On the ground between the far side of the bed and the windows, Maurice lay, face down on the tan carpet as though he'd collapsed forward, unable to brace for his fall. His killer must have struck him as he stood with his back turned between the executive chair and the bed. Her friend would have had no idea the blow was coming.
His white long-sleeved shirt was untucked. His feet were bare under the hem of his black pants. His shaggy, graying hair was matted at the crown of his head as though someone had continued to bludgeon him even after the first blow had rendered him unconscious and dropped him to the floor.
Mo, who hated you so much?
-- Olivia Matthews, Mayhem and Mass
What a pleasure it was to chat with Olivia Matthews about her new Sister Lou Mystery series, which launches with Mayhem & Mass. Featuring a Catholic sister and a supporting cast of characters ranging from a grumpy fellow sister to an inquisitive reporter, to a protective nephew, the series weaves murder, faith, community and justice into a very satisfying whole.
Olivia writes romantic suspense under the name Patricia Sargeant and contemporary romance as Regina Hart. But you can find all of her multiple personalities right here: http://authoroliviamatthews.com/
Her protagonist in the new mystery series, Sister Lou, is a Catholic sister, not a nun - a distinction I was unaware of until Olivia set me straight. We give a shout-out to another series set in a religious community: the Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters. The books are fantastic, and I also want to recommend the television series starring the brilliant Derek Jacobi (and especially the first season, with Sean Pertwee as Hugh).
Sister Lou's second adventure, Peril & Prayer, is due to drop on June 26, 2018, and if you can't get enough of Olivia, that's good -- in addition to finishing off her Fire Trilogy (the first, On Fire, was re-released this September), she is part of a 12-book series, Decades: A Journey of African-American Romance. Her novel, Campaign for Her Heart, will finish off the series in December 2018, as each month tells a story from a different decade across more than a century. Intrigued? Check out their awesome Facebook page here.
As always, if you'd rather read than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy!
Transcript of Interview with Olivia Matthews
Laura Brennan: As Olivia Matthews, my guest today has just published her first traditional mystery, but that doesn’t mean Olivia is a stranger to writing. She has a string of successful romances and romantic suspense behind her -- and, I hope, in front of her as well. But her new series is a departure in many ways, not least of which is her unconventional heroine: Sister Louise (Lou) LaSalle.
Olivia, thank you for joining me.
Olivia Matthews: Oh, thank you so much for having me, Laura. I appreciate it.
LB: Before we get into the Sister Lou series, let's talk a little bit about you. How did you get started writing?
OM: Oh, thank you for asking that great question! When I was in elementary school, my sister, who is a tremendous bookworm, we would go to the library every weekend. So we would pick up books on one Saturday and then return the next Saturday to bring those books back and get new ones. Well, that developed (very long story short) my love of reading and I started writing in elementary school. Just little stories, essays, poems. And then as I got older I thought, well, I'd like to tackle a book. And the rest is history. [Laughter]
LB: Now, your first book wasn't a mystery though, was it?
OM: No, no, it was a romantic suspense written as Patricia Sargeant. "You Belong to Me."
LB: I actually think romantic suspense squarely belongs in the mystery genre. What drew you to romantic suspense?
OM: I love romance. And I love suspense.