We are delighted to welcome author Dorothy Howell to Omnimystery News today.
Dorothy's third (and final) mystery in her "Fatal" trilogy is Fatal Choice (June 2015 ebook format) and we recently had the opportunity to spend some time with her talking about the series.
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Omnimystery News: Tell us a little more about Dana Mackenzie, the lead character of your "Fatal" trilogy.
Photo provided courtesy of
Dorothy Howell
Dorothy Howell: In Fatal Debt, the launch book of the Dana Mackenzie mystery series, the lead character is, of course, Dana. She's 27 years old, single, and lives in the fictional Southern California city of Santa Flores. She's a hometown girl, having lived there all her life.
Like a lot of people that age, Dana is trying to find her place in life. She's had a rough time finding a job (she pierced ears at the mall for a while) and finally lands a position as asset manager for Mid-America Financial Services. The cold hearted, faceless corporation expects Dana to follow their policies to the letter, but she puts her own spin on the job.
Since I've also written 25 historical romance novels, of course I had to give Dana a love interest. He's Nick Travis, her high school crush, who is now a homicide detective. Dana hasn't seen Nick since he left town years ago, so sparks fly when the two of them are drawn into a murder investigation. But a dark secret from their past that Nick wants to ignore and Dana can't get over, keeps them apart.
Honestly, I'd never intended to give Dana a series. I wrote Fatal Debt and intended it to be a stand-alone. Since I was also writing another mystery series, the Haley Randolph series for Kensington Books, plus historical romances, I was pretty busy!
But I kept hearing from readers who wanted to know what happens next between Dana and Nick. So I wrote Fatal Luck, then concluded their story in Fatal Choice.
I'm so glad I listened to my readers! I'm really happy with the way the trilogy turned out.
OMN: How did Dana change over the course of the trilogy?
DH: Since Dana's story is confined to a three-book series, she doesn't change much. Throughout the trilogy Dana keeps the same job, same friends, and deals with typical family problems. Her relationship with Nick changes, of course. Things heat up between them!
OMN: And what about in your other series. Did Haley Randolph stay pretty much the same, too?
Not a chance! Haley's life is always changing. She's 24 years old, single, and having a major quarter-life crisis. Over the course of the eight full-length novels and three novellas in the series, Haley has had many different jobs, none of which work out very well — probably because she keeps finding dead bodies there!
OMN: Into which genre would you place your series?
DH: My Dana Mackenzie and Haley Randolph series are both cozy mysteries. I'm so glad this genre exists! I don't like reading graphic violence so, of course, I don't want to write it. I think there are a lot of readers who don't want to read those types of books either, so labeling my books as cozies lets them know these are kinder, gentler mysteries.
OMN: How much of your own personal or professional experience have you included in your books?
DH: I used to work a job similar to the one Dana Mackenzie has in the series. I also fictionalized the city I worked in. Unlike Dana, I never found any dead bodies — thank goodness!
OMN: Where do you most often find yourself writing?
DH: I have an office in my home that's dedicated solely to my writing. I have reference books, notes with my oh-so brilliant ideas, manuscripts, journals, calendars, and motivational quotes everywhere. It's pretty organized — though I doubt anyone else would agree!
OMN: What are some of your outside interests?
DH: I stay busy with writing, friends and family. When I have extra time I spend it on my latest project which is making pillowcase dresses for little girls in Africa. A friend of mine got me involved. I enjoy sewing and the creative aspect of designing and embellishing the dresses.
OMN: What advice might you offer to aspiring authors?
DH: My advice to aspiring authors is don't give up! Keep learning and keep trying. My own road to publication was a bumpy one. After my first book was published it took seven years — yes, seven — before I sold another one. I certainly could have quit amid all the rejections. But 39 books later I'm so glad I didn't!
OMN: Why did you choose to use a pen name for some of your books?
DH: I write my Dana Mackenzie and Haley Randolph series under my own name. Most of my historical romance novels are written under my pen name, Judith Stacy. This worked out well for me. Since the mystery and romance genres can attract different readers, this way there's no confusion about what sort of book it is.
OMN: What kind of feedback have you received from readers?
DH: My readers are fantastic! I love hearing from them! Most everything I get from them is positive and encouraging. Occasionally, a reader will make a suggestion for a book or share a story idea — it's great!
OMN: What's next for you?
DH: The latest book in the Haley Randolph series was just released. Swag Bags and Swindlers is the eighth full-length installment. It's published by Kensington Books and is available in hardcover and ebook editions. I just finished writing next year's book. No release date or title on that one yet.
The Dana Mackenzie series just concluded with Fatal Choice so right now I'm figuring out what to write next. I have so many ideas! It's hard to settle on one. It will be something I think my readers will enjoy and I'll have fun writing — a perfect combination!
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Dorothy Howell writes for two major New York publishing houses, in two genres, under two names. She's sold 39 novels, and her books have been translated into a dozen languages and have sold worldwide. Dorothy writes the Dana Mackenzie and Haley Randolph mystery series. She also writes historical romance for Harlequin under the pen name Judith Stacy. She lives in Southern California.
For more information about the author, please visit her website at DorothyHowellNovels.com and her author page on Goodreads, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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Fatal Choice by Dorothy Howell
A Dana Mackenzie Mystery
Publisher: Dorothy Howell
Dana Mackenzie gladly helps out when best friend Jillian Brown calls at 3 a.m. after she wakes up alone and finds herself stranded at her date's house. But when Dana arrives at the home of Brett Sinclair she discovers more than a distraught friend — there's also a dead body in the kitchen.
Jillian becomes a suspect in the murder and Dana is determined to prove her innocence. Forced to turn to homicide detective Nick Travis for inside information, Dana realizes that his reluctance to commit to their relationship has reached the breaking point. She makes plans to leave Santa Flores for good.
But first she must find a killer. Her investigation uncovers disturbing information about the victim's secret life and shady business deals. Dana knows she's close to discovering the truth when she finds herself targeted by the murderer.
Will she catch the killer before it's too late? Will she walk away and never see Nick again — and if she does, will it be another bad choice?
— Fatal Choice by Dorothy Howell
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