Author Spotlight -Q&A with Author Nancy Kay

STEPH: I don't know much about 'Deadly Reflection'. Can you tell me a little more about it?

NANCY: In 'Deadly Reflection' Nick McGraw, a detective in Philadelphia, Pa., takes a much needed vacation and returns to Pine Bluffs, his hometown in Western Pennsylvania. Nick should be happy and satisfied, but for a variety of reasons, the successful detective's life lacks.....something. Pine Bluffs holds nothing but good memories so, Nick concludes, why not go back and try to recapture some of that happiness?

Cassi Burke is grasping at straws, struggling to deal with the tragic death of her adoptive parents when she travels to Pine Bluffs to meet a woman claiming to be a living blood relative from Cassi's past. Pine Bluffs is a small community, thus Cassi and Nick are certain to meet. Unfortunately, when that meeting takes place Cassi is clutching a knife and kneeling over a dead man. Bizarre circumstances involving her over exuberant, overgrown, pup, Rufus, landed her in this incriminating position and much to Nick's dismay; the first woman he's really attracted to in a very long time could be a murder suspect. To complicate matters further, Cassi's brush with the law alerts someone else on the unknown family tree, and this individual is no loving aunt.

STEPH: How long did it take to write?

NANCY: Initially, about a year and a half. There were several rounds of rewrite, rearrange, and revise.

STEPH: Did you do a lot of research for the novel?

NANCY: I wouldn't say I researched as much as I gathered and inserted information into the story. An example would be the fictional town of Pine Bluffs is next door to a bog. I used the location after reading an article on how glaciers formed a bog in western Pennsylvania not far from Erie. The location fit in with my Great Lakes story theme. Newspaper articles about escalating crime in Philadelphia were thrown into the mix, and, of course, my husband and built in advisor is a veteran of the Marine Corps and twenty-eight years on the Pennsylvania State Police.


STEPH: Where did the inspiration for the story come from?

NANCY: The location, the sometimes tough life of a police officer, and personal knowledge of a business where my heroine excelled, all played a part in putting the story together.

STEPH: If your story was going to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?

NANCY: That's a tough question. Most of the actors and actresses I admire are probably to mature to play the leading roles.

STEPH: What is the theme of the novel?

NANCY: The strength, influence, and importance of family.

STEPH: What do you want readers to take away from the novel when they finish it?

NANCY: I want my readers satisfied with the outcome. Every time I read my last chapter I just plain feel good. You know, kind of like when after all the drama and strife Cinderella's Prince came for her.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader?
Yes. If so, which one?

NANCY: I have a Kindle.

STEPH: How important is setting to the story?

NANCY: The setting is the heart of the story. I live where my story took place, so I feel every scene.

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

NANCY: My office used to be my daughter's bedroom. Now it holds two desks, my computer and a large work table meant for laying out paperwork and organizing. Most of the time it's not so organized! But I have a very large window overlooking our back yard. I can take breaks and watch my cats play or, in winter, watch the snow blanket everything.