Author’s note: When the idea of a spin-off to the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries first came to me, I struggled with who should tell the story. I immediately knew Tilde Tillerson (first introduced in Red Hot Murder) and Mildred Schmidt (first introduced in Murder Next Door) were going to be two of the detectives in the agency, but neither one felt like the main character. I struggled with this for awhile, until I realized that Tilde had a niece named Emily, and she needed to join the agency. Immediately the entire series fell into place. And to introduce Emily to you, I thought I would do a little Q&A, so here goes.
MPW: Welcome Emily. Thanks for agreeing to this interview.
Emily: You know me. I’m happy to be of service.
MPW: So true. How do you like working at the Redemption Detective Agency?
Emily: It’s not at all what I expected to be doing with my life. I always imagined myself in a nice comfortable office surrounded with spreadsheets and checklists, everything neat and orderly with few surprises. Working for a detective agency and solving cases is anything but orderly. You never know what is going to happen.
MPW: Some people might find that a perk.
Emily: Yes, but those people aren’t me. I’ve never particularly liked surprises. I like having a plan and knowing what exactly what my next step is going to be. All that is thrown out the window now that I’m living with Aunt Tilde.
MPW: Aunt Tilde is a bit more of a…free spirit than you are.
Emily: That’s an understatement. But, that said, I’m very grateful to her. She took me in when my life imploded, and she said yes the moment I called her. That’s not something I take lightly.
MPW: I agree, Aunt Tilde has a heart of gold.
Emily: No question, even if she is a little…unorganized. But, despite all of that, I’m actually enjoying myself more than I thought I would.
MPW: Really?
Emily: Yeah, I didn’t think I would like the messiness of trying to solve cold cases, especially unsolveable cold cases which Aunt Tilde insists on being our tag line. But, I have to admit there’s something satisfying about wrapping up all the loose ends that are left when a case is never solved.
MPW: That’s a good point. Cold cases basically are one giant mess of loose ends, aren’t they?
Emily: Indeed. And there’s nothing I like better than tidying those up.
MPW: So, I know you’re not an animal person…
Emily: Heavens no! I like animals just fine. From a distance.
MPW: But in this book, you’re exposed to multiple cats and dogs.
Emily: And don’t get me started on that. You know how I feel about dog and cat hair all over! It’s impossible to clean!
MPW: Yes, but isn’t having the love and companionship of an animal worth it?
Emily: <mumbles something>
MPW: I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.
Emily: I didn’t say anything.
MPW: Right. Okay so the last thing I wanted to ask you about is your love life.
Emily: Are you kidding me? What love life?
MPW: What are you talking about? You meet a couple of eligible men…
Emily: Argh! That’s it! I’ve had enough with men and dating. No more!
MPW: But…
Emily: No buts! I’m done. Hear me. Done!
MPW: …
Emily: I mean it! Done!
Get started with The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive, Book 1 in The Redemption Detective Agency, right here.
