Hi, Vickie, here. Today the Chicks are thrilled to welcome author Debra Sennefelder. Silenced In Sequins, the latest entry in her Resale Boutique series was released this week! Take it away, Debra!

Inspiration From Prime Time

I want to first thank the Chicks on the Case for this opportunity to visit with you today. I’m excited to tell you a little bit about where the inspiration for my new release, SILENCED IN SEQUINS, came from.

One of the things I’m always asked is where do I get ideas from. Well, inspiration comes from everywhere. It can be a snippet of conversation overheard (or eavesdropped), it can be a newspaper headline, it can be a quick glimpse of someone in the park. Inspiration for writers comes from everywhere, everything, and everyone around them. But to write a whole book, I need more than a snippet or quick glimpse. Those conversations, sights, and headlines need to be woven together to create a full story. A little bit from here, a little bit from there, and before I know it, I’m writing The End.

And sometimes inspiration comes from being a couch potato.

One of my guilty pleasures is reality TV. My long-time favorite reality shows have been the Real Housewives.

I don’t watch all of them. Only a few. My faves are the New York, New Jersey, Beverly Hills, Ocean County (the OG of Real Housewives). I also love the Melbourne franchise, but it’s not available here in the states anymore, bummer).

Maybe I’ve wasted too many hours over the years mindlessly watching the hijinks of over-the-top wealthy women who behave like spoiled, mean girls. Still, it turns out it was all research. The arguments, late-night drinking, lawsuits and arrests. It’s a must-see-TV. And the inspiration for a novel. Who knew?

In SILENCED IN SEQUINS, I created a reality show with a cast of, yep, you guessed it, spoiled mean women who have had one-to-many Botox injections, boob lifts and think nothing of backstabbing a fellow castmate to get more air time. There’s so much I love about my job and being able to claim I’m watching TV because it’s research is one of the best perks.

About the book:

Former Manhattan fashion buyer Kelly Quinn is turning her grandmother’s outdated consignment shop into her quaint hometown’s hot spot for upscale style—until her second-hand couture makes the scene of an ice-cold crime . . .

With her bottom line looking a little threadbare, Kelly is going all out to promote the Lucky Cove Resale Boutique. She’s counting on Black Friday to recover her start-up expenses—including a website and an advertising blitz. But the publicity is overkill when two warring divas, and one sparkly evening dress, thrust Kelly and her fledgling business into a scandal she can’t afford.

The gorgeous garment came to Kelly from the walk-in closets of Wendy Johnson, one of reality TV’s Long Island Ladies. When Wendy’s former co-star, Diana Delacourte, graces a Christmas gala in the dress that was once her rival’s, a very public catfight ensues. But is Wendy to blame when sequin-clad Diana turns up dead? Dodging the show’s ever-present cameras—and a detective’s stern warnings—Kelly hunts for a killer before the powerful celebrity-suspect makes good on her threats and rips her to shreds . . .

About the author:

Debra Sennefelder is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person. Born and raised in New York City, where she majored in her hobby of fashion buying, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family Her writing companion is her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih-Tzu, Connie. You can connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.

Are you a reality TV fan? Which reality show do you think would make a good mystery series? Share in the comments.