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WORK TITLE: Your Killin’ Heart
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Nashville
STATE: TN
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://us.macmillan.com/author/peggyonealpeden/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Lipscomb University, B.A.; University of Kentucky, M.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Brentwood Academy, teacher 2008-15.
Has taught English at high school and college levels, owned a travel agency, and written advertising copy.
MEMBER:Nashville Artist Guild.
AWARDS:Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
A native Tennessean, Peggy O’Neal Peden lives in Nashville, where she writes and paints. She holds degrees in English from Lipscomb University and from the University of Kentucky and has taught English grammar and literature at the high school and college levels. Peden spoke with Emily Adams Keplinger of the Tennessean about her first novel, Your Killin’ Heart, a mystery set in Music City, as Nashville is known. As she told Keplinger, “It appeared to me to be a rich world to serve as a backdrop for my story.” She chose the mystery genre “because it offers a sense of order for the story line” and because there is an absolute conclusion. “You almost always get to the truth.”
The protagonist, Campbell Hale, runs a travel agency in Nashville. She has nothing to do with the country music scene, but she nonetheless takes an offered opportunity to visit the home of a deceased country icon, Jake Miller, when her former boyfriend and his brother, who runs an art gallery, arrange to collect paintings that were not paid for before Jake died. As she wanders through the mansion, she happens upon the body of Jake’s widow, Hazel, and is swept up in the mystery of who killed her and why. She believes that she is the last person to have seen Hazel alive. Single father Detective Sam Davis steps in to investigate. Will romance bloom?
A Kirkus Reviews correspondent described Campbell as “a typical cozy sleuth, bright and gutsy but also rather foolhardy as she stumbles in and out of dangerous situations.” Critiquing Your Killin’ Heart in Publishers Weekly, a correspondent observed that “detection a step removed from the action undermine the delivery of the promising premise.” Karen Keefe, writing in Booklist reported that “fans of Diane Mott Davidson and Donna Andrews will enjoy this new series.” Online at Lesa’s Book Critiques, a reviewer noted that the heroine of this novel, winner of the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition, is a “delightful narrator.” The critic commented: “Amusing conversations are just one part of this entertaining book. It’s rich in the music and atmosphere of Nashville.” A contributor to the Dru’s Book Musings website found the mystery to be a “fast-paced and action-packed whodunit” with an “engaging dialogue.” John Charles, correspondent on the Reader to Reader website, noted that Peden writes with “easy charm” that is “subtly season[ed]” with a “sharp sense of humor.” Charles applauded the “strongly realized Nashville setting and a cast of appealing characters.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2017, Karen Keefe, review of Your Killin’ Heart, p. 25.
Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2017, review of Your Killin’ Heart.
Publishers Weekly, March 20, 2017, review of Your Killin’ Heart, p. 56.
ONLINE
Dru’s Book Musings, https://drusbookmusing.com (May 14, 2017), review of Your Killin’ Heart.
Lesa’s Book Critiques, https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com (May 8, 2017), review of Your Killin’ Heart.
Macmillan Website, https://us.macmillan.com (November 7, 2017), author profile.
Reader to Reader, http://www.readertoreader.com (November 7, 2017), review of Your Killin’ Heart.
Tennessean Online, http://www.tennessean.com (September 10, 2017), Emily Adams Keplinger, author interview.
PEGGY O'NEAL PEDEN
Peggy O'Neal Peden
Anna Grace Willis
PEGGY O’NEAL PEDEN grew up in Middle Tennessee and has lived in and around Nashville for most of her life. She has taught English at high school and college levels, owned a travel agency, been published in regional magazines, and written award-winning advertising copy. She has a bachelor's degree from Lipscomb University and a master's degree from the University of Kentucky. A member of the Nashville Artist Guild, she lives in Nashville. Your Killin’ Heart is her first novel.
