Author Patricia Sargeant’s alter ego Olivia Matthews is kicking off a new cozy mystery series. I recently speak with her about Murder by Page One.
Tell me about your latest book.
Chandra!!! Thank you so much for this invitation. It’s always such a pleasure chatting with you. You’re so much fun!
My latest book, Murder by Page One, is the first book in my new Peach Coast Library Mystery series, which I’m writing as Olivia Matthews. It’s a cozy mystery series featuring a librarian as our amateur sleuth. Marvey Harris is a native New Yorker who relocates to the small—very small—coastal Georgia town of Peach Coast to advance her career. So she’s a fish out of water. Listen, I had a ton of fun showing her adjusting to life in a small Southern town after growing up in Brooklyn, New York. Ha!
What inspired you to write it?
As I’ve gotten…shall we say “more seasoned”…with my writing career—ha!–I’ve wanted to take every opportunity I could to tell stories that not only entertain but also inform. Libraries are so very important. Without libraries, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t have learned to love books or discovered my love for writing. And I really appreciate and admire librarians. I’m so grateful to them. They were my internet before I had the internet. They were my Google search before Google. So imagine my surprise when I met people who didn’t have a library card or go to the library or understand the importance of libraries. (Gasp!!!) Tragic.
Through my Peach Coast Library Mystery series, I hope to help people understand how and why libraries make communities stronger—why it’s important to support libraries. They’re more than a place for books. Although that’s tremendously important. But they also provide services like help with job searches. They offer homework help programs for students. Many libraries offer programs for people who want to start a small business or grow their business. But these services depend on community support. By the way, April 4-10 is National Library Week, and the theme for 2021 is “Welcome to Your Library.” Isn’t that awesome?
When did you fall in love with the written word?
Oh, great question! Thank you! I believe I truly fell in love with the written word when I was nine years old. My sister and I used to go to our local library every weekend. One day, she introduced me to Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken. That story made me truly fall in love with reading, and it made me want to become an author.
What’s the best part of being an author?
There are so many really great things about being an author. Wouldn’t you agree? For today, I’ll focus on the ability to tell my stories. That’s really, really great. Building worlds and characters that convey the story and the message I want to share with readers.
What’s the hardest part of being an author?
LOL! Building worlds and characters that convey the story and the message I want to share. LOL! Chandra, I think you understand what I’m trying to say. It’s two sides of the same coin. Would you agree? It’s a thrill when I’m able to create the world my characters inhabit and the story I want them to tell. Conversely, when it’s not working—when the world and/or the characters aren’t coming together—it’s super frustrating.
What books have you read lately and loved?
Oh! Sit down and pull up a chair. I’m a pinch behind in my reading, but recently I loved The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey. It’s a delicious mystery. Before that, I loved Rebel, a historical romance by Beverly Jenkins. I have Wild Rain, the second book in her Women Who Dare series, teasing me from my bookshelf. Such a tease! But right now, I’m reading A Free Man of Color, a historical mystery by Barbara Hambly. It’s due back to the library in a couple of weeks.
What book(s) are you most excited to read next?
Oh, thank you for asking! So many books, so little time. Ha! As I mentioned, Beverly Jenkins’s Wild Rain is teasing me terribly. And I’ve pre-ordered Stacey Abrams’s thriller While Justice Sleeps due out May 2021, and The Conductors by Nicole Glover, which I believe is due out March 2021. (Screaming with excitement!!!) Have you heard of these titles? They sound so great!
What’s next for you?
Wow! Thank you so much for asking, Chandra. There are so many projects swirling around in my mind. But I’ve got to remain focused. So many projects, so little time. And candidly, all of the upheaval of 2020—and there were A LOT; let’s keep it 100—set me back even farther than I’d thought. I’m hoping to continue my sports romance series, the Brooklyn Monarchs, in 2021.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
I want to thank you so very much for welcoming me to your blog again. You’re so fabulous. I’d also like to thank the readers who encourage and support my work. You all keep me lifted. Thank you! For readers who haven’t tried any of my stories yet, I hope you’ll give Murder by Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery a chance. I’m writing that series as Olivia Matthews, and I had such a great time with it. If you aren’t sure about it, ask your local library to get a copy or four. Ha!
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of Murder by Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery.
To learn more about author Patricia Sargeant who writes mysteries as Olivia Matthews, visit her website or connect with her on social media.
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