Kelly first appeared in Skeleton in a Dead Space and the best way to know a person is by asking questions, so let’s meet Kelly.
What is your name?
Kelly O’Connell.
How old are you?
Late thirties, staring forty in the face.
What is your profession?
Realtor. I restore Craftsman houses.
Do you have a significant other?
Sure do! My husband.
What is his name and profession?
Mike Shandy. He is Chief of Police in Fort Worth, Texas—a new appointment for him.
Any children?
My two teenage daughters from a previous marriage, Maggie and Em, and the daughter Mike and I share, Gracie.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
No. Wish I did.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
Clyde, the dog Keisha’s husband got from the humane society to be a watchdog for Gracie when we had kidnapping threats about her. And Button, the kitten of Em’s dreams—Keisha’s responsible for that one.
What town do you live in?
Fort Worth, Texas.
House or building complex? Own or Rent?
We own a wonderfully preserved Craftsman house.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
Our bedroom hideaway in the unobtrusive, carefully designed addition we put on the house without disturbing its style and authenticity.
Who is your best friend?
Keisha, my office manager.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
Amateur.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Keisha.
Favorite meal?
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans from the Old Neighborhood Grill.
Favorite dessert?
Oh, gosh, nobody ever asks that, and we don’t eat dessert much. But I do now and again crave Black Forest Cake from the Swiss Pastry Shop.
Favorite hobby?
Hobby? Who has time? I guess reading—mysteries, of course.
Favorite vacation spot?
Mike and I have never been on a vacation since we met, so I don’t know. But as a Texas girl, I’m fascinated by the Great Lakes, and maybe I’d like to be whisked away, in August, to the cool waters and sandy shores of Lake Michigan. Or Chicago.
Favorite color?
Texas tan. Keisha has such a colorful wardrobe, I don’t try to compete.
Favorite author?
Judy Alter, of course. She brought me to life.
Favorite sports team?
TCU football team.
Movies or Broadway?
Movies, on Netflix, at home, with a glass of wine, no popcorn.
Are you a morning or a night person?
Morning, after my cup of green tea.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Work in the office all day, with Gracie in her special play corner by my desk. Rush home to fix Mike lunch, then back to work until late afternoon when the girls get home from school. Fix dinner and relax, read, help with homework in the evening.
Sounds dull, doesn’t it? But somehow it never stays that way. Murder and mayhem keep breaking up my routine.
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Contract for Chaos. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends September 22, 2018. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Kelly in Contract for Chaos, the eighth book in the “Kelly O’Connell” mystery series.
When four young men sign the rental contract on a Fairmount House, realtor Kelly O’Connell has no idea she has just signed a contract for chaos. But the racial tensions sweeping the country erupt in Fort Worth, and her tenants fan the flames. A young black policeman shoots an unarmed white teenage thief who charged him, the chief of police is shot by a sniper, and Kelly’s husband, Mike, is appointed interim chief of police. Life changes dramatically for Kelly and her family. Protests, threats, beatings, and graffiti mark daily life in Kelly’s beloved city. She must protect her infant, reassure her older daughters, and support Mike as he deals with the racism and dissension creeping through the police force and the city. How can she keep her family safe and stop the hate? Will the mayor’s city-wide Celebration of Neighbors calm a city on the edge?
Purchase Link
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About the author
Judy Alter is the author of eight books in the Kelly O’Connell Mysteries, four books in the Blue Plate Café Mysteries; and two in the Oak Grove Mysteries. Pigface and the Perfect Dog follows The Perfect Coed in this series of mysteries set on a university campus. Judy is no stranger to college campuses. She attended the University of Chicago, Truman State University in Missouri, and Texas Christian University, where she earned a Ph.D. and taught English. For twenty years, she was director of TCU Press, the book publishing program of the university. The author of many books for both children and adults primarily on women of the American West, she retired in 2010 and turned her attention to writing contemporary cozy mysteries.
She holds awards from the Western Writers of America, the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame, and the Texas Institute of Letters. She was inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame and recognized as an Outstanding Woman of Fort Worth and a woman who has left her mark on Texas. Western Writers of America gave her the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement and inducted into its Hall of Fame in June 2015.
The single parent of four and the grandmother of seven, she lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her perfect dog, Sophie.
Follow her at Amazon, her blog, Judy’s Stew, and on Facebook.
All comments are welcomed.
I grew up in Texas and still have relatives in Ft. Worth. Sounds like a timely story.
oh, I have to binge-read this series!!
thank you for the giveaway……
This sounds like a great series. Count me in as the library only carries her non-fiction books.
Whoa, this sounds pretty intense and very relevant to what is happening these days.
Thanks Dru Ann for including Kelly O’Connell mysteries on your blog. Judy Alter has a really creative mind to develop a character like Kelly. Thanks for the opportunity to enter your giveaway.
This is a new series for me
This just grabbed my need to check out this author & play catch up now!! Wow I don’t know how I missed but thank you,for opening my eyes, Dru.
THANK you for the review & giveaway. Have a great day all.
What an interesting and lovely interview. A series which interests me greatly. Thanks for this special review and giveaway.
Wow! This reads like a human interest approach to current events. How have I missed this series? Sounds terrific and I am going to start reading #1 and get caught up. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of Contract for Chaos!
I really like the cover of CONTRACT FOR CHAOS, and am intrigued by the book — it sounds like a very different kind of cozy. Thanks for featuring it on your blog, Dru Ann ~
I am just starting to read this series so thanks for the chance to win.
This sounds very interesting. I’d love to win it.
Sounds like a good life, not dull at all.
This is another new series to me. Sounds like my kind of series. Looking forward to reading the books.
Sounds like an interesting ready and is common today.
Would love to win a copy…thanks for the giveaway! Looks intriguing
Playing catch up with the series – thanks for the chance.
Wow! The cover caught my eye. But the interview and synopsis really hooked me-I would love to read this book (and the rest of the series). Thanks Dru for the service you provide to both readers and authors.
This sounds like a great new series for me to read.
Thanks
New author and series for me – thanks!
I have started reading the Blue Plate series and then I am starting this series. Thank you for the chance to win this book.
a new to me series and author!! Thank you for the review
**** WINNER ****
Contract for Chaos is Deb Brown
Congratulations!