by Joe Cosentino
Hello, Noah. I thought I would release you from the Nicky and Noah mystery novels for an interview.
Thanks. It’s great to stretch my back. But I miss Nicky.
Your Nicky and Noah mystery series is a huge hit. Reviewers called the series hysterically funny farce, Murder She Wrote meets Hart to Hart meets The Hardy Boys, and a captivating whodunit. One reviewer wrote they were the funniest books she’d ever read! Have you gotten a big head?
That would be Nicky—in more ways than one.
How do you feel about that?
I’m very accommodating.
Since the readers can’t see you, Noah is tall and handsome with crystal-blue eyes, milk and honey skin, and curly long golden hair.
I’m blushing.
And rosy cheeks. And you’re also a kind person who always sees the best in people, a great college theatre acting professor, and the perfect Watson to Nicky’s Sherlock Holmes.
And I never let Nicky forget it.
How do you describe Nicky?
He’s the man of my dreams, and my reality. I love my husband’s wit, smarts, and perseverance in the face of adversity. He is genuinely concerned for others, and will do anything to solve a murder mystery—with my help. Nicky is also a terrific theatre directing professor and of course armchair detective. Finally, he is muscular and gorgeous with dark hair, emerald-green eyes, a Roman nose, and enormous manhood, which brings me to new heights and stretches my…imagination.
How about telling the readers about your series?
Nicky and I whisper in Joe’s ear and he types our stories. The settings are warm and cozy, the clues and murders (and laughs) come fast and furious, and there are enough plot twists and turns and a surprise ending to keep the pages turning faster than a priest heading for the altar boys’ changing room (as Nicky would say). At the center of all our stories is sweet romance between sexy, handsome Nicky and me. No matter what trials and tribulations Nicky and I go through, there is always a happily ever after ending—until the next book.
Tell everyone about the first six novels in the series.
If you haven’t read them yet, pick up Nicky and me (no pun intended). You’ll love us as much as we love each other. In Drama Queen (Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite LGBT Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Novel of the Year) college theatre professors are dropping like stage curtains at Treemeadow College, and Nicky and I have to use our theatre skills, including impersonating other people, to figure out whodunit. In Drama Muscle (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention) Nicky and I don our gay Holmes and Watson personas again to find out why bodybuilding students and professors at Treemeadow are dropping faster than barbells. Also, our relationship reaches a milestone by the end of the novel. In Drama Cruise it is summer on a ten-day cruise from San Francisco to Alaska and back. Nicky and I must figure out why college theatre professors are dropping like life rafts as Nicky directs a murder mystery dinner theatre show onboard ship starring yours truly (bow) and other college theatre professors from across the US. Complicating matters are our both sets of wacky parents who want to embark on all the activities on and off the boat with us. In Drama Luau, Nicky is directing the luau show at the Maui Mist Resort, and we need to figure out why muscular Hawaiian hula dancers are dropping like grass skirts. Our department head/best friend and his husband, Martin and Ruben, are along for the bumpy tropical ride. In Drama Detective, Nicky is directing and ultimately co-starring with moi as Holmes and Watson in a new musical Sherlock Holmes play at Treemeadow College prior to Broadway. Martin and Ruben, their sassy office assistant Shayla, Nicky’s cute brother Tony, and our adorable son Taavi are also in the cast. Of course dead bodies begin falling over like hammy actors at a curtain call. Once again Nicky and I use our drama skills to figure out who is lowering the street lamps on the actors before we get half-baked on Baker Street. In Drama Fraternity, Nicky is directing Tight End Scream Queen, a slasher movie filmed at Treemeadow College’s football fraternity house, co-starring (you got it) me, Taavi, Martin, and Shayla. Rounding out the cast are members of Treemeadow’s Christian football players’ fraternity along with two hunky screen stars. When the quarterback, jammer, wide receiver, and more begin fading out with their scenes, Nicky and I once again need to use our drama skills to figure out who is sending young hunky actors to the cutting room floor before we hit the final reel.
Which brings us to your current release, Drama Castle?
Now in Drama Castle, Nicky is directing a historical film co-starring me (Oscar anyone?) and Taavi at Conall Castle in Scotland: When the Wind Blows Up Your Kilt It’s Time for A Scotch. Rounding out the cast are members of the mysterious Conall family who own the castle. When hunky men in kilts topple off the drawbridge and into the moat, it’s up to Nicky and me to use our acting skills to figure out whodunit before we land in the dungeon. We get a little help from our son and our friends. By the end of the novel, I also make a shocking personal revelation.
Can you give the readers a run down on some of the characters?
