We are delighted to welcome author Vicki Vass to Omnimystery News today.
Vicki's second mystery in her Antiques Hunters series is Pickin' Murder (Cozy Cat Press; September 2015 trade paperback and ebook formats) and we recently had the chance to catch up with her to talk more about it.
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Omnimystery News: Tell us a little more about the lead characters of the Antiques Hunters series.
Photo provided courtesy of
Vicki Vass
Vicki Vass: They're based on my two closest friends. Anne is an enthusiastic shopper and collector of all things shiny. CC is more pragmatic, frugal and has an incredible wealth of knowledge.
OMN: How do you see them developing over the course of the series?
VV: I would like the characters to have an arc that is true to their spirit and the story. I think we always need to see some growth from book to book as long as it is true to the characters. I think the readers also want to learn more about the characters as the characters learn more about themselves.
OMN: Into what genre would you place this series? And do you think there are any advantages or disadvantages in doing so?
VV: I believe this is a cozy mystery series where the characters' hobbies and personality traits are just as important as the story. I think there are both advantages and disadvantages to labeling a book. The advantage is that you can reach the audience that looks for this type of mystery. The disadvantage is that my books are more bent toward mystery than cozy.
OMN: How much of your own experience have you included in your books?
VV: While I haven't stumbled upon any murders, the antique hunting experiences in the books are based on my personal shopping excursions. From flea markets to antique stores to garage sales, I love to shop and those elements, including some of my finds, make appearances into the books.
OMN: Describe your writing process.
VV: I don't do an outline. I start writing what I call scenes and see the story develop. The scenes later become chapters and may move around as the story becomes fleshed out.
OMN: How do you research the plot points of your stories? Have you come across any particularly challenging or exciting topics?
VV: I rely on the internet, consulting with experts and as I said above first-hand experience. The most challenging topic to research was some of the forensic chemistry of the murders because I try to make every murder unique and technically correct. The most exciting was the many trips to the antique stores that my "research" required.
OMN: How true are you to the settings of the books?
VV: In the first book, Murder by the Spoonful, we didn't take liberties with the setting. It is based in Chicago area that I am familiar with. I feel setting is very important to the characters and the plot because characters will interact differently in different settings. For the second book, Pickin' Murder, we took a road trip to Nashville and used all those locations in the book.
OMN: If we could send you anywhere in the world to research the setting for a book, where would it be?
VV: London. I've always wanted to travel to London and would love to include it as a setting.
OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And have any of these found their way into your books?
VV: My hobbies include antiques, shopping, cooking and walking my Australian shepherd. All of these hobbies have made into the book and probably will continue to.
OMN: What is the best advice — and harshest criticism — you've received as an author?
VV: The best advice I ever received was from my journalism instructor and that was to keep writing. He also taught me the importance of editing. He would tell me to write your story or dump everything into the story and then go back and cut it in half. In terms of criticism, I've had one poor review that said my character CC who I intentionally created as a know-it-all knew too much. Ironically I used the real CC for research because she knows so much.
OMN: Complete this sentence for us: "I am a mystery author and thus I am also …".
VV: I am a mystery author and thus I am also a fan of the genre and naturally inquisitive.
OMN: Tell us more about the titles of the books.
VV: Murder by the Spoonful was not the original title for the first book. The working title was The Spoon Sisters which is the title of the blog that our two characters write in the story. And then it turned to Murder for Sale which depicts the main plot of estate sale murders. And then our publisher decided Murder by the Spoonful would be the best title.
OMN: What kind of feedback have you received from readers?
VV: The feedback has been positive. I've received many requests for additional adventures of Anne and CC. The second book in the series, Pickin' Murder, was published last month.
OMN: Suppose this series were to be adapted for television or film. Who do you see playing the key roles?
VV: If you ask the real CC, she'd be Angelina Jolie. If you ask the real Anne, she'd say herself. I would go with Reese Witherspoon for Anne and Julianne Moore for CC.
OMN: What kinds of books did you read when you were younger?
VV: I read everything as a child from the Little House series to the Wizard of Oz series to Anne of Green Gables. My favorite books were Nancy Drew, of course, the Vicki Barr and Cherry Ames mystery series. I changed the spelling of my first name after reading Vicki Barr. That probably influenced my decision to write cozy mysteries. My favorite all-time literature books are Pride and Prejudice, which I read in sixth grade, Gone With the Wind and To Kill a Mockingbird. When reading those, it made me realize I wanted to be a writer. I still read everything and have a pile of books around the house and tons of titles downloaded onto my Kindle.
OMN: When selecting a book to read today for pleasure, what do you look for?
VV: I look for an engrossing story. With a full-time job and writing fiction, I don't have a lot of spare time to read so when I do pick up a book, I want to be transported and feel what the characters are feeling. And, I want to read about engaging characters.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any topic.
VV: My Top 5 Restaurants in American Cities:
1. Trattoria Stefano in Sheboygan, Wisc. A small storefront farm-to-table Italian classic restaurant. Everything is locally sourced and made fresh by an award-winning chef.
2. Pancake Pantry in Nasvhille, Tenn. Best pecan pancakes I've ever had and the chance of running into Keith Urban. Definitely worth waiting in line.
3. The Optimist in Atlanta. A modern take on an old-fashioned seafood camp. Great seafood and fun ambiance.
4. Shaw's brunch in Chicago. All-you-can eat crab legs. Need I say more.
5. St. Elmo Steakhouse in Indianapolis. 45-day aged filet and walk it off in the Circle Centre walkway that hovers above the streets.
OMN: What next for you?
VV: Next, I am writing a new series loosely based on my next-door neighbor, the 74-year-old guardian of our block. In this case, truth is stranger than fiction as I've unraveled her history in writing about her in the Neighborhood Watch series. I have a sack of photos of her with Frank Sinatra, Bob Conrad and other Chicago legends, famous and infamous. Who knew? I know her as Grandma Pat. The first book in the series, The Postman is Late, will be coming to Amazon in October. After that, I plan to put away the pile of clothes in my closet and make my way through the stack of books scattered around.
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With a passion for shopping and antiques, Vicki Vass turned in her reporter's notebook to chronicle the adventures of Anne and CC, two antique hunters who use their skills to solve a murder case. She has also written more than 1400 stories for the Chicago Tribune as well as other commercial publications. She lives in the Chicago area.
For more information about the author, please visit her website and her author page on Goodreads, or find her on Facebook.
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Pickin' Murder by Vicki Vass
An Antique Hunters Mystery
Publisher: Cozy Cat Press
Antique hunters Anne Hillstrom and CC Muller witness the tragic death of rising country star, Dave Southwell. The police determine Southwell's death is an accident. CC has her doubts, so when they are commissioned to hunt down musical antiques they head to Nashville looking for clues.
Along the way, both women find romance, but new love gets put on the back burner when they're snooping makes them a target for an unknown killer.
— Pickin' Murder by Vicki Vass
