In your first book,
Santa gets stabbed with an icicle. Working through a little Christmas rage
there, Billie?
Well, it’s not the REAL Santa Claus. Just someone dressed up
like one so he can hand out naughty little presents to people who have naughty
little secrets. Stuff like that can get you killed.
I'll bet! Chloe and her mother Amanda
are interior decorators. Any particular reason you chose that profession for
them? An interior designer brings order and beauty to your life. Pretty
much the opposite of what a murderer does. Chloe and Amanda’s jobs get them into
some of Birmingham’s most beautiful and expensive homes. They know what
skeletons their clients are hiding in their closets, what secrets they’ve got
coming out of the woodwork. You can’t hide anything from your decorator, which
makes them pretty good – not to mention, well-dressed – detectives.
Yes, that's true. Love the concept, but why is Chloe so
clueless?
I think the term is “adorably clueless.” She’s the
quintessential late bloomer, still figuring things out. She tends to overthink
some things (like her love life) and under-think others (like chasing after
murderers), two tendencies that always get her in trouble.
Any similarities
between you two?
More than I’d like to admit, especially since I’m older than
her. It doesn’t bode well for Chloe that I’m still trying to solve the mystery
of my own love life.
Speaking of that,
Chloe is currently torn between two love interests, Jacob, her
on-again-off-again boyfriend and a dishy detective named Max. Any idea which
one she’s going to end up with?
No clue. Jacob is a commitment-phobe, who wants to keep
their relationship casual. When he saw Chloe’s Fantasy Wedding board on
Pinterest, he took off running. Max is showing definite interest, which bears
further investigation. Which hopefully Chloe will do with all her clothes on
this time.
I love how you work Pinterest into your story. Chloe has her own website, chloegetsaclue.com, Facebook, Pinterest
and Twitter accounts. What do you do when your character goes rogue like that?
I love it, actually. She’s got her own distinct voice and
personality, so let her live in the spotlight and market this book for me. I
prefer to stay under the paparazzi’s radar.
I love, love, love sitting down at my computer and getting
lost in my story. It’s an absolute joy. But a close second is meeting other
writers. Whether its through conferences, classes, my writers’ group or the
writer’s collective, IndieVisible, which I helped start, I am so grateful for
the friendships I’ve made along the way. Connecting with other writers not only
strengthens your work but also helps you market your book – which you have to
do whether you go the indie or the traditional publishing route.
Your book is
laugh-out-loud funny. Any tips on writing humor?
The better you know
your characters, the easier it is to find the humor in your story. The way they
relate to a situation or to other characters are great sources of humor. Chloe,
for instance, is self-deprecating and a little ditzy. Amanda is more
sophisticated and has a dryer sense of humor. Their differences make their
banter funny, but their affection for each other keeps it light.
And I’ve got to ask about your pseudonym. Where
did it come from?
Chloe tells people I’m in the witness protection program,
but truth is that I originally collaborated on this book with my mom, whose
name is Billie and my Dad, whose name is Thomas. My mom passed away
unexpectedly last year so I thought it was a nice way to honor her. She’s the
inspiration for Amanda so I’m incredibly thankful I have this series. Working
on it makes me feel close to her.
What a fitting tribute to her. So what’s next for
these interior decorators turned amateur investigators.
Murder in a Two Seater
will be out in 2013. It’s set at
a classic car show and once again Chloe and Amanda have to keep someone they
love out of trouble.
Billie Thomas is the pseudonym of a Birmingham-based author
who also writes for the advertising industry. She is a founding member of the
writing collective, IndieVisible. And other publications include Bar Code: Your Personal Pocket Decoder to
the Modern Dating Scene. Billie is raising a Rhodesian Ridgeback and still trying to solve the mystery of her
own love life. Contact her at chloegetsaclue.com or on Twitter @ChloeGetsaClue.
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