Lisa here, chirping the happy news that fabulous author and Chicks close friend Diane Vallere is our guest today! Not only is Diane here to tell us about her latest Madison Night mystery, MY NIGHTMARE IS YOURS, but she’s offering insights into how she discovers new books!

Might as Well Face It, I’m Addicted to Books

 by Diane Vallere

Several years ago, I moved across the country and turned the page to the next chapter of my life. Finances were tight, and frivolous spending didn’t even enter the picture, but I knew how happy books made me so I decided then and there that there would always be money for books.

There are few purchases that offer the promise to change your life, to provide an escape when you need to get away cheap, to entertain you on demand, but books are that. And even though I visit bookstores regularly, I’m always surprised when I find a perfect-for-my-tastes book that I didn’t know existed.

Authors can be insanely curious about how readers find books, so I turned the lens to myself. In scientific mode, I decided to isolate my five most recent book purchases to see where I found them.

1. Most recent purchase: Cool Cat Blues: The Life and Times of Georgie Fame, Ben Sidran

Four years ago, I signed up for the Modculture newsletter while researching a book with a mod theme. I love the newsletter content so much that I never unsubbed. This past week they included news of this upcoming biography. I’m a Georgie Fame fan, so off I was to my local Barnes & Noble to preorder my copy.

2. Ghost of the Hardy Boys: The Writer Behind the World’s Most Famous Boy Detectives, Les McFarlane

A few days ago I chased down a memoir I’d been wanting at a not-local Barnes & Noble. While scanning the shelves for the desired title, I spotted this book. I was raised on a steady diet of children’s mystery series, so I grabbed it, bought it, and can’t wait to dive in.

3. The Secret Lives of Murderer’s Wives, Elizabeth Arnott

Spotted this while browsing a bookstore’s shelves. How did this not reach me while on preorder? Murderers. Sixties. THAT. COVER. I mean, come on!

4. The Wrong Stuff: How the Soviet Space Program Crashed and Burned, John Strausbaugh

I’m a nut for books about space history. While browsing the bookshelves at the National Air and Space Museum in D.C. I spotted this book, which should sit nicely with The Right Stuff, The Real Stuff, and The Right Stuff, The Wrong Sex, suggesting that “stuff” is the official word of books about the space program.

5. The Ending Writes Itself, Evelyn Clarke

Nabbed from a table near the entrance/exit at an indie bookstore after picking up a special order.

Scientifically speaking, it would appear that I’ve found most of my recent books by browsing bookstore shelves. But here’s the lightning round: book discovery without the bookstore:

• Discovered countless books from Goodreads Giveaways (I won two!)
• Discovered twenty-two books for my TBR pile on Pinterest
• Discovered a bagful of books on the $5/bag day at the annual BookBonanza. (One became one of my favorite books of 2025)
• Discovered many, many books by listening to panelists at book conventions and browsing the bookstore tables
• Discovered When Women Ran Fifth Avenue (Julie Satow) and Sometimes You Have to Lie: The Life and Times of Louise Fitzhugh, Renegade Author of Harriet the Spy (Leslie Brody) on Instagram
• Discovered The Saleslady (Francis K. Donovan): a 1929 text that describes the life of female sales associates in that era, in a footnote in When Women Ran Fifth Avenue.
• Discovered The Grand Design (Joy Calloway) on Booky Call (a dating app for readers).

READER COMMENT QUESTION FROM DIANE: Given more time and space, my scientific experiment would eventually conclude one thing: there are innumerable ways to discover books. I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours. Where do you find your bookshelf treasures?

ABOUT DIANE:

National bestselling author Diane Vallere writes stylish, character-driven mysteries that blend clever clues, wit, and heart. Her stories span contemporary small towns, the glamorous mid-century past, and retro-inflected worlds, all anchored by strong voices and sparkling intrigue.

A past president of Sisters in Crime Worldwide, Diane is the editor of the Agatha Award–winning essay collection Promophobia: Taking the Mystery out of Promoting Crime Fiction. Diane studied art history at the College of William and Mary and spent years in luxury retail before trading fashion accessories for accessories to murder. She currently resides in Pennsylvania.

👉🏻Join Diane’s Weekly DiVa Club and receive exclusive access to new books, discounts, and a free novella.

DIANE’S LATEST BOOK:

BUY LINK: My Nightmare Is Yours: A Madison Night Mystery

A retro dream job turns deadly when the music stops—and Madison Night may be siding with the wrong suspect.

Mid-century modern interior decorator Madison Night’s latest job should be a dream: transforming a 1950s ranch house into a retro recording studio. The catch? The client is a music producer who’s both a friend of Madison’s ex and the ex of one of her closest friends. Already caught in the crossfire of a messy post-divorce battle, Madison does her best to stay neutral—until murder takes center stage.

When pop singer Vanessa Wright, one of the producer’s two clients, is found dead in the park outside his home, neutrality is no longer an option. A former child star on the brink of a career-defining comeback, the victim had everything to gain—and someone determined to stop her. As Madison balances swatches and soundproofing with secrets and suspects, she uncovers fractures within the singer’s inner circle. 

Her police captain boyfriend is convinced the producer may be guilty, and Madison finds herself on the opposite side of the investigation. Being right would cost her personally. Being wrong could cost more than a decorating job. With motives piling up faster than records in a jukebox, Madison must uncover who silenced the singer before the microphone drops on murder.

This is the thirteenth book in the Madison Night mystery series, featuring an over fifty amateur sleuth, mid-century modern design, and crimes where personal loyalties blur the truth. Perfect for readers who love smart heroines, retro flair, and traditional mysteries with real stakes.