Leta Parker sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know her better. Are you ready? Leta, take it away!

---

---

What is your full name?
Aleta Petkas Parker, though everyone calls me Leta.

How old are you?
A lady never tells! Let’s just say mid-fifties and leave it at that.

What is your profession?
I’m a retired banker, though as I say, they never let me anywhere near the money. For most of my career, I was a leadership trainer and executive coach.

Do you have a significant other?
My husband Henry died tragically in Atlanta, an event that spurred me to retire early and move to the Cotswolds. Now, though I can hardly believe it, I have a new man in my life.

What is his name and profession?
Dave is a journalist who lives in NYC, but our long-distance relationship is going quite well. We visit back and forth.

Do you have any children?
No, Henry and I never had any children.

Do you have any siblings?
Oh yes! My youngest sister Anna, who lives in Atlanta, and my middle sister Sophia, who lives in New Orleans.

Are your parents nearby?
My parents had both passed away by the time I left Atlanta.

Who is your best friend?
I stay in touch with Bev, my best friend in the States, but I’m fortunate to have found a new best friend in the Cotswolds—Wendy.

Do you have any pets?
Oh my goodness, yes! Dickens is my dwarf Great Pyrenees who accompanies me everywhere, and Christie is my sassy black cat. Shhh! It’s a well-kept secret that I can communicate with my furry friends. I’ve had this ability since I was a child, and I learned early on to keep quiet about it.

What town do you live in?
I live in the lovely village of Astonbury in the Cotswolds.

Do you live in a small town or a big city?
It’s definitely a small town, where everyone knows everyone else.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
I own a cottage that was a schoolhouse in the 1840s. It still has the original school bell attached to the left of the front door.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
That’s a toss-up between the sitting room with the fireplace and the extra bedroom I turned into an office. I adore my office because it’s furnished with the desk and file cabinet my husband Henry made for me.

Favorite meal and dessert?
I’m Greek, and my favorite meal is pastitsio with a Greek salad. For dessert, it’s baklava.

Do you have any hobbies?
I’m not sure reading is a hobby, but I’m an avid reader, and I also write columns for some small newspapers in the States. For exercise, I bicycle and visit the local yoga studio.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I live in it! Henry and I spent several weeks in England on one of our trips, and I always dreamed of retiring here to the Cotswolds.

What music do you listen to?
I always have music on in my home. Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Van Morrison—my sisters say I got stuck in a time warp and never moved much beyond the 90s. For easy listening, I turn to Enya and George Winston.

Do you have a favorite book?
It’s more like I have favorite authors—Louise Penny, Jacqueline Winspear, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers. Can you tell I’m a mystery lover?

What is your idea of a really fun time?
I love hosting Greek dinners for my friends, but I also enjoy travel. Visiting Dave in NYC is a treat as is exploring other parts of England with Wendy.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Probably Parker’s Pen after the columns I write. I think that’s kinda catchy.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur. Gemma, our local DI, calls Wendy my sidekick and she dubbed us the Little Old Ladies because Wendy’s mother and another senior friend work with us too.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
It starts with playing Words with Friends before taking a morning yoga class in the village and enjoying lattes and scones at Toby’s Tearoom with Wendy. That’s almost always followed by a walk with Dickens and Christie to see Martha and Dylan—the donkeys up the road. And my day is not complete unless I get to read in bed. Most Sundays, I ride bicycles with Wendy’s twin Peter.

What is a typical day when you are on a case?
Gemma says she’s amazed at what folks will share with me, and I spend lots of time listening over a cup of tea or a glass of wine. Perhaps I should call it “the art of the chat.” Wendy and I are fond of taping flipchart paper to the wall and outlining what we learn. And, of course, unbeknownst to my friends, Dickens and Christie tell me lots of things I’d never discover on my own. It really is helpful to talk things over with my four-legged friends and brainstorm with the Little Old Ladies.

---

Castles, Catnip & Murder, A Dickens & Christie Mystery #5
Genre: Cozy
Release: September 2021
Purchase Link

It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation. Now this legendary location could be hiding a killer in its battlements.

Leta Parker’s retirement in the Cotswolds’ rolling hills has been a balm for her soul. And heading off with her friends and talking four-legged companions to a cat yoga retreat on the cliffs of Cornwall’s Arthurian coastline seems like the perfect mix of relaxation and exploration. But when a fellow yogi’s corpse pose nearly becomes permanent, Leta believes it’s no stretch to suspect foul play.

Seeking the cause of the death-like pose, the Little Old Ladies’ Detective Agency springs into action to hunt down the culprit. But with the poor woman’s recent tragic history, the resort’s grieving owners, and a doubtful local DI all conspiring to muddy the picture, this case could end up in ruins.

Will the crack team of senior sleuths unearth the evidence to throw a would-be murderer in the dungeon?

Castles, Catnip & Murder is the intriguing fifth book in the Dickens & Christie cozy mystery series. If you like tenacious retirees, witty banter, and fascinating myths and legends, then you’ll love Kathy Manos Penn’s trip to the Round Table.

---

About the author
As a corporate escapee, Kathy Manos Penn went from crafting change communications to plotting page-turners. Adhering to the adage to “write what you know,” she populates her cozy mysteries with well-read, witty senior women, a sassy cat, and a loyal dog. The murders and talking pets, however, exist only in her imagination. Years ago, when she stumbled onto a side job as a columnist for a local paper, she saw the opportunity as an entertaining diversion from the corporate grind. Little did she know that her serendipitous foray into writing “whatever struck her fancy” would lead to a cozy mystery series.

All comments are welcomed.