Honk if you go crazy in paradise

Liz McKeown
Nashville Books Examiner

Take a beloved aunt who dies suddenly, add a sleazy lawyer and an injured hottie who appears out of nowhere and you've got Crazy in Paradise. Deborah Brown, the author of this romantic mystery, lives in paradise. On the physical plane, they call it Key Largo, Florida.

Question: Did any of the action in this book ever happen to you?

Answer: The book chronicles a six-year period in my life, of people that I met and events that happened. For anyone who has traveled to South Florida, my characters are very typical of the people you’d meet there. It’s definitely a hot bed of unsophisticated criminals waiting to take advantage. The whole Will storyline had truthful elements but once arrested, fiction took over.

Question: Would you call Crazy in Paradise a mystery romance or maybe a romantic mystery?

Answer: My pick would be mystery romance. I intentionally focused on fast-paced action from chapter to chapter. In future books, I want Madison to grow as a character and become smarter. Not being the same one-dimensional character, making the same mistakes from book to book.

Question: I don't think romantic mysteries are a genre, but it's time you start one, don't you think?

Answer: I like your idea of romantic mystery as a genre. Life isn’t one dimensional, so books shouldn't be either. There have been books I've read that stated they were mystery/romance. Having read the book, I realized the whole book contained romance, and the mystery was to imply whom the heroine was going to choose as a mate. Choosing the right genre is important for your readers so they don’t feel cheated.

Question: Who is your favorite mystery writer?

Answer: Hands down, James Patterson is my favorite writer. I love Nora Roberts. I like the Tilly Bagshawe books where she’s writing in the Sidney Sheldon style.

Question: Who is your favorite romance writer?

Answer: Sandra Brown ~ I met her at a conference and she was very gracious to new writers. Meg Cabot, Gemma Halliday.

Question: Since your book is so funny, I may as well ask who your favorite comedy shows and comedians are.

Answer: I watched Two and a Half Men on occasion – I loved the Charlie Sheen character. I caught an episode of The Simpsons recently and thought what a great show for character descriptions. A man was introduced and my first thought was, “What’s bigger ~ his ears or his mouth?” The truth is, my preference is drama shows over comedy. I like Jimmy Kimmel, Jay Leno, and Comedy Central. I love dry humor and for myself, I have to soften it with a laugh or people just think I’m mean. My favorite is when I say something I think is funny and laugh my head off and the other person just stares at me. The usual comment is “You think you’re funny don’t you?” My answer a resounding “Yes!”

Question: Are you or have you been a property manager, like your main character?

Answer: Yes, I was a manager for a property not unlike The Tarpon Cove Cottages. And like Madison, I had no experience. I rented to felons, drunks and those with shined up, sad stories. My advice to Madison – do background checks. Someone once told me, “nice gets you walked on in this town,” and there were no truer words. Miss January and Joseph were based on tenants that I had, both have since died, but the crazy people that they were live on.

Question: What do you like best about living in Key Largo?

Answer: I love the white sandy beaches, the beautiful blue-green water where you can see your feet when you kick and splash through the waves. When I have time, I take my beach chair, put it in the water, sit and read. I love the casual life style, bra optional, flip flops a must. I like to be able to sit outside on a beautiful day, walk, pickup shells, ride my bike, and make a stop for that Caramel Frappe that I love.

Question: Does a cat own you? Describe it.

Answer: Cats rule in my house ~ three in total!! I’m here to do their bidding ~ feed them, clean up after them, and scratch behind their necks on meow command with simultaneous head butting of my hand. They totally ignore me during the summer but I’m their best friend in winter when they want to lie on my face and all over me. Thank goodness for king-size beds, one shares my pillow and the other two sleep at the foot.

