Monday, July 22, 2013

Scene of the Crime with Author Lesley A. Diehl!



This week I'd like to introduce you all to Lesley A. Diehl, a retired professor of psychology who spends part of the year in rural Florida and the other part in upstate New York. Perhaps it's a coincidence that the cozy mysteries she writes have strong country gals who live in each location, but I don't think so!

The series set in upstate New York has an amateur sleuth who likes to brew her own beer, and the second features Emily Rhodes, a woman who enjoys life in rural Florida. According to Lesley's website, these two will soon be joined by a third-- Eve Appel, a Connecticut transplant who moves to Florida to set up a consignment shop with her best friend. Stop by tomorrow for my review of Grilled, Chilled and Killed, in which Emily Rhodes deals with barbeque sauce, moonshine, and a feral pig, among other things!

Lesley A. Diehl


As always, I've done a bit of wandering along the information superhighway to find some links so that you can learn more about this talented writer:




I hope you make use of the links, not only to learn more about Lesley, but to connect with her, too. Now let's get to the interview!




What was the very first book you remember reading and loving? What makes that book so special?

In fifth or sixth grade all of my classmates were reading the Nancy Drew books.  I was the odd kid in the class because I was a farm girl and not one of the children from the town, sons and daughters of doctors, lawyers, business people or workers at the local printing plant.  The stereotypes about farm kids were that they were either stupid, lazy and dirty or wealthy and stuck up.  Both views were clearly incorrect, but these barriers helped to keep farm kids at the fringes of classmates.  So by the time I found out about Nancy Drew, the books were backlisted for checking out at the school as well as at the local library.   To my delight I found that Carolyn Keene wrote another mystery series, little known even today.  It was The Dana Girls-- double the sassiness of the singular Nancy.  I don’t remember what the titles of any of the books were, but I remember I loved the spunk of the sisters and their ability to solve crimes.  I was hooked.  My next choice of books was not Nancy Drew, but Agatha Christie.  And I was on my way to being hooked by murder.


Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time?

I love to cook.  My husband and I both cook, sometimes together.  It’s probably the one thing we do together without conflict.  And, of course, we love to eat which forces us to work out at the fitness club, something we’d like to say we love, but only after we’ve done it.  We also hike, I garden-- both vegetables and flowers-- and I do a lot of reading.  I love to yard sale and visit consignment shops.  Our cottage is furnished largely from these sources.  Never buy new is my motto.


If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go? (I like seeing and doing things that aren't in all the guide books.)

My hometown is in Northern Illinois and was at one time around the latter part of the 20th century the home of a seminary college.  In the center of town there is still the college square made up of the old stone buildings that were offices, classrooms, dormitories, the infirmary and the physical education building.  It is beautiful.  After the college closed, the buildings were purchased by various publishing enterprises including the magazine Poultry Tribune.  The square is still there and is a pleasant place to stroll in summer and fall.  I believe the community bandstand still sits on the grounds.  Weekly concerts were performed by the town band.  I think they may still exist during the summer months.  The last time I was in town, many businesses had closed, but the town still has the idyllic look of the perfect Midwestern village with a town square.


You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you?

Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren

I couldn’t think of anyone, so I asked my husband and he chose two actresses, both a lot better looking and much thinner than I, but I’m flattered.  He said Helen Mirren or Meryl Streep.  He said they both were strong women with a sense of humor, fun people and bright.  Isn’t that sweet of him?  Maybe he’s right.  Anyway, I’ll go with his choices.


Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?

I can’t choose.  But my top three are Jesse Stone, Jack Reacher and Stephanie Plum.  The first two are just plain yummy, yummy and Stephanie is fun.


If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book?

It would be Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, first edition.  I have my grandfather’s copy of the book, second edition and it is one of my favorite possessions because it represents to me the sensible intellect of my family, a model for what I have always tried to be.  I first read the book when I was nine and didn’t understand much of it, but I knew his research and theory were something quite genius.


How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published? What did you do the first time you saw one of your books on a shelf in a bookstore? 

I had a scotch when I heard the publisher had accepted my first book.  Since my publisher is POD (Print on Demand), I never saw it on the shelf until I hassled the hell out of a local bookstore and they finally ordered a copy.  How did I feel when I then saw it on the shelf?  Justified.


