Sometimes the best way to know a person is by asking questions, so let’s meet Laurel.
What is your name?
Laurel McKay Hunter.
How old are you?
Forty.
What is your profession?
I was a mortgage underwriter turned amateur sleuth, but I recently joined Gold Country Investigations as a private investigator.
Do you have a significant other?
A few months ago I married Tom Hunter, formerly a detective with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department who I met while he was investigating some dates of mine that coincidentally—died!
What is his name and profession?
Tom and my stepfather are partners in Gold Country Investigations.
Any children?
We are currently experiencing the joys of a blended family, my eight-year-old son Ben, his best friend, Kristy, who is Tom’s daughter, and my daughter Jenna, who is going to college in three short months. Sniff, sniff.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
My brother Dave owns Dave’s Daiquiri Bar on the Big Island of Hawaii. We visited him in 2013. We had a great trip despite the occasional dead body that kept turning up.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
We have a cat named Pumpkin who is reluctantly getting to know our new rescue, Scout, a Bernese mountain dog. Scout is a 150-pound bundle of joy and klutziness. He fits so well into our klutzy family!
What town do you live in?
I live in Placerville, California, which is also known as Hangtown (back in the Gold Rush Days). I live only eight miles from Coloma where gold was discovered in 1848. I love living in an area with so much history.
House or building complex? Own or Rent?
I live in a house in the country that my ex-husband built. It’s getting older and starting to creak in spots, but then again, so am I.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
Wherever chocolate is stored.
Who is your best friend?
I have two besties, Liz Kendall-Daley, a British friend of mine from my college days. We’ve celebrated twenty years together including her recent marriage and honeymoon. And yes, I went along on the honeymoon along with my other best friend and former co-worker, Stan Winters. Both of them have helped out on my numerous detecting forays, although Stan takes dressing for detection to an extreme!
Amateur sleuth or professional?
Amateur turned professional (more or less). I just solved two murders up in Lake Tahoe so I’m on my way.
Favorite dessert?
Another endless list, but I’d have to say chocolate lava cake would be # 1.
Favorite vacation spot?
In the past five years I’ve vacationed in Hawaii, Lake Tahoe and on a Caribbean honeymoon cruise. And managed to find a dead body on each vacation! I still loved them all, especially the honeymoon!
Favorite color?
Any shade of blue. It makes me happy and also makes my eyes sparkle.
Favorite author?
So many wonderful authors to choose from. Last month I read books by Heather Haven and Linda Lovely. They both write terrific funny mysteries.
Movies or Broadway?
Both although I love Broadway musicals.
Are you a morning or a night person?
Definitely not morning. It takes a large influx of Kona coffee to get me going.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
My work days vary which I love. I could be at the office doing research or meeting new clients. Or out in the field doing undercover work, such as in a bar, or casino, or pawn shop. Or occasionally chasing after a killer. Never a dull moment!
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win the Laurel McKay kindle book of your choice. The giveaway ends August 5, 2018. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Laurel in Dying For A Deal, the seventh book in the “Laurel McKay” mystery series. The first book in the series is Dying For A Date.
Laurel McKay Hunter is thrilled to join her new husband, Tom, as a partner in his budding detective agency, Gold Country Investigations. With her past experience as a crime solver, even Tom admits she’s a natural. Her first case is perfect, too, for Laurel’s banking skills: a friend of her grandmother wants help with a South Lake Tahoe timeshare scam.
When the timeshare salesman is found dead, with Gran’s fingerprints on the murder weapon, Laurel’s case moves from money to murder.
A second murder takes Laurel to the snow-capped summit of Heavenly Ski Resort, a boat race across the deep waters of Lake Tahoe and an unexpected Dumpster dive as she tries to solve her case.
Unfortunately, the killer seems determined that Laurel’s first case will be her last!
Purchase Link
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About the author
Cindy Sample is a former corporate CEO who decided plotting murder was more entertaining than plodding through paperwork. Her national bestselling humorous mystery series, set in the California Gold Country, features single soccer mom, Laurel McKay. The series includes Dying for a Date, Dying for a Dance, Dying for a Daiquiri, Dying for a Dude, Dying for a Donut, Dying for a Diamond, and Dying for a Deal. Cindy is a five-time LEFTY Award nominee for Best Humorous Mystery. Connect with Cindy at cindysamplebooks.com and on Facebook.
All comments are welcomed.
I love this series and can’t wait to read this New book! Thanks for a chance to win a copy!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying Laurel’s adventures, Barbara.
Thanks for the mention, Cindy. Right back at you. You’re one of my favorite authors. Great humor, a delightful, wacky cast of characters, plenty of plot twists, and a lovable heroine. Can’t wait to read the next Laurel adventure. I’ve enjoyed every one of the “Dying for” titles.
We have a mutual admiration society here, Linda. I love your work.
Love the cover! Thank you for this chance at the giveaway.
Hi Paula. My cover artist came up with that concept right out of the gate. I love it as well.
This sounds like a great cozy! Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
wfnren at aol dot com
Thanks for commenting, Wendy. Good luck.
This is just the best cozy series. I love the books and I’ve even read a couple of them twice. Nobody writes chase scenes and finales better than Cindy Sample. Between the characters, story, humor, and mystery, The Dying For A Series is a winner.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Heather. Laurel and I appreciate it!
This is a new author to me. Would really like to read. Sounds like a great book.
Thanks for commenting, Dianne. Good luck!
Looks good! Thanks for the chance.
Thanks for leaving a comment, Jess. Good luck.
I have a hard time calling this series a cozy–there’s so much action. In Deal alone, Laurel chases bad actors in casinos, on a ski lift and in a speedboat on Lake Tahoe. Laurel may not be a professional detective, but her instincts and her nerve were honed by motherhood and what school can rival that? Love these books.
I love the name Gold Country Investigations for their business.
Thanks, Jana. I love the name too. I was kind of surprised it wasn’t taken already!
Great cover! Cindy Sample is a “new-to-me” author. This sounds like a fun series. Thank you for this chance at the giveaway.
Hi Peggy. I’m pleased you like the cover. My cover artist is wonderful.
Haha. Love Laurel. I’ve read all the books! I have to read them right when they come out because my mom takes them and giggles at all the good parts so I have to read them first. 😉
Liz, you made me giggle. Thanks for the compliments.
This is a new author to me. This book sounds like it is a fun one to read. The characters sound wonderful.
Thanks for commenting, Mari. Good luck!
Laurel is a delight and so are all of your cheerful covers!
Thanks, Louise. I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the series. And my cover artist is the best!
I have a lot of your books. I want to read them all.
Thanks so much, Sandy. I hope you enjoyed all of them.
This is definitely a book that I am going to want to read. Great insight Dru Ann. Thanks so much for letting us all know what we can expect in our books.
Thank you for the chance to receive this book. Best of everything to Cindy.
Cynthia
**** WINNER ****
Dying for a Date is Mari Hinton
Congratulations!