Happy Monday, reader friends!
Join me in welcoming Tyora Moody to the blog.
She’s here to talk about her book, Lemon Filled Disaster.
Interview with Tyora Moody about her book Lemon Filled Disaster:
Alexis: What inspired you to write this book?
Tyora: Lemon Filled Disaster has been on my mind for a few years. It’s book three in the Eugeena Patterson Mysteries. I pick back-up a year later after the second book in the series, Oven Baked Secrets. My readers have also been asking me on social media about the main character. So, the readers’ interest encouraged me to jump back into writing the next amateur sleuth adventure for Ms. Eugeena.
Alexis: There are a lot of published stories about weddings and mysteries. What makes your story unique?
Tyora: For your readers who are not familiar with Eugeena Patterson, she is an African American retired school teacher. Becoming an amateur sleuth during her retirement years was definitely not on Ms. Eugeena’s mind. She is the mother of three and grandmother to five.
In Lemon Filled Disaster, Eugeena is excited about her middle son, a long-time bachelor marrying the love of his life. Eugeena is so enthusiastic about the union, that she helps the couple out as a wedding planner. It’s during her wedding errands that she finds out her future daughter-in-law has a secret. Carmen has an ex-husband that she has never mentioned. The untimely death of this ex-spouse threatens to place the future wedding in jeopardy.
Alexis: Who are your main characters and what role do they play in this story?
Tyora: Eugeena Patterson is the main character. She has a budding romance with her next-door neighbor, Amos Jones, who happens to be a retired detective. The other main characters are Ms. Eugeena’s son, Dr. Cedric Patterson and his fiancee, Dr. Carmen Alpine. There are a host of other members of the family, neighbors and church members.
Alexis: What is the main motivation of your story’s hero and heroine?
Tyora: Ms. Eugeena loves her children and her desire is to see them happy. She also has gotten to know her future daughter-in-law and where another mother may have told her son to run the other way, Ms. Eugeena sees the good in people. She also very determined to find justice.
Alexis: Which one of your characters was the most fun to create? Why?
Tyora: Ms. Eugeena and Amos Jones are my favorite characters. They are unusual because not a lot of writers try to tackle romance with people over sixty. Ms. Eugeena is a sassy go-getter and Amos is always going to back her up and make sure she doesn’t fall into too much trouble. They are quite the team.
Alexis: Was there anything about the writing of this story that challenged you?
Tyora: It’s been about three years since I wrote the last book in this series. I took a break to write another series. It took some time to know exactly where the story would go because I had fans asking me when would Ms. Eugeena and Amos get married. I felt really strongly with both of them being widows that they still needed time.
Alexis: What is the significance of your story’s creative title?
Tyora: This series has some pretty interesting titles. The first book is Deep Fried Trouble. Ms. Eugeena has Diabetes II so I combined her desire to change her eating habits and lifestyle along with her newfound hobby as an amateur sleuth. It’s been fun coming up with these titles and the book covers.
Alexis: What role does your main characters’ faith in God play in this story?
Tyora: God is an essential part of Ms. Eugeena’s life. I always let readers know that this is a Cozy Mystery series under the Christian Fiction genre. Ms. Eugeena has no issues with hitting her knees and having a little talk with Jesus. He’s her anchor especially in recent years with her becoming a widow and going through a health crisis.
Alexis: What makes this book more of a mystery than a contemporary romance?
Tyora: The Eugeena Patterson Mysteries are cozy mysteries. Readers who enjoy romance may enjoy the growing relationship between the baby boomers, Eugeena and Amos. I’ve been really tickled by readers who are rooting for this older couple.
Alexis: Did race matter when you imagined your characters? Why or why not?
Tyora: I have always been a fan of suspense and mystery. I enjoy authors like Colleen Coble, Christy Barritt, Terri Blackstock, and Brandilyn Collins. One of the reasons why I was inspired to write ten years ago was because I rarely picked up a mystery or suspense book that had main characters of color. I felt in my spirit that God was leading me to write the kind of books that I wanted to read. It’s been an awesome journey because many of my readers are not fans of reading mysteries, but they been won over my Ms. Eugeena’s stories.
Alexis: Would you like to see more stories about characters of color? Explain.
Tyora: I think if you’re seeking romance or women’s fiction, there are a lot more books to select from than there was ten years ago. I would still love to see other writers pursue characters of color for mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. When I first started writing, I had other authors tried to steer me to writing romance and women’s fiction, but I felt really strongly towards writing mysteries. I’m glad I stuck to writing because my books win over a new mystery lover one at a time.
Alexis: What do you want readers to remember most about this book?
Tyora: I would love for readers to pick up Lemon Filled Disaster and become a fan of Ms. Eugeena’s quest to solve the mystery.
Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Ty! Do you have closing comments?
Tyora: Thank you for having me and letting me introduce the latest book in the Eugeena Patterson Mysteries to your readers.
*Interview conducted by Alexis A. Goring, contributor.
About the Book:
Retiree Eugeena Patterson has picked up some new activities which include volunteering at an afterschool program and helping her future daughter-in-law plan a wedding. Eugeena is more than thrilled to see her son, Dr. Cedric Patterson, a longtime bachelor soon wed his girlfriend, Carmen Alpine.
During wedding planning errands, Eugeena notices a man is tailing her and Carmen. When the man confronts Carmen this makes Eugeena’s enthusiasm wane and suspicions rise.
Later when that man is found dead, Carmen becomes a suspect. As Eugeena begins to investigate Carmen’s past, she’s wondering if this wedding will ever happen.
Buy this book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
About the Author:
Tyora Moody is the author of Soul-Searching Suspense books which include the Reed Family Series, Eugeena Patterson Mysteries, Serena Manchester Series, and the Victory Gospel Series. She is also the author of The Literary Entrepreneur Series, editor for the Stepping Into Victory Compilations and Aspiring Love Short Stories Compilations under her company, Tymm Publishing LLC.
As a literary-focused entrepreneur, she has assisted countless authors with developing an online presence via her design and marketing company, Tywebbin Creations LLC. Popular services include book covers, book formatting, and book trailers.
To contact Tyora about book club discussions or for book marketing workshops, visit her online at TyoraMoody.com.
Follow Tyora: Amazon ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~Instagram ~ Twitter
A Season to Remember 
Belle Calhoune grew up in a small town in Massachusetts as one of five children. Although her mother was a doctor and her father a biologist, Belle never gravitated toward science. Growing up across the street from a public library was a huge influence on her life and fueled her love of romance novels. Belle is the author of nine Harlequin Love Inspired novels with a tenth hitting the shelves in March of 2018. She has Indie published the popular and best-selling inspirational romance series, Seven Brides, Seven Brothers. The Secrets of Savannah and Pelican Bay are both spin-offs of her debut series. Belle loves writing romance and crafting happily-ever-afters. When she’s not wrangling her two high maintenance dogs or spending time with her husband and two daughters, Belle enjoys travel and exploring new places.
Diversity Between the Pages 