A Graceful Death by Ann Summerville~~ Interview with the Author!

I would like to welcome Ann Summerville, author of A Graceful Death to Bags, Books & Bon Jovi. A Graceful Death is the first in her cozy mystery series set in the coastal town of Lowenna.

From Amazon... "Giovanna Matthews has an acceptable life in London with her own flat, a good job, and recent engagement to the son of a Scottish landowner. But not long after her engagement to Alan, news of Aunt Grace's death hits Giovanna like a red double decker bus. Ignoring Alan's pleas to stay, she bundles her dog and suitcase into a rusty Volkswagen and drives to Aunt Grace's cottage on the Cornish coast where Giovanna had spent childhood summers with her cousin. Putting her aunt's affairs in order is further complicated when Giovanna discovers the local constabulary has its own view on Aunt Grace's demise - A view that Giovanna vows to challenge. Unless she can discover how her aunt died and find her missing cousin quickly, she stands to lose both her inheritance and Alan.
Ann Summerville wrote her first short story before her age reached double digits. She was born in England, and in search of a warmer climate, moved to California before settling in Texas. Her short stories and flash fiction have been published in Long Story Short, The Shine Journal, Doorknobs & Bodypaint Anthology, Associated Content, Trinity Writer's Workshop newsletters and also their collection of Christmas stories. A member of Cowtown Crimesolvers, the Fort Worth Chapter of Sisters in Crime, Ann is currently working on her latest cozy mystery set in a Texas town featuring an English protagonist. Ann resides in Fort Worth, near her daughter and son-in-law, with her son, two boisterous dogs and a somewhat elusive cat."

~What was it about Giovanna that made her your main character?
Although Giovanna didn’t realize it, she was searching for a family and in the process was lured into a less than ideal relationship with Alan. I think we’ve all been in a place where we were searching for something and it resulted in a bad decision. For Giovanna, the “family” ended up being a village rather than a conventional family.

~What can you tell us about the future of the series?
High Tide, the second book in the series was published recently. I’m hoping to have the third Lowenna cozy in print by next year.

~What do you read? Fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, romances? Authors and titles, please!
I mostly read mysteries and in particular cozy mysteries. M.C. Beaton is one of my favorite authors. Another recent read that I would recommend is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Annie Barrows. I’m currently reading Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith. It is part of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency based in Botswana. The HBO series was delightful too.

~One of the latest "trends" in reading are eReaders. What are your thoughts on this new way to read? Does it bother you that, while someone might be reading and enjoying A Graceful Death on a eReader, it's kind of a private thing? By that I mean, the cover is "hidden". The reader is not "advertising" the book to other nosy (yes, that would be me!) readers who might start a conversation based on seeing the book being read.
Interesting question, I hadn’t thought of that. I do notice what others are reading, but you are right, the book wouldn’t be obvious on an e-Reader. I’m finding that my e-reader sales are much higher at the moment, but that could be because I’ve reduced the price of all three of my books to $2.99 for the month of April. As a reader, I love sharing with others a good book that I’ve read or a new author I’ve “found” so I don’t think the e-Readers will make any difference. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising.

~What is it like to see to your books in print? Or to "google" the title and see it on an Amazon page?
It’s exciting seeing the final cover. Such a lot of work goes into novel writing that it’s lovely to see all the work tied up neatly in a package.

~What do you think of the book blog "phenomenon" and book bloggers, in general?
What I like about book blogs is that you get to know the reviewer and learn who has similar tastes. I’ve come across some wonderful books that I might not have otherwise read. Giveaways are great too. It’s a wonderful community.

~Because my blog is Bags, Books & Bon Jovi... I have to ask... what bag are you carrying today? What book are you reading today? And, last but, definitely, not least... are you a Bon Jovi fan? :D
I have a hand made bag with a quilted leopard on it. The book I’m reading is Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith (I must have a safari thing going on) and I like Bon Jovi, not sure I would be called a fan.

Thank you for inviting me today and being part of the book blog tour for A Graceful Death.
I’m giving away three books on my blog so make sure you leave a comment and become a follower. I’ll pick a winner on April 30.

www.annsummerville.com
www.cozyintexas.blogspot.com
www.cozyintexas@yahoo.com

Thanks again to Ms. Summerville for answering my questions. Make sure you head to her blog to enter her giveaway! And please stop back by here tomorrow as I will be posting my review.