Welcome, Mary Kennedy

Today I welcome my friend, Mary Kennedy.  Mary is a best-selling author and a practicing clinical pyschologist. She has sold forty novels, all to big New York publishers, and has made the Waldenbooks, BookScan and Publishers Weekly best-seller lists. Mary also won an award from the National Endowment for the Arts for "artistic excellence in literary fiction. 

Mary's most recent book, STAY TUNED FOR MURDER, is the third in the Talk Radio Mystery series, following DEAD AIR (released January 2010) and REEL MURDER (June 2010).  The series heroine is

Maggie Walsh, a psychologist who closes up her Manhattan practice and heads to sunny Florida to take a job as a radio talk show host. And, yes, she solves a murder in every book!

A little about STAY TUNED FOR MURDER...

Maggie Walsh, Florida’s newest radio talk show psychologist, thinks that being tucked away in her studio will keep her safe from all the crazies. But when she hits the airwaves, there’s no telling whom she’s reaching–and who wants to reach back.

Maggie is a natural on the radio, but she’s still learning how to play the ratings game. Her big guest star is self-proclaimed oracle Madame Chantel, whose on-air “chats” with the dead are the talk of Cypress Grove–until Chantel makes some grim predictions at a seance and one of the town’s most beloved citizens is found murdered.

Meanwhile WYME is busy promoting the opening of a fifty-year old time capsule. But the more Maggie learns about what might be unearthed, the more she suspects that the timing of the murder was no coincidence. The appearance of another body has Maggie rushing to find the killer–and wondering if there might be something to Chantel’s ghost stories.

Now a couple questions for Mary...

Mary, I know that you and Maggie are both psychologists and you both have experience working in radio but beyond that, how much of Mary Kennedy is there in Maggie Walsh?

Maggie and I are both psychologists, except she decided to be a radio talk show host in sunny Florida, and I'm in private practice here in the northeast. She does seem to have a knack for meeting interesting people and being open to new experiences and I'd like to think that we have that in common. In some ways, Maggie is living my fantasy life, because I think it would be terrific to have a radio talk show. And I really do love Florida.

In addition to your clinical practice and your writing, you are also involved in a number of worthy causes such as animal protection. Could you share a little about your work in that area?

I've been involved in animal welfare for a long time. Not just companion animals, although I do have 8 cats, but all animals. I belong to most of the major animal welfare groups, and I also find it helpful to contribute to grassroots groups that don't get a lot of press. For example, I donate all my speaking fees to Michael Budkie of SAEN (Save Animals from Exploitation Now). He works tirelessly to expose the cruel treatment of lab animals and he does it on a very limited budget. He's devoted his life to this cause. 

I also speak out against "institutionalized" violence against animals whenever I can, rodeos, bull-riding, bullfighting, circuses, greyhound racing etc. Animals used for entertainment lead miserable lives. It's hard to believe--and rather discouraging--to think that people ignore the suffering involved in these so-called "sports." And I'm very involved with cat rescue and trap-neuter-release programs.

 Thanks, Mary, for sharing and for being here today.  I loved all three of the Talk Radio Mysteries and hope Maggie returns for a fourth.

Now, the great news: Mary has not only generously offered a copy of STAY TURNED FOR MURDER for me to give away, she's adding a special bonus, a copy of the second Talk Radio Mystery, REEL MURDER. To be eligible, just leave your e-mail address in a comment.  If you already have a copy of REEL MURDER, please let me know and I'll give someone else a chance.  The winner will be announced on Monday morning.

Groaner of the Day: Undertakers Mal and Mel were storing embalming fluid. It was considered appropriate to place it in an area out of sight. Mel had his share stored promptly, but there was still a good portion left for Mal to take care of. When asked why he had not just stored it all, Mel said, "The rest is for Mal to hide."