Sammy sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we can learn more about what makes her tick. Let’s see what she has to say.

What is your full name?
Samantha Richardson, but everyone calls me Sammy.

How old are you?
I’m thirty, but I’ll be thirty-one in a few weeks.

What is your profession?
I’m the co-owner of Lagniappe Books. We’re in the French Quarter.

Do you have a significant other?
Connor Tyler and I are dating. This has been the easiest and most fun relationship I’ve had.

What is their name and profession?
Connor left the restaurant industry to follow his dreams of being a full-time musician.

Do you have any children?
No.

Do you have any siblings?
I had a brother, but I don’t like to talk about him.

Are your parents nearby?
My adoptive parents died in a car crash a few years ago. My birth parents died after a hurricane when I was two years old. My cousin lives in the same building as I do and my aunt lives in Huntley, Mississippi.

Who is your best friend?
I have two best friends! Sissy Covington is always there for me, whether we’re out for a run, watching mystery shows, or looking for clues. My other best friend is Andrew Ballard. He is the smartest and kindest man I know. We share a love of beignets and cafe au lait. We’re not only best friends, but business partners.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
Nubi is my amazing black cat! My next-door neighbor, Ruby Virtue, named him Anubis, but everyone but her calls him Nubi.

What town do you live in?
I live in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I rent a furnished apartment in Thibodeaux Mansion. After having no luck finding a place, a chance meeting with the building owner, Libby, led me to this one-bedroom apartment.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
I love my living room. It’s small, yet large enough for my friends to come over and hang out. In the warmer weather, my favorite place is outside my apartment, in the courtyard. I use the bistro table outside my door most often.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
That’s a tough call! It would either be gumbo or a muffuletta sandwich. I love drinking a Pimm’s Cup with my meal. For dessert it would be beignets, but I eat those for breakfast, too.

Do you have any hobbies?
My friends would say solving mysteries is my number one hobby. Besides that, I love reading, watching mystery shows and movies, and running.

What music do you listen to?
Jazz is my favorite. I’m fortunate to walk down my street and hear amazing musicians. And of course, I love listening to my boyfriend play his trumpet.

What is your favorite color?
I have three favorite colors now: purple, green, and gold. Yes, they’re Mardi Gras colors.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Any of the beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. I love the warm blue water of the gulf.

Are you a morning or night person?
I’m definitely a night person. If I’m not out with my friends, I like to stay up late reading a book with my cat keeping me company. But I do like the mornings when I can enjoy the beauty of the French Quarter without too many people.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Every day in New Orleans is fun! But I’d say going to a bar with music or Preservation Hall are my favorite times I’ve had so far here.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
You Can Go Home Again

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I’m an amateur sleuth although some people think I’m more of a busy body. I’m just curious! When I’m drawn into mysteries, I always share my information with Detectives Rob Armstrong and Christine Gammon of the New Orleans Police Department.

What is a typical day in your life like?
Nubi usually wakes me up, but some days he sleeps in. If he does, my alarm wakes me and I make a cup of coffee. I need my coffee to get going in the morning. Some days, I’ll go for a run. I go to work at Lagniappe Books, but if it’s my turn, I pick up coffee and beignets at Cafe Beignet. Other days, Andrew picks them up. I love my job and the day tends to go by quickly. Some nights, I go out to dinner with friends or pick up takeout from Frankie’s Groceries. When Connor is playing at the bar Note by Note, Sissy and I will go listen to him play.

A Corpse in the Café, A French Quarter Mystery Book #6
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: February 2024
Format: Digital
Purchase Link

The spotlight should have been on the art, not the corpse.

Sammy eagerly lends a hand at her friend’s cafe for the latest artist showcase. Everyone is dying to meet the mysterious new artist in the French Quarter. The very person they yearned to meet becomes the victim no one expected.

Sammy quickly learns the artist’s arrival in town wasn’t as innocent as it seemed. She discovers multiple suspects and motives brewing under the surface.

The longer the case remains unsolved, the worse it becomes for her friends and the cafe. Could another murder be percolating? Can Sammy unveil the truth before the trail and the coffee go cold?

About the author
Jen Pitts is a lifelong mystery reader who turned her obsession into writing cozy mysteries of her own. When she isn’t plotting fictional murder and mayhem, she’s chugging coffee, traveling to New Orleans, reading, and enjoying life with her husband, children, and two cats in the Pacific Northwest.