Deal Sharing Aunt: Hair Brained by Nancy J. Cohen Giveaway & Interview

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Hair Brained by Nancy J. Cohen Giveaway & Interview

Hair Brained (The Bad Hair Day Mysteries)
by Nancy J. Cohen

WOW- a complicated and intense mystery with strong emotional elements that may make you look closer at your own friendships and personal values.
~Laura’s Interests

…this is a fun, enjoyable series filled with lovable characters. It’s the perfect way to spend a few hours.
~Socrates’ Book Reviews…

Definitely a page turner which kept me turning the pages very late at night!
~Community Bookstop

It is wonderful to watch Marla’s emotional journey from suburban housewife to investigator and, dare I say, “Mama Bear”.
~Back Porchervations

This is the 14th book in this series. It is the absolute best one so far, and they are all pretty darn good. It is fresh, believable and timely.
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

Hair Brained (The Bad Hair Day Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
14th in Series
Orange Grove Press (September 12, 2017)
Print Length: 342 pages
E-Book ASIN: B072XVHPPH

Was the car crash an accident or a deliberate attempt to run Marla’s friends off the road?

When hairstylist Marla Vail’s best friend is hurt in a suspicious car accident, Marla assumes guardianship of her infant son. No sooner does Marla say, “Baby want a bottle?” than she’s embroiled in another murder investigation. Her husband, Detective Dalton Vail, determines the crash may not have been an accident after all. But then, who would want Tally–or Ken in the car with her–out of the way? As Marla digs deeper into her friends’ lives, she realizes she didn’t know them as well as she’d thought. Nonetheless, it’s her duty as their son’s guardian to ensure his safety, even if it means putting her own life at risk. Can she protect the baby and find the culprit before someone else ends up as roadkill?

About The Author

Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries

featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have made the IMBA bestseller list and been selected by Suspense Magazineas best cozy mystery. Nancy has also written the instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery. Her imaginative romances, including the Drift Lords series, have proven popular with fans as well. A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. When not busy writing, she enjoys fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.

Interview with Nancy J. Cohen

Where are you from?

I live in South Florida and love the warm weather. I’ve been here over thirty years although I grew up in the northeast.

Tell us your latest news?

I’m celebrating the release of Hair Brained, #14 in my Bad Hair Day mystery series. Marla’s best friend is involved in a car crash, and Marla has to assume guardianship of her infant son. It’s quite a life-changer for my sleuth. Her household includes two dogs, her husband, and his teenage daughter from a previous marriage. Adding a baby to the mix causes some disruption. Marla has to juggle her work at the salon with child care and her own family. She gets to visit a chocolate factory, yoga studio, and vegan restaurant while chasing down suspects. Since we share some of the same experiences, I liked the chocolate place the best. Meanwhile, I am working on the next book in the series titledTrimmed to Death. And I am continuing to release Author’s Editions of my revised backlist titles as well as audiobooks.

When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve always been an avid fiction reader and loved making up stories. My first efforts helped hone my imagination. When I was in graduate school for nursing, I wrote my first novel after buying a book that took me step-by-step through the process. I wrote six books before I sold one. Now I’ve done twenty-two published novels, two novellas, and a non-fiction title, Writing the Cozy Mystery.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I considered myself a professional writer when I joined Florida Romance Writers, a chapter of RWA, got involved in a critique group, and attended my first writers’ conference. This made all the difference to my career. My writing started to improve and I began to learn the business aspects from my fellow authors. Writing is a career choice. You have to decide you’re going to follow this field and consider it a professional job. It takes training and perseverance. Today it’s like running a small business if you include the production and marketing aspects.

What inspired you to write your first book?

My first published book was inspired by a dream. It related to my nursing career and combined my love of scifi and romance into a futuristic tale. This title, Circle of Light, won the HOLT Medallion Award. I wrote more scifi romances before switching to mysteries. I thought having a hairstylist and salon owner sleuth would be a lot of fun. People gossip all the time in salons and you overhear conversations. It’s the perfect place to pick up clues and to learn the dirt on various suspects. Plus, hairstylists play an important role in making women feel more confident. If you look good, you feel better about yourself. So my sleuth, Marla Vail, has some of my nurturing qualities. She cares about her clients, and learning the truth about crime victims is important to her. Best of all, I can research Marla’s background setting by going to the salon and getting my hair done! My stylist is used to my questions by now.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I like to write fast-paced stories with lots of dialogue and action. I’ll incorporate humor and romance into my work as well. Sometimes I’ll add a bit of history for greater depth. Also, the characters have to grow and change like in real life. We don’t care about static people. We want to read about characters that deal with problems and evolve. I hope you’ll feel Marla is a friend you’d want to have in reality.

How did you come up with the title?

Hair Brained was a no-brainer (pun intended) as it is closely related to the story. I won’t say more or it’ll be a spoiler. All of my book titles tie into the Bad Hair Day theme.

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

Do your estate planning now while you have the chance and lessen the burden onyour heirs.

What would you like your readers to know?

If you like a book, please leave a customer review on Amazon or other online sites. It’s critically important to authors in attracting new readers. Amazon, in particular, bases its algorithms on the number of reviews for a title, so even a few words about what you liked in a story will be helpful. Your opinions matter, so please help your favorite authors this way.

Where can we learn more about you?

Sign up for Nancy’s Newsletter and get a free Book Sampler: http://nancyjcohen.com/newsletter/
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+NancyJCohen/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/nancyjcohen
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-j-cohen
Audible: http://adbl.co/2gMlVw1

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Author Links:

Website: http://nancyjcohen.com

Blog: http://nancyjcohen.wordpress.com

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Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyjcohen

Booklover’s Bench: http://bookloversbench.com