Marian Lanouette talks Jake Carrington and her love for New England

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Liz here, wondering where the heck the summer is going so fast. 

Today I’m delighted to welcome Marian Lanouette, a fellow Connecticut author, to the blog. Marian writes the Jake Carrington Mystery Series. Here’s the blurb for the latest:

A botched missing person’s case.
A nervous mob boss.
Lt. Jake Carrington’s gut tells him Phil Lucci is being cagey-with good reason. Jake can see this case has been mishandled from the beginning. Sloppy police work? Or does Lucci’s hand reach as far as the WPD? It’s Jake’s job to find the answers.
Jake meets Kyra Russell, a woman with an unusual job-she runs the local crematory. Despite the heated attraction between them, Jake becomes more and more suspicious of Kyra. Her gambling problem has already cost her a marriage and custody of her son. More than that, she also happens to be friends with Phil Lucci. Kyra assures Jake that it’s just coincidence, but Jake’s experience and his instincts warn him not to believe in chance. Can Kyra be burning bodies for the mob? If she is, what will Jake do about it?

Marian spent some time Marian Lanouetteanswering a few questions for us here at Wicked Cozy Authors. Thanks, Marian, and welcome!

Tell our readers about your work.
Jake Carrington is so intriguing. Where did his character come from? I was working on another book when Jake popped into my head and  wouldn’t shut up until he wrote down his story. Once I started, I knew he’d take more than one book. Thus, the Jake Carrington Series was born.

What’s the inspiration behind these books?
I love mysteries, and wanted a strong, compassionate character who was flawed. Jake is that character. I also wanted this series to match the single Jake with a married partner. I thought the contrast strengthened the storyline and the characters.

Tell us about your path to publication.
I was lucky within six months of finishing the final draft, I found a small press publisher who wanted the first two stories in my series. I’m working on the third one now.

The Wickeds are all influenced by New England, and write books set here. You moved to New England as a teenager and stayed. What was it about the area that drew you in?
As you stated, my father was transferred here in my senior year of high school.  After graduation I started working and going to school at night, unsure where I’d settle. Well, I met my husband and knew that this was where I wanted to be. Thirty-five years later, I think I made the right decision. I based the Jake Carrington Series town on a Connecticut town and took liberties with it. I like the people and the area.

Burn in HellDo you write in any other genres?
I write romantic suspense as well as mysteries. I’ve also started a cozy series. It’s in the beginning stages so we’ll see where it goes.

What do you love to read?
I love to read mysteries, romantic suspense and biographies, inspirational self-help books…come to think of it. I like to read everything, but mostly mysteries ((wink, wink.))

What’s your next project?
I have three in progress. The third book in the Jake Carrington Series, Mated of Life is a few thousand words away from the completed first draft. I also have romantic suspense Heat Brokers I’m re-writing. I’m also re-writing my very first novel Loss of Power. This year time has been a commodity that I had little of, but I’m back to writing like a crazy woman and hope soon that they will see the light of day.

Marian, thanks so much for visiting! Readers, feel free to ask a question in the comments.

Published by Cate Conte / Liz Mugavero

Cate Conte writes the Cat Cafe Mysteries and the Full Moon Mysteries. As Liz Mugavero, she writes the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, the first of which was an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. She lives in the Boston area with her rescue pals.

20 Thoughts

    1. Thanks, Barbara, it’s wonderful visiting all you talented ladies. In fact, you all can count me a fan of your works.

    1. Thank you, Julie. I can’t wait for your debut book to hit the shelves.

    1. I wrote it as a short story, but LOL, it fell short. I’m now expanding it into a full length novel and loving the results.

      1. I’ll be looking forward to that one too, Marian… curious what prompted you to expand it to full-length. I’m doing the same thing with a short story I wrote. I wrote it. I liked it. But it was too complicated and needed to be a book. It would be interesting to hear your experience with that.

    1. It is, Sherry, I write four days and work my accounting job three days a week. A little hectic, yes, though I love it. I can’t wait to catch up with you again at Crime Bake.

    1. Thank you, Edith. I do love when they haunt me. The trouble right now, is I have six sets fighting to be put down on paper first. We’ll see who wins.

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