It's October in New Orleans...

... and most residents of the city's historic Garden District are rejoicing in the brief reprise of cooler fall weather--a rare occurrence in steamy south Louisiana. But murder-solving maid Charlotte LaRue isn't one of them--not this year...

Between running her maid service (the successful Maid-for-a-Day) and fretting about her upcoming birthday (the dreaded 6-0), Charlotte LaRue doesn't have much time for gossip. But New Orleans' latest dust-up is hard to ignore--especially since it involves Marian Hebert, one of Charlotte's new clients. Turns out Marian's now-deceased husband once worked for his best friend Drew Bergeron's real-estate agency--and when the business deal soured, so did the friendship. The whole sordid affair came to an unfortunate end when Drew died in a plane crash--and Bill Hebert was killed in what some people insist on calling an accident. Others are convinced it was murder.

Pretty juicy stuff, right? Charlotte doesn't think so. She's trying her best to forget all the rumors--she has more important things to worry about these days. Like vacuuming, window-washing...and her new job at the old Devilier house. The gorgeous historic home is being transformed into luxury apartments, and Maid-for-a-Day is in charge of the cleanup. Should be easy enough, Charlotte thinks--until she finds a barely-cold corpse in one of the closets.

The police are sure the dead man is Drew Bergeron. Funny, considering Drew supposedly died years ago--and Charlotte distinctly remembers attending his funeral. Talk about messy. Suddenly all that gossip about the Heberts and Bergerons seems incredibly timely--and Charlotte wishes she'd listened just a little bit closer...

 

Barbara Colley is a native of Louisiana and has lived there all of her life. She grew up in the town of Minden where she worked on her high school newspaper staff, and later, on the staff of the Minden Press and Herald. At that time though, she never really dreamed of becoming a writer. In fact, she attended Louisiana Tech University and Nicholls State University as a music education major. Her dream then was to become a band director. Instead, she fell in love, married, and moved with her husband, David, to a small suburb of New Orleans. Over thirty years, three children, and five grandchildren later, Barbara and her husband still live there.

"I've worked at many jobs over the years," says Barbara, "including being a line dispatcher in an Army ammunition facility, editing the classified section for a newspaper, and serving as the secretary for a country club. The best job I've ever had though, is being able to share my stories, whether romance or mystery, with thousands of wonderful readers all over the world."

In the romance genre, Barbara Colley is known as Anne Logan, an award-winning, best-selling author of six novels that have been published in over 16 foreign languages. But, take one romance author who truly loves mystery and suspense, add a main character who is a fifty-nine-year-old maid, throw in the lush setting of the famous historical New Orleans Garden District, then add a murder or two, and what do you get? You get Barbara's exciting new series of Squeaky Clean Charlotte LaRue Mysteries!

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Eclectics:  Barbara, the first book in your Charlotte LaRue Mystery Series, MAID FOR MURDER, was an instant hit with cozy mystery lovers and reviewers alike. We've just heard that it's a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award Nominee for Best First Mystery, too! It seems that everybody loves Charlotte! Please tell us a bit about this intriguing character who continues her adventures this month in DEATH TIDIES UP.

Barbara Colley: Well, I'll tell you one thing, Charlotte is one bossy lady, and she just loves to remind me that she's in charge. Like right now, she's nagging me to tell you how she was born. Seriously though, Charlotte was born on a lovely spring day during a conversation I was having with my agent. With his support and encouragement I had decided to write a cozy mystery series set in the New Orleans Garden District, and he and I were discussing what kind of sleuth I needed. On that particular day I had treated myself and hired a maid. My agent had just told me to try and think of a sleuth who would come into contact with a lot of people. Well . . . about that time, the maid walked into the room, and I immediately knew that my sleuth had to be a maid. I also knew that the main character can make or break a mystery series, so I spent a lot of time working on Charlotte during the creation stage. I wanted a strong, family oriented, female character who is independent, compassionate, and of high moral character, someone who would appeal to readers of all ages. You'll note in MAID FOR MURDER that Charlotte is a 59 years old. Well, in DEATH TIDIES UP , she turns the dreaded 6-0 and suffers all of the angst that many women go through.

 

Eclectics: Charlotte has an unusual sidekick in the series -- a tiny, opinionated bundle of green feathers and 'attitude'. What inspired you to create Sweety Boy?

