Hi all, Ellen here. I’m happy to host fellow Crooked Lane Harper Kincaid, author of the terrific new mystery, To Kill a Mocking Girl, for her debut with us today. And she’s sharing a super cool Spotify playlist!
Okay, not to make this awkward, but I am ridiculously excited to be a Guest Chick! I feel like it’s my first time on Saturday Night Live and this is my opening monologue.
By the way, hi everyone, I’m Harper Kincaid and To Kill a Mocking Girl is my debut in this genre. It’s a not-so-traditional cozy mystery where the town’s mean girl gets whacked and some think our bookbinder heroine, Quinn Caine, may have done it-just because she dated her fiancé back in the day.
As if.
Quinn would never let a guy get in the way of anything. She’s a not-so-loud, but quite proud Southern feminist (no, that’s not an oxymoron) who adores books, her dog named RBG (Ruff Barker Ginsburg), her small town of Vienna, Virginia, and her family-especially her firebrand-turned-novitiate cousin, Sister Daria. She also has a wicked crush on her older brother’s best friend-Detective Aiden Harrington-but that’s never going to happen, so she’ll just have to keep that dream quiet too.
Quinn and her crew are proof that characters can harbor both conservative and liberal views, wrestle with issues of faith and religion, all while honoring the familiar comfort people expect from cozy mysteries. She’s also a big music fan and she’s made y’all a playlist for your enjoyment. Click the link to listen on Spotify!
Title Artist
Scarborough Fair/Canticle Simon & Garfunkel
Moody Orange Rainbow Kitten Surprise
I Dreamt We Spoke Again Death Cab for Cutie
The Dress Looks Nice on You Sufjan Stevens
True Love Waits (Live in Oslo) Radiohead
Thank you so much for allowing me to host Chicks on the Case today. I have been tickled hot pink to be part of this rad group and, hopefully, I’ve made you smile because entertaining you is my favorite coping mechanism. And please follow me on social media! I love meeting readers.
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Ms. Kincaid earned her master’s degree in gender history and another in clinical/macro social work. When not writing, she adores listening to lo-fi, indie complaint rock played on vinyl, the theater, well-informed optimism, happy endings, and making those close to her laugh ‘til they snort. She is a self-admitted change junkie but is now happily settled in the cutest lil town of Vienna, Virginia, with her wife-whisperer husband, their two daughters, and Q-TiP, a fancy-pants pup with a badass name.
SYNOPSIS: Quinn Victoria Caine is back in her quirky town of Vienna, Virginia, starting her new life as a bookbinder in her family-owned, charm-for-days bookshop, Prose & Scones. With her trusty German Shephard RBG-‘Ruff Barker’ Ginsburg by her side, what can go wrong? Okay, sure, bumping into her ex, Scott, or her former high school nemesis, Tricia, is a drag. It certainly doesn’t help they have acquired the new hobby of shoving their recent engagement in her face every chance they get. But that doesn’t mean Quinn wanted to find Tricia dead in the road. So why does half the town think she may have done it? `Quinn is determined to find Tricia’s killer, even if it means partnering with her cousin-turned-nun, Sister Daria, and Detective Aiden Harrington, her older brother’s too-movie-star-handsome-for-his-own good, best friend. They believe she’s innocent, but of course that doesn’t influence the police, who peg her as their prime suspect. Or, at least until she’s poisoned.
But there is no way Quinn is going to stop now. Vienna is her town and-for better or worse-Tricia was one of their own. Someone may have killed the mocking girl, but no one’s going to stop the notorious QVC.
Chicks on the Case 
Welcome, Harper! Your book sounds fabulous, and I just love the cover. Maybe it’s because I’m a cat person, but that dog in the background looks like he’s guilty of something. A murder, perhaps? And thanks for sharing your playlist with us!
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Lol, Marla!
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I like cats too and you may just find one in book two 😉 Book one is all about RBG ❤️
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Welcome, Harper! What a wonderfully eclectic playlist. How did you select the music?
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I’m so glad you like the playlist! I try to have both lyrics and genres find compatibility-doesn’t have to match but it should go together. If you’re on Spotify follow me and I’ll follow you back 🎼❤️
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Congratulations on the release of TO KILL A MOCKING GIRL, Harper! Sounds like a lot of fun. Wishing you all the success in the world!
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Thanks JC!
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Hi Harper! We’re like twinsies … my new sleuth is named Quinn Carr and in one of the books she has a doggie sidekick named Virginia Woof!
Looking at your playlist, though, I’m wondering if you write with music on? I need it quiet.
I’m so glad you visited us here today … did it live up to your [perhaps too] high expectations??
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Love all these great pet names!
(I agree with you on the quiet, Becky.)
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I’m always amazed when writers post the playlists they write to, some of which I couldn’t even DANCE to!
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And the “Q” in my name stands for “Quinn.” (You wouldn’t believe the guesses I’ve gotten.)
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Ooh, you should have left it mysterious, like “Q” from James Bond.
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I’m in the quiet camp too. I can’t focus at all if there’s music playing.
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Ha! Are you kidding? I love being here! Sometimes I write with music on and sometimes not. It depends 🙂 But I’m also ADHD and I like white noise 😝
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What a fun post, Harper! We’re so happy to have you on the blog today. Congrats on your debut!
(Also, yay for social workers! I also have my MSW.)
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Social workers UNITE! Y’all are some of my favorite people 😍👊🏼
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Welcome, Harper! Love the SNL monologue analogy (we’re blushing!) and everything about this post.
I know Quinn and I would be fast friends. Can’t wait to meet her in your debut. Meanwhile, I’ll get to know her musically. Thanks for sharing her playlist. So cool!
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Congrats on the new book, Harper — LOVE the title! Can’t wait to check out your playlist. Thanks for hanging out today with the Chicks!
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Blushing right back! And trust me, my playlist is cool but I am not – totally okay with that. 😉
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Same! It’s the cool not-cool club!
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Ruff Barker Ginsburg, lol. Love it! Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today–your new series looks super fun. Congrats! Love the playlist (though I have to admit, this old gal has only heard of about half those artists…)
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Well then take a listen and let me know what you think. And thank you for having me here. So. Much. FUN!!
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Welcome to Chicks, Harper!! Adored your post—what fun, just like your sleuth. And I also loved the playlist—listened to a snippet of each as I had my morning coffee. My fave was “Harper Lee.” I had never heard the term “indie complaint rock,” but I’m a fan, too. I also have a cousin who is a nun (happy birthday again, Sister Francella!). And an uncle who was an ex-priest, back in the day. In the words of SNL alum Jimmy Fallon: We love you so much! Please come back and see us!
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Thank you Lisa 😍 I wish I could say I made up the indie title but I did not – my days of thrashing my head in time to loud music is DONE! 😝
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Harper, thanks for stopping by and providing us with a super cool playlist! Looking forward to reading how you came up with it. (See previous comments.)
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Thanks Ellen! I used to pride myself on keeping up with music-now? Not so much….
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Dear Harper – congratulations on your new series! I was fortunate enough to read the ARC and I really enjoyed your characters, setting and situation. I look forward to more adventures of Quinn, Sister Daria and Aiden.
Best wishes,
Ruth
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Thank you Ruth! Appreciate you giving my book a chance!
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Congrats on the new book and new series!
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Thanks Mark!
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Welcome, Harper! I’m so sorry I had to miss your visit (intense week)–but hope it’s not too late to send along best wishes and congratulations on your launch!! Wishing you much success. 🙂
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