Peggy Peden
Peggy Peden
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author of Your Killin' Heart at Minotaur
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Experience
Minotaur
author of Your Killin' Heart
Company NameMinotaur
Dates Employed2017 – Present Employment Durationless than a year
self
writer
Company Nameself
Nashville Artist Guild
Artist
Company NameNashville Artist Guild
Dates Employed2006 – Present Employment Duration11 yrs
Brentwood Academy
English Teacher
Company NameBrentwood Academy
Dates Employed2008 – 2015 Employment Duration7 yrs
LocationBrentwood, Tennessee
Education
Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University
Degree NameBachelor of Arts (BA) Field Of StudyEnglish Language and Literature, General
Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University
Degree NameBachelor of Arts (BA) Field Of StudyEnglish/Teaching
University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
Degree NameMaster of Arts (M.A.) Field Of StudyEnglish Language and Literature, General
'Your Killin Heart' a Music City mystery
Emily Adams Keplinger, FOR USA TODAY NETWORK — TENNESSEE Published 7:00 p.m. CT Sept. 10, 2017
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(Photo: Courtesy of the author)
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As someone who has made reading and writing a major part of her life since high school, it was just a matter of time before Peggy O’Neal Peden launched her first novel. For years Peden, who lives in Donelson, has been an English teacher, both at the high school and college levels, where she has continually honed her craft as she taught classes in grammar and literature.
Now she has pooled her talents into a tale of intrigue that showcases Nashville. Her efforts have garnered her a win in “The Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition,” a national competition sponsored by St. Martins publishers.
“Your Killin’ Heart” by Peggy O'Neal Peden
“Your Killin’ Heart” by Peggy O'Neal Peden (Photo: Submitted)
Set against the backdrop of Music City’s legend and lore, Peden tells a tale that is likely to be familiar to country music fans. In “Your Killin’ Heart,” the fabled lives of stars live on through fans and the carefully constructed and protected facades designed to continue their legacies. But even those most revered have secrets that span generations.
What was the catalyst for writing your first novel?
Actually, it started it as a short story. I had written for newspapers and magazines since I was in high school and college, and I wasn’t sure that I could write novel length. However, I had wanted to write about this idea and each time I “finished” it, I just kept thinking about it and would come back to add something else. As I kept playing with it, it kept growing and, ultimately, I decided that I wanted to write a book-length work.
Why did you choose to write a mystery?
Even as a child, I loved reading mysteries. I grew up in Middle Tennessee and remember many times that my mother took me to downtown Nashville to buy the latest Nancy Drew book. As a writer, I like the mystery genre because it offers a sense of order for the story line. And it gets finished — you almost always get to the truth. As a person, I like the fact that in mysteries the good guys nearly always win.
What led you to use music as a vehicle for your story?
Music is tied to the identity of Nashville — it’s what Nashville is about. I’ve been around music in my personal life, with my dad and my brothers playing as part of our home life. And I have two nephews who are college music majors. I studied piano and accordion. But moreover, I’ve known people who, in one way or another, have been part of the Nashville music scene. It appeared to me to be a rich world to serve as a backdrop for my story.
You added your own musical touches?
Yes, at the start of each chapter, I wrote a few lines as though they were the words of a song — totally fictitious. It was a way for me to underscore my view that lyrics in country music are really important (and, yes, I would love to be songwriter). In country music, the lyrics mean something, and usually come from the heart, not just the head, of the songwriter. I feel the same way about "My Killin’ Heart."
Where did you get your inspiration for your protagonist, Campbell Hale?
Writers are often told, “Write what you know,” and in this case, I borrowed from my own life, so a lot of what I know is in her. For one thing, Hale is a family name. Also, I had owned a travel agency, but not in Hillsboro Village. I chose that location because it is one of the places in Nashville where there is still a strong sense of community. And there really is a road off Music Valley Drive, like the one where Campbell lives in a cottage at the river. Additionally, I painted my way through a bout of writer’s block, and one of the pictures was of a little red sports car. A friend owned a car like Campbell drove. He loaned me the owners manual so I could incorporate accurate details.
Does your character Jake Miller represent a real person?
No, Jake is more like a composite figure with a background similar to so many early country singers. And his part of the story served to illuminate how the industry has changed through the years.
Future plans: Are we going to see Campbell again?
Yes. I have an option for a second novel and I have a couple of finished manuscripts involving Campbell and other characters from "My Killin’ Heart" — but all that’s down the road.