Barbara Colley: First of all, you need to understand that Charlotte didn't want a pet. After raising her son and helping raise her niece and nephew, she was quite content to only be responsible for herself for a change. But then there was that nasty tenant she had who not only skipped out on the rent, but abandoned this poor parakeet as well. But to answer your question, a lot of cozies have cats in them. Now, don't get me wrong. I like cats just fine. But don't you find that cats are . . . well . . . a bit over-done. I guess I'd have to say that I wasn't so much inspired as I wanted to be different. Actually I had a parakeet when I was a child, and his name was Sweety Boy. I'll never forget the day that my little sister opened the front door and Sweety Boy escaped. I ended up climbing a pine tree to get him. As for Sweety Boy's 'attitude', I have to give credit where credit is due. You see there's this friend of mine named Cheryl who has a parakeet named Jazz, and Jazz is quite a character, one, I might add, who graciously allows Sweety Boy to use some of antics. Of course I'm told that Jazz has developed quite the ego, especially since his name has been included in the Death Tidies Up acknowledgments.

 

Eclectics: What prompted your decision to move from romance into the mystery genre? How would you compare the writing processes? Will readers find a romantic element in Barbara Colley mysteries?

Barbara Colley: I had gotten to the point in my career where I wanted to try something different. I have to give a lot of credit to my agent who gently nudged me toward writing a cozy series. The writing processes are a bit different. First of all, I have to stay in Charlotte's head (her point of view). Everything is seen from her prospective. In my romance novels, I was able to do what they call, head-hop, which simply means that I could tell the story from the hero and the heroine's prospective. Second, I found that with the mysteries, I have to come up with the back story before I can even plot out the novel. After all, the back story is what precipitates the murder to begin with. In a romance novel, the plot evolves from the hero and heroine and their inner and outer conflicts. I also have a larger cast of characters to juggle in my mystery novels than I did in my romance novels. But one big difference between the mysteries and the romances is that the mysteries can have a romantic element, but they don't have to. And if they have a romantic element, it has to take second place to the mystery elements. In my Charlotte LaRue mysteries, Charlotte does have an on-again, off-again romantic interest, otherwise known as Louis Thibodeaux. But make no mistake. Charlotte is no pushover, and of course, Louis is no angel. In Barbara Colley mysteries, there will probably always be a romantic element, but the emphasis will be on the mystery, not the romance.

 

Eclectics: It's been said that if "the perfect crime" was ever committed, the most likely culprit would be a mystery author. After all, who would know more about undetectible poisons and un-crackable alibis? ;-) Do you have a favorite how-to resource for murder and mayhem? What's the most gruesome discovery you've made while researching for the Charlotte LaRue Mysteries? The most surprising? Do you ever find yourself looking over your shoulder as darkness falls...?

Barbara Colley: Now, let's not confuse mysteries with horrors . . . although I have to admit that since I've been writing mysteries, I have become a bit more paranoid and distrustful than I used to be. As for a how-to resource, unfortunately, all I have to do is read the newspaper every day. Added to that, I have a ton of how-to books, everything from police procedural stuff, to poisons, to guns. As for a guesome discovery, I can't really think of one . . . except for that time I attended a workshop given by a coroner, one where he showed actual pictures of murder victims and discussed in morbid detail the wounds, etc. The most surprising discovery is how wonderfully cooperative the people I've interviewed have been. I've been able to tour the New Orleans Sixth District Police Station and interview one of their detectives. In DEATH TIDIES UP, one of scenes takes place at the world renowned Commander's Palace restaurant. Well, of course I had to go there for research-yum yum. Anyway, those wonderful folks at Commander's treated me like royalty, answered all of my questions, and gave me a thorough grand tour of the restaurant, including the kitchen.

 

Eclectics: The Charlotte LaRue Mysteries take place in New Orleans and feature the Garden District ... in fact, we could almost say the city itself is a character in the books. Tell us a bit about the place you've called your "favorite city in the world".

Barbara Colley: New Orleans is so unique, a living, breathing character, like no other city in the world. In fact, it's a world within itself, what with the Creole, the Spanish, the French, and the American influences. And the food . . . What can I say? I've been all over the United States and eaten in some really nice restaurants, but none compare with what can be found in New Orleans. Then there's Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and too many other festivals to name. There is always something going on.