To check out Crazy in Paradise, click on the following link: http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-in-Paradise-ebook/dp/B0059AJ8V8

My Worst Job Ever

My Worst Job Ever:

I was fresh out of college, and needed immediate income and time to interview for my dream job, which was in advertising, so cocktail waitressing at a country western bar seemed like the perfect fit. I knew nothing about country western music and never waitressed but the hours were 9pm until 3am. The owner saw something in me, desperation perhaps and he hired me on the spot. He informed me after the interview if I wanted to make any money, I should go buy myself some boobs. Back then, I was super thin and flat chested. I went straight to the store and purchased myself a pair of 36 B’s, which made my body look like it had been taken over by a pair of boobs. My new gigantic bra complimented the rest of the uniform, red short shorts, a tight white t-shirt, and low heels. I remember debuting that outfit to my sister and she laughed until she choked. We both laughed that when you poked me in the chest there was spring back action. The bar patrons were nice and so were my co-workers but I was a fish out of water. A lot like Dorothy when she realized she wasn’t in Kansas anymore. I looked and acted like the unsophisticated girl that I was. I met a couple of guys while I worked there, one in particular but I was too embarrassed to say yes to a date. The hours turned out to be the only perk of the job leaving me time to job hunt when I wasn’t completely exhausted. I’d get home at 4am, wired and unable to go to sleep, smelling like the bottom of an ashtray and the inside of a beer bottle from head to toe. Four weeks later, I was hired as a receptionist in advertising. I was happy to quit my night job and even happier that my boss didn’t want any notice. We had an amicable breakup.

10 Things About Me!!

1.  Youngest of four -  A Daddy's girl!!
2.  Girly Girl
3.  Love cats - all of my cats have been rescued
4.  I love bad boys in fast cars
5.  Born and raised in Los Angeles - Left in 2002 and never looked back
6.  I don't look or act my age
7.  I've published my first book and the sequel to be out in January 2012
8.  I love to make people laugh
9.  There's nothing better than sand between my toes, picking up seashells
10. Voracious reader

Good Things About Autumn

Piles and piles of leaves
Flannel sheets
Big, steamy kettles of soup
Thick socks in the morning
Afternoon nap under your favorite throw
Big pumpkins
Smell of the first rain of the season
Reading a good book bundled in a blanket
Trick or treaters
Fire in the fireplace
Going for a walk, listening to the leaves go crunch under  your feet
Crisp, cool air
One extra hour of sleep ~ daylight savings time ends

“Uncle Daddy”

“Liam,” I called when I saw him sitting in the barbecue area.  I walked over and sat down next to him.   “I haven’t seen you in awhile.  How have you been?” 

            “My mom has a new boyfriend.  He’s in the I want to impress you stage.”

            “Do you like him?”

            “I liked him better when he was married to my aunt,” he said looking down.

            “Are you okay?”  I brushed his blonde hair out of his face.  Married to his aunt?

            “Just downloaded a new game on my phone.”

            “Who’s that?”  I nodded toward a tall man, pencil thin mustache, shuffling across the driveway.  I’d be afraid if I ran into him at night, I thought to myself.

"Uncle Daddy."

I couldn't help myself I laughed.  "Who?"

"My mom's new boyfriend.  That's what he wants me to call him."

"What’d you say?"

"I asked him if he was drunk."

“Bet he didn’t like that.”

"My mom doesn’t make good choices when it comes to men.  Her own sister kicked him to the curb.  My mom is way too nice.  I thought when he was coming around we should be nice to him because he was getting a divorce.  I knew it was serious when they showed up together at my grandmother’s.  He’s got to go – soon.  I’m working on a plan."

"If you need help with that plan I know someone who will drop-kick his butt into the next state."

"I’ll let you know."

"Do you have my number in that fancy phone of yours?  Nice by the way."  I fumbled in my purse pulling out my cell phone.  "Here, use my phone to call yourself and then we'll have each other’s numbers."

"You have a cool phone too."  He checked out my programs before handing it back.

"What about Kevin?"  Kevin was his uncle and a local sheriff.  I knew he could be over protective but I also knew it was because he loved his sister and nephew.

"I can't do that to my mom.  He’d come over and blow everything up and I’d have to go stay with him until my mom got rid of Uncle Daddy.  I hate going there for more than a day.  Kevin treats me like a baby.  The first he thing he’d do is take away my phone."

"Why?"

"He thinks twelve is too young for a phone.  I think it's because I have a better phone than him.  Besides my mom needs me, I watch her back.  Kev is by the book, all he thinks about is his job and catching criminals."

"If you ever need anything, you can call me anytime, twenty-four hours.  This guy I can call, he’s big and scary and no one messes with him."

"Thanks.  You're cool."

"You're not bad yourself.  Just remember, call anytime."

“Thanks.”

 "So, have you called him Uncle Daddy?"

