Any children?
– – No. Tom and I are not officially married and my mother is still alive.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
– – One brother. No comment.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
– – Not exactly. But we have a close working relationship with a hundred-seventy-pound mastiff named The Princess Vespa to whom I possibly owe my life.
What town do you live in?
– – Bratenahl, Ohio. (Check in the dictionary under “upscale.” It’s right there.)
House or building complex?
– – 9000+ square-foot mansion with a skylight in the shower. Seriously.
Do you rent or own?
– – Rent.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
– – Well, the shower is second only to the bed of the master bedroom. But it’s a distant second.
Who is your best friend?
– – My former landlady, Margo Gallucci, owner/operator of the Princess Vespa and the vintage Maytag range named Mabel. I’d describe Margo as “unedited.” And BFF.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
– – Working my way up to amateur.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
– – The other members of the T&A. Tom, who is the “T”—obviously. Otis, the former Cleveland cop who actually did save my life and is now our bodyguard and gourmet chef. Margo, of course. And some assorted ex officio members whose identities I must protect.
Favorite meal?
– – The Arcadia Pizza from the Beach Club Bistro: red sauce, asiago, sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, ham, bacon, provolone on “the undisputed Chewy Crust Ruler of this galaxy.” And a Cosmopolitan.
Favorite dessert?
– – My mom’s lemon meringue pie, which is one reason I’m trying to stay on her good side. Or her not totally terrible side.
Favorite hobby?
– – What did I just say about staying on my mom’s good side?
Favorite vacation spot?
– – Anywhere there’s no serial murderer watching us through binoculars.
Favorite color?
– – Lake Erie silver blue. Lake Erie muddy brown. Lake Erie foggy gray. And. . .
Favorite author?
– – Sue Grafton. Forever.
Favorite sports team?
– – Shut up. I’m a Clevelander. Indians. CAVs. And, in spite of every dang thing, Browns.
Movies or Broadway?
– – Detectives on Netflix. It’s safer inside the mansion.
Are you a morning or a night person?
– – Depends on whether the night owl had more than one cosmopolitan.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
– – I get up and think about getting on the treadmill. I have Otis’ coffee and something healthy like waffles and sausage, and I then devote my full attention to not getting kidnapped or shot before bedtime, which is, of course, my favorite time of the day.
Giveaway: Tell us what would you do if you won a big lottery prize. Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Too Lucky to Live and Murder To The Metal. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends June 6, 2018. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Allie in Murder To The Metal, the second book in the “Somebody’s Bound to Wind Up Dead” mystery series, coming June 5, 2018 from Poisoned Pen Press. The first book in the series is Too Lucky to Live.
Mondo mega money is a murder magnet.
Ten months ago Allie Harper – smart, feisty, too broke to get her car fixed – rescued Thomas Bennington III – a hot, blind, college professor – from a crosswalk in her dicey Cleveland neighborhood. When Allie saved Tom and his groceries from traffic, she unwittingly retrieved his winning $550 million MondoMegaJackpot ticket. The payout steered the two of them into a wild dash from romance to mayhem and multiple murders.
Nothing’s changed. Sure, Allie and Tom now reside in a rented nine-thousand-square-foot lakeside mansion with a sky-lit shower and breathtakingly high-thread-count sheets. True, Otis Johnson, Allie’s deliverer from last summer’s would-be-kidnapper, is now their live-in bodyguard and gourmet chef. Yes, Allie’s dream of creating the T&A Detective Agency to solve “mysteries of the heart” by using Tom’s money, Otis’ P.I. credentials, and Allie’s intrepid. . .intrepidness. . . now has its first case.
That’s where the real trouble kicks in.
Lloyd Bunker’s obsession with avoiding stoplights has run him and his ’67 Pontiac GTO off the road, maybe for keeps. As they race to figure out what’s happened to Lloyd, T&A recruits Allie’s former nemesis, Officer Tony Valerio, plus her best friend and ex-landlady Margo and television reporter Lisa Cole, to help them follow a lethal trail of escalating crimes ranging from scrapping to pushing opioids to multiple murders. It’s no longer just about Lloyd.
An assault on the mansion’s high-tech security system by a talented hacker signals the presence of a formidable adversary, one with big bucks and a ruthless plan to destroy the lucky couple. As the action ramps up, Allie and Tom are plunged into a high-speed race against danger and death. . . It’s Murder to the Metal.
Purchase Link
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About the author
“Murder. Mayhem. Romance. Cleveland.” Annie Hogsett has a master’s degree in English literature and spent her first career writing advertising copy—a combination which, in Annie’s opinion, qualifies her for making a bunch of stuff up. Her first published novel, Too Lucky to Live, #1 in the Somebody’s Bound to Wind Up Dead Mystery Series, was released by Poisoned Pen Press in May 2017. Second in her series, Murder to the Metal, launches June 5.
Annie lives ten yards from Lake Erie in the City of Cleveland with her husband, Bill, and their delinquent cat, Cujo. She has never won a 550 million dollar lottery jackpot.
