Kiki Lowenstein 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. So, let’s get to know Kiki.
What is your full name?
Kiki Collins Lowenstein Detweiler
How old are you?
34
What is your profession?
Entrepreneur, scrapbook and craft store owner
Do you have a significant other?
Yes, my husband
What is their name and profession?
Detective Chad Detweiler, homicide detective
Do you have any children?
Yes—Anya 14, Erik 7, and Ty 15 months
Do you have any siblings?
Yes, Amanda and Catherine
Are your parents nearby?
My mother is. My father is deceased.
Who is your best friend/s?
Clancy Whitehead and Cara Mia Delgatto
Do you have any pets?
Yes—Gracie, a harlequin Great Dane; Martin, a yellow tabby; Seymour, a gray tabby; Monroe, a donkey, and Danforth, a red-eared slider (turtle)
What town do you live in?
Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis
Do you live in a small town or a big city?
It has a small town feel, but we’re surrounded by a metropolitan area
Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
We are buying the Haversham family mansion, a house that was built in the 1800s. Originally it belonged to Leighton Haversham, the author.
What is your favorite spot in your home?
My bed. I can never get enough sleep.
Favorite meal and dessert?
Osso buco with wild mushroom risotto. For dessert, practically anything sweet but a Snickers bar is right up at the top of my list.
Do you have any hobbies?
That’s a tough one. My hobbies have become my business. I love to do papercrafts, and I’m a CZT (Certified Teacher of Zentangle®). It’s hard to draw a line between my hobbies and my livelihood. I guess reading counts as a hobby, so that’s probably the “purest” hobby I have.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
The Treasure Coast of Florida where my friend Cara Mia Delgatto lives.
What music do you listen to?
Anything by Disney. Over and over and over again. Currently, Erik is enchanted by Peter Pan, so we’re playing the soundtrack in the car, in an endless loop.
Do you have a favorite book?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
What is your idea of a really fun time?
Doing crafts with my kids. They’re just now realizing that I have an unlimited supply of glues, paints, molding materials, and so on. Last weekend, we made Rapunzel’s fairy castles by covering two round oatmeal box with foil and paper clay. Then we added another box in the middle. We used plastic mesh from fruit baskets for the windows and balsa wood to make a thick door on chains. When the paper clay dried, we painted it fun colors. Using my trusty glue gun, we added moss and flowers climbing the outside walls. It was super!
If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
No More Mrs. Nice Guy
Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Strictly amateur. I help my husband and my father-in-law, Robbie Holmes, who is chief of police.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
It’s a mad dash. Even though I have a nanny, getting three kids fed, dressed, and ready for school each morning is a challenge. The older two need to be dropped off on my way to the store, Time in a Bottle. Once I’m there, it can be deader than a graveyard or hopping with customers. We close at five, but I also teach classes several nights a week, so I run home, spend time with the kids, and come back. My classes are more like parties than anything else! Often don’t get to bed until midnight. So my days are jam-packed, but I wouldn’t want to give you the wrong impression. I love my life. I love what I do and I adore my family. It’s just that some days, I wish the pace was a tiny bit slower!
Law, Fully, Dead is the 15th book in the “Kiki Lowenstein” cozy mystery series, released November 24, 2020.
Kiki Lowenstein would be the first to tell you that there are two sides to every divorce. In this case, there’s Clancy’s side and then there’s the JERK ‘s side. Of course, Kiki sides with Clancy because they’re BFFs (Best Friends Forever). As for the JERK, well, the poor guy can’t make up his mind. The JERK has left and come back to Clancy once before. Now he’s fed up with his young girlfriend and wants to come back to Clancy yet again.
Or does he?
Then JERK drives over a bridge in a low-lying area known for flash floods. Wouldn’t you know it—his car is swept away and he’s found unconscious. As he lies in his hospital bed fighting for his life, Clancy and his girlfriend are waging warfare, and it ain’t pretty. One secret after another tumbles out. Kiki is there for Clancy to lean on, but Kiki has problems of her own. Her hunky husband is dealing with police department problems. Her bi-racial son is being picked on. Her daughter’s Hebrew tutor is decidedly against mixed marriages. And Kiki needs to hire more help at her store, Time in a Bottle.
Then a mysterious stranger shows up. . . and the fun is just beginning!
About the author
Joanna Campbell Slan is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. In addition to non-fiction, Joanna writes four series: Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series (contemporary, crafts, amateur sleuth, St. Louis), the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series (contemporary, DIY, amateur sleuth, Florida), the Jane Eyre Chronicles (historical, classic, 1800s UK), and the Confidential Files of Dr. John H. Watson (historical, classic, fantasy-thriller, late 1800s, UK). Find her at @JCSlan | Linktree.
All comments are welcomed.
Dru Ann, thanks so much for having me and Kiki. May your holidays be joyous! Here’s to a BETTER 2021.
Thanks Joanna. Yes, here’s to a better 2021.
Joanna, I can’t wait to have time to read the newest installment! I love Kiki. Thanks for years of pleasure!
Barbara—guilty admission—Kiki I’d my escape, too!