 

Eclectics: Describe a typical day in the life of Barbara Colley.

Barbara Colley: My day usually begins about 4:30 am. I got into the habit of getting up this early when I had a day job and my children were teenagers. 4:30 in the morning was the only quiet time I had to write. Even now that I write full time and my children are grown, I still wake up at 4:30 am. Anyway, with my first cup of coffee, I have my quiet time in which I read my Bible. With my second cup of coffee, I check e-mails. With my third cup of coffee (yes, I drink a lot of coffee), I go to my office and write until around 8 am. I take a short breakfast break, skim the newspaper headlines, dress for the day, then it's back to my office where I write until about noon. After lunch, I run errands, clean house (ugh!), or work on promotional material. Depending on what I'm writing at the time or how far behind I am on my deadline, around 3 or 4 pm, I might go back to my office to write for another hour or so. By 5 pm, it's time to think about cooking dinner. After dinner, I might watch a little television or read. By 9 pm I'm falling asleep, so I finally give it up and call it a day. Pretty boring stuff, huh? But that's what it takes, at least that's what it takes for me, to be able to produce 85,000 to 100,000 word novel each year.

 

Eclectics: It's time for a break from reality ... some rest and relaxation on a tropical beach, a lakeside cabin in the woods, or at a mountaintop retreat. Which would you choose? And if you could take only one book, one movie, and one special person to keep you company, what and who would they be?

Barbara Colley: Well, phooey! You don't ask easy questions, do you? Hmm, let me see now. My choice would be a tropical beach. I love the beach, especially in the early evening, listening to the waves roll in. Now, about those books, I'm sorry, but I would have to take at least two books: my Bible and whatever mystery or romance novel I happen to be reading at the time. And no, I can't name my favorite. I have too many friends who are writers. :-) And there's no way I could choose only one movie, but if I had to, my choice would be between An Officer and a Gentleman, The Silence of the Lambs, or The Last of the Mohicans. Now, a special person . . . hmm . . . in the real world, the one special person would have to be my husband, of course (besides, he might read this interview). But if you're talking fantasy, Clint Eastwood might be interesting, or Richard Gere, Is that what you meant? If not, then I'm embarrassed.

 

Eclectics: That's exactly what we meant. Good answer, Barbara! Visitors to your Web site are treated to Charlotte's 'helpful hints' for getting things squeaky clean. What's your personal approach to housecleaning? Do you have a favorite tip for readers when it comes to cleaning up?

Barbara Colley: My approach to housecleaning? Do you hear hysterical laughter? I just pretend that Charlotte works for me. Seriously though, let me put it this way. About two years ago, my husband retired. With both of us in the house day-in and day-out, it's kind of hard to keep the house clean, that is, Charlotte's kind of clean. But that doesn't answer your question, does it? I guess my personal approach is to keep it a straight as possible on a daily basis, and do the really deep-down cleaning when company comes. My tip to readers? Get a maid and let her clean house while you read Death Tidies Up, my latest Charlotte LaRue mystery.

Eclectics: We LIKE that idea, Barbara! :-) Can you give us a glimpse into the future? What's coming up for fans of Barbara Colley?

Barbara Colley: POLISHED OFF will be the next Charlotte LaRue mystery. I'm still putting the finishing touches on it, but it is written. In POLISHED OFF, there's a marriage in Charlotte's family, and one of her relatives is accused of murder. In order to prove her relative's innocence, Charlotte has to resort to doing something she truly hates, something that's totally out of character for her, in order to find out the information and clues that she needs.

 

Eclectics: We can hardly wait! Thanks for a terrific interview, Barbara!

 

Our exclusive excerpt from DEATH TIDIES UP starts below ... the rest of the chapter is waiting for you on Barbara's Web Page!

 

The Excerpt ...

From...
DEATH TIDIES UP
A Charlotte LaRue Squeaky Clean Mystery
by
Barbara Colley
February 2003 ~ Kensington Books

 

Chapter One

The cooler, dry air was invigorating, and Charlotte LaRue sighed with pleasure as she stepped onto the front porch of her Victorian double.

