Tammy Kaehler's Kate Reilly Racing Mysteries feature thrills on and off the track. Her fourth book, Red Flags, has just been released. You can learn more about Tammy directly from her website. Plus Tammy has graciously donated an autographed copy of her first Kate Reilly Racing Mystery, Dead Man's Switch for the May book giveaway. Sign up in the box on the right before May 31, 2016 to be entered to win.

Speaking of Dead Man's Switch, we talk about how Tammy got the initial spark for the series. She gives a shout-out to Hallie Ephron, and if you want to know the name of the how-to book Hallie wrote, it's Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel. But if you're into suspense, you should check out her fiction as well.

We also talked about drivers who have helped her: Patrick Long, Oliver Gavin and Pippa Mann. Pippa's breast cancer awareness sponsorship for the Indy 500 mirrors a scenario Tammy came up with for Kate, who, in her books, has teamed up with Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Between the time we recorded this and now, Pippa did announce that she will once again be driving the pink car at the Indianapolis 500.

Finally, Tammy talked about writers who have influenced her: Dick Francis, Agatha Christie, and a recent spark from Margaret Maron.

I had a request to put series books in order, which I think is a brilliant idea, so here are Tammy's Kate Reilly Racing Mysteries, from first to most recent:

1 - Dead Man's Switch

2 - Braking Points

3 - Avoidable Contact

4 - Red Flags

I will happily add more as Tammy writes 'em!

Meanwhile, if you would rather read than listen to the interview, here is the transcript. Enjoy!

-- Laura

Transcript of Interview with Tammy Kaehler

Welcome to Destination Mystery, a podcast for readers who love a good mystery. I'm Laura Brennan.

Laura Brennan: My guest today is Tammy Kaehler, author of the Kate Reilly racing mysteries. Set in the fast-paced world of professional motorsports, the mysteries feature a racecar driver who happens to be a damn good amateur sleuth, as well as a woman proving herself in the male-dominated field of racing. Murder interweaves with the dramas on and off the track. The fourth book in the series, Red Flags, has just been released.

Tammy, thank you for joining me.

Tammy Kaehler: Thank you for having me. Glad to be here.

LB: I want to talk about writing and I want to talk about Kate and Red Flags, but first I want to talk about racing. When did you become a racing fan?

TK: It was 2004, and I can pinpoint that very clearly because I didn't know a single darn thing about racing before that year. Not a thing. I was working freelance at the time, and I had a contract with a subprime mortgage lending company and if you remember 2004, that was the heyday for such companies. They were making money hand over fist. And the one I was working for decided that the way they wanted to spend their marketing dollars that year, was sponsoring a racing series and racing team and then taking brokers and entertaining them at the races. So they did that, and they needed extra hands, and I went along to the season of races that year to help entertain, do the corporate marketing as such. And I learned about this fascinating sport sort of from the inside out because I was representing a VIP, I was a VIP, so I got VIP treatment and learned everything there was to know. And I walked into this world and just, like, my jaw dropped, it was fascinating and I thought, there are stories here and I want to tell other people about this crazy sport.

LB: Well, your research, is, it must be intense. Because both your second and your third Kate Reilly books won back-to-back awards from the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association.

TK: Yes.

LB: Yay! A) congratulations but, B) that must be the hardest nut to crack because they cover this, that's their world.

TK: Yeah, yeah and really, I was so proud of those awards,