Meet Lori Pollard-Johnson

Today we’re talking with Lori Pollard-Johnson, author of Toxic Torte, The Lie, The Truth Test, and Recipe for a Rebel. (*She's giving away copies of two of her books too!)

S&S: The title of your mystery Toxic Torte is perfect. Love the alliteration! What inspired you to write a culinary cozy?

Lori: In the case of Toxic Torte, the title came first. I was in San Diego (to swim with dolphins), when I saw an attorney's advertisement on Toxic Torts. I'd been writing for the food industry for quite some time at that point, and an idea of a chef dishing up divine justice to a restaurant critic sparked my imagination. It took me many years and a lot of sidetracks before I finished, but Toxic Torte has been my most profitable book so far.

S&S: Do you have a favorite scene?

Lori: I think my favorite scene is near the end when our heroine's eyes are opened to true unconditional love. I can't say too much for fear of ruining the ending, but it was a surprise to me as I wrote it, too. That's the magic of writing—I get to share in the reader's sense of wonder at a surprising, yet satisfying, ending that is also true to the characters.

S&S: Your latest novel, The Lie, is quite different from Toxic Torte. Tell us a little bit about it, please. What prompted you to switch genres from adult mystery to young adult?
Lori: The Lie is a very edgy young adult novel; some might call it a "coming of age" novel. A chance meeting on a plane spurred this story. A young man on his way to report for basic training had to share a headset with a woman sitting next to him because he didn't have enough money to purchase his own headset. Watching the two of them--strangers at first--made me realize how much we value our service men and women, as well as the complexities involved in enlisting, especially as a very young person. It was very moving for me, and I guess writing Jace's story is my way of honoring the bond I saw on that plane. Although it's a departure from Toxic Torte, it's actually halfway back to my roots--my first two "traditionally published" novels, The Truth Test and Recipe for a Rebel, are kids' novels aimed at mid-grade readers (10-14 years old). I don't really confine myself to one genre, though; I write the story that speaks to me.

“She’d be real: imperfect haircut…slightly wrinkled clothing….”

S&S: If one of your novels were made into a movie, who would you cast as your characters?
Lori: If Toxic Torte were made into a movie, I'd cast an unknown, mid-twenties actress who is larger than a size 2. She'd be real: imperfect haircut a bit out of trim, slightly wrinkled clothing, and eyebrows in need of plucking. If I were looking through headshots, I'd look for a young Toni Collette. A few of the other characters I'd be able to cast right away: Rod, Jess's boss, would be played by Jesse Spencer, best known as Dr. Robert Chase on the television show HOUSE; Jody Lish, owner of Bayou Deja Vu, would be played by Holly Hunter; Laurette Roen, owner of Bien, would be played by Angelica Houston; Gwen, the hostess of Green, could be played by Jaime Pressly, famous for her role as Joy Turner on MY NAME IS EARL; and Perry, the victim, while seen only in pictures, would be well-represented by John Hillerman, best known as the butler on MAGNUM PI.

“…a man floating in a homemade aquarium.”

S&S: Are you working on a new book? Want to tell us a little bit about it?
Lori: I have two works in progress. The first, Corpse in the Cottage Cutie, is another cozy mystery, this time featuring best friends and recent divorcees, Jan and Pam, who are attempting to make money by flipping houses (in a terrible market)...because it's the only thing they know how to do, and they're determined to make it on their own without any help from their lyin' cheatin' exes. Unfortunately, on the first day of their first renovation, Jan removes paneling from a cedar closet and discovers a forty-year old secret: a man floating in a homemade aquarium. In order to speed up the policing and get back to flipping houses, the ladies decide to investigate on their own.
The second work in progress is still in outline form. Tentatively entitled Run, it's an edgy young adult novel about a seventeen-year-old girl who accidentally hits a homeless man on the way home from a party late at night. No one sees her, so she races for home and tries to pretend it never happened. But dead bodies don't go unnoticed, and she's torn between coming clean and keeping her dirty little secret.

S&S: If you had a whole day with no plans, no commitments, how would you spend it?

Lori: When I have a day with no commitments, I putter—I catch up on all the housework, play video games, and engage in my guilty pleasure—true crime shows.

S&S: Give us three words that describe you.

Lori: Three words that describe me, aside from the obvious (wife and mother), are loyal, curious, and kind.

***GIVEAWAY***

Leave a comment below and you'll be entered to win Toxic Torte or The Lie in eBook format! Just be sure to leave your email address in your comment so we can find you.

You can purchase Lori's books here:

The Lie (Young Adult)

Toxic Torte (Mystery)

Recipe for a Rebel (Middle Grade)

The Truth Test (Middle Grade)

(The Truth Test is also on the Accelerated Reader program here: The Truth Test)

You can also find all four books on Barnes & Noble and Toxic Torte and The Lie can be found on Smashwords in multiple formats.

Teaser Tuesday - Toxic Torte

Toxic Torte (by Lori Pollard-Johnson) is the subject of today's Teaser Tuesday post. Newspaper reporter Jess Harriet has been assigned to write the obituary for a well-known, widely-hated food critic. Warning: Don't read this book when you're hungry. The food descriptions are scrumptious! It's filled with humor too. I couldn't resist posting two teasers this week.

Before me stood Dream Dude. Mid- to late twenties, thick brown hair, big brown eyes, slightly Latin-looking. He was the kind of man that made me forget I'd sworn off men just last Friday. 
[at 3% on my Kindle]
and
Roasted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, prime rib off the grill with ginger carrots and baby peas, puttanesca pizza with locally grown capers. How are your salivary glands now? 
[at 15% on my Kindle]

Come back here tomorrow to read our interview with Lori (including giveaways!) and find out about her other books, one of which is The Lie, an edgy YA novel.

Here's the synopsis of Toxic Torte from Amazon:

Jess Harriet slings slop at the Seattle Sun, a weekly newsrag best known for its personal ad selection. When her latest assignment turns out to be yet another obituary, this time for caustic restaurant critic Perry Lowell, she seriously considers leaving the memorial and heading back to her hometown of Ephrata, never to return. But before the buffet is replenished, detectives appear. It seems Perry didn’t die of a heart attack after all. He was murdered…with a toxic torte, most likely served to him at the Space Needle's annual Valentine’s Day Chocoholic Ball. 
Jess seizes the opportunity to scoop the Seattle Tribune, and ends up stirring up trouble, not only with Cherrie, fellow Sun reporter by week, Seattle Seahawks cheerleader by weekend, but with a secret society of chefs, all of whom have been panned by Perry. She’ll also have to outwit Tom, a college dating disaster who has access to the elusive guest list, and team up with her editor, Rod, who has secrets of his own… including an appetite for Jess.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)
• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.