December 6, 2018 – mjbreviewers

I’m so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for author Larissa Reinhart and her new book NC-17. This is the third book in her Maizie Albright Star Detectives Mystery Series.

NC-17 (Maizie Albright Star Detective)
Cozy Mystery/Women’s Detective Fiction
3rd in Series
Past Perfect Press (December 4, 2018)
Paperback, 370 pages
ISBN13 – 9781732351660
Digital ASIN: B07HFVV7V7

Purchase Links

Kindle: http://smarturl.it/17Amazon

Nook: http://smarturl.it/17Nook

Kobo:http://smarturl.it/17Kobo

iBooks: http://smarturl.it/17iBooks

Other stores: books2read.com/NC17

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#StillDetectiveing

As an ex-star of a hit teen detective show, Maizie Albright gets the youth demographic. Or so she thought. Now that she’s adulting, today’s kids make Maizie feel out of date. At least the youth she meets while doing community service at Black Pine’s exclusive healing resort, the Wellspring Center. When these teens aren’t vlogging their attempts to track down Big Foot, they’re trying to prove the Center is up to no good. Starting with the disappearance and possible murder of their not-as-young commander. A murder the police find as likely as Big Foot.

Maizie has her own suspicions about the new celebrity retreat. Particularly when she learns her ex-fiancé has been hired to run the Center. Kind of an issue when she thought Oliver was in prison. Kind of an issue when Nash, the man of her dreams, is out of commission.

Wait, not man of her dreams.
Boss of her fantasies. Professionally speaking, of course.

While Maizie’s helping adolescent Youtubers detect a disappearance, she’s wrangling her mother’s wedding, assuaging an overzealous probation officer, and struggling to keep Nash Security Solutions solvent. Conspiracy theories collide with real-life catastrophes beginning with murder and possibly ending with Maizie’s life.

Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning author, Larissa Reinhart writes humorous mysteries and romantic comedies including the critically acclaimed Maizie Albright Star Detective, Cherry Tucker Mystery, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series. Her works have been chosen as book club picks by Woman’s World Magazine and Hot Mystery Reviews.

Larissa’s family and dog, Biscuit, had been living in Japan, but once again call Georgia home. See them on HGTV’s House Hunters International “Living for the Weekend in Nagoya” episode. Visit her website, LarissaReinhart.com, and join her newsletter for a free short story.

Author Links

Website: http://larissareinhart.com/

Newsletter: http://smarturl.it/larissanewsletter

Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLarissaReinhart/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larissareinhartwriter

Facebook fan/reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mysteryminions/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/larissareinhart

Amazon page: http://smarturl.it/LarissaReinhart

Bookbub page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/larissa-reinhart

Goodreads page: http://smarturl.it/LarissaGoodreads

When did you know that you wanted to be an author? What things, if any, influenced that decision?

When I was in elementary school, sometimes I fantasized about becoming an author because I liked to read and write stories. But I was from a small farm town, and people I knew didn’t do things like that as a career. An author was as much of a fantasy as becoming a famous singer or actress (other things I considered). In high school, I looked at writing as a career through journalism. I had a column in our local paper and worked at the newspaper office on Saturday’s. But I didn’t like talking to people — a big part of journalism — so I gave up on that.

Ironically, I ended up in teaching where you also have to talk to people. But talking to students was less of a challenge.

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With so many cozies being written today, what makes your books stand out from the crowd?

I have three different series — A Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie Albright Star Detective, and Finley Goodhart Crime Capers — and I think my voice stands out in all three. They’re humorous, as cozies tend to be, but the mysteries tend to be complicated, intertwined with several subplots. They’re also a bit lengthier than most cozies because I spend time building up the mystery and subplots. I also think my country roots show through in my writing, which is why mine were called “hick lit” for a while. 😉

Do you work from an outline or plot or do you just see where the characters take you?

