Book Tour and Giveaway: Now I See You (Mountain Resort Mystery Series #1) by Shannon Work

Title: Now I See You

Series: Mountain Resort Mystery Series #1

Author: Shannon Work

Print Length: 336 pages

Genre: Contemporary Murder Mystery

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Two murders. A terrified mountain resort. Can a daring reporter help stop an avalanche of dead bodies?

Celebrity TV anchor Georgia Glass wants out of Denver and far away from her obsessed fan. Set to host her own investigative crime show in LA, she’s surprised to inherit a Victorian house in Aspen from a mysterious uncle she never knew. But while exploring the gothic property, she discovers the frozen corpse of a missing heiress.

Georgia’s journalist instincts kick in and she is determined to help police track down the killer. But by investigating the murder, has she made herself the killer’s next target?

Can Georgia help solve the case before she becomes the next victim? Or will the stalker that followed her to Aspen get her first?

Now I See You is a fast-paced whodunit set amidst the spectacular scenery of Aspen, Colorado, and the first book in the suspenseful Mountain Resort Mystery series.

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Shannon Work grew up in Del Rio, a border town in the dusty wilds of West Texas. When she graduated from high school, she moved east to College Station and graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a master's degree in Land Economics and Real Estate.

Most of her working life has been spent developing real estate, earning a national Best in America Living Award for one of her developments. After two failed starts at writing a novel while raising three kids and working, she retired to pursue her dream of writing mystery novels full time.

Shannon and her husband are recent empty nesters and split their time between Houston, Texas and Telluride, Colorado. Always with their laptops and dogs in tow.

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- What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to write a mystery novel set in the Rocky Mountains. My husband and I split our time between Houston, Texas, and Telluride, Colorado, and we love the Rockies. There is a lot of history and mystery in the mountains, and they lend themselves perfectly as a setting for a mystery novel. Since there is a high celebrity quotient in Now I See You, Aspen worked perfect as the location. Aspen is the most famous resort in Colorado and frequented by celebrities. It was fun to come up with a cast of characters to populate the novel. Aspen is definitely a mix of the haves and have-nots, of flannel and fur. It was a great setting to work with for a mystery novel. My next novel is set in Vail.

- What can we expect from you in the future?

I’m busy writing Book 2 in the Mountain Resort Mystery Series. The second book is set in Vail, Colorado. Detective Jack Martin, who made his debut in Now I See You, returns to solve another murder mystery. I’ve already been sketching ideas for Book 3 which will be set in Telluride, Colorado, where my husband and I have a home. I’m super excited about continuing the series.

- Where did you come up with the names in the story?

Names of characters are a funny thing. For me, they either work or they don’t. They’re very important. I have to feel a name is right for a particular character. Sometimes the names come quick—when I’m outlining the novel. Other times, I struggle until I find something that fits just right. I used my daughter’s name, Abby, for a bit character in Now I See You. I thought it would be fun to tuck it in there somewhere. My son Patrick will make a brief debut in Book 2 and my son Jordan will be in Book 3. They love the idea of me using their names in a book!

- What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I loved taking the story from a kernel of an idea—a serial killer in the glitzy world of Aspen, Colorado, fleshing out the idea into a rough outline, populating the story with a fun assortment of characters, then getting the complete story written and published.

- How did you come up with the title of your first novel?

The title Now I See You came to me about halfway through writing the first draft. There’s a stalker in the novel, so it worked there—the stalker is constantly spying on the protagonist. And there’s a serial killer that looks for, then identifies, his third victim. So the title worked great for both story lines.

- Who designed your book covers?

Damonza, a New Zealand company, designed the cover. I sent them a dozen examples of mystery covers that I liked. I was very happy with their design. I think it’s a beautiful cover.

- What is your favorite part of this book and why?

I love the chapters in Now I See You that include Detective Jack Martin. Even after the first book, he’s still an enigma—I’m still getting to know him. I’ve learned more about him while writing Book 2 in the series. I also particularly like another character, Bridget Ferrari. She’s a beautiful, over-the-top, outspoken, passive aggressive and was super fun to write. Her character was pulled from several people I’ve met over the years—I’ll never mention names!

- Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

My characters are all imaginary, not based on any real people, but I do pull inspiration from people I know, characters in movies, people I’ve seen on television and out in public. One particular fun character to write was Bridget Ferrari, a beautiful, over-the-top, outspoken, passive aggressive type. She was super fun to get to know and write. I took characteristics from several people I actually know to craft her character—I’ll never mention names!

- Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.

I’ve read, enjoyed, and studied traditional mysteries written by Mary Higgins Clark, Agatha Christie, and Ruth Ware for years. If readers enjoy books by those authors, I think they’ll like Now I See You. It’s a fast-paced, traditional whodunit set in the spectacular scenery of Aspen, Colorado.

- What did you edit out of this book?

I’m a history buff and did a good bit of research on the history of the mafia in Colorado. I found fascinating information that I originally included in the book. Unfortunately my editor thought it was an info dump that slowed the story (I’m sure she was right). I did manage to tuck a couple facts in that made it into the final manuscript.

- What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?

My all-time favorite book is probably Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. The beginning is set along near Del Rio, Texas, my hometown. It’s one of the best studies in story and character I’ve ever read. I was completely enthralled the first time I read it. Other favorites include Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy, The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware, and Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer.

- How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing something my whole life. I wrote poetry as a child, I was the editor of my high school newspaper, and a journalism major in college. When I was in business, I wrote marketing and design materials. Later, I started (but never finished) two novels while I was still working and raising three children. Finally, about a year and a half ago, I thought it was now or never, and I sat down and started Now I See You. It took me a year to finish, hiding what I was doing from my family. Now that I’ve been outed as a writer, Book 2 in the series is coming along much faster! Everything To Lose, Book 2 in the Mountain Resort Mystery series, should be out in Spring 2021.

- Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

I have always been a voracious reader, and I read many different genres, not just mystery. Although mystery is my favorite, I read history, biographies, westerns, and the occasional romance.

- What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?

I love outlining. That’s when I sit down with pen and paper, ban technology, and brainstorm story and character ideas. It’s a very enjoyable step in the creative process--anything goes.

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