Spotlight #Author #Interview ~ Penny Burwell Ewing
Please make welcome a good friend and Rose sister (from The Wild Rose Press), Penny Burwell Ewing! I'm thrilled she could join us in the Tavern today! Penny writes the fabulous Haunted Salon Series. I just finished the first book Dixieland Dead (awesome and hilarious), and I'm eager to read the other books in her series. I'm showing off her cover for the third book, Dead Pig in the Sunshine. In her honor, I'm serving Pecan Pie and Blackberry Wine (I hear it's her favorite). Settle in and let's hear what Penny has to say...
MM: Welcome, Penny! Delighted you could join us today. As always, I'm curious about the steps writers take as they begin their day. Describe a typical writing day.
PBE: Since I’m a morning person, I like to open the day with a cup of coffee at my desk. I begin by skimming through the previous day’s work, and hopefully, the muse is up and ready for action. If so, I write until noon, take a two-hour break, and then back to work until late afternoon. For some reason, I like deadlines because they push me to my limits.
MM: I'm definitely a morning person, too! Can you tell us about your current work-in-progress?
PBE: I loved writing all the books in the Haunted Salon Series, but I’m taking a break to write the Casa de Bella Trilogy. Romantic suspense set against the lush backdrop of Florida's Lake Okeechobee. A century-old Spanish Hacienda has endured nature's finicky hand, an ancient curse, and most recently, two grisly murders. The land is steeped in history and dangerous secrets—but nothing good can come from unearthing secrets from the past. A story spanning three generations—One house, three strong, independent women woven together by tragedy and triumph.
MM: Sounds intriguing, Penny. What inspires you to write?
PBE: Love for the craft. I’ve always been an avid reader and enjoy the adventures each book brings between the pages. My favorite memory of growing up in South Florida was waiting on the corner for the weekly visit of the county Bookmobile. I can still picture the shelves packed with books and hear the gentle hum of the motor as I scrutinized my choices. This is my idea of Heaven.
MM: I wish they would have one in my small town. What a fond memory. What’s your favorite item on your writing desk?
PBE: My favorite items are facing me on the wall. I use visual boards to post pictures relating to my stories. I post pictures of my characters, their living environment, crucial plot events, and etc. I’m surrounded by inspiration. I also like to listen to music at times while I’m writing.
MM: I'm a visual gal, so I can relate to your boards, Penny. Now for some fun questions!
Do you prefer...
Champagne or Beer? Champagne hands down. Although my favorite is blackberry wine.
Southern drawl or Scottish burr? Being from the South, I would naturally prefer a southern drawl. I love cowboys with an attitude and chaps.
Kilt or leather pants? Jeans and leather chaps for me.
First romance you read? The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Print book or E-Reader: Both. I like the convenience of an e-reader, but I love the feel of a print book. It’s easier on my eyes and brings back long ago memories of my childhood love of reading. And nothing compares to holding your own print book in your hands. The feeling never fades.
Wishing you all the best, Penny!
Backcover Blurb for DEAD PIG IN THE SUNSHINE ~
Jolene Claiborne, owner of Dixieland Salon, loves Halloween, but this year her fondness for the holiday is marred when bestselling author Vanessa van Allen disappears. Vanessa, called the Queen of the Vampires, has a few secrets she wants to share, but some secrets are better left buried.
When Detective Sam Bradford, Jolene’s former beau, asks for help in getting rid of a spirit that seems to be clinging to his aura, Jolene is shocked. Not only is there a ghost riding Sam’s broad shoulder, it seems to be Vanessa, and she refuses to leave until her murderer is found.
Is the woman truly dead or is there magic as well as mischief afoot? With help from Heaven’s sassy bounty hunter, Scarlett, Jolene and Sam set out to find the truth of what has truly happened to the Queen of the Vampires, but sometimes the truth can get you killed.
A Sneak Preview for DEAD PIG IN THE SUNSHINE ~
Staring down at the mangled, half-eaten body lying face up in an exposed shallow grave gave me the sense of an outer body experience. The Snow White costume had been ripped and torn away by scavenging forest creatures. The cracked headstone with splatters of blood, the bloated corpse with part of the mouth ripped away, and the white teeth exposed in a taunting smile with Mini Pearl clasped in the victim’s hand. The wind whistled through the tall grass and trees spreading the stench of death. God, how I hated that smell.
Twice I swept the flashlight beam across the grisly scene, imprinting the ugliness into my memory to be recounted hundreds of times in the days ahead. Bradford’s hand was strong, protective, but still, I shivered.
“Can you identify the gun?”
“It’s mine.” My breathless voice faltered as my gaze roamed over the pink gun with pearl grips. “Not another like it in the States. Custom made. Mini Pearl is engraved on the barrel. I thought I’d never see it again.”
My mind flashed back to the day I’d discovered my .32 caliber snub-nosed revolver stolen from my car. I’d arrived out at Pineridge Plantation to conduct tours for the annual fall Pecan Festival. Increased activity from the re-enactors could be heard, so I followed the sounds around past the back terrace to the rose garden. During my absence, my wallet had been emptied and Mini Pearl taken.
And used in the commission of a crime. Just as I’d feared.
“I hate to break up a tearful scene, but I have to get back to work.” Scarlett jangled the handcuffs for emphases. “As soon as I deliver Miss van Allen, I’ll be headed to England to bag a knight.”
Bradford addressed his question to a tearful Snow White. “Can you tell me who did this to you?”
“I did this to myself,” she whispered.
“Suicide?”
“The gun is in my hand. I must’ve done it.” A mournful sigh echoed on the night wind.
“Things aren’t always what they appear to be,” Bradford assured her. “I suspect the other woman is responsible.”
“That makes the most sense,” I agreed. “Now if we can link them together. I still believe the other woman is Snow White’s twin sister.”
“Please stop calling me Snow White, my name is Vanessa van Allen.”
“That is yet to be proven,” I replied to the tearful spirit.
Bradford pulled his phone from his front pocket. “Time to call the authorities.”
“Are you nuts?” I snatched the phone from his hands. “We need to get our asses out of here. We can’t call the cops!”
“I am the cops, Jolene. Now give me the phone.” Bradford held out his hand.
“Snellgrove will bury us under the jail.” I pitched his phone into the undergrowth as far as I could. “Let’s go before someone catches us here.”
To purchase your copy of DEAD PIG IN THE SUNSHINE stop by:
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-dead-pig-in-the-sunshine-penny-burwell-ewing/1127065307AM
More about the Author ~
Penny Burwell Ewing grew up along the pristine shores of Fort Pierce, Florida. Growing up in a southern coastal town gave her the best of small town living where the residents look out for one another. Her love of the supernatural and mysteries lead her to write the Haunted Salon Series.
After spending years behind the stylist chair, she gave up her cosmetology license in favor of a desk chair and the adventures that come with fiction writing. You will even find a few of her hairstylist’s experiences in her books.
She now resides in a quaint town in South Georgia, where it’s dang hot most of the time, and the gnats are bigger than the state bird; the Brown Thrasher. When not busy writing, she wiles away the hours with counted cross-stitch projects, crocheting, and other fine needlecrafts. She loves dark chocolate and blackberry wine.
Social Media Links ~
Email: penny@pennyburwellewing.com
Website: https://www.pennyburwellewing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyBEwing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennyBEwing
