Samantha Kidd first appeared in Designer Dirty Laundry and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Samantha.

What is your name?
Samantha Kidd.

How old are you?
Mid-thirties. I’d prefer not to say the actual number, because it’s closer to the end of my thirties than the beginning of my thirties, and there’s a bit of denial involved there.

What is your profession?
Buyer of special assortments for Tradava department store. (It’s a bogus title.) The store is in financial trouble and they shut down the advertising department where I worked, but I’m somewhat unfireable thanks to—well, I won’t get into that—let’s just say they had to find a job for me so now I flex around the buying offices as needed.

Do you have a significant other?
Yes!

What is his name and profession?
Nick Taylor. He’s a shoe designer. His company is having some trouble (which was kind of related to the trouble my department store is having, but fortunately, Nick chose not to blame me.) We were married in Las Vegas last June!

Any children?
Not yet. No.

Do you have any sibling(s)?
I have a sister who lives in Seattle. We’re not very close.

Do your parents live near you?
No. A few years ago they moved from Pennsylvania to California and I bought their house—the house where I grew up.

Who is your best friend?
Eddie Adams, the visual director for Tradava. He’s a genius with a glue gun and so far nothing I’ve done to put him into financial trouble, so we’re good!

Cats, dogs or other pets?
Cats! I have a black cat named Logan. Some people think I named him for Logan from X-Men, and some people think I named him for Logan from Veronica Mars, and some people think I named him for Logan from Dark Angel, but if you want to know a secret, I named him for Ted Theodore Logan from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I love that movie!

What town do you live in?
Ribbon, Pennsylvania. It’s about 30 miles west of Philadelphia and it’s the pretzel capital of the country!

House or building complex? Own or Rent?
I own the house I grew up in. When I told my parents I wanted to buy it, they gave the 1974 price, which was nice of them. (They also gave me the 1974 avocado green appliances, which was less nice.)

What is your favorite spot in your house?
This is tough! I love laying on the sofa and watching movies in the living room or reading. I also love the kitchen, because I like to eat. I love my sister’s old bedroom, which I converted into a walk-in closet, and have occasionally also used as a crime lab (with an old Fisher Price Science Kit.) I do NOT love the basement that floods!

Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
Pizza. Lemon Meringue Pie.

Favorite hobby?
Shopping!

Favorite author?
Sophie Kinsella

Favorite vacation spot?
The Jersey Shore.

Favorite sports team?
I’m partial to the kitten bowl.

Movies or Broadway?
Old movies.

Are you a morning or a night person?
Night. I don’t really like my day to start before 8, but sometimes, when I’m knee-deep investigating a case (don’t tell the local homicide detective I called it that), I’ve been known to be up way past midnight.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
Amateur. I have mad skills.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
I used to try to work alone, but that has not worked out well for me. Lately, I’ve worked with both Eddie and Nick. Nick used to tell me not to get involved in homicide investigations, but when I found one that linked back to him and learned HE was getting involved, I called him on it! Now we work together. It’s romantic.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I get up by eight, drink coffee. Pick out a fabulous outfit. Get coffee on my way to work at Tradava. Write a few orders for the store, help plan an event, or whatever the store needs. Meet up with Eddie for a coffee break around eleven. Somewhere around here is when the day starts to fall apart.

Depending on what’s going on, I may work offsight, or I may finish up my shift, get a slice (or two) (or the whole pie) of pizza at Brother’s Pizza and then go investigate something. This occasionally (but not always) involves a change of clothing, so I may go home, change, and head back out. Sleuthing tends to happen at night and often runs late, so I am not back home until after midnight.

This only really works when Nick is in Italy (or China, where he is now while he researches a sneaker collection). Now that we’re learning to live under the same roof, it’s going to be slightly more difficult to keep sleuthing hours.

I’ll have to work on that.

You can read about Samantha in Union Jacked, the ninth book in the “Samantha Kidd” cozy mystery series, coming April 9, 2019.

Royally Screwed!

When a British investment company buys Samantha Kidd’s troubled retail employer, she finds herself torn between her role as management and the unionized employees picketing for better pay. Her only distraction is the retirement party she’s planning for Detective Loncar on the side. But when a shooter fires into the crowd outside the store and injures two men, Samantha’s priorities shift. One victim is the head of the union. The other is Detective Loncar.

The detective warns Samantha to stay out of the investigation … and then slips into a coma. Head his warning? Not bloody likely. With two possible victims, Samantha finds herself lacking direction. Was the strike captain playing dirty with his negotiations? Or are those rumors about Loncar’s personal life true? Between a cop bar, a life coach, a possible pregnancy, and a blue line that’s anything but thin, Samantha’s tea cup runneth over. One thing’s for sure: after this case, nothing will be the same.

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About the author
After two decades working for a top luxury retailer, Diane Vallere traded fashion accessories for accessories to murder. She is a national bestselling author and a past president of Sisters in Crime. She started her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since.

To learn more about Diane, visit her website at dianevallere.com.

All comments are welcomed.