Stephanie Caffrey author on ROYAL FLUSH, Vegas, and Cliffhangers

Stephanie Caffrey, author of ROYAL FLUSH, sits down with reviewer Debbie Wiley to talk about her new mystery, ROYAL FLUSH.

Debbie: Hi Stephanie! Thank for joining us today at Fresh Fiction! One of the things I love about Raven McShane is her sense of humor, even in the most embarrassing of moments. The kimchi scene in VEGAS STRIPPED is one of my all-time favorite scenes but the spa and club scenes in ROYAL FLUSH are a close second. What scene was your favorite to write?

Stephanie: Thanks for having me! I do enjoy writing the embarrassing scenes the most, I have to admit. Part of it must be a little bit of schadenfraude, I think. You know, you have this drop-dead gorgeous woman, who seems to have all her sh*t together, and then— oops, maybe she’s not perfect after all. So we can chuckle a little when Miss Perfect gets brought down a few notches.

Debbie: The Raven McShane series is set in Las Vegas and you do a great job at bringing the town to life. I’ve only visited there once (this past summer) but you make me want to return and see all the sites all over again. What are some of your favorite spots in Las Vegas and will Raven McShane get to visit them all?

Stephanie: I have to admit that, as much as I like writing about the “real” Las Vegas, there is no substitute for being touristy and staying at a fancy hotel on the Strip. Where else can you find a five-star hotel for under $200 a night (sometimes), with world-class everything, including shopping? And soft bathrobes! There are too many great spots to visit, but a few more hidden ones include Javier’s Mexican restaurant---which isn’t just tacos and enchiladas---and the wine bar at Wynn, which has great appetizers too.

Debbie: We also get to see a lot of the darker side of Las Vegas, from the back room deals to the quest for money and fame in the Raven McShane series. You make the scenarios seem so realistic that I almost want to search the news for the stories. Where do you get the inspiration for such deliciously dark situations?

Stephanie: One point I’m trying to make is that Las Vegas is an illusion. It is fun to visit for a little while, but its pleasures are only skin-deep and fleeting. So behind all the neon lights (they don’t actually use neon any more, by the way) are people like Raven, some of whom have made some bad choices along the way. They’re faced daily with the problem of whether to sink deeper into a life they’ve made, or to claw their way out and start fresh. Like most people, Raven is kind of hedging her bets by clinging to the well-paying stripper job even while starting her private detective business.

The point is, the stories come out of life in general. I’ve read every book on the town’s history, and have visited there more than twenty-five times, where I spend lots of time in poker rooms getting ideas for characters and stories. I also read the Review- Journal online, so I can keep up with the pulse of the city. The first book, DIVA LAS VEGAS, was inspired very loosely on true stories about old-line casino families who fell on hard times and resorted to murder and thievery. The second, VEGAS STRIPPED, I concocted out of thin air, but you could imagine something similar happening in show business, where everyone is jealous of each other, and one guy gets pushed out the door. The third, ROYAL FLUSH, was inspired by a story I’d read long ago about a gigolo who impersonated royalty. The common theme, I hope, is that the characters come from interesting backgrounds: casino wealth, show biz, and royalty. It’s all designed to allow the reader to escape from filling out TPS reports at work, I hope.

Debbie: I like that Raven is a different kind of private investigator. She’s almost like the hardboiled detectives of the past and yet she is a fun and quirky as well. How did you get the idea for her character?

Stephanie: Thank you for saying that. I was always a fan of hardboiled detective fiction and the black-and-white movies they spawned, but that had already been done, and I didn’t think there was a need for a callous, hard-drinking woman with ennui coming out of her ears. I took the realism from hardboiled fiction---the idea that many people are more self- interested, deceptive and ruthless than their polite and politically correct masks suggest--- but viewed it through the eyes of a woman who, despite having seen it all, and despite being part of a dirty system, maintains hope, seeks forgiveness from her God, and lives up to a basic standard of decency.

Debbie: The ending cliffhanger scene has me anxious for the next book to find out just who Raven is with! Can you give us any hints about that scene or tease us a bit with what you have on your plate for the future?

Stephanie: The next book has Raven infiltrating a card-counting team to uncover who’s been skimming off the top, but what starts out as a small-time job soon balloons into a criminal investigation, missing persons, and a manhunt for a popular mega-church pastor.

I can reveal that Raven’s romantic life does take an interesting turn in this book, but it might or might not have anything to do with the cliffhanger scene. :)

Debbie: And another cliffhanger! Thank you so much for joining us and I can't wait to read the next book in the Raven McShane series!

GIVEAWAY

What's your favorite part of Vegas? Leave a comment below and be entered for a chance to win a copy of ROYAL FLUSH.

About Stephanie Caffrey

Stephanie Caffrey grew up in Wisconsin and has lived in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and London. Although she has traveled the world, her heart belongs to the thumping, degenerate pulse of a city that is Las Vegas. Having stayed at (or passed out in) nearly every casino- hotel on the Strip, she is recognized as an expert on all-things-Vegas, including where to find the best poker rooms, the most decadent foie gras-topped hamburger, and the most effective cure for a tequila-induced hangover. For a brief period in her early twenties, she may or may not have been a topless dancer. A constitutional lawyer by day, she is married with a young son, who will not be allowed to visit Las Vegas until he's forty.

Gemma Halliday Publishing

About ROYAL FLUSH

From bestselling mystery author Stephanie Caffrey comes a hilarious mystery, Sin City style.. .

With a sassy mouth and a penchant for drunken shoe shopping, Raven McShane may be Vegas's most unlikely new detective, but she always gets her man. Which is why Hollywood heiress Melanie Weston needs Raven's help. When Melanie got serious with a cute Englishman she thought she hit the jackpot—especially when he claimed he was a distant member of the Royal Family. But now things don't quite add up, and she wants Raven to investigate Prince Charming's story.

Along with her sexy, muscular sidekick, Raven suddenly finds herself chasing stories, making enemies, and putting herself in far more danger than she bargained for when her digging uncovers a sinister plot that goes way beyond happily-ever-afters. Raven may have more experience with platform heels than putting away bad guys but she's determined to stay one step ahead of trouble, solve a murder, and look fabulous the entire time!