Emily Andrew Miceli first appeared in Alpine For You and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Emily.
What is your name?
Emily Andrew Miceli.
How old are you?
Thirty-something. At some point along the way, I stopped counting.
What is your profession?
I’m co-owner of Destinations Travel in Windsor City, Iowa, a company whose mission is to provide exciting tour packages to active seniors with long bucket lists. As a perk, I get to accompany the group around the world.
Do you have a significant other?
I do. I got married unexpectedly aboard a ship in Norway a few years ago.
What is his name and profession?
My husband, Etienne Miceli, is a former Swiss police inspector who moved to Windsor City after we were married and established Destinations Travel. (There was plenty of opportunity for new businesses to open after the tornado ripped through Windsor City, flattening Main Street and obliterating my upcoming wedding venue, which is why exchanging vows aboard ship in Norway was so appealing.)
Any children?
Not yet.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
One brother, Steve, who is the father of my five rambunctious nephews.
Who is your best friend?
My 4’ 10” grandmother, Marion Sippel. She’s eighty-something now, but from the time I was a little kid, Nana and I have always been the best of friends. Her formal education might have ended in the eighth grade, but her keen mind and computer expertise have helped me crack more than a few murder cases on our tours. I attribute her extensive knowledge to life experience. She attributes it to binge-watching cable TV.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
We’re away from home too much right now to provide a pet with a stable home environment.
What town do you live in?
Windsor City, Iowa. Population around 19,000. We’re small, but we do have a new water park and a refurbished Senior Center, complete with a lap pool.
House or building complex? Own or Rent?
Etienne and I built a house in the aftermath of the tornado. We can see one of my dad’s corn fields from the back deck!
What is your favorite spot in your house?
The four season sun porch. It has a southwest exposure, so it’s flooded with light most of the time and is just big enough to feel cozy and intimate. I call it my happy room.
Favorite meal?
An Iowa pork chop with a loaded baked potato.
Favorite dessert?
Double-fudge brownie with walnuts. (No ice cream. I don’t like soggy food.) Editor’s note: me neither.
Favorite hobby?
Shopping for shoes that make my feet look really small.
Favorite vacation spot?
The world.
Favorite color?
Peachy-pink. (Which might also be described as melon, geranium, or salmon. If you ask a guy, however, he’d probably call it orange.)
Favorite author?
Margaret Mitchell. How can you not love an author who introduced the phrase *Fiddle-de-dee* into the lexicon?
Favorite sports team?
Green Bay Packers.
Movies or Broadway?
Both. Since I spent two years after college acting in plays off-Broadway, I have a fondness for live stage. But since I live in the Midwest — halfway across the continent from New York – I’m very happy to watch movies, especially British movies and series where there’s an abundance of plot and an absence of guns.
Are you a morning or a night person?
Night, definitely. I love staying up late.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
When your favorite *bad guy* deterrents are cans of hair spray and air freshener, you know you’re an amateur.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
I work with my Nana, my gender-reassigned former stage actor ex-husband (Jackie Thum) when she’s along, and all twelve of my core group of seniors who sign up for nearly every tour. Not only are all the seniors more technically savvy than I am, they really enjoy taking an active part in the sleuthing, so we kinda take on the appearance of an AARP posse.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
On a typical tour day I start out by counting heads at breakfast to make sure I haven’t lost anyone. (Considering my demographic, this is a daily requirement.) As the troops race to be first on the bus, I encourage them to look at the scenery rather than play with their cell phones. We visit our first venue where the troops race to be first off the bus. I give my second lecture about taking the time to actually look at the site rather than waste their time texting each other. They take my advice to heart and pose for selfies instead. I usually find an extraneous dead body about now. If my ex-husband Jackie is along, she’ll usually want to slip into a disguise that includes a sexy wig so she can tail a suspect. Any suspect. Even if none have been identified yet. After being questioned by the police, we head back to the hotel where the troops send text blasts of their selfies to each other. My job as a travel escort seems to be a happy cocktail of lecturing, herding cats, and amateur sleuthing. . . and as frustrating as it can sometimes be, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Catch Me If Yukon. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends December 14, 2018. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Emily in Catch Me If Yukon, the 12th book in the “Passport To Peril” mystery series.
Emily and her traveling seniors must solve yeti nother mystery as they trek through the Alaskan wilderness
As tour escort Emily Andrew-Miceli leads her globetrotting band of Iowa seniors into the wilds of Alaska, she discovers that whales aren’t the only killers on the prowl. When a tour member turns up dead on a mountainous hiking trail, Emily blames herself for the mishap—until she learns that something far hairier might be the cause.
One of the seniors snaps a photo of what looks like Bigfoot, raising questions about what happened to the victim. But the elusive sasquatch is just a legend, isn’t it? Between whale watching in the glacial waters near Seward and ziplining in the primal forests of Denali, Emily finds herself locked in a game of cat and mouse with a killer who may or may not be mere myth.
