Kathy: In DEADLY FASHION Olivia Denis enters the world of French fashion and haute couture. Are you interested in fashion, either in the past or today's trends?
KP: I love the fashions of the late thirties, especially as seen in Hollywood movies. The drape of the dresses and the hats - marvelous. I've always loved hats. It's a shame the only hats I see are ball caps on men.
Kathy: What is your favorite aspect of fashion in Olivia's world of pre-war London?
KP:The drape of the dresses. It was a bias cut that created that look. And the hats! I love cloches and fedoras. Everyone dressed their best, from the chimney sweeps to the king.
Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?
KP: Coco Chanel's life story influenced my portrait of Mimi Mareau, famous French designer. She made her own fortune, if you ignore the help of some lovers. She took up with a pro-German British duke. She designed for some Hollywood movies. I used this and then created Mimi, moved her to London and gave her a secret.
Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Olivia?
KP: Olivia's next adventure, following DEADLY FASHION closely in time, will be DEADLY DECEPTION. Olivia's strained relationship with her father will be sorely tested when she has to clear him of a murder charge. Worse, the corpse is a long dead friend, come back to life, only to be murdered.
Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pansters, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between?
KP: I'm a pantster. If I try to plot out my stories, then I know what happens and I no longer want to write it. The magic is gone. I'm partway into a story before I find out who did it. Since I like to rewrite more than I like to write a first draft, correcting for changes in the plot are no problem. This is not the most efficient way to write, but it works best for me.
On a side note, I'm also a pantster when it comes to cooking. I can't follow a recipe without experimenting. My family tells tales of terrible dinners.
Kathy: Authors are required to do a lot of their own marketing, especially for a new release. What's your favorite part of marketing your work? What do you dislike about marketing?
KP: My favorite part? Doing blogs and interviews. And I like to send out a rare newsletter with an attachment for a free short story or other giveaway or discount. My least favorite part? Speaking in front of a group. You can hear my knees knocking in the back row.
Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?
KP: The next one, out this spring, is one I've been working on for a couple of years. Called THE KILLING AT KILDAIRE HOUSE, it features a female sleuth who's a milliner in Edwardian London. There's my love of hats again, along with a love of the first automobiles. It's a mix of the stage version of MY FAIR LADYand the old children's book, MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE.
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I really enjoyed the interview and the description of the series. Would really love to read the books.
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