Marla first appeared in Permed to Death and the best way to know a person is by asking questions, so let’s meet Marla.
What is your name?
Marla Vail.
How old are you?
I’m 38 years old. I don’t want to think about where I’ll be two years from now, but I guess we should be grateful for every birthday.
What is your profession?
I’m a Hairstylist. I own the Cut ’N Dye Salon and Day Spa in Palm Haven, Florida. I love doing people’s hair and making them feel better about themselves. It boosts your self-esteem to look good, and I’m gratified when my clients leave the salon feeling more confident. I’d thought about becoming an educator but decided I’d rather travel for pleasure than for work. I’m still happiest behind the chair.
Do you have a significant other? What is his name/profession?
Yes, I’m married to Dalton Vail. He’s a homicide detective. We met when I was the prime suspect in a murder case involving one of my clients. He used to get annoyed when I learned things about his suspects that he didn’t know. Now Dalton asks for my advice and recognizes my skill in getting people to talk. We make a good team. Aside from work issues, I’ve never felt so content. I just want be with him and our family.
Any children?
Dalton’s teenage stepdaughter, Brianna, lives with us, but she’ll be leaving for college in another year. Then we’ll be empty-nesters unless I conceive before then. We’ve been trying, but nothing is happening yet. For most of my life, I didn’t want children because of a tragic incident in my past. But recent events have shown me that I can be a decent mother as well as manage a career at the same time.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
My brother Michael lives in Boca Raton with his schoolteacher wife and their two kids. I don’t call him nearly as often as I should. My mother is always haranguing me about keeping in touch, but I barely have time to breathe, let alone talk on the phone. We get together for holidays and special occasions.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
We have two dogs. Spooks is a cream-colored poodle and Lucky is a golden retriever. Fortunately, they get along well, although Spooks always wins when crumbs drop on the floor by the kitchen table.
What town do you live in?
Palm Haven is an affluent western suburb of Fort Lauderdale. We’ve a diverse population, mixed cultural influences, and a variety of ecological systems. I love the warm weather, the tropical foliage, the colorful flowers, and even the summer storms. But not the hurricanes, thank you. The only downside is that crooks like our climate as much as tourists. Even though we’re part of a greater metropolitan area, our city has a small town ambiance. Recently, we attended the fall harvest festival at Kinsdale Farms. You can pick your own strawberries there, although hopefully you won’t find a dead body among the plants like I did. We enjoy the local parks, museums, and shopping malls.
House or building complex? Do you rent or own?
We have our own house in a pleasant residential community. Our homeowners’ association enforces the code so all homes are well maintained. I need my own space and would hate to live in a high-rise building. Our house is one-story with all the bedrooms on one side. The kitchen and family room are at the other end. Living and dining areas are in between. Dalton and I share a study facing the front lawn. Our fenced yard is wide enough to let the dogs outside, and Dalton grows tomatoes on a patch by the side of the house.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
I’d say the family room where I can relax on our L-shaped sofa and read magazines or watch TV. It’s where Brianna likes to hang out unless she’s in her room talking on her cell phone. Dalton enjoys sports, nature, and history shows on TV, while I’ll tune in to the food channel or watch the news.
Who is your best friend?
Tally Riggs is my best friend. She owns the Dressed to Kill boutique. Tally was in a bad accident last year, and I had to take over her affairs. She entrusted me with the care of her infant son for the duration of her recovery. The experience made me realize that I would like to be a mother. This was a momentous revelation, and it’s made Dalton very happy. He really wants to expand our family.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
Amateur sleuth. I leave the professional work to my husband, although he has called me his unofficial sidekick.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Dalton and I will often team up to interview persons of interest. I used to take Tally along with me, but that was before she had Luke. Now I favor Robyn, the receptionist from my salon. She’s always up for an adventure.
Favorite meal?
I’ve been eating tilapia ever since we toured the aquaculture farm in Tarpon Springs and learned about how the fish are bred. I like it baked or coated in pecan meal and fried. I’ll serve it with mashed potatoes and a salad. I’m also fond of salmon, especially when Dalton does it on the grill. We serve it with a rice mixture on the side along with fresh asparagus.
Favorite dessert?
