Sometimes the best way to know a person is by asking questions, so let’s meet Maggie.
What is your name?
Maggie McDonald.
How old are you?
I’m in my mid-40s, though some days I feel 120 and on others fear my teenaged boys may be more mature than I am.
What is your profession?
I’m a professional organizer, which means I can help you tidy up any corner of your house, office, or life.
Do you have a significant other?
Yes indeed!
What is his name?
Max McDonald and I recently celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary!
What is his profession?
Max is a college professor turned software engineer.
Any children?
We have two teenaged boys, David (15) and Brian (13)
Do you have any sibling(s)?
I have four strapping older brothers.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
At the moment, we have one golden retriever with separation anxiety, and two marmalade cats, Holmes and Watson. We’re frequently in the company of the innumerable cats and dogs and other animals belonging to friends and family.
What town do you live in?
Max and I moved in 2016 from Stockton CA to Orchard View, a small town in the midst of greater Silicon Valley.
House or building complex?
Max inherited his great aunt’s spacious craftsman-style home in the foothills above Silicon Valley.
Do you rent or own?
Some days, I think the house owns us, but we hold the deed. We try to uphold the traditions of Max’s great aunt Kaye.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
I have two treasured spots. One is the rocking chairs on our back porch, overlooking the rolling foothills of our local county parkland, which connects to state land that extends over the mountains to the ocean. The second is the window seat on the landing of our front staircase, which features a stained-glass wisteria window. In the evening, the setting sun through the window makes it a magical space.
Who is your best friend?
My best friend is Tess Olmos, though to look at us you’d think we’d never get along. By day, Tess is a real estate agent and dresses in high-fashion business wear and even higher heels. Her red and black outfits forced me to dub her “the Dominatrix”. The first time I saw her I thought she would be the last person I’d call a friend. Outside of work, Tess wears sweats and Ugg boots, both of which may well be stained with cookie batter.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
I’m definitely a reluctant amateur. If my friends, family, and clients didn’t keep getting entangled in murders, I’d happily devote my time to my organizing practice. Unfortunately, I’ve found my job gives me access to many of the places most people hide their secrets, which can be far more revealing than they would like.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
My mysteries often disrupt our entire community and I’ll use any resource I can to wrap things up. That means calling on a variety of characters in the neighborhood and on our friends, retired marines Stephen Laird and Jason Mueller. Jason is the chief of the Orchard View Police and a retired marine. Stephen, who became disabled while serving in Afghanistan, works with canine and human veterans struggling to adapt to civilian life.
Favorite meal?
My favorite meal isn’t a meal at all. It’s cookies and coffee. Preferably chocolate chip cookies and a latte.
Favorite dessert?
The whimsical gingerbread cookies artfully decorated by my friend Elaine Cumberfield.
Favorite hobby?
Between my family, pets, career, and these pesky murders, I don’t have much time for hobbies, but I love to hike with my golden, Belle.
Favorite vacation spot?
Definitely the beach.
Favorite color?
Wisteria purple.
Favorite author?
Louise Penny, who creates characters I hope to meet one day.
Favorite sports team?
The San Francisco Giants or their minor league affiliates.
Movies or Broadway?
I love Broadway shows, but have seldom had access to them. I’m a movie fan, too, but mostly on Netflix. My life is often too busy to adapt to the schedule of first-run movies and the long lines at our Silicon Valley cinemas.
Are you a morning or a night person?
When I’m in the middle of a murder, I sometimes seem to be awake at every hour. Once I recover from an investigation, I’m a natural morning person.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Busy! Too busy. On an ideal day, I’d be on vacation at the beach with all my family. In fact, that’s how we plan to spend Book 5 — on a working vacation on Monterey Bay. Cliff Hanger debuts in June 2019.
Giveaway: How organized are you? Leave a comment below for your chance to win a digital copy (Kindle or Nook) of Disorderly Conduct. The giveaway will end July 13, 2018. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Maggie in Disorderly Conduct, the fourth book in the “Maggie McDonald” mystery series. The first book in the series is Address To Die For.