Name one thing on your Bucket List.

A gorgeous slice of Cornwall

I’m so in love with the program "Doc Martin” that I want to go to Cornwall, just to wander around.  I know it’s a big place.  I’d like to see any tiny section of that coast.










You've just received a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Which bookstore are you making a bee-line for?

The Green Toad

I’d go to The Green Toad, the local bookstore in a nearby town, Oneonta, NY.  I’d remind them I am a local author and that I’m spending my $100 gift card in their store, so I expect they will continue to stock my books.  Oh, we authors have to be pushy, don’t we?




Available Now!




Thank you so much for spending this time with us, Leslie. It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you a little better!

May your book sales do nothing but increase!



21 comments:

  1. It's a real honor to be interviewed here. It was so much fun. Cathy asks the most provocative questions. Thanks for inviting me.

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    1. It's been a pleasure, Lesley. You're an excellent guest!

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  2. Cathy, I think I've found another clone. She grew up in Illinois (like us), lives not far from Dave and me, is writing about CT where I've lived, also lives in FL where I have lived too, and not only that, her husband has written about Rt. 66 and I grew up on that highway - well, not exactly on the road but you know what I mean. lol Next time we go near Oneonta, NY I must go to that bookstore. Think I should make sure to read her soon.

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    1. The next time you go to Oneonta, you'd better give me a heads up so we can connect in person!

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    2. Definitely-- and I'd love to hear all about the meeting!

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    3. I'll be sure to do just that! Thanks.

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  3. Your husband sounds like a jewel. He made excellent choices-two favorites of mine.

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    1. The man still has stars in his eyes when it comes to me. What did I do to deserve him?

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    2. I say the same thing about my husband, Lesley. We're two very fortunate women.

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  4. Reading Nancy Drew mysteries as young girls seems to be a common thread among female mystery authors. Like you, Lesley, I read all of the Nancy Drew mysteries but my absolute favorites were the Judy Bolton mysteries by Margaret Sutton. For some reason, they weren't as well known back then but there's now a Judy Bolton website.

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    1. I've not read the Judy Bolton mysteries, but because I felt I missed out on a number of Nancy Drew books due to the long list of those waiting for them when Iwas a kid, I read all fo them one summer as an adult. Maybe I should do the same with Judy Bolton.

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    2. My mother was the village librarian, so I had first crack at the new books. Mom had to buy Nancy and the Hardy Boys and others because when she took over as librarian, the children's and YA sections were non-existent. I just couldn't get enthused about Nancy and her fresh frocks and her roadster. I was a hardy Boys fan until I made the jump to Erle Stanley Gardner. :-)

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  5. Great interview, Cathy, and Lesley it's always a pleasure getting to know you better. I admire your choices for who's to play the part of Lesley in the movies. I wish they could play the part of a man, and then I'd choose them for my biopic. Come to think of it, Streep could probably play me perfectly, because she can do anything! Bravo for applauding Darwin. Keep it up, Lesley.

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    1. My grandfather went around to auctions and bought books. That's why I have such an odd collection of them in my house including Darwin but also Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan series.

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  6. Excellent interview and I enjoyed getting to know you up close and personal,Leslie. Best wishes for continued success with your books.

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  7. This was really cool. I like the questions and the answers. I've read Nancy Drew and am a male! HAHAHA. Great stuff. I enjoy learning more about authors this way.

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    1. From what little I gleaned about you, you're quite the interesting blend of traits and experience, so why am I not surprised you read Nancy Drew? Did you also read the Hardy Boys?

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    2. I'm so glad you enjoyed reading the interview. Thanks so much for stopping by.

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  8. Fun interview! You're an interesting woman, Lesley, and I have a feeling you'd be fun to hang out with. Thank you so much for sharing these parts of your life.
    Marja McGraw

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  9. And I can tell from your writing and your comments on numerous blogs that we could have a bit of fun hanging out together. I missed the conference in Las Vegas, but I intend to go next year where I'm sure you and my other email pals from OTP and I can do a bit of damage!

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Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!