Tell us a little about Midnight on the Mississippi.
What lies beneath the black water of the bayou? Hunter Galen, a New
Orleans securities broker, suspects his business partner, James Nowak, of
embezzling their clients’ money, but he’s reluctant to jeopardize their
friendship. After James turns up dead, Hunter realizes his unwillingness to
confront a problem may have cost James his life. Nicki Price, a newly minted
PI, intends to solve the stockbroker’s murder as she establishes herself in the
career she adores. As she ferrets out fraud and deception at Galen-Nowak
Investments, Hunter’s fiancée, Ashley Menard, rubs her the wrong way. Nicki
doesn’t trust the ostentatious woman who seems to be hiding something, but is
the PI’s growing attraction to Hunter—the police’s only suspect—her true reason
for disliking Ashley? As Hunter and Nicki encounter sophisticated shell games,
blackmail, and death threats both subtle and overt, danger swirls around them
like the mysterious dark water of the bayou. Only their reliance on faith and
fearless determination give them hope they will live to see another day.
What inspired you to write this story? I have been intrigued by the mystery and
romance of the French Quarter of New Orleans for years. My husband and I took
frequent trips there while my mother-in-law was living in the Panhandle of
Florida in the pre-Katrina days. We’ve been back many times since, and I knew I
needed to set my first mystery/romance in that timeless city that I fell in
love with.
If you were in your heroine’s shoes when the story
starts, would you react differently than she? How so? No, I believe I would have reacted exactly as
Nicki Price did. I usually stumble into situations that I’m totally unprepared
for, but I make it my life’s work to learn the necessary skills to improve
myself, no matter what the occasion.
How would you label the overall mood of your stories:
dark, gritty, poignant, sensitive, heart-warming, light, witty, humorous,
adventurous? I would label it as
poignant and heart-warming, but also adventurous and (hopefully!) humorous. I
don’t like reading books that are dark or graphic, so I couldn’t write one if I
tried.
A sneak peek into what you're working on right now? I’m putting the finishing touches on What Happened on Beale Street, book
2 of my Secrets of the South Mysteries.
When a talented musician is found dead in Memphis, two PI’s are determined to
find their friend’s killer among a list of suspects longer than the Mississippi
River. Releases in February of 2016.
If your life were a book, what would the title be? I Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now, by Mary Ellis
Describe your writing space. Right now I’m working in my screened-in porch. I absolutely love it out
here, even when it gets hot and humid. Since I live in Ohio, I’m cooped up in
my normal office space for far too many months of the year.
What do you do for a fun break if you find yourself
overwhelmed with writing pressures? I
take my dog for a long walk down my dead-end road. It’s good for both of
us—mind and body!
Do you blog? If so, leave us the address. I blog from
time-to-time at www.maryeellis.wordpress.com
Bonus fun questions:
Where is your favorite spot to read? Anywhere
next to water—a lake, the ocean, or even the creek that runs through my yard. I
find peace and serenity near water.
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