All comments are welcomed.
I would set up trust funds for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Then I’d enjoy the rest of the $$$ for occasional treats.
Hi, Gram. You and my neighbor Nan have the same plan. I wish you both good luck! Annie
I would try to keep anonymity, pay off debt and then refer to a lawyer and financial advisor. Would likely invest the rest.
That’s what my husband says he’d do, GB. You all are very prudent!
Who hasn’t dreamed of winning the lottery? The dream continues with how you would spend the money… I would plan a vacation for all our family including my sister and her children. Have time together to think and talk things over. Then? The world is full of people and needs. Who knows?
I do have to say that I loved the first book in the series and am anxious to read this one as well!!
Barbara, it is so great to hear from readers. Thanks for responding. That sounds perfect!
Hey Allie! Nice to see you again! (And you, Annie, because if Allie’s around, you must be too). I love this series SO MUCH! Congrats on another great book, and get to writing on the third! (Also tell Tom I said hey. And compliment him on his…significance.)
Careful, Do not confuse Allie and Annie🤔🤔
Hi Allie and Annie! Not sure about all my plans for the lottery, but I’d start with that sweet ’67 GTO. Or maybe the ’68.
One day, Allie and Tom WILL meet Tai and Trey. And then we’ll see what happens then.
Shari! That is a sweet car. Good luck!
Well, if you won, you could travel to Cleveland. Or maybe not. 😎 Thanks for reading!
I loved Too Lucky to Live! We lived in NE Ohio for 18 years and still go back to visit. If I won the lottery? Fix up the house and sell it. Do some heavyduty traveling and find a new place to live. Buy a house. Travel some more.
Pat, my reply snuck out of its spot. So glad you loved the book.
I would buy every book I wanted to read & would endow my small town library with a bigger building, more help & a big book buying budget.
Love your plan, Doward.
I would pay off my bills and my Sister’s sell my house and buy a condo on Lake Michigan and travel to the places on my bucket list.
I’m all about the Lake Michigan part Dianne. We love living by Erie.
I would want to make sure Allie is the only one after Tom. 🤔🤔
I play the lottery and love to think about what I wouldl do. First, convene a meeting of lawyers, financial people, pr folks. Decide if being anonymous is really practical. Invest money, make large contributions to causes we support, buy a couple of houses, hire security (yikes, I read the book) and tell my wife how much I love her and am proud of her.
I’m pretty boring so first I’d pay off the mortgage. That would only be a drop in the bucket though, after that’s done it’s travel, travel, travel. Thanks
Bill Hogsett, you are not eligible to win books. But you definitely earned points with your wife.
Oops. Sorry Carl. My answer to Bill jumped a space there. He’s like that. I like your plan.
I would pay off debts, buy a house, go on a vacation, and have fun.
All that would be good. Go ahead and do the fun part in advance. 😊
I would pay off our bills, help out our kids, and have some fun with the hubby!!
Lovely plans, Tracy. The hubby part is especially good.
Thank you for the giveaway and introducing me to a new author that has been added to my TBR list. If I won the lottery I would buy a house for my mom and me. Give to my favorite non-profit organizations and buy myself a 64 1/2 Mustang convertible.
Always delighted to be on A TBR list. Thanks Vicki.
This sounds like a hoot and a half. Who could resist? Not I!
Kait, nothing happier in a writer’s world than a pushover reader! I hope you don’t resist Allie and Tom. 😊
There are not many authors who pique my interest as Annie has just done. Not to toot my own horn, but I think my sense of humor and thoughts would have been very much like the character/and the answers the author gave. 🙂
I definitely wish to be chosen for this book which I am sure will give me some much needed laughs. Sounds like a series that I need to make room for. Thank you for the chance.
How great, Cynthia. It’s lovely when Allie Harper finds a reader/soulmate. Good luck with the giveaway.
I like the premise of a character as a lottery winner. Most lottery winners (and others who suddenly receive a large windfall) end up frittering it away within a few years or making ill-advised investments.
Sharon, the fact that Tom played to “not win” — because he was trying to show a kid that gambling doesn’t pay, and also the fact that circumstances conspired to allow “every scheming weasel in the City of Cleveland” to know all about Tom and his jackpot did not allow any time at all for frittering.But I real life and fictional jackpots definitely seem to have that effect.
Oh my goodness! What a question. I am the furthest from spending frivolously, but I am one to enjoy! If I won the lottery…
What I would most likely do is pay my parents back what they provided me, then pay off my student loan debt, then pay what was left on our house. From there I would establish an endowment fund where I would provide some form of charitable giving.
THEN, and only then, if there was money left over would I spend it on something frivolous. 😀
I tell you what, Adam. When you get down to frivolity, come see me.
**** WINNER ****
Too Lucky to Live and Murder To The Metal is Vicki Highley
Congratulations!
Thank you, I can’t wait to start reading them.