He looked at me and rolled his eyes.  "No.  Are you kidding?"

"How do you get around it?"

"He's a dumbass.  I don't talk to him, but if I have to say something I look his way and start talking."  I laughed again.  I loved this kid.

Title:  Crazy in Paradise

Author:  Deborah Brown

Publisher:  Paradise Books, LLC

Paperback:  341 pages

ISBN:  13:  978-1463550622

ISBN:  10:  1463550626

JAPT:  Congratulations on the publication of your novel.  Tell me about your book.

DB:  When Madison Westin, the main character, inherits her aunt’s beachfront motel in the Florida Key, or so she thinks.  Tarpon Cove is not your typical sleepy beach town:  Seduction, drunks, ex-cons and fugitives are not the usual fare for someone looking to start a new chapter in their life.  Wrestling control of the property from both the lawyer and the conniving motel manager will be no easy feat.  But Madison likes living on the edge so she felt right at home.   Bullets fly, a dead body turns up, a kidnapping and blackmail.  Madison really has to learn not to leave home without her Glock or it could get her killed.

JAPT:  Where did the idea of the book come from?

DB:  The idea came from real life.  I have met so many interesting characters and have been in situations I thought deserved their own novel.  The fun is having the characters surprise you, turning them loose in one direction to see where they take you.  I love to let the character go and be interesting while doing it.  Creating characters where there was no end to bad behavior and they weren’t all good or bad.  An added plus is I get to unleash my sense of humor.

JAPT:  What is your favorite quote from the book?

DB:    “Call me if anything creepy happens.  I’ll bring my big guns, and we’ll play shootout.”

JAPT:  Can we expect a sequel?

DB:  Yes.  I have written my “fat outline” for the next book in the series, Murder in Paradise.  Some of the fun characters will be back with another murder to solve.  A person from Madison’s past makes their debut and brings chaos to town. 

JAPT:  Who is your favorite author?

DB:   It’s hard to choose one favorite with so many great ones out there.  I love mainstream fiction.   Tilly Bagshawe, Sandra Brown, Jackie Collins, Janet Evanovich, Carl Hiaasen,  James Patterson, Sidney Sheldon, to name a few.  I love books that are an “E” ticket amusement ride.   Books that are laugh out loud.

JAPT:  Tell us about your writing day.

DB:   I do most of my writing in an overstuffed chair, laptop on my lap, looking out at the water.  I get up in the morning and turn my laptop on while drinking my coffee.  I sit and write until life interrupts.  I can get more done in my pjs than anyone I know.    I schedule in exercise of some sort during the day.  Much like my character I loathe the gym.  In cooler weather I bike around the water and in hot weather I swim.  I read one author’s goal was to write 10k words a day and realized I needed a goal.  I settled on 2-3K words.

JAPT:  What inspired you to become a writer?

DB:  I was always writing.  When I was a kid I had fantasy land going on in my head.  In high school, I wrote short stories, poetry, long tortuous love letters that my best friend at the time convinced me they were better kept in a shoe box than sent out.  Actually, her suggestion was to burn the love letters.  I wrote two novels and after many rejections they found a place under the bed.  Three years ago I decided to sit down and write and not give up.  I’d met so many characters, I felt compelled to bring them to life.  I found out I missed writing.

JAPT:  What made you decide to self-publish?

DB:   I tried to be traditionally published.  It’s hard to gage with form rejection letters.  The percentages of landing that coveted agent are dismal.  Everything  I’d heard about self-publishing was that it was vanity books.  One would never be taken seriously, that it is the kiss of death with an agent.  Last year, a friend sent me an article about e-publishing and then I started reading news articles.  After researching, I realized eBooks have come a long way and that they are the future.   I read about the experiences of writers Joe Konrath and John Locke.  I had nothing to lose.  I didn’t see a downside.

JAPT:   If I take a look inside your refrigerator what would I find?

DB:  Condiments, bottled water, yogurt and chocolate.

JAPT:   Dog or Cat?

DB:   Cat!  I’ve had lots of cats over the years and all of them I’ve rescued from the streets.  I’d definitely have a dog if it could walk itself.  Keeping fish alive didn’t work out for me. 

JAPT:  Thank you for the interview.

DB:  Thank you.

Available at Amazon.com in paperback and on Kindle and Smashwords