A Conversation with Mystery Author Louise Gaylord

with Louise Gaylord

We are delighted to welcome mystery author Louise Gaylord to Omnimystery News today, courtesy of JKSCommunications, which is coordinating her current book tour. We encourage you to visit all of the participating host sites; you can find her schedule here.

Louise's new stand-alone novel of suspense is Sutton Place (Little Moose Press; August 2013 hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook formats) is a prequel to her 2007 novel Julia Fairchild. We recently caught up with the author to talk about her books.

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Omnimystery News: How you decide between writing a series novel and a stand-alone?

Photo provided courtesy of
Louise Gaylord

Louise Gaylord: I do not create a plot outline. I let the story develop as I write. My characters come with their own storylines. I have been fortunate to have them tell me their stories.

OMN: What kinds of research do you conduct for your books?

LG: Research is a guilty pleasure for me. My next Allie Armington Mystery, A Cruise to Die For, has 11 tabs in that research notebook. Some of the areas I cover are: Armington Family History, backstory, characters as they appear. Ship Information and Cruise Schedule. Port Information: Venice, Italy; Hvar, Croatia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Taormina, Sicily; Sorrento, Italy and Civitavecchia, (Rome) Italy. I try to be as true to a setting as possible.

OMN: Tell us more about the cover design for Sutton Place.

LG: I am very pleased with the Sutton Place cover. It makes a statement about the life Julia leads without being too obvious. I have been fortunate to have Santa Monica-based Albertine Designs do the covers for all seven of my books.

OMN: What is the best advice — and harshest criticism — you've received as an author?

LG: The best advice I have received is: entertain yourself. My harshest criticism is a tendency to let my hero be passive. Ouch! Many rewrites. But I'm lucky to have an editor who keeps me in the active mode. I had the opportunity to give this advice to an aspiring writer: Use the BIC Method. BIC: Butt in chair!

OMN: What kinds of books do you read for pleasure?

LG: I am a voracious reader. Anything and everything.

OMN: What's next for you?

LG: A Cruise to Die For. Stay tuned!

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Louise Gaylord's stories whisk readers out of their reality and plunge them fully into the ones she creates. Best known for her numerous Allie Armington mysteries, Louise also has the Julia Fairchild trilogy of novels to her credit, and a charming recipe book, which round her out as a multi-genre writer.

Louise lives in Houston, Texas, though she might be found writing almost anywhere in the world. Learn more about the author on her website, LouiseGaylordAuthor.com, or find her on Facebook.

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Sutton Place
Louise Gaylord
A Novel of Suspense

The Fairchilds were a happy family of wealthy New York stock, with two loving daughters. Until the secrets started to surface.

The first secret was revealed when Julia was told the truth about her father. Her reaction to the revelation sent her spinning out of control.

The second secret concerned the parentage of Julia's sister, Ariel. How Ariel responded to the revelation astounded the rest of the family.

Now Julia is building a superb reputation at one of New York's finest hospitals. The future looks bright until a romantic weekend turns into a disaster. Fleeing home and family, she moves to New Mexico and starts to pull her life together.

Just when it looks like things are heading toward happily-ever-after, events in New York draw Julia back to Sutton Place, where she learns of Ariel's secret life and finds herself facing her worst nightmare.