I’ve tried working from a synopsis or outline, but the characters always veer off course. I begin with character development and having a good idea why the initial crime occurred, then let the characters guide me. They each have their own way of sleuthing and I want the mystery to unfold naturally. When I try to force it, I think the pacing becomes too predictable.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you do anything special to get those reviews?

I don’t read my Amazon or Goodreads reviews unless a reader specifically tags me or sends them to me. I do read blog and professional reviews. If I’m on a blog tour, I always comment on the blog, thanking them for the review. I feel like the product reviews (Amazon, Goodreads, etc) are for readers, not me.

I do have a review team, and they get access to Advanced Reader Copies. Of course, I read those sent to me. I really appreciate anyone taking the time to review after reading.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

A little lipstick wouldn’t have killed you.

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Do you think that the cover plays an important part in someone buying your book(s)? Who designs your book covers?

Definitely! As a voracious reader, I judge books by their cover all the time. Kim Killion of The Killion Group does many of my Past Perfect Press covers. Henery Press has had various artists for my covers.

Please give us an insight into your main characters. What do you think makes them special?

The Maize Albright series is more than just a mystery. As in Women’s Fiction, the stories are focused on the character arc of the protagonist. As an ex-teen TV and reality star, Maizie Albright, returned home to Black Pine, Georgia, determined to start a new career as a private investigator, modeled after her childhood starring role as a “Julie Pinkerton, Teen Detective.” Unfortunately, Maizie’s chosen mentor, Wyatt Nash of Nash Security Solutions, is not a willing teacher and her learning curve includes becoming her own person after spending a life under the thumb of managers, directors, and producers, particularly her stage-monster mother.

In each of the books, Maizie is learning more about herself after a lifetime (she’s 25) of being “directed.” And in this third novel (and fourth story), Maizie finds herself in charge of the business, a major crime, a missing person’s case, and some personal issues that have suddenly cropped up in a week that begins with Wyatt Nash getting blown up in a bank bombing heist.

What have you learned about yourselves since becoming an author?

I’m a lot more right-brained than I ever realized. I’ve never been a math person, and I’ve always dabbled in various “arts” (music, fine art, and creative writing). But I didn’t realize how right-brained I was until I had to look at the business side of writing. And now some of my personality quirks make sense!

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Do you write full-time or part-time?

Sort-of both. I’m a stay-at-home mom and I have a book formatting side business, so I fit in writing when I’m not busy with the other two jobs. 🙂

What do your plans for future projects include?

I have a passion project I’m going to work on in 2019 that may slow some of my mystery writing. A women’s fiction/romantic comedy trilogy that have been on my back-burner for several years. I feel called to write it, so I’m going to spend time on the trilogy this year. But I also plan to release another Maizie Albright (18 Caliber) in 2019 and hopefully another Finley Goodhart Crime Caper. I’d really like to write another Cherry Tucker, but because of contract issues, I’m kind of sitting on that.

What do you think the hardest part of writing is? What is the easiest?

For me, the hardest is sitting in a chair and not getting distracted by other things. I’m one of those people who have no focus or utter focus. There’s no in-between. So I can forget to eat or I’m constantly getting up to look for snacks.

The easiest (and this is probably true of a lot of writers) is coming up with new projects and new characters. Because that’s the fun part of writing.

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What type of books do you like to read? Who are some of your favorite authors?

I read all kinds of genres, it really depends on my mood. The only thing I don’t read much of is non-fiction and when I do, it’s to learn or research something specifically and then I generally don’t finish the book. As long as a book has compelling characters and the pacing and story keep me interested, I’ll read it. I don’t care if it’s YA, science fiction, romance, literary fiction, mysteries, etc.

As for writers, Elmore Leonard is probably my favorite.

What is the one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

I’m thinking about my readers and what they would like when I’m planning on what to write. Even when it’s a new series. 🙂 And I love hearing from them. I always write back when someone sends me an email.

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