Not a Shovel in Sight follows a bestselling author as she goes undercover at a shady nonprofit to uncover a million-dollar theft only to find herself tangled in a dangerous mystery. What inspired you to create Alana Lorenz as both an author and an investigator?

Having the character of Alana work as an author means she writes books by herself at home.  That way, she was available to help out “undercover” at the nonprofit when the head honcho, Elliott, who is also her best friend’s father, asks her to come back after the theft is discovered.

The dialogue in the book is especially sharp. How do you craft such witty and engaging conversations?  

I figure out what kind of person each character is, then just try to imagine how they would express themselves and interact with the other characters.  It’s a lot of fun to write.  I guess I have a pretty good ear for conversations, too, which helps.

The New York setting feels incredibly vivid. What real-life experiences or research helped you bring it to life?

Oh, I didn’t have to do any research on this part of the story.  I’ve lived in New York for thirty-eight years.  I put a whole lot of my own experiences of navigating around the city into this book.  It’s a great place to live and work!  But it also seems to attract a lot of nefarious types or opportunists, too.  Ha, I put plenty of those in NOT A SHOVEL IN SIGHT.

If you had to cast Alana and Elliott for a film adaptation, who would be your dream actors?

This is the best interview question I’ve ever been asked!  It’s also a tough one.  For Elliott: Liev Schrieber or George Clooney.  For Alana: Sophie Turner.

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