|
A Fairy Tale Interview with Maia Chance
Kym Roberts
March 21, 2016
Once upon a time there was a mystery writer who traveled forward in time to sit
with us at the Cozy Corner! She loved to transport her readers through history
with dry-witted female leads reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Dick Tracy—in
skirts. Add a fairy tale to the mix, and it’s a winning combination to make a
reader’s dream come true. Please welcome bestselling author Maia Chance, author of BEAUTY, BEAST, AND BELLADONNA A
Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery.
Kym: Hi Maia! Welcome to the Cozy
Corner!
Maia: Thanks! I’m a regular Fresh Fiction and Cozy
Corner reader, so this is a treat.
Kym: Maia, can you tell us a little bit about your Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery
series?
Maia: The Fairy Tale Fatal books
are Victorian-era cozies set in mysterious and beautiful locations in Europe.
Each story intertwines a mystery about the origin of a classic fairy tale with a
traditional whodunnit plot.
Kym: The series is set in 1867. Did you find that harder or easier to
write historical mysteries?
Maia: Writing historical mysteries requires a lot of
research, for sure. I recently tried my hand at writing a contemporary and I was
like Hey, I know that already and don’t have to look it up! With the
historicals, sometimes you have to research the most mundane details. On the
other hand, I’m learning so much.
Kym: Tell us about your heroine, Miss Ophelia Flax and how you choose
her name?
Maia: Ophelia Flax is a practical and resourceful
American actress who finds herself in Europe in big trouble and surrounded by
people who are obsessed with fairy tales. While sleuthing she gets help (and
romantic tension) from the dashing fairy tale scholar Professor Penrose. I chose
the name Ophelia after I had recently reread Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet
Beecher Stowe, and there’s an Ophelia in that book, a stern New England lady.
Flax? I can’t remember why I picked that, other than liking the way it
sounds!
Kym: In BEAUTY,
BEAST AND BELLADONNA, there isn’t just a love triangle, but two couples
mixed with the wrong companions. How fun is it to write the chemistry between
Miss Ophelia and Professor Penrose?
Maia: Yeah, their tension is very interesting for me to
write. It’s been sort of cathartic tapping into the frustrating relationships I
had in the past before I met my lovely husband! All those missed opportunities,
mixed signals, and painful moments—we’ve all lived those.
Kym: Ophelia investigates murders that mirror the fairy tales. Which
fairy tale is your favorite? Which mystery was the hardest to write?
Maia: “Beauty and the Beast” has always been my favorite
fairy tale and BEAUTY, BEAST
AND BELLADONNA is probably my favorite in the series so far. As for writing
difficulty, whew. This series is way more challenging than other books I’ve
written because of the way I try to weave themes and motifs from the fairy tales
into my own mystery. Lots of layers.
Kym: You also have a mystery series set in 1920’s New York City? Can
you tell us about the Discreet Retrieval
Agency?
Maia: This series is fun, fast-paced, and humorous. The
first book in the series, COME HELL OR HIGHBALL,
introduces Lola Woodby as a flat broke widow who must crack a case involving
silent film stars, gangsters, and New York high society if she wants to pay the
rent.
Kym: Lola is quite a unique female sleuth. Give our readers a sip of
her story-line.
Maia: The thing about Lola and her sidekick Berta
(Lola’s former cook, a sixty-something Swedish lady) is that they have no idea
what they’re doing setting up a detective agency. But they have a lot of
insights, abilities, and determination that other detectives don’t have. They
crack cases their way—even if it involves baked goods, girdles, or using their
feminine wiles.
Kym: Do you find it challenging to be writing about two different
historical time periods at once?
Maia: Definitely. I try to keep the flavor of the
periods with language—the slang, the dialogue—and when I’m switching gears to a
new project it can take a little time to get back in the groove.
Kym: In December of 2015, you released JOY TO THE WORLDS,
Mysterious Speculative Fiction for the Holidays with Janine A.
Southard, Raven Oak, and G. Clemens? What makes that collection
of short stories different?
Maia: This was a ridiculously fun project to work on!
The other authors are so talented and the collection of stories we ended up with
is really fun and unique. Cozy mystery lovers will find a lot to love in the
collection. It is different, in that each story is a mystery but with fantasy or
sci-fi elements. I found it to be super liberating, since in my cozy series
there are no real paranormal elements.
Kym: Which do like writing more, American or European historical cozy
mysteries? Novels or shorts?
Maia: Honestly, I like it all. I love being able to
“live” in all these different places while I’m working.
Kym: What can we expect next for Ophelia and Lola?
Maia: I’m planning a Halloween novella starring Ophelia
Flax and Professor Penrose, and Lola Woodby makes her next appearance in the
Discreet Retrieval Agency #2, TEETOTALED, coming out on October
4th.
Kym: What are you working on now?
Maia: I’m getting started on the Discreet
Retrieval Agency #3, GIN AND PANIC.
Kym: Can you tell our readers where they can find you on social
media?
Maia: : Website | : Facebook | :
Twitter | :
Goodreads
Kym: Thank you for joining us at the Cozy Corner!
Maia: Thank you, Kym!
Until next time, get cozy and read on!
 Kym
Roberts is a retired detective sergeant who looks for passion, mystery and
suspense in every book she reads and writes. She can be found on the web at kymroberts.com, on Facebook at
Kym Roberts (author) and on Twitter @kymroberts911. Look for her newest release,
FLIRTING
WITH THE DEVIL, A Noble Pass Affaire Novella available now.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Comments
4 comments posted.
Re: A Fairy Tale Interview with Maia Chance
Great interview! Love the research done before the book is started.
(Jerrie Alexander 4:10pm March 21, 2016)
I have not read your books yet but definitely on my on my TBR
list for authors. I love historical and your books seem to be
so interesting.
(Leona Olson 11:02am March 22, 2016)
Hi Leona!
The first twenty pages of Beauty, Beast and Belladonna had
me hooked! And the rest...well it made me a fan;)
(Kym Roberts 12:46pm March 29, 2016)
Jerrie-her research is thorough--which is awesome;)
(Kym Roberts 12:47pm March 29, 2016)
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
| 
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy