Wicked Wednesday
Wicked is as wicked does! Please welcome my guest, Heather Weidner, with her Wicked Wednesday fun.
Thank
you so much for letting me stop by and chat with your readers about my wicked
character, Chaz Smith, and my new book, The
Tulip Shirt Murders. It’s the second in my Delanie Fitzgerald mystery
series.
Chaz
is despicable and infamous in Central Virginia. He is notorious for driving his
flashy Humvee, covered in bikini-clad models to advertise his sleazy strip
club. Charles Wellington “Chaz” Smith,
III, a trust-fund baby descended from a distinguished Virginia family, first
appeared in Secret Lives and Private
Eyes. He’s a local strip club owner who hired my private investigator,
Delanie Fitzgerald, to uncover some dirt on the mayor of Richmond. Chaz Smith
had purchased some property that he wanted to turn into a second gentleman’s
club, but the grassroots’ resistance to his effort got the attention of city
hall. He thought if he had some dirt, he could use it as a bargaining chip in
his permit negotiations. But he gets more than he bargained for.
Chaz
has the worst table manners and no filter. He speaks whatever he thinks in the
moment, but he grows on Delanie after a while. And it doesn’t hurt that he
always pays in cash. Delanie reluctantly takes the case, but she has to spend
most of her summer trying to clear Chaz’s name when the mayor ends up murdered
in front of Chaz’s club, the Treasure Chest (which happens to be located in
downtown Richmond on the site where Edgar Allan Poe used to write for the Southern Literary Messenger). And Chaz,
who mouthed off and threatened the local politician, is the prime suspect.
The
contemptible businessman reappears in The
Tulip Shirt Murders with more requests for Delanie and her partner, Duncan
Reynolds. He believes the police have the wrong man in an open and shut murder
case. He believes the boyfriend of the victim, granddaughter of his family’s
long-time housekeeper, isn’t the killer, and he wants Delanie to investigate.
Delanie and Duncan’s research uncovers other similar cases, and they have to
put the pieces together to find the real killer before someone else is murdered.
Chaz
is always full of surprises. In The Tulip
Shirt Murders, Chaz asks Delanie and her firm, Falcon Investigations, to
research other property in the suburbs for a new idea he has. He wants to open
a restaurant with all-make revue. When Delanie recovers from the surprise of
being Chaz’s confidant, he also asks her to do some campaign opposition
research for him because he’s decided that he’s what Richmond needs. He plans
to run for mayor in a special election to replace the murdered mayor. Book
three will include Chaz’s campaign adventures.
Chaz
is a fun character to write because he is unconventional, gross, and often
sleazy. My sleuth is sassy and spunky and gets herself in and out of all kinds
of trouble, and Chaz is a good foil for her. He represents the underside of
humanity and allows her glimpses into his world.
But
the sleazy strip club owner isn’t a total villain. We learn in the first book,
that his elderly neighbor adores him because he cat-sits for her when she goes
to visit her sister in Cincinnati. And he is a loyal fan and supporter of
Delanie.
The Tulip Shirt Murders – Heather Weidner
Private
investigator Delanie Fitzgerald, and her computer hacker partner, Duncan
Reynolds, are back for more sleuthing in The
Tulip Shirt Murders. When a local music producer hires the duo to find out
who is bootlegging his artists’ CDs, Delanie uncovers more than just copyright
thieves. And if chasing bootleggers isn’t bad enough, local strip club owner
and resident sleaze, Chaz Smith, pops back into Delanie’s life with more
requests. The police have their man in a gruesome murder, but the loud-mouthed
strip club owner thinks there is more to the open and shut case. Delanie and
Duncan link a series of killings with no common threads. And they must put the
rest of the missing pieces together before someone else is murdered.
The Tulip Shirt
Murders
is a fast-paced mystery that appeals to readers who like a strong female sleuth
with a knack for getting herself in and out of humorous situations such as
larping and trading elbow jabs with roller derby queens.
Author Biography:
Heather
Weidner’s short stories appear in the Virginia
is for Mysteries series and 50 Shades
of Cabernet. She is a member of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia,
Guppies, and James River Writers. The
Tulip Shirt Murders is her second novel in her Delanie Fitzgerald series.
Originally
from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby Doo and Nancy
Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell
terriers.
Heather
earned her BA in English from Virginia Wesleyan College and her MA in American
literature from the University of Richmond. Through the years, she has been a
technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager.
She blogs regularly with the Pens, Paws, and Claws authors.
Author Links:
Website
and Blog: www.heatherweidner.com
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