Friday Feature: Meet Debby Grahl and her cozy mystery, Decorated to Death #HolidayBooks

Continuing my #HolidayBooks spotlight (all this month and all next month, right through New Years!)... Today I'm chatting with author Debby Grahl, who has a new Christmas cozy mystery out this season.

She already has several books to her name as well as stories in a few anthologies, and a new dark magick romance coming mid-December from The Wild Rose Press. She also lives in one of my favorite spots - Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, where my husband and I spent our honeymoon so many years ago. And where she probably has seen a thing or two about decorating to death, lol.

Welcome Debby!

Debby: Thank you, Katie, for having me today.

Tell us a little about yourself, and what kind of books you like to read and write.
 
Debby: Here's the official bio: Debby Grahl lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, with her husband, David. Besides writing, she enjoys biking, walking on the beach and a glass of wine at sunset. Her favorite places to visit are New Orleans, New York City, Captiva Island in Florida, the Cotswolds of England, and her home state of Michigan. She’s a history buff who also enjoys reading murder mysteries, time travel, and, of course, romance. Visually impaired since childhood by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) she uses screen-reading software to research and write her books.

Her first published book, The Silver Crescent, won the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers’ Choice award. Her second book, Rue Toulouse, a contemporary romance set in New Orleans, was a finalist in the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award and was selected as a May, 2016, ‘local read’ by Hilton Head Monthly.

Decorated to Death is a holiday mystery cozy. She also has stories in three anthologies, The Haunted West, Never Fear/Christmas Terrors; and Ebb and Flow from the local Island Writers’ Network.



Nice bio, Debby. Now tell us in your own words.
Debby: I write both paranormal and contemporary romance. In reading, I enjoy mystery cozies, especially those classics by Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Dorothy L. Sayers. In romance, I like historical and contemporary along with paranormal with ghosts, witches, and time travel.

 
What's your favorite part of being an author?
Debby: I’d have to say the happiness I feel when someone tells me how much they liked reading my books. It still amazes me that my stories bring people such enjoyment.

 
I love that answer, and totally agree. Readers make it worth the effort. What's your approach to writing? Do you plot or go with the flow? 
Debby: I outline my plot, location and characters, but mostly I write by the seat of my pants.

 
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why? 
Debby: I’d love to be able to time travel. How fun would it be to meet historical people and experience life in a different century. Although, I’d make sure wherever I went I had the funds to support me in a comfortable environment. I like indoor plumbing and either gas or electric lights.


Tell us about your new/latest release! 
Debby: Decorated To Death is a mystery cozy set in a small town. The residents of Newcomsville are getting ready for their annual Christmas tour of historic homes, but in the middle of their preparations dead bodies send the town into turmoil.

Okay, you’re casting the movie version of your novel – who would you choose for the main characters? We’re talking dream cast.
Debby: I’d love to cast Jake Gyllenhaal and Kirsten Dunst!

 
Nice cast! I'd see that movie. Okay, Tell us where readers can find your book and where can they find you online?
Debby: Readers can find me online at these spots:

Website: www.debbygrahl.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbygrahlauthor?ref=br_rs
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Debby-Grahl/e/B00B34HM26
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebbyGrahl






Thanks for being my guest today, Debby! Happy Holidays!