Violet Mooney sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know her better. Are you ready? Violet, take it away!

What is your full name?
Violet Raven Moonstone, aka Violet Mooney

How old are you?
32

What is your profession?
I own a crystal shop, The Full Moon, in North Harbor Connecticut.

Do you have a significant other?
Ugh. It’s complicated. . .I do, but the real question is do I want him as my significant other? I’m still working that out.

If so, what is his name and profession?
His name is Todd Langston. He owns the bar Luck o’ the Irish, also in North Harbor.

Do you have any children?
No

Do you have any siblings?
Apparently I do – my half-sister Zoe.

Are your parents nearby?
My long-lost mother Fiona has recently reappeared and she is definitely around a lot. My dad passed away a few years ago.

Who is your best friend?
Sydney Santangelo. She works with me at The Full Moon and lives across the hall and she’s a hoot!

Do you have any pets?
I have two cats – an orange cat named Monty and a black cat named Xander.

What town do you live in?
North Harbor, Connecticut

Do you live in a small town or a big city?
It’s like an urban small town. It’s got a real downtown but it’s not really big.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I rent an apartment on the same street as my shop.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
I have a studio loft, so I have screens separating the different areas. I really love my “living room” area. I decorated it so it’s nice and zen, with ivy hanging on the walls, crystals everywhere, and soothing art.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
I love sushi. And Thai. And anything with chocolate, which I’m not allowed to have anymore because chocolate dims my powers, according to my mother. So now I settle for pie. I prefer pumpkin.

Do you have any hobbies?
Before I was so busy becoming a witch and solving crimes, I decided that I was going to learn Italian so I could go to Italy. I was doing lessons on the language app every day for a while!

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Any beach with sun.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Going to one of the big crystal shows and seeing so many gems in one place! It’s like heaven.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Bewitched, the Reboot.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur. In the mortal world, I usually end up working with Gabe Merlino of the North Harbor police. In the other realm, there are apparently a lot of police organizations that I’m just getting familiar with!

What is a typical day in your life like in general and when you are on a case?
Before I knew I was a witch, a regular day would go something like this: I’d get up, have coffee, go to yoga, go to Pete’s coffee shop for more coffee, then head over to The Full Moon, where I’d spend the day working with clients in one-on-one crystal consults, prescribing crystals for various needs, explaining stones to people stopping in to browse, and then maybe going to dinner with Syd. When I found out I was a witch and got involved in so much drama, my day could encompass a myriad of things – learning that one of my longtime friends is also a witch; teleporting to another location, possibly here or in the witch realm; making coffee by thinking about it in my mind, having my mother appear out of nowhere in front of me numerous times a day; and, more recently, end up with a super hot, smart-mouthed witch lawyer who has been appointed my witchy life coach. Maybe throw in a Magickal Council meeting or potentially being attacked by homicidal genies, and I’d say I’ve covered everything!

Witch Trial, A Full Moon Mystery #2
Genre: Cozy
Release: December 2021
Purchase Link

In the second installment of Cate Conte’s charming new series featuring crystal shop owner and witch Violet Mooney, the murder of one of her customers launches her into a case that conjures up both supernatural and mortal enemies. . .

Double, double toil and trouble,
A witch’s life is quite a muddle.

The Full Moon crystal shop in North Harbor, Connecticut, offers healing stones for all sorts of ailments. Unfortunately, there’s nothing among the gems that can help owner Violet Mooney learn how to wield the magick she inherited from both sides of her family—the legendary Ravenstar and Moonstone clans. As if being an apprentice witch weren’t difficult enough, Violet’s tutors are her estranged mother Fiona, a sister she never knew she had named Zoe, and a familiar in the form of a black cat, Xander.

Between learning spells, Violet is being investigated by the Magickal Council. A reporter out to debunk spiritualists was “genied”—her soul imprisoned inside a bottle—in Violet’s shop, and she can’t prove she didn’t do it. Meanwhile, her non-magickal life has become complicated when one of her crystal shop customers, Nicole St. James, goes missing and turns up dead, a victim of murder.

Determined to solve both crimes, Violet taps into powers she doesn’t understand, much less control—and finds herself conjuring up both supernatural and mortal enemies. . .

About the author
Cate Conte writes the Cat Cafe Mysteries and the new Full Moon Mysteries. As Liz Mugavero, she writes the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, the first of which was an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. She lives in Connecticut with her rescue pals.

All comments are welcomed.