A Moment With Bonnie Lou

My Mom Is Ruining My Life (Logan Bond Novels) by Beverly J. Crawford

Also available for Nook and on Amazon UK!

Murder With My Darling (Bonnie Lou Mysteries) by Annie Acorn

Also available for Nook and on Amazon UK!

I had the distinct pleasure this week of sitting down for a chat with Bonnie Lou Ladner, heroine of Annie Acorn’s latest mystery novel, Murder With My Darling. Bonnie Lou saved the day — the opening day of hunting season, that is — by helping Sheriff Dave Crockett, her very own Chunk of Hunk, solve Missing County, Tennessee’s latest homicide. A look inside Bonnie Lou’s mind left this author with a new respect for her considerable talents and her unique outlook on life — and in dire need of a double martini.

First, Bonnie Lou, let me say how much I enjoyed your new mystery, Murder With My Darling. Now that you’ve proven to be such a valuable asset to the Missing County Sheriff’s Department, are you planning to help them with any future cases?

Frankly, Bev…Can I call you Bev, since it’s just us two gals? Anyway, Bev, now that I’ve plumbed the depths of the criminal mentality, I find myself fascinated by what makes them tick.

Of course, solving a murder is a whole lot of work. Why I barely had time to grab a bite of sustenance throughout the whole experience. If it hadn’t been for that chocolate layer cake that I bought as part of my investigation, well, I shudder to think what might have happened.

Still, if Dave and his department needed my help again, I could hardly turn him down now, could I? After all, Rule #6 in A Southern Gal’s Guide to Keeping Your Man is – Be agreeable.

From what I can tell, you have your man, Dave Crockett, well trained and firmly in hand. Do I hear wedding bells in your future? After all, by your own admission, you are pushing 30.

True, I’ve been working on Dave since we were both babes in our cradles, but at 29 I consider myself to be a spring chicken. If I’ve told Dave’s mother once, I’ve told her a million times, I’ll let everyone know when it’s time for us to get married. Until then, I work hard at keeping my man happy, as everyone who is anyone in Missing County, Tennessee, will vouch for me.

I couldn’t help but notice that your book is chock full of tips from A Southern Gal’s Guide to Keeping Your Man. Would you consider funding a reprint of it as a public service to those of us still trying to land our own Chunk of Hunks?

What a wonderful idea! I should’ve thought of that. Mama and I have been a bit worried about the younger generation in our family not having fresh copies of their own, since the book has been out of print now for over forty years. Perhaps, I could do it as part of a promo for my beauty parlor, Nice ‘n’ Pretty. You won’t mind, will you, if I tell your readers that we specialize in bouffant hairdos, and we’ll give you a free color consultation with your first perm? Oops! I’m afraid I’ve already done it.

What do you consider to be a Southern gal’s greatest asset?

Now that’s a tough one. Some would say it’s her smile. Maureen, my BFF, would say it’s her figure. I think I would go cerebral and tell you that it’s knowing how to keep her man.

Take me, for example, the minute I realized that Missing County’s Greatest Sheriff needed help, why I just jumped right in, never thinking about the breeze messing up my hair, those throw away containers chipping my nail polish, or even my next meal.

How many pageant titles do you have? Which is the most meaningful to you?

Someone asked me that the other day, and I lost count somewhere around fifteen. As to which one is most meaningful to me, that’s another one of those hard questions, Bev. I mean it’s sort of like asking someone to say which one of their children is their favorite.

Winning the Babes-in-the-Arms contest was pretty special, because that’s the one that launched my career. Mama had made me the cutest little lace cap, because I was only 6 weeks old and my blonde curls hadn’t come in yet.

Then, of course, Prom Queen meant a lot, because for that one I was chosen by my peers. Also, it’s the only one that Dave and I got to share, since he was Prom King.

Being Grand Lady of the Possum Creek Bears is considered to be quite an honor around Missing County, and I’ve won fourteen years in a row now, so you could almost call that one mine.

What happened that kept you out of the “Miss America” competition?

No comment.

I noticed in the book that you have a rather healthy appetite. How do you manage to keep your girlish figure?

Are you sure you were reading Murder With My Darling? Why I hardly ate a thing during those two days.

You seem to enjoy the limelight. Do you ever hanker for life in the big city or are you happy as a clam in Missing County?

I’m pretty rooted right where I am, although I would like to travel a bit – you know, take in Branson, Missouri, and Dollywood. I think I even allude to them in Murder With My Darling.

As for being happy as a clam, that phrase has always rather troubled me, Bev. After all, when you’re a clam, most likely you’re going to end up boiled in someone’s chowder. Think how red that would turn someone’s complexion. I mean, really! It’s the little things that go into making your life special.

So, are we done now? Maureen’s minding the shop, and if I don’t get back soon, she will have sat down in my mink upholstered desk chair, borrowed my fluffy pink mules, and eaten all of my chocolate!

Yes, Bonnie Lou, we’re done. I think we’ve plumbed the depths of your mind enough for one day. Thanks again for sharing. Readers, don’t miss your golden opportunity to ride shotgun with Bonnie Lou as she saves the day for her Chunk of Hunk in Murder With My Darling.

Towards the Sun (Beverly J Crawford Romances) by Beverly J. Crawford