Interview & Giveaway: Gayle Trent, author of Dead Pan

Today I am thrilled to welcome Gayle Trent to Pudgy Penguin Perusals. She was kind enough to answer a few questions before we get to the giveaway. I have to say I read the first book in this series, Murder Takes the Cake and it was a riot! Here's a link to the review. I've already read Dead Pan and I can tell you right now, the winner is in for such a treat. It's just a delightful series. And the included recipes are really the icing on the cake. *Groan*, I couldn't resist that one! But first here is a little bit about Gayle.

Bio: Gayle Trent writes the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating Mystery series for Bell Bridge Books. The second book in that series is Dead Pan. Thorndike has released the first book in that series, Murder Takes the Cake, in large-print, hardcover format. An audiobook version of Gayle's book Between A Clutch and A Hard Place is due out from new publisher AlwaysKeepers Press in February of 2010. Gayle also writes an embroidery series under the pseudonym Amanda Lee for NAL/Penguin. The first book in that series, The Quick and The Thread, is due to be released in August of 2010.

Kaye: Tell us about Dead Pan.

Gayle: Dead Pan is the second book in the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating Mystery Series. When the book opens, a police officer is questioning Daphne about a cake she took to the Brea Ridge Pharmaceutical Company Christmas party. Many people at the party got sick, but most recovered after being treated with a vaccine manufactured by the company. Only one, Fred Duncan, went into a coma and died. Coincidence? Or did somebody have it in for Fred?

Kaye: What would you like to overhear people saying about your book?

Gayle: "I laughed so hard when--" A local book club selected Murder Takes the Cake as one of their books; and when I attended the meeting, I was delighted to hear that they thought this or that part was funny. I also love it when people say, "I never guessed ______ was the villain." Also, there was a review where a woman said she loved the main character's relationships with various members of her family--that they were beautifully or realistically drawn. I felt like, "Oooh, she got it!" Actually, I'll take anything that's not negative. :-)

Kaye: Well, you know how much I loved Murder Takes the Cake but what inspired you to write Dead Pan?

Gayle : I was reading an article in Wired magazine about clinical drug tests. I did some further investigation, and I came across some fascinating stuff.

Kaye: What do you advise new writers to do?

Gayle: Read the genre they're interested in writing. For instance, when my agent pitched my first three chapters of the embroidery mystery to the editor, the editor said she liked it but didn't love it. I needed to revise it to make her love it in order for her to buy the book. I asked my agent who the editor had published recently. With two names in hand, I went to the bookstore and bought two books. I read them and found they were more descriptive than my own books. I went back, added more description and gave the heroine a bit more spunk, and the book sold. Sometimes you have to be flexible. Also, check out my coaching page (http://www.gayletrent.com/coaching/) to sign up for my monthly writing newsletter.

Kaye: How do you hold readers' interest between books?

Gayle: I try to hold readers' interest through my blog. Both series' heroines have their own bi-weekly newsletters on my blog. Daphne Martin's newsletter is called Killer Cakes and publishes every other Monday. Marcy Singer's newsletter is called Sew Deadly and publishes every other Wednesday. And, I hope readers of one series will check out the other!

Kaye: Thank you so much for visiting with us, Gayle. Also, thank you for being so generous is allowing me to host the give-away.

Just leave me a comment that you would like to win. Please read instructions at the end of the post. Bonus entries can be earned by:

+2 Becoming a new google friends connect follower
+2 Already being a follower ( remind me, please)
+ 2 Post about contest and leave me a link
+1 Put contest in sidebar or tweet and leave me a link

****Giveaway is open internationally. However, only residents of the US & Canada will be eligible to win a hard copy of the book. The international winner will be eligible for a PDF copy. Isn't that clever of Gayle to include our international friends! Must have active e-mail address. No P.O. Boxes.

Deadline to enter is December 22nd at 5 P.M. Please put all info in ONE box and be sure to include an e mail address. No e-mail, no entry. Good Luck!