Nicky and I are joined by our best friends and fan favorites Martin and Ruben, and by my eccentric parents. And book seven adds a number of captivating new characters like Brody Naughton, the hunky head of Housekeeping with a red beard and roving eye for the oldest Conall brother, Barclay, and for Donal Blair a waiter in the castle’s Great Hall dining room. Each of the three beefy Conall brothers (Barclay, Magnus, and Fergus) have a surprising secret. Ewan Baird, the elderly caretaker, provides Nicky with information about the last generation of Conalls, which blows the story wide open. I’m still the co-star though. Can I bow now?
Why do you live in Vermont?
Vermont is a gorgeous state with green pastures, white church steeples, glowing lakes, and friendly and accepting people. Treemeadow College is the perfect setting for a cozy mystery with its white Edwardian buildings, low white stone fences, lake and mountain views, and cherry wood offices with tall leather chairs and fireplaces.
You travelled to Alaska in Drama Cruise and to Hawaii in Drama Luau. What did you like about Scotland in Drama Castle?
The castle was amazing with its stone bridge over a moat leading to a sprawling stone structure from the 1700’s with turrets, fireplaces, knight in armor, and coat or arms. The Great Hall (dining room) inside was full of wait staff serving us the most delectable meals we had ever eaten. Our room included an enormous canopy bed (which we used a lot), a stone fireplace, a wardrobe out of C.S. Lewis, a turreted window seat, burgundy curtains, and leather chairs (no pun intended). From our enormous windows, Nicky and I could see a turquoise lake swirling through an emerald-green meadow, a steep cliff towering over the white-capped ocean, and violet fields of heather. We truly felt like the lords of the castle!
Whose parents are funnier? Yours or Nicky’s?
It’s a toss-up. Nicky’s Mama and Papa see the whole world as a microcosm of their bakery in Kansas. I love my mother’s fixation with taking pictures of everything, and my father’s fascination with seeing movies. I also love how my father is an amateur sleuth like me. As they say, men marry their fathers. Also, both sets of parents accept their son’s spouse as part of their family. Kudos to them for always being loving and supportive.
Who was your favorite new character in Drama Castle?
I started out not liking the burly red-bearded Brody, but I soon respected him for his devotion to his daughter Lairie and for his strong sense of right and wrong.
Which new character did you like the least in book seven?
The third Conall brother, Fergus, who did some really terrible things.
Which new character was the strangest?
That’s asking a lot in a Nicky and Noah mystery. I’ll say Fergus’ fiancé, Hamish. I couldn’t figure out why he stayed with Fergus.
Which new character was the sexiest?
Donal Blair, a waiter in the Great Hall dining room is sweet, adorable, and incredibly in love with the hunky head of Housekeeping, Brody Naughton who carries many secrets from his past.
Now let me ask a question. Who do you like better, Nicky and me, Jana Lane from your five Jana Lane mysteries published by the Wild Rose Press, Cal Cozzi from your four Cozzi Cove novels published by NineStar Press, or any of the characters in your Dreamspinner Press novels?
I love you all equally. Just like my mother told me about my sister the accountant before my mother said I should have a “real job” like my sister.
Being a college theatre professor is a real job.
Tell my mother.
Tell the readers about your other books, even though Nicky and I aren’t in them.
My Cozzi Cove beach series has been called a gay Fantasy Island. The Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories are romantic, sweet, and full of holiday fun. In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star are loosely based on my high school and college years respectively. My Tales from Fairyland are my comic gay takes on my favorite fairytales. My Jana Lane mysteries (about an ex-child movie star making a comeback while solving murder mysteries on the set) have straight leading characters and gay supporting characters.
But we’re here to talk about our seventh Nicky and Noah mystery, Drama Castle. Tell the readers how they can delve into us (no pun intended).
The purchase links are below. Don’t miss the special pre-order sale until Feb. 1! Also below are my contact links, including my web site. I love to hear from readers!
And Nicky and I love the applause!
Thank you, Noah, for interviewing with me today.
It was my pleasure, Joe. Time for a bow. It is also my joy and pleasure to share this seventh novel in our series. So everyone, take your seats. The curtain is going up on steep cliffs, ancient turrets, stormy seas, misty moors, malfunctioning kilts, and murder!
DRAMA CASTLE (the seventh Nicky and Noah mystery)
a comedy/mystery/romance novel by JOE COSENTINO
e-book at discount $3.99 pre-order price until Feb. 1!
http://mybook.to/DramaCastle
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/910555
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1129964877?ean=2940155897439
Theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza is directing a historical film at a castle in Scotland, co-starring his spouse, theatre professor Noah Oliver, and their son Taavi. When historical accuracy disappears along with hunky men in kilts, Nicky and Noah will once again need to use their drama skills to figure out who is pitching residents of Conall Castle off the drawbridge and into the moat, before Nicky and Noah land in the dungeon. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining seventh novel in this delightful series. Take your seats. The curtain is going up on steep cliffs, ancient turrets, stormy seas, misty moors, malfunctioning kilts, and murder!