Purchase Link
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About the author
After experiencing disastrous vacations on three continents Maddy Hunter decided to combine her love of humor, travel, and storytelling to fictionalize her misadventures. Inspired by her feisty aunt and by memories of her Irish grandmother, she created the nationally bestselling, Agatha Award-nominated Passport to Peril mystery series, where quirky seniors from Iowa get to relive everything that went wrong on Maddy’s holiday. Catch Me if Yukon is the 12th book in the series. Maddy lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and a head full of imaginary characters who keep asking, “Are we there yet?” You can visit her website at maddyhuntermysteries.com.
All comments are welcomed.
I so need to start this series…
Thank you for the giveaway…..
You’ll love it
I have never heard of this series until now. What fun it will be to find out how it all began! Thank you for introducing us to it.
Sounds like a great premise! Thanks for the chance to win!
I love to travel so I think I’d enjoy this series. Alaska is beautiful; this story has an intriguing setting going for it already.
I love this cover! This would be perfect for a cozy winter read.
I love this series. Thanks for the giveaway.
This is a new series for me
Looks really good 😁
I love these interviews 💗😍💗
Thanks for the chance
😍🍯🐝😍 and
Thanks for sharing this book with us 😍❤😍
Shared on Twitter 😍❤😍
https://mobile.twitter.com/LindaMoffitt02/status/1072850693160136705
This is a new to me author and series. It sounds wonderful. Will be putting it on my tbr list. Thanks for the chance to win.
How have I missed this series? I’m definitely adding it to my TBR list and would love to win a copy of Catch Me if Yukon
There are so many new author’s and their books this year. Your blog is a wonderful way of finding out about them. Thanks Dru Ann.
Sounds like a fun series. I will definitely be adding this to my TBR list.
I’ve found the seniors from Windsor City to be hilarious, especially on their foreign trips. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Yes please. I’d love to be entered in the contest. Please toss my name into your magic contest hat.
I’m excited for Emily’s new adventure!
Fantastic series!
This is my favorite series; Emily is my favorite amateur sleuth, and Marion is my favorite grandma!
Aww, thank you, Pam.
Love those pun filled titles.
Can’t decide who is my favorite, Emily or her Gran ….
I can’t decide that either, Jan!
Please! Please! Please!
Love this series! Excited to see a new book.
This sounds like such a fun book. I will have to check out the others in the series!! Thanks for a chance to win!
My mother got me and my three girls into this series. We LOVE these books and the antics of all of the octogenarians. She gets the new one and we share it. The last one to read it has to send it to my Navy daughter (no matter where in the world she ia).
Many thanks to your mom, Janet. I’m tickled that reading about Emily and the gang has become a family affair!
A great title. I’m going to check out other books by Mandy Hunter.
Who can resist wanting to read this book when it has such a great title?!
Full disclosure. I love the title too. 🙂
New series for me
Emily is a lovely character. I appreciate her abundance of patience when dealing with the seniors. They are a great bunch of seniors!
Thank you, Vicky. I made sure that Emily inherited my patience!
I was so happy to discover this series since I love to travel and am from the midwest too. I can really identify with Emily and her senior group! They make me laugh! I am currently reading G’Day to Die, and am really looking forward to the rest of the series.
I’m so happy the gang’s antics make you laugh. That’s all I ask!
Great “interview”! One of the funniest series I’ve ever read! Looking forward to reading the new book!
New author and series to me. Sounds like a series I would like. Adding to my TBR list.
This sounds wonderful. New to me author and series. Putting on my list for sure. Thanks for the chance to win
I am ready for the gangs next adventure.
From the very first chapter I fell in love with this series. I think lives in a part of me
As a senior who loves to travel, I really enjoy this series. It has helped me become more aware of my surrounding and I have become a people watcher. When I was in Italy, I actually alerted police to a pickpocket and his accomplice! I like to pretend I’m an amateur sleuth too.
I am a senior who loves to travel, so I really enjoy this series. When I travel I have become a real people watcher. When I was in Italy, I actually alerted the police to a pickpocket and his accomplice. I loved reading Nancy Drew as a child so I like to pretend I’m an amateur sleuth too.
I’m lookingward to reading this!
Absolutely love this series. It’s hilarious!
Great series that allows me to travel to new exciting places!!
So excited to read Catch Me If Yukon! I have it ordered on Amazon to give my husband for Christmas. I know it’ll be his favorite gift! So if I’m lucky enough to win another copy I’ll donate it to my local library. We went to Alaska on a cruise so it’s always fun to read about a place we have visited. We went to Ireland for the first time in October so I am re-reading Top O’ the Mournin’. So fun!!
My favorite series by my favorite author. Thanks Maddy!!
I bet the tour group would have a blast with GroupMe – sending messages, selfies and GIFs, hahaha.
Excited for the group to go on this new adventure!
**** WINNER ****
Catch Me If Yukon is Mary Jenks
Congratulations!