Iris Stanford sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know her better.

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What is your full name?
Mrs. Iris Stanford.

How old are you?
Age is just a number but I’ll give you a clue. My daughter has just turned 40.

What is your profession?
Now that question could get me into a lot of trouble. Officially, I am the historian for the Honeychurch family. Did you know that the Earl of Grenville was created by King Henry V in 1414? Lord Rupert Honeychurch is the 15th, Earl. Fascinating stuff but not as fascinating as my true calling. I write steamy romance novels under a pseudonym but if I tell you what it is, it will no longer be a secret and I’ll be in a lot of trouble.

Do you have a significant other?
Sadly, not anymore. My husband passed away several years ago now. I loved being married, but I am thoroughly enjoying not being married.

Do you have any children?
Yes, a daughter. Her name is Katherine or Kat for short. I’m very proud of her. She used to be the host of that hugely popular TV show called Fakes & Treasures. She’s very clever in everything except matters of the heart but apparently, that’s none of my business.

Do you have any siblings?
You could say that my closest living relative is Alfred Bushman. He’s not exactly my brother but I think of him as one. I managed to get him the job of stable manager at the Hall. He needed a break after serving time at Her Majesty’s Pleasure (but that too, is a secret).

Who is your best friend?
On a good day? Delia Evans. She’s the housekeeper at the Hall. We’re polar opposites but I know that when the chips are down, she’d be there for me just as I would be there for her.

Do you have any pets?
I must chuckle at that question. If you found my website you would learn that I have a Pekinese dog called Truly Scrumptious. In reality . . . no pets.

What town do you live in?
I live in the Carriage House in the grounds of the Honeychurch Hall estate near a small village called Little Dipperton in Devon. It was built in the nineteenth century and still has all the original stalls, hay racks and nameplates of the former equine residents. There used to be room for five carriages. I live in the grooms’ quarters.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
I have a lovely sun trap which I’ve transformed into a Moroccan themed patio. Kat thinks it’s vulgar but I haven’t done it for her, I’ve done it for me!

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
You can’t beat Peggy Cropper’s Sunday Roast followed by an apple and blackberry crumble with custard and Devonshire clotted cream. Did I mention that Peggy is the cook at the Hall (but she really should retire)?

Do you have any hobbies?
Yes! Delia and I started making our own gin last Christmas. I have a small still in the old hen house. Honeychurch Gin is very popular and has a proof of 57%.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I quite like Jersey in the Channel Islands. It’s where I stash my undeclared earnings from all my books – oops. Did I just say that?

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Being with Kat. We always have a laugh.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Unleashed.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur, although I don’t set out to solve puzzles. I just happen to find myself as part of them. Fortunately, Kat keeps me out of trouble . . . most of the time.

What is a typical day in your life like in general and when you are on a case?
I’m always on a deadline. I write in the converted piggery (next to the hen house). I write every morning, stop for lunch – usually a sandwich with Kat if she is about – and then work on the Honeychurch archives in the afternoons.

When I find myself on a case, it’s a challenge. I can’t just set my deadline aside. Added to the fact that my writing career is a whopping big secret, known only to Kat and her boring policeman boyfriend, it can get very stressful.

Luckily, I have gin!

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Murder in Miniature at Honeychurch Hall, A Honeychurch Hall Mystery #8
Genre: Cozy
Release: April 2022
Purchase Link

When a body found on the Honeychurch Hall estate proves to be that of a villager who had supposedly moved to Ireland years earlier, tongues start wagging and theories abound. Charlie Green had always been a rogue.

Although Charlie’s demise happened well before Kat’s arrival, Kat is drawn into the mystery when she finds two rare miniature portraits hidden inside a custom-made dollhouse of Honeychurch Hall.

When Charlie’s aunt suffers a mysterious and fatal fall, suspicion lands on a stranger who is holidaying in the newly installed shepherd’s hut in the walled garden-one of Lady Lavinia’s latest hare-brained moneymaking schemes. Although there is something off about the tourist, Kat believes the culprit is fellow antique dealer, the odious widower Sir Monty Stubbs-Thomas who is ardently pursuing her mother.

With tales of blackmail, infidelity and greed gripping the small community, past and present collide and Kat realises that the miniatures harbour a vital secret that one particular person is willing to kill for.

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About the author
British born, Hannah Dennison originally moved to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting. She has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant and Hollywood story analyst. After twenty-five years living on the West Coast, Hannah returned to the UK where she shares her life with two high-spirited Hungarian Vizslas. Hannah writes the Honeychurch Hall mysteries, the Island Sisters mysteries and the Vicky Hill mysteries.

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Hannah has generously offered to give away one print copy of Murder in Miniature at Honeychurch Hall. To enter, please leave a comment below. One entry per person and the giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends April 21, 2022. Good luck everyone!

All comments are welcomed.