Ivy Nichols sits down for a Q&A with dru’s book musings responding to twenty or more questions so that we can learn more about her. Are you ready? Let’s get to know Ivy.

What is your full name?
Ivy (Elizabeth) Nichols, and boy, am I grateful. I’m the first person in four generations of my family not to have a weird Latin first name. (I’m talking Lucretia, Hortensius, Tulia-yikes!)

How old are you?
28, but I get mistaken for younger, since I’m back in college after a long break, and I guess I have a sort of a playful personality. And, okay, maybe it’s also that I don’t always make the best decisions. I have things to work on in myself–residue from my childhood that I avoided looking at for a long time.

What is your profession?
I don’t know if it’s a profession, really, but I’m the night-shift front desk clerk at Hotel 1911, which was my family’s private residence for the better part of a century. A lot of people wouldn’t want the night shift, but I like the late hours when everything settles, and it’s just me and the hotel and the miles of secrets it hides. Plus, the quiet hours are good for catching up on reading.

Do you have a significant other?
Um, no. I mean, I have a lot going on so there’s not time for a relationship in my life. I like dating though, just nothing serious.

Do you have any children?
Geez, no. I’m still getting myself together. But I like kids. I think.

Do you have any siblings?
Nope. Only child.

Are your parents nearby?
That’s an interesting question and one that I have two polar-opposite responses to. My dad is very nearby-like living in the same apartment with me. And we’re close emotionally too, closer than ever. My mother, on the hand, couldn’t be further away, physically and metaphorically. I haven’t seen her in more than twenty years, although not by choice, and I have no idea where she’s living. But I’ve made my peace with that for the moment.

Who is your best friend?
We’ve been close since middle school, so he basically knows everything about me and vice versa. George Angelescu, the chef here at the Hotel 1911. We met in middle school, and it was his reference that got me this job. He and I are really different—he’s athletic, methodical, driven career-wise, and talented. But somehow we get along anyway.

Do you have any pets?
Alas, no! Apartment life.

What town do you live in?
Chattanooga. It’s where I was born, where I’ve always lived. I love it because it’s beautiful here with the river winding between the mountains, and there are a ton of good spots to ride my bike. And staying here means I can keep living with my dad while I work and take classes.

Do you live in a small town or a big city?
It’s a good-sized city–not too big or too small.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
My dad and I rent an apartment. He pays for most of everything, but I’m making a plan to move out and be on my own.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
Definitely the balcony. It’s the sunniest spot, and it’s full of flowers that I grow in pots. At night, with the trees all around, I can imagine I’m almost anywhere.

Favorite meal and dessert?
I don’t have expensive taste, much to George’s dismay. I like simple food that’s done well—really good pizza or tacos or for something more “elevated,” George’s Panzanella salad. But chocolate pudding is my favorite dessert, the instant kind. My dad used to make it a lot.

Do you have any hobbies?
Besides riding my bike and the bit of gardening I do on our apartment balcony, I like reading anything by Carl Jung and hanging out with friends.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
My dad and I like the beach, just the Gulf Coast. I’m sure I’d love somewhere more exotic or tropical, but it’s what we can afford. And going there over the years with Dad, those are still some of my best memories.

What music do you listen to?
It depends on my mood. On my worst days (read: on the verge of a panic attack), it’s gotta be something calm with cool harmonies like Bon Iver or Sufjan Stevens.

Do you have a favorite book?
Currently? Modern Man in Search of a Soul by CG Jung.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
When I’m not juggling work and class and solving a murder, which is most of the time, having fun is my favorite. I’m up for whatever is the best offer at the moment- taking a ride with a friend, going out for dinner and drinks, dancing, you name it.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
The Mystery Garden: One Girl’s Quest to Find her Roots

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Definitely not a professional, and I have trouble even calling myself an amateur sleuth, really. This is just the second murder case I’ve taken on, and I only did it because my dear boss, and friend, Mr. Fig was arrested. It’s not like I go seeking out murder investigations. They just land on my lap (and not like a cat either, but like a thousand-pound gorilla that won’t be ignored.)

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Because I work nights at the hotel, I usually sleep in, go to a few classes, and then wind up back at the hotel around 4 in the afternoon where I might spar with my nemesis the day clerk or visit George in the kitchen before starting my shift. I come home to my Dad around 2 in the morning. He often waits up, and we talk over a cup of tea.

What is a typical day when you are on a case?
Whoosh. So unpredictable. I let the current of a case sweep me along where it chooses. Guests of the hotel usually spend at least part of their waking hours out and about, and I inevitably end up zipping across town on my bike to track down them down for information. But I always wind up back at the hotel too, where I talk through my thoughts with George or Mr. Fig, our wisened manager.

Dust to Dust, An Ivy Nichols Mystery #2
Genre: Traditional
Release: August 2021
Purchase Link

A puzzling murder at a historic Beaux Arts hotel sets the stage for a mesmerizing mystery, tailor-made for fans of Louise Penny.

The opulent furnishings and period theming of Hotel 1911 invite guests to experience the charm of the early 20th century. But for hotel clerk Ivy Nichols, the mansion also harbors secrets about her past and the family she never knew. When the Pittsburgh chapter of the Association for Gravestone Studies checks in for their national conference, Ivy is intrigued to learn that one of them has connections to her family.

The group plans to kick off their event by touring the historic graves thought to be on the hotel grounds. But they didn’t plan to find one of their fellow members strangled to death afterwards. The police point the finger at the hotel’s loyal manager, Mr. Fig, since no one else could have reached the victim’s room. Ivy has other ideas. She believes Mr. Fig is innocent, and desperately wants to prove it. The inexplicable appearance of strange drawings, an old book, and a wig lead Ivy to a bizarre connection between the grave-obsessed guests and the murder. And when Mr. Fig confesses a long-held secret, Ivy fears she has put herself in the sights of not only the murderer but another dangerous criminal too. Who else had the opportunity to commit the crime? And is Mr. Fig all he seems to be?

Amidst a growing list of suspects with secrets of their own, and an unraveling riddle from her past, Ivy is in a race to catch a killer–and decipher a truth more earth-shattering than she could have imagined.

About the author
Audrey Keown is the author of the Ivy Nichols Mystery series. She loves challenging her readers with puzzles on the page and characters they won’t forget, while transporting them to the city she calls home—Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her stories include frank and compassionate takes on mental illness and the redemption of a complicated family history.

All comments are welcomed.