Episode 12: T.C. LoTempio

Destination Mystery

Today's author writes a cozy mystery series with echoes of my favorite film, "The Thin Man." (Dashiell Hammett's book is darn good as well, but I'm a sucker for Myrna Loy and William Powell.) Her Nick and Nora mysteries feature a crime reporter starting over back in her home town and a cat who may -- or may not -- be the reincarnation of a missing detective. Together with a wonderful supporting cast, they solve crimes and mete out justice. Meow If It's Murder is the first in this charming series. Toni and I chat about a lot of things: favorite authors (including the delightful Krista Davis, who you can hear interviewed here) and two charities she actively supports: Kids Need To Read (founded by Denise Gary, P.J. Haarsma, and actor Nathan Fillion) and Alley Cat Allies. To learn more about Toni, be sure to check out her author page and of course the blog she shares with her cat, ROCCO. He interviews mystery authors and runs frequent book giveaways, so don't miss it. As always, here's the transcript if you'd rather read than listen. Enjoy! Transcript of T.C. LoTempio Interview Laura Brennan: T.C. LoTempio is the national bestselling author of the Nick and Nora Mystery series, as well as nearly a dozen other books, ranging from paranormal mysteries to rom com. Meow if It’s Murder introduced Nora Charles, a crime reporter who longs for a quiet life, and Nick, the cat who adopted her. Toni, thank you for joining me. T.C. LoTempio: Thank you for having me, Laura. LB: Tell me a little bit about yourself. What got you started writing? TL: Okay. Well, I’ve been writing since I was ten years old. My mother used to read me stories at night, and I wouldn’t like the ending, so I’d make up my own. And then I’d buy comic books, and I wouldn’t like the way those ended, so I’d make up those stories. And it just progressed from there. I used to write fairy tales, you know, and I was always good at English in school. I got away from it a little bit. I got married, life got in the way as they say. And then, after my parents died, I kinda got back into it. I was at a training session with a friend, and we were learning how to do e-mails at the time, that’s how long ago this was. And she said to me, “Oh, you write such good e-mails. You should probably be a writer.” And I said, “You know, I think I am one. I just have to get back into it.” And it just took off from there. LB: You’ve actually written many, many different kinds of novels. Are you finding your genre? TL: I think it started out that way. Actually, the type of novel that I enjoy writing the most is the one that I stopped because agents would tell me there’s no market for it. It’s Horror. Stephen King-type books. And they said, unless you are Stephen King, there’s no market for it. So I figured, well, if I want to get published, I’d better write something else. LB: I find that hilarious, since I’m a member of the Horror Writers Association and a lot of people are actually selling horror these days. TL: Well, that’s good to know, if I want to start writing it again. LB: Certainly in movies, almost the closest thing there is to a Whodunit is a horror film. TL: I would tend to agree with you. I must’ve seen “Halloween” at least three dozen times, if not more. LB: Yeah, and it’s too bad, too, because they used to make movies very much like -- to bring this back to your wonderful series -- very much like “The Thin Man.” And they don’t make those anymore. TL: I know, and isn’t that a shame? I think maybe more people might go to the movies if they did that. LB: Absolutely! So, tell me how “The Thin Man” -- was “The Thin Man” really your inspiration? Because it trickles through your series so beautifully. TL: Well, it was kind of a combination of William Powell and my cat. LB: For those who haven’t yet read your series, just a little background. It’s a cozy series about a woman named Nora who’s in her thirties and she’s been very suc...