Make Note of Marilyn Levinson

Greetings, Noters!

Wow—a lot can happen in a week, can’t it? It’s hard to believe Over My Dead Blog is out in the world and that readers are finally getting to enjoy Winnie’s story. And enjoying they are! I am so touched by the kind words folks have sent about how much they love Winnie, her friends, and Copper Bay. It’s such an honor to read messages like this. It makes all the challenges this book overcame worth it, and I thought I’d share some with you!

“Over My Dead Blog is proof that Burr's writing gets better and better with each story she writes.” - J.C. Kenney, author of the upcoming Elmo Simpson Mysteries

“Fantastic start to a new series! I loved everything about this.” - Bookstagrammer @meandmybooks22

“The author has a way of writing the most cozy settings and small town communities, even with a hometown killer!” - Bookstagrammer @claudiachapters

“Burr knows how to write a cozy community! I felt right at home in Copper Bay from page one, and I can’t wait for a return visit.” - Leah Dobrinska, author of the Larkspur Library Mysteries

Eeek! I am over the moon from all the enthusiasm and bookish love you’ve all sent my way. My guest this week is no stranger to praise for her amazing cozy mystery series. Without further ado…

A Bit About the Author: A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook, she writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Overdue or Die, the seventh book in the series, had its debut on October 10th. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series. Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice and has recently come out in a new edition. And Don't Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Her YA horror, The Devil's Pawn, will be out in a new edition next year. Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids and playing with her kittens, Romeo and Juliet. Learn more about Marilyn at http://www.marilynlevinson.com.

Marilyn, as a dear friend and fellow Writers Who Kill blogger, it’s great to have you on Noteworthy to celebrate the release of Overdue or Die. This is Book Seven in the Haunted Library Mysteries—what an accomplishment! Tell us, what book made you first fall in love with reading?

I loved reading books as soon as I learned to read. I can't remember the book per se, but I remember the series. Mostly mysteries: Nancy Drew, Judy Bolton, Trixie Belton. And nurse Cherry Ames.

Ah, my beloved Nancy Drew. Such an icon. How did your love of reading evolve into a love of writing? How did you begin your writing journey?

I started writing stories in the third grade. It must have been the third grade since I still have the notebook containing the stories, and the writing is cursive, which we learned in third grade. I didn't manage to sell any. I also remember creating a pseudonym, never realizing I'd have an actual pseudonym one day.

I mentioned that Overdue or Die is the seventh book in your Haunted Library Mysteries. When you first began writing Carrie’s story, did you ever think you would make it this far?

I honestly never thought about how far the series would continue.

Isn’t it wild how our characters take shape and continue to write their own stories? What trouble has Carrie discovered this time around?

Lots of trouble, as usual. Dylan, her fiancé, is assaulted, and his newly inherited painting is stolen.  Martha Mallory, the owner of the art gallery, has just been murdered, and Evelyn expects Carrie to find Martha's killer. And Carrie is determined to find the perfect wedding venue where she and Dylan will be married.

You have a lot of wonderful supporting characters in Clover Ridge. Do you have a character that you feel particularly connected to? Why or why not?

I love all my supporting characters and enjoy bringing them back in each book. I have a special fondness for Jim Singleton, Carrie's dad. Jim was a professional thief, if not a very successful one. He turns his life around, largely in order to regain Carrie's trust. Their relationship grows stronger and closer over the course of the series.

Let’s explore more of your writing world. What does your workspace look like? Is there anything you need for a successful day of writing?

The area around my computer is a mess. So often I tell myself I'm going to clear it up, but I only get as far as straightening up a few papers. I have a large screen so I can see everything clearly and in a large-enough font.

What is your favorite, can’t-live-without writing tool?

My computer, I suppose. I can't write in longhand since my handwriting is terrible. Besides, I have arthritis and my hand would start to hurt after I'd written a paragraph.

I used to be very proud of my handwriting, but over the years, it has deteriorated so badly, so I agree that my computer has become my lifeline. For our final question, you stumble across a crime scene. What book character are you alerting first? Why?

I think I'll go with Sherlock Holmes because I can depend on his keen intelligence and method of sleuthing and discovering clues.

Elementary, my dear Marilyn! Yes, Sherlock would make a great sleuthing partner. Thank you so much for being here today on Noteworthy.

Noters, Overdue or Die is available now wherever books are sold. Make sure to grab your copy today!

Overdue or Die: Carrie Singleton has more than her fair share on her plate: her job at the Clover Ridge Library, preparing for her wedding to Dylan Avery, and hoping that the local art gallery doesn’t steal away one of her part-time employees. Her fiancé, Dylan, accompanies her to the beautiful home of Victor Zalinka—art collector and successful businessman—to select paintings for an art show at the library. While Carrie muses that Victor's home would be the perfect wedding venue, Dylan spots a forgery among the paintings in Victor's collection.

Then Martha Mallory is found murdered in her art gallery. With the assistance of Evelyn, the library ghost; the resident cat, Smoky Joe; and the office manager of Dylan’s private investigation company, Carrie comes up with a suspect list long enough to rival the size of an encyclopedia. During her investigation, Carrie stumbles across a terrible truth: Martha’s murder was part of something far bigger and more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. And it all leads back to the art gallery.

How far will Carrie go to find the killer and uncover the truth? If the killer finds her first—will Carrie finally be taken out of circulation?