Praise for the Nicky and Noah mysteries:
“Joe Cosentino has a unique and fabulous gift. His writing is flawless, and his use of farce, along with his convoluted plot-lines, will have you guessing until the very last page, which makes his books a joy to read. His books are worth their weight in gold, and if you haven't discovered them yet you are in for a rare treat.” Divine Magazine
“a combination of Laurel and Hardy mixed with Hitchcock and Murder She Wrote…
Loaded with puns and one-liners…Right to the end, you are kept guessing, and the conclusion still has a surprise in store for you.” “the best modern Sherlock and Watson in books today…I highly recommend this book and the entire series, it’s a pure pleasure, full of fun and love, written with talent and brio…fabulous…brilliant” Optimumm Book Reviews
“adventure, mystery, and romance with every page….Funny, clever, and sweet….I can’t find anything not to love about this series….This read had me laughing and falling in love….Nicky and Noah are my favorite gay couple.” Urban Book Reviews
Excerpt of Drama Castle, the seventh Nicky and Noah mystery, by Joe Cosentino:
Noah and I made our way up the gigantic poplar wood staircase. After standing all day and evening, the thick burgundy carpet on the steps was a welcome cushion to my tired feet. Noah admired the intricate molding of lions in various positions on the staircase, walls, and pewter chandelier above us. “Nicky, the castle must be much more crowded when open for business.”
“I prefer having it to ourselves.” I pinched his firm bottom and he giggled.
On the second floor, Noah and I headed down the long corridor and knocked on Mom and Dad’s door. Dad opened it, wearing a T-shirt and Bermuda shorts.
“Dad, we’re in Scotland, not the Caribbean,” Noah said.
“A vacation’s a vacation.” Dad welcomed us into his room. “This is some place, huh?” He gestured to the large canopy bed. “And look at that!” Poking my arm, he added, “You planning on giving it to Noah in the caboose tonight?”
Noah turned scarlet.
Dad laughed uproariously. “How are my two boys?”
“Tired.” I sat on an ornate bench.
“Stay and watch TV with me.” Dad opened a giant oak wardrobe revealing a flat screen television.
Did they have those in the eighteenth century?
He sat next to me and ran a hand over his bald head. “Braveheart is on tonight.”
Noah sat on a wide oak chair opposite us. “Dad, you’re in Scotland. Why not do some sightseeing?”
“No sights can beat the locations in Braveheart,” Dad said.
The door opened, and an iPhone covered my face. “What a cute picture of you two boys. Do you like my new iPhone?” Mom texted and then smiled proudly. “Judy from Wisconsin says her son and son-in-law, Tommy and Timmy, have never been to Scotland.”
Dad laughed. “Lucky for Jack. He’d have gotten stuck with the bill.”
“How are my boys?” Mom kissed every inch of our faces.
I wiped Mom’s tangerine lipstick off with a handkerchief. “How are Tommy and Timmy?”
“They’re worried about their little adopted daughter from Vietnam. Poor Dung gets under everyone’s feet, and Judy and her husband Jack keep stepping on Dung!” Mom sat on the canopy bed and adjusted the tie of her tangerine robe. “I think Tommy and Timmy are spreading Dung too thin with baby classes in sign language, swimming, and art.”
“All paid for by Grandpa Jack,” Dad added.
Mom patted her dyed blonde hair into place. “Dung is a sweet child, but no kid is as gifted and talented as our grandson.”
“Amen,” Dad said while readying the television remote control.
“Speaking of Taavi.” Noah looked around the room. “Where is he?”
“The Nicky and Noah Mysteries series are perfect for fans of the Cozy Mystery sub-genre. They mix tongue-in-cheek humor, over-the-top characters, a wee bit of political commentary, and suspense into a sweet little mystery solved by Nicky and Noah, theatre professors for whom all the world’s a stage.” Prism Book Alliance
“This is one hilarious series with a heart and it just keeps getting better. I highly recommend them all, and please read them in the order they were written for full blown laugh out loud reading pleasure!” Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
About the Author and Where to find them online:
Bestselling author Joe Cosentino was voted Favorite LGBT Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of the Year by the readers of Divine Magazine for Drama Queen. He also wrote the other novels in the Nicky and Noah mystery series: Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle; the Dreamspinner Press novellas: In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star, A Home for the Holidays, The Perfect Gift, The First Noel, The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland with Holiday Tales from Fairyland, the Cozzi Cove series: Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out, Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings, Cozzi Cove: Happy Endings (NineStar Press); and the Jana Lane mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll (The Wild Rose Press). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently Chair of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and he is happily married. Joe was voted 2nd Place Favorite LGBT Author of the Year in Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards, and his books have received numerous Favorite Book of the Month Awards and Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions.
Web site: http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoeCosentinoauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeCosen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4071647.Joe_Cosentino
Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino
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