Since I’m a coffee addict, I like the mocha mini-dessert served in a glass at a local restaurant. It is oh-so-good. My mouth is watering for one right now. Tiramisu would be a second choice. As for beverages, I’m definitely a coffee gal. I like it served hot or iced cold in a tall glass. I add cream and no sugar. Have to cut the calories somewhere.
Favorite hobby?
I don’t have time for hobbies, and I certainly wouldn’t have the patience for handicrafts or card games, although I know how to play mah jongg. I like to take walks in the park with Dalton and Brianna. We play a game identifying the trees. Otherwise, I’m a shopper. I look for bargains and outlet stores and sales. Believe it or not, I like food shopping. We are surrounded by a variety of specialty grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
Favorite vacation spot?
My dream vacation is Bora Bora, but since I doubt I’ll ever get there, I’d settle for a Caribbean island instead. I’ve hardly been anywhere, unless you count Nassau. I enjoyed the food there, but the occasion was less than pleasant. I’m hoping Dalton and I will have time to travel more in the near future. Our schedules are too busy for now. We did have a great time visiting his family in Arizona. That was a fun trip despite a few harrowing moments.
Favorite color?
Teal. It reminds me of nature and the ocean and places I’d like to visit.
Favorite author?
You should ask my colleague, Nicole. She’s a mystery fan. I tend to pick up a trade magazine when I have time to read.
Favorite sports team?
Sports? What’s that? Dalton watches football on TV, but I tend to tune it out. I go to work on my bookkeeping while he’s engrossed in a sports game.
Movies or Broadway?
Movies. I like a darkened theater where I can relax and get absorbed in the story. I prefer thoughtful films on women’s issues or big blockbuster movies if they have a strong female lead. Romantic comedies always appeal to me, too.
Are you a morning or a night person?
I stay up late on weekends, but even then, I don’t sleep in too late in the morning. There are too many things to do to laze in bed.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I’ll get up around seven, drink coffee and read my email. Then I’ll get dressed and prepare breakfast. One of us takes the dogs out for a brief morning walk. We get Brianna off to school, and then I leave for work. I’m due at the salon by nine. Usually, I schedule clients all day until five o’clock. I’m off on Sunday and Monday, and Thursdays are my late days. Managing the salon along with keeping my own client list doesn’t leave time for much else. In the evenings, I come home, fix dinner, and relax with Dalton for a couple of hours. Does that sound boring to you? Maybe that’s why I jump on crime cases. It gives me an added purpose beyond the mundane.
Giveaway: What is my favorite non-alcoholic beverage? What is yours? Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Trimmed to Death. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends September 29, 2018. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Marla in Trimmed To Death, the fifteenth book in the “Bad Hair Day” mystery series.
Mix together a cocktail for murder, add a few salty suspects, toss in a dollop of sweet humor, and you have the recipe for Trimmed to Death. . .
Savvy hairstylist and amateur sleuth Marla Vail enters a charity bake-off contest at a fall festival sponsored by a local farm. While she waits to see if her coconut fudge pie is a winner, Marla joins a scavenger hunt where people playing character roles are the targets. Instead of scoring points with a live person, she finds a dead body planted face-down in the strawberry field. Who would want to cut short the life of food magazine publisher and fellow bake-off contestant Francine Dodger? As she investigates, Marla learns there’s no shortage of suspects. A celebrity TV chef, food critic, olive oil importer, food truck owner, pastry chef, and cookbook author may be stirring up more than their next recipe. Can she unmask the killer before someone else gets trimmed from life?
Purchase Link
# # # # # # # # # # #
About the author
Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have made the IMBA bestseller list, been selected by Suspense Magazine as best cozy mystery, won a Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal, and earned third place in the Arizona Literary Awards. Nancy has also written the instructional guide Writing the Cozy Mystery. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping. Visit her at NancyJCohen.com.
All comments are welcomed.
Your beverage is coffee, mine is tea. Thank you for the chance to win this book. I like the cover!
I love the cover. It is perfect for the story.
Your favorite non-alcoholic beverage is coffee…
Mine is water, just plain water….
Thank you for the giveaway!!
It’s important to drink a lot of water through the day.
Yours is coffee and so is mine…even my favorite ice cream flavor is coffee.
Now I have a craving for ice cream. I like coffee and mocha flavors.
