Lost Under A Ladder by Linda O. Johnston Giveaway & Interview

Lost Under A Ladder
by Linda O. Johnston

A precious pup, great characters, and a delightful cozy setting…
~Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

Lost Under a Ladder is an engaging light mystery….
~The Bookwyrm’s Hoard

I really enjoyed this mystery and I liked getting to know Rory and her dog, Pluckie…The mystery was well-written and engaging and I’m looking forward to spending more time with the residents of Destiny in future books. I love Ms. Johnston’s books and Lost Under A Ladder is a great start to what will be a very charming series.
~Books-n-Kisses

Lost Under a Ladder
(A Superstition Mystery)
Brand New Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (October 8, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-0738740775

Synopsis
Is it luck or is it . . . Destiny?

Are superstitions real? Rory Chasen doesn’t think so–until her beloved fiance walks under a ladder and is killed by a car five minutes later. Needing closure, Rory takes her dog Pluckie to a town called Destiny, where superstitions are a way of life.

Rory’s visit to Destiny takes an unexpected turn when Pluckie saves the life of Martha, the owner of the Lucky Dog Boutique. To show her gratitude, Martha offers Rory a job at the pet store. But when Martha becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the local bookshop owner, Rory refuses to believe that she would do it. Rory is convinced the real killer still roams Destiny’s streets, and she must uncover the truth before Martha is hauled off to jail.

About This Author

Linda O. Johnston’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year.   Since then, Linda, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published more short stories, novellas, and 37 romance and mystery novels, including the Pet Rescue Mystery Series, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, plus Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne.

Her latest cozy mystery series, the Superstition Mysteries from Midnight Ink, kicks off in October 2014 with LOST UNDER A LADDER.  Linda believes that reading the Superstition Mysteries will bring good luck!

Author Links
Webpage:  www.LindaOJohnston.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaOJohnston
Purchase Links
AMAZON B&N

Tour Participants
September 29 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows - Review, Interview
September 30 – Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf - Guest Post
October 1 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard - Review
October 2 – Books-n-Kisses – Review
October 3 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – Guest Post
October 3 – readalot blog – Review
October 4 – StoreyBook Reviews – Review, Guest Post
October 5 – deal sharing aunt – Interview
October 6 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review
October 7 – Brooke Blogs – Guest Post
October 7 – Kaisy Daisy’s Corner – Review
October 8 – Back Porchervations – Review, Interview
October 9 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post
October 10 – Chloe Gets A Clue – Interview
October 11 – Community Bookstop – Review
October 12 – rantin’ ravin’ and reading – Review, Guest Post

Interview - Linda O. Johnston 

Where are you from?

I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but have lived in Los Angeles for quite a while.  I considered myself a displaced Pittsburgher for a long time but realized I had put down roots in L.A., largely thanks to its wonderful writing community.

Tell us your latest news?

My latest news is my first Superstition Mystery LOST UNDER A LADDER which is being published in October 2014, by Midnight Ink.  There will be at least a couple more Superstition Mysteries, and I'm also writing a second series for Midnight Ink, the Barkery and Biscuits series.

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing as a child.  I always loved to come up with ideas for essays I knew my teachers would assign us to write and save those ideas till they were next needed. 

  

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I first started selling my fiction.  That was quite a while ago, and my first published fiction, a short story in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine called "Different Drummers," won the Robert L. Fish Award for best first mystery short story of the year.

What inspired you to write your first book?

Do you mean my first book, or my first published book?  I'm one of those traditional writers who collected a dozen unsold manuscripts under the bed before selling one.  Yes, that was a while ago, and although I still have most of the oldies they're not in currently-readable electronic form so I'll have to get the best ones scanned someday.

I was inspired to write my first book that got published, the time-travel romance A GLIMPSE OF FOREVER, after receiving a lot of "good" rejections on the manuscript I'd written before it.  That story contained a lot of subgenres, and although that would be perfectly acceptable today no publisher wanted to take a chance on a novel that had elements of romance, sci-fi , paranormal, mystery, historical fiction, contemporary fiction...  But then I discovered the perfectly acceptable subgenre of time-travel romance and started selling my novels!

Do you have a specific writing style?

Since I still write in several genres (mainly cozy mystery and series romance) I adapt the style of each story I write to fit whatever I'm working on.

  

How did you come up with the title?

My first Superstition Mystery is called LOST UNDER A LADDER because my protagonist, Rory Chasen, travels to the town of Destiny, California, which is all about superstitions to learn if superstitions are real.  Her beloved fiancé died shortly after walking under a ladder, yet Rory remains a skeptic and wants to learn all she can about the reality of superstitions.  Linking the title to the ladder seemed appropriate.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

No, I don't put messages in my novels--not really.  But if readers want to learn more about superstitions and try to bring more good luck into their lives, that's fine!

What would you like my readers to know?

I've been saying it's good luck to read the Superstition Mysteries by Linda O. Johnston!  I hope my readers realize that's promotion hyperbole, though.  I certainly wish all of them the best luck possible, and if I could guarantee it with my writing I'd definitely do so. 

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