Since this book has Quinn Caine (Q) and Sister Daria (SD) taking turns telling the story every other chapter, they asked if both could sit down with me for the interview. And I said “yes.”

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What is your full name?
Q: Well, I’m Quinn Victoria Caine and this here’s my cousin, Sister Daria. You know, I’m still convinced you named yourself after MTV’s Daria and not that saint.
SD: You need to let that go already. Dru? Ignore her. For the record, both Darias-the saint and the cartoon character-were totally and completely awesome.

How old are you?
SD: Twenty-eight.
Q: Twenty-six.

What is your profession?
Q: I work at Vienna Virginia’s best-and only-independent bookstore-Prose & Scones. I also restore and repair antique books.
SD: And I’m a novitiate at Saint Guinerfort’s Abbey.

Do you have a significant other?
SD: Quinn’s finally landed that dreamy detective, Aiden Harrington. Did you know there was a betting pool going on, on how long it was going to take for him to notice her? It only took Quinn getting kidnapped for him to get his head out of his–
Q: Excuse me. Dru is not interested in those deets.
SD: (cackled) She asked. Therefore, she’s interested.
Q: I think it’s more interesting that my cousin’s about to marry Jesus. She’s going to take her final vows in a year or so. Unless, of course, Lucas or Raj have anything to say about it.
SD: (blushing) I cannot believe you’re mentioning them. Next question, please!

Do you have any children?
Q & SD: (simultaneously) Oh dear Lord, no!

Do you have any siblings?
Q: I have the best big brother ever born. Really and truly. Bash-that’s short for Sebastian. He’s just moved back home to become Fairfax County’s deputy fire chief.
SD: He is rather fabulous. I’m an only child, but the three of us were raised together. Still can’t believe someone tried to kill him.

Are your parents nearby?
(Q): You could say that. My parents own the bookstore where I work. Good thing we get along. Usually. But I’ll tell you, no matter how well you think you know people, there are always surprises. Read A Midsummer Night’s Scheme for the details on that one.
(SD): My abbey is only a couple of miles down the road, but my Order keeps me very busy, so I don’t get to see my parents as much as Quinn does. She lives in a tiny house behind my folks’ home. It’s a small, converted barn she made into a showplace.

Who is your best friend?
Quinn points to Sister Daria and Sister Daria points to Quinn. At the exact same time 😊

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
(Q): Yes! I have the smartest, most loyal-and hilarious-German Shepard named Ruff Barker Ginsburg. I named her after the late Supreme Court Justice because she’s an excellent judge of character and can sniff out anything fishy-along with liverwurst doggie cupcakes from our local dog barkery.
(SD): Don’t forget your latest ‘roommate’ – Cindy Clawford.
(Q): How can anyone forget! She’s a gorgeous Burmese beauty that RBG is convinced is her baby. You should see them together. It’s actually quite adorable, if not a bit strange-seeing this bit of gray fur bossing around a dog ten times her size. It’s downright Napoleanic.

What town do you live in?
(Q): We live in the town of Vienna in Northern Virginia. I love it here because it has the charm of a small town, but it’s only thirty minutes away from a major city-Washington, DC. Did you know it’s been named one of the best towns to live in the United States? It’s true.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
(Q): Well, I live in a tiny house-a converted old red barn-behind my aunt and uncle’s home. Originally, they remodeled it for Elizabeth-uh, I mean, Sister Daria.
(SD): But then I crushed their hopes and dreams of shared land rights and possible future progeny running through their garden amongst the chickens when I decided to become a nun.
(Q): You haven’t proclaimed your final vows yet. I have a rent-to-own agreement. If you change your mind, you can have it back.
(SD): Even if I did, no way would I want to live behind my parents. They’re awesome, but uh, nope. No way.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
(Q): Anywhere I can curl up with a book.
(SD): Well, I live with about a dozen other women, and I share a small bedroom with an extrovert, who loves to share every thought that pops into her head. I should have joined an Order that forbade talking.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
(Q): Fried chicken and waffles. I could eat them every day. Put enough syrup on it and you’ve got dessert too.
(SD): My favorite is a crisp, communion wafer…kidding! My tastes change all the time, but these days I can’t get enough of arroz con gandules. It’s a rice and beans dish, but with a fabulous kick. And for dessert, I’m a simple girl: I’m good with a scoop of Ben and Jerry’s Phish food ice cream.

Do you have any hobbies?
SD: I used to have hobbies. I played sports. I used to ride my board everywhere. I miss that.
Q: She means a skateboard.
SD: Of course, I meant a skateboard. What do you think I meant…a surfboard?
Q: I just wanted to clarify. No need to get snippy.
SD: (Sighs) Sorry, Quinn…who would think when I made my first vows of poverty, abstinence, and obedience, all three would take up so much of my time.
Q: Facts. Anyway, I’m all about books. I read them. I restore them. I even make handmade leather journals. I collect quirky enamel pins. I used to travel all the time, but now with the bookshop, I’m kind of stuck in one place. Not that I’m complaining.

What music do you listen to?
Q: Alternative indie rock, like Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Death Cab for Cutie, but also vintage Seventies like Fleetwood Mac, Carly Simon & James Taylor, stuff like that.
SD: Honestly, I don’t keep up with music like I used to, but I’ve always had eclectic tastes: everything from Coltrane, Nina Simone, and Miles Davis to Bikini Kill and anything yacht rock. Yeah, I said it. Yacht rock rocks. It’s the soundtrack of my childhood.

What is your favorite color?
SD: Black. Like my soul. I’m totally kidding.
Q: Pink and orange.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Q: Any place with a beach, clear-blue water, where I can order those drinks with a little umbrella in it. Something about those paper umbrellas with some fruit speared at the end helps me relax.
SD: I’d be bored out of my mind on a beach. It’s going to sound really cliché, but my favorite vacation was when I went to Israel. Especially Jerusalem. Probably part of the reason why I’m trying to become a nun now.
Q: That’s some vacation.
SD: Indeed.

Are you a morning or night person?
SD and Q simultaneously: Night.
Q: Caine women are night owls until later in life. Our moms turned into morning people after menopause.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Q: She’s going to get a big head over this, but I love hanging with my cousin and my boyfriend, Aiden- the order depending upon if I’ve been fed recently. I also love hanging with my dog baby and my new kitty cat. Never thought I’d become a cat person, but there you have it. Although speaking of big heads, Cindy Clawford is impossible. She totally thinks she runs things. Making biscuits on my face at the crack of dawn to be fed. Meowing like a banshee when her cat toy gets stuck. Chad wasn’t kidding when he called her a diva.
SD: I’m kind of going through a major identity crisis, so ask me again in, I don’t know, six months? Honestly, the last fun time I had was finding Chad Frivole’s killer.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
SD: And on the Eighth Day, God Created a Hot Mess.
Q: I can’t top that.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Q: We’re technically amateurs.
SD: But we solve crimes like the pros.

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A Midsummer Night’s Scheme, A Bookbinding Mystery Book #2
Genre: Cozy
Release: March 2023
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

All the world’s a stage, but it may be curtains for bookbinder Quinn Caine’s brother if she can’t bring the lights down on an actor’s killer, in this mystery perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Kate Carlisle.

Just when everything is returning to the calm that Quinn Caine and her sidekicks, Ruff Barker Ginsburg and Sister Daria, are used to in their beloved town of Vienna, a Broadway star crash-lands into their peace and quiet. Former ‘player’, Chad Frivole, is Vienna’s prodigal son—the once notorious lothario has returned a Broadway star, ready to make a different kind of mark on his hometown.

Not everyone is celebrating the Tony-award-winner’s return. Chad’s a triple threat—with a cast of characters lining up to seek their revenge on him. So, when he turns up dead in his car, trapped with a sack full of snakes, Quinn can’t say she’s surprised—but promises handsome detective Aiden Harrington that she’s staying out of this local mystery.

That is, until someone starts threatening her brother’s life. It’s true, Sebastian ‘Bash’ Caine used to be a womanizer, just like Chad. And the killer doesn’t seem to care that he’s not that man anymore. Bash Caine is in the killer’s sights, and unless Quinn and her crew can find the killer in time, whoever it is will drag her brother into his final act on this mortal coil.

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About the author
Born in California and raised in South Florida, Harper Kincaid has moved around like a nomad with a bounty on her head ever since.

She has earned a master’s degree in Gender History and another in Clinical/Macro Social Work. She has published with Samhain, Entangled, Crooked Lane Press, Throat Punch Media, and Medium.

Her latest book is the acclaimed sequel mystery, A Midsummer Night’s Scheme, part of the Book Binder mystery series lauded by Kirkus Review, Publisher’s Weekly, Fresh Fiction, Booklist, and Cozy Mystery Book Review.

When not writing, Harper adores watching documentaries, painting & drawing, listening to lo-fi on vinyl, and reading while it’s raining. Find her at HarperKincaid.com.

All comments are welcomed.