We share a love of coffee 🙂
I definitely need my morning cup and sometimes an afternoon cup as an energizer.
Your favorite is coffee. Mine varies with the seasons, and it is currently spiced hot apple cider.
It’s too hot here yet in South Florida for hot spiced cider. In another month, things will cool down…I hope.
My favorite non-alcoholic beverage is an iced chai latte. But a good cup of black coffee will suffice too.
I like iced coffee with cream only as an early afternoon drink. I’ve never tried a chai latte.
Your favorite non-alcoholic beverage is coffee, mine is water and I have not had an alcoholic drink in almost 40 years.
wfnren at aol dot com
Water is the best drink for everyone.
Your favorite non-alcoholic beverage is coffee. I drink tea from morning until night. Soothing and delightful. I have never had alcohol.
I like tea sometimes in the afternoon, green tea preferably.
What a clever question, but we all know Marla loves her coffee. I am more of a cappuccino person-especially this time of year when pumpkin spice flavor is available! Yummy hot or cold! Thanks for a chance to win TRIMMED TO DEATH. I am looking forward to reading Marla’s latest adventures.☕
Thanks, Barbara. I love the scent of pumpkin spice but prefer my coffee to be unflavored. Ditto for the cream I put in it. But I do like iced tea with pumpkin spice flavor. Have some in the fridge as we speak.
I am a coffee addict. Thank you so much for this chance. pgenest57(at)aol(dot)com
Good luck in the contest, Paula!
Favorite beverage would be the peach or raspberry flavored iced tea!
Oh yes, I’ll drink both of those with lunch especially.
Congratulations on your release, Nancy. Looking forward to reading soon.
As to beverages, I really love my first mug of hot coffee every morning.
But then I indulge in water all day long. I need to drink quite a lot of water for medical reasons so it’s a good thing I love it. Even in restaurants I get water in place of carbonated drinks. Splurges are iced tea with lemon or Iced coffee.
Thank you.
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia, good to see you here. I follow a lot of the same habits as you. Hot coffee first in the morning. Water all day. Iced tea or iced coffee with lunch. I steer away from carbonated drinks. Oh, and I like lemonade in the summer but not too often as it can be sweet.
Your favorite drink would be coffee. I enjoy a good glass of lemonade especially in the summer. I look forward to reading this book!
Yes, Marla’s favored drink is coffee. I like lemonade too but not so often as it’s too sweet.
Your favorite drink is coffee. I love coffee in the morning, an occasional iced mocha in the afternoon, and ice water all the time.
Water is always best, isn’t it? But I need that cup of coffee in the morning, too. Iced mocha sounds good.
Black coffee is my favorite beverage.
Same as my husband. He drinks his black. I’ve given up sugar but still need cream in my brew.
Right now my favorite is Thai iced coffee. I was introduced to it at a new Thai restaurant here and I can’t get enough of it.
How is Thai iced coffee different from regular iced coffee?
Your favorite drink is coffee. My favorite drink is coffee in the morning and ice tea with lemon the rest of the day.
Your choices sound good to me, Mary!
Your favorite non-alcoholic beverage is coffee, mine is tea.
Yes to my beverage, says Marla. I like iced tea or iced coffee in the afternoon.
Coffee. My favorite is hot tea.
I’ll have hot tea instead of coffee sometimes in the winter when it’s cold out. That doesn’t happen too often in South Florida.
I live in Northern CA and I drink iced tea all the time!
Nancy says, I like iced tea in the afternoon especially with lunch. Or iced coffee. I need hot coffee in the morning.
Marla’s favorite beverage may be hot coffee, but my favorite is on the other end of the temperature scale! I like frozen drinks! I have been doing a lot of outdoor construction work in the last year and have developed a fondness for water just on the edge of freezing, lots of little ice chips in it! I also have recently discovered mocha latte’s. What’s not to like there. ..frozen chocolate coffee with whipped cream & chocolate drizzle! LOL! Now I need a coffee shop run!
I like iced coffee and iced tea, both unsweetened. And lemonade. But you can keep the ice. Even in rum drinks, I like them on the rocks rather than slushy.
**** WINNER ****
Trimmed to Death is Patty Allen
Congratulations!
Congrats, Patty! And thanks to all who visited and left comments here.