The first touch of fall had finally arrived, but not without a battle. Just before midnight she'd been awakened by the clash of thunder and lightning as a cold front fought its way south. Then the rain had begun, torrents of it from the sound it had made beating against her roof. But the rain hadn't lasted long, just long enough to wash away any remnants of the heat and humidity that typically smothered New Orleans.

Of course, by the time the so-called cold front reached the city, it wasn't cold any more. It was simply cooler. But cooler was good. She'd gladly take what she could get.

Charlotte sighed again. Today would have been the perfect day to raise the windows and air out her stuffy house. Too bad, she thought. Her aging air-conditioner could use the rest, and she could use the reprieve from her outrageous electric bill as well.

But duty called. Today she had to go to work, and for the sake of security, she didn't dare leave the windows open without being there. For the first time in a long time, she'd be working through the weekend as well, but Sunday might be a possibility, if she finished up the job on Saturday.

"Probably won't last till Sunday," she muttered. Unlike other parts of the country that had a real, honest-to-goodness fall season, October in New Orleans could be as mercurial as a woman going through menopause.

Charlotte winced at the mental analogy, but she had no illusions about the source. Aging . . . menopause . . . change of seasons. Change of life. Another year passing. And with another year, yet another birthday.

But not just any birthday. This one was the big one, the one that made her insides shrivel and tighten with dread every time she thought about it.

Turning fifty had been bad enough, a half century bad enough, including menopause and all of the cliched jokes about being over the hill. But there was just something about even the sound of sixty . . .

Charlotte shuddered. Then, with a determined shake of her head, she lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. She'd read somewhere that aging was a state of mind, the difference between thinking positive and negative. You're only as old as you think. Or maybe that was feel? You're only as old as you feel.

"Whichever," she murmured with a shrug. Think . . .
feel . . . It didn't really matter. What mattered was concentrating on keeping a good positive attitude instead of dwelling on the negative. She should be grateful for all of the good things about her life, she thought. She had the love of her family and friends, and her health. Her maid service had grown by leaps and bounds, so much so that she'd had to expand and hire help.

Charlotte blinked several times and frowned. Her left eye itched. Though she loved this time of year, unfortunately, her allergies didn't. She reached up to rub her eye. Then, clenching her fist, she quickly lowered her hand.

Rubbing the eyes could cause wrinkles. Yet one more thing to be grateful for, she decided. Thanks to good genes, she didn't have that many wrinkles. Not yet. And the bit of gray in her hair still blended naturally with the dark blond, giving it a highlighted look. Her daily walk and her line of work helped keep her physically fit--her muscles were toned, and she could still wear a size ten petite dress.

Her daily walk . . . Charlotte took a deep breath, savoring the cool air, then let it out in a sigh full of longing. Oh, how she missed her early-morning walks. There was something really special about getting out when everything was still fresh.

Yet another change. Everything changes and nothing stays the same, she reminded herself. It had been five months since she'd begun working for Marian Hebert on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Unlike her former clients, the Dubuissons, who had been content with her showing up at nine, Marian wanted her at work by eight. At first she'd set her alarm clock an hour earlier each morning so she could still take her walk. She was not an early riser by nature, though. Getting up earlier had lasted only a week before she'd decided to content herself with walking in the evenings instead.

"Oh, well," she murmured, glancing around for the newspaper. There was no use in worrying about any of it. The only thing to do was learn to roll with the punches.

Worrying about turning sixty wasn't going to change the outcome. Whether she liked it or not, unless she died or the world came to an end, her birthday would come. And worrying about having to change her walking time wouldn't change anything either, not if she wanted to keep her newest client.

Still searching for the newspaper, Charlotte stepped closer to the front of the porch. She spotted it on the second step from the bottom. The paper was enclosed in a clear plastic bag that still held small pockets of water from the rain. She bent down, picked it up, then shook off the excess moisture. Just as she slipped it out of the plastic wrap, she heard the click of the deadbolt on the front door of the other half of her double.

"Oh, no!" she whispered, glaring at the door. Thoughts of making a run for it flitted through her head. The last person she wanted to see and the last person she wanted to see her this early in the morning was Louis Thibodeaux.

Read the rest of the chapter, here.

February 2003 Release || Interview || Excerpt || Visit Barbara's Web Page