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Two Purloined Pillows (A Nimble Needle Mystery) by Allie Pleiter
About Two Purloined Pillows
Two Purloined Pillows (A Nimble Needle Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting - North Carolina
Publisher : Kensington Cozies
Publication date : March 31, 2026
Print length : 272 pages
Hardcover ISBN-10 : 1496752031
ISBN-13 : 978-1496752031
Digital ISBN-13 : 978-1496752055
ASIN : B0FGRZ45KV
Audiobook ASIN: B0FR3WWJ4M
Audio CD ISBN-13 : 979-8228762817
When 30-something graphic artist Shelby Phillips reluctantly returned to her small hometown outside Asheville, North Carolina to manage her mother’s needlepoint shop, she thought it was temporary. But getting entangled in murder investigations has a timeline of its own…
It’s been a little over a year since Shelby started managing Nina’s Nimble Needle following her office-romance and career implosion, and Shelby’s mom has finally handed her the reins—technically, at least. Next, Shelby is excited to oversee two well-known needlepoint designers who will be participating in the town’s first two-week-long arts festival . . .
Laura Bitters and Paul Bardo have each stitched up one-of-a-kind pillows that should be big wins for the Nimble Needle at the festival’s auction . . . until the pillows vanish amid a sudden string of shoplifting incidents.
To add to the knot in Shelby’s stomach, Laura proves highly anxious, while Paul is an egomaniac who believes Laura has been stealing his customers for years. But things go from bad to tragic when Laura behaves oddly at the auction dinner, then collapses—dead.
Soon after, Shelby makes a shocking discovery in Laura’s room at the local inn. Then tests reveal that Laura was poisoned. Resolved to piece together the truth, despite the police chief’s determination to keep her on the fringes, Shelby rallies her personal team, including her sister, Jessica, her friend Deb, and Jake, her potentially more than a friend. As an extra twist, a magazine reporter arrives with unsettling—yet useful—dirt that includes Laura and Paul.
What unravels is a skein of suspects, long-held resentment, bitter jealousy, and betrayal, from which Shelby will have to pull the one crucial thread tied to the killer: a murder-worthy motive . . .
About Allie Pleiter
An avid crafter, coffee junkie, and firm believer that “pie makes everything better,” Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction, working on as many as four books at a time. The bestselling author of over seventy books, Allie has enjoyed a twenty-plus-year career with over 1.9 million books sold. In addition to writing, Allie maintains an active writing productivity coaching practice and speaks regularly on the creative process, publishing, and her very favorite topic—The Chunky Method of time management for writers. She lives in the Charlotte area with her husband and the world’s most adorable dog. Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com to learn more.
Interview:
1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a
writer?
Actually, I wanted to be an actor. I went through a long series of theater-related careers before a friend dared me to write a book when I was in my thirties. That was 70 books ago…some some dares are definitely worth taking!
2. How long does it take you to write a book?
I am a highly prolific author, so I have a project-management-style system called The Chunky Method that enables me to write as many as four books a year. My romances take about eight weeks fo the first draft to be completed, and my mysteries take longer.
3. What is your work schedule like when you're
writing?
It varies from day to day, but every working day includes about 1,200 words added to whatever is my main project. I write full time, so I put in a full day’s work in my office. I also do quite a lot of public speaking, so writing on the road is an essential skill for me.
4. What would you say is your interesting writing
quirk?
I plot my books on a wall of glass tiles in my office with post-it-notes. No other system has ever worked for me, despite the many plotting software programs I’ve purchased over the years.
5. How do books get published?
That’s a five-hour conversation! Books get published so many different ways these days. Almost all of mine are published traditionally, sold by my agent to a major house.
6. Where do you get your information or ideas for
your books?
The truth is that I don’t really know. It’s like pulling a snag on a sweater…you tug on something and follow it where it takes you. It’s usually one detail that sets my imagination off, and then I try to build the story out from there. I outline a bit, but it’s usually the characters that chart the course.
7. When did you write your first book and how old
were you?
I write my first full manuscript at 34. I won’t disclose the year ;)
8. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
It’s probably not hard to guess from my books that I’m a big fan of crafts. When I’m not writing, I’m usually knitting or needlepointing. The tactile nature of it serves as a perfect counterbalance to staring at words all day.
9. What does your family think of your writing?
They’re unimpressed. My kids, now adults, have only known me as an author. It’s just the thing Mom does.
10. What was one of the most surprising things you
learned in creating your books?
The writer isn’t really in charge. If you are truly in tune with the characters and their story, you’re following where they lead you.
11. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I have 75 published titles to my name. I do not have a favorite—that’d be like asking a mother which child they like best!
11. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a
better writer? If so, what are they?
Write. Keep writing. Nothing teaches you about writing like writing. Learning craft and marketing tactics is fine, but writing is essential. Keep writing.
12. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds
of things do they say?
I hear from readers all the time, and I love it. My favorite letters and emails talk about how much they love my characters and wish they could visit Gwen Lake and the towns where my other books are set. My all-time favorite fan letter was one sentence: “You made me late for church.” No higher compliment that that!
13. Do you like to create books for adults?
Yes, only adult books.
14. What do you think makes a good story?
When we truly care about the characters, we’ll follow them anywhere. Interesting people doing fascinating things for high-stakes reasons make for page-turning books.
15. As a child, what did you want to do when you
grew up?
An actress! Specifically, a soap opera star. But I’m very tall, and that’s a liability in television. I wasn’t brilliant enough to make it work—but I think I found a pretty nifty alternative!
16. What Would you like my readers to know?
You can learn all about the many different series I’ve written at alliepleiter.com Come say hello on Facebook (@AlliePleiter) and Instagram (@alliepleiterauthor) as well.
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