Professional organizer Maggie McDonald manages to balance a fastidious career with friends, family, and a spunky Golden Retriever. But add a fiery murder mystery to the mix, and Maggie wonders if she’s finally found a mess even she can’t tidy up . . .
With a devastating wildfire spreading to Silicon Valley, Maggie preps her family for a rapid evacuation. The heat rises when firefighters discover the body of her best friend Tess Olmos’s athletic husband—whose untimely death was anything but accidental. And as Tess agonizes over the whereabouts of her spouse’s drop-dead gorgeous running mate, she becomes the prime suspect in what’s shaping up to become a double murder case. Determined to set the record straight, Maggie sorts through clues in an investigation more dangerous than the flames approaching her home. But when her own loved ones are threatened, can she catch the meticulous killer before everything falls apart?
Purchase Link
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About the author
Mary Feliz writes the Maggie McDonald Mysteries featuring a Silicon Valley professional organizer and her sidekick golden retriever. She’s worked for Fortune 500 firms and mom and pop enterprises, competed in whale boat races and done synchronized swimming. She attends organizing conferences in her character’s stead, but Maggie’s skills leave her in the dust. Address to Die For, the first book in the series, was named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews. All of her books have spent time on the Amazon best seller list.
All comments are welcomed.
I really enjoy this series, and I’m looking forward to reading Disorderly Conduct. I love dogs in my cozies, especially Golden Retrievers.
Christi King, aren’t goldens wonderful? Much as you love them, you always know they love you more and think whatever you are doing is their FAVORITE thing! It’s sometimes hard for me to remember that Belle is not supposed to be the main character. I’m thrilled that you’re enjoying the series!
Very organized.
I once visited a conference for professional organizers to find out what makes them tick. I asked them if they ever let clients see their own homes and workspaces. They all looked horrified. “We don’t get paid to organize our own homes,” one said. The wonderful thing about working with a professional organizer like Maggie McDonald is that they know the struggle as well or better than anyone. My sister just hired one to help speed the process of converting her garage into an art studio and clearing the clutter of decades. She was delighted with the results and re-hired the organizer to help her with other parts of the house.
Thanks for the great review and giveaway. I just found this series & author. I guess you could say not very organized die to just admitting to missing the first 3 books!
Usually I try to be pretty organized. I knit, and I read cozy mysteries.
Hi Debra! I’m so glad you’ve found Maggie and me. Isn’t Dru Ann wonderful! She’s one of the first people Iook for at mystery conferences. Chatting with her for the first time is like finding a long-lost friend. The work she does for mystery fans and authors is awesome. I hope you’ll try out all the books.
Great interview, I am looking forward to reading this new book in the series! I feel like I could be more organized if I had more time! I read an article earlier this year about Swedish Death Cleaning and the donate bag has definitely been a little more full. Thanks for the chance to win!
Thanks so much, Holden. I’m thrilled that you’ve enjoyed the books. Do you get those little flyers in the mail about curb-side donations? When my husband and I were chipping away at downsizing, we started by trying to put *something* out every time we received a flyer. (Sometimes it was easier than others!) Now, we live in a tiny condo. We keep a cardboard carton under the bed for things we’re no longer using or enamored of. We drop the contents off at a charity shop next to our grocery store whenever it becomes full. To keep from drowning, we also try to adhere to a “one in, one out” policy, which is also easier sometimes than others! No one knows the struggle better than organizers like Maggie. If you find you’d benefit from the help of one with a special project, take a look at NAPO.org
I used to be reasonably organized but not so much anymore.
My guess is that you’re just as organized as you need to be! Most people are organized in fits and starts. Others of us find it’s just not our thing, and hiring someone extra-skilled in this arena is a huge help. We can’t all be good at everything, and we shouldn’t try!
I really enjoy reading this series. I used to be super organized, but now I’m only reasonably organized. My oldest daughter is the Wonder/Super Woman of Organization … I think she stole my organization gene while I was sleeping (lol).
Ha! I don’t know if there is an identified “organizing gene,” but the concept isn’t only in your imagination. To some people, it comes naturally. Others may spend excessive amounts of time trying to be organized, and falling short. Luckily, there’s no ideal standard. If your systems work for you, then you’re organized yourself. And, as with everything else, there’s no shame in asking for help. Professional organizers can make your efforts more efficient and more lasting. They even offer tune-ups for those of us who need a booster-shot of enthusiasm and inspiration from time to time.
My organizational ability comes and goes. I have 2 young boys so sometimes I’m very organized and other days I’m happy that everyone got where they were supposed to be. Thanks for the chance to win!
You’re very welcome, Ashley! When my own boys were little, my goal was always to get as many of as possible through the day unscathed and as happy and healthy as possible. My best friend was the door between my kitchen and my washer/dryer. I loved throwing the laundry through the door and then slamming it so I didn’t have to look at it! In one sense, it was very organized–the laundry stayed where it belonged until I was ready to deal with it. But it sure didn’t look like any of those fake magazine pictures of tidy crisply folded shirts in bright crayon colors. (Hint: No one’s life looks like that, and color-coordinated filing systems for belongings don’t work for most people…and just out of sight at those magazine shoots is a tangle of electrical cords, a pile of empty coffee cups, and all the stuff they shoved out of the way to make the photo look pretty! Enjoy your boys!!
I have been seeing the adorable cover of your book and wanting to read it!
Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
I tend to be an organizer…file cabinets for saved paperwork, special shelves to hold construction paper and craft supplies, etc. I put things back after using them. But as I have grown older, I am becoming sloppier/lazy about putting things back!
My husband is the king of putting things back where they belong. I’m not. To make sure I keep the “calendar pen” and the calendar together, I had to label the pen: “I belong to the calendar.” I don’t always get it home on time, but at least when I find it wandering around the house, I’m reminded to return it to its rightful spot.
And I love the cover too! If you’re familiar with the other books in the series, you’ll notice that Belle is getting bigger and bigger. I figure it isn’t long until the cover is just a close up of Belle’s nose, pushed against the sliding glass patio door, dancing from foot to foot as she waits impatiently to curl up in your heart!
Thanks for entering the drawing!
I’ve read every book in the series so far and have loved them all. Looking forward to Disorderly Conduct! Thanks for a great character interview.
Unfortunately, I am not very organized at all and could definitely use Maggie’s help. As long as something has a place to go, I am good, but it’s the things that don’t have their own space that I have a problem with ~
I love this series. I have read the other 3 and really enjoyed them. They read like a slice of life. Maggie McDonald comes across as a real life person with anxieties, feelings and a get it done attitude. I love reading little bits of her family life as she sleuths her way through the mysteries that crop up from time to time. She wants to tidy up and resolve the dreadful deed. I have adopted some of the organization tips too. So, to me, this series is a true winner. Well written, fast paced, interesting stories featuring mostly nice characters you would like to know or can relate to, and each book has been a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I am organized chaos. LOL I work on it constantly & it is getting better. I would love to win this & start reading this series.
Not very organized. I moved in May and there are still boxes in the dining room (some with stuff I don’t know where to put yet and some that are too heavy for me to lift) and in most of the other rooms (my excuse for those is that I don’t have shelving units to put the contents on).
I’m not very organized. I can’t understand how I was so organized at work and so unorganized at home. I don’t understand….
Must admit you are a new author to me. But the cover in Dru’s interview caught my attention. My childhood pet, Laddie (and his name is a story itself!) was a Golden. Have a real love for that breed. Love the Bay Area, in fact was recently there for a concert (I’m from CT!). Think I’d enjoy your series!
I’m not terribly organized. I start reorganizing usually late in the day and run out of steam around midnight with a mess. Not only was there the stuff I was trying to organize, but also the stuff I pulled out to make room to organize the new stuff.
I am semi-organized.
I’m that person that has controlled chaos . I can find things but it might take me a minute
**** WINNER ****
Disorderly Conduct is Peggy Hyndman
Congratulations!