Peden, Peggy O'Neal: YOUR KILLIN' HEART
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Peden, Peggy O'Neal YOUR KILLIN' HEART Minotaur (Adult Fiction) $25.99 5, 2 ISBN: 978-1-250-12268-1
A Nashville travel agent's nosiness may be the death of her.When Campbell Hale learns that her boyfriend, lawyer
Doug Elliott, is repossessing some paintings from the wife of country music legend Jake Miller, she begs to go along.
Doug's brother, Ken, owns an art gallery, and Jake's widow, Hazel Miller, has not paid for pictures she bought and is
willing to return them. At the mansion, Campbell, enthralled by all the memorabilia, wanders off while Doug is
loading paintings and accidentally opens the door to Hazel's bedroom. As they depart, Hazel's personal assistant,
George Lewis, is refusing entry to a very angry young man. When Hazel is found dead in bed that evening, gossip
suggests pills and booze as the cause. When police detective Sam Davis, who's investigating Hazel's death as a
possible murder, comes to interview Campbell, she admits to opening the bedroom door and seeing a huddled figure in
the bed. Although she's not a suspect, Campbell just can't keep herself from nosing around for clues despite dire
warnings from Doug, who becomes more and more distant as she continues to investigate. The angry young man turns
out to be Jake's grandson, whose mother, adopted by the couple, is actually Jake's natural daughter by a country music
star who was just starting her career when her daughter was born and was forced to give her up. As Doug continues to
sulk over her sleuthing, Campbell develops a more than professional interest in Davis. After George Lewis becomes
the next victim, Campbell gets threats warning her to mind her business. But she keeps turning up more information
that poses a threat to the unknown killer. Peden's debut paints a matter-of-fact picture of the city that lives for music.
Her heroine is a typical cozy sleuth, bright and gutsy but also rather foolhardy as she stumbles in and out of dangerous
situations while solving a murder whose solution many readers will spot ahead of her.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Peden, Peggy O'Neal: YOUR KILLIN' HEART." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2017. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA482911865&it=r&asid=4aa21326c8ade71b38fe8dc9022a62d3.
Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A482911865
10/22/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1508705529938 2/3
Your Killin' Heart
Publishers Weekly.
264.12 (Mar. 20, 2017): p56.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Your Killin' Heart
Peggy O'Neal Peden. Minotaur, $25.99
(272p) ISBN 978-1-250-12268-1
Because Nashville travel agent Campbell Hale, the narrator of Peden's middling debut, is a fan of deceased country
star Jake Miller (whose life and work resemble that of Hank Williams), she jumps at the chance to accompany her
sometime boyfriend, lawyer Doug Elliott, as he retrieves some paintings from the home of Jake's widow, Hazel, for his
art dealer brother. The curious Campbell stumbles on a too-still Hazel in bed and realizes later that the woman may
have been murdered. Campbell sifts the circumstances of Hazel and Jake's lives, discovering an illegitimate child, a
resentful grandson, a former mistress, an opportunistic assistant, and a well-connected attorney who wants to keep the
Miller secrets off the front page. Warnings from handsome detective Sam Davis fail to deter Campbell, who encounters
threats and attempts on her life. An insufficient array of suspects and detection a step removed from the action
undermine the delivery of the promising premise. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Your Killin' Heart." Publishers Weekly, 20 Mar. 2017, p. 56. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA487601761&it=r&asid=f9888cf60fe7f74e3d636be917f6e52a.
Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A487601761
10/22/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1508705529938 3/3
Your Killin' Heart
Karen Keefe
Booklist.
113.16 (Apr. 15, 2017): p25.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Your Killin' Heart. By Peggy O'Neal Peden. May 2017. 272p. Minotaur/Thomas Dunne, $25.99 (9781250155184); ebook
(9781250122698).
Nashville travel agent Campbell Hale begs to tag along when her friend Doug Elliott retrieves some artwork from a
country-music legend's widow. Later that day, when news breaks that the late Jake Millers wife was just found dead,
Campbell realizes that she may have been the last person to see the woman alive. Campbell is a plucky contemporary
heroine of the "oh, just one look inside this room isn't going to kill anyone" vein. Though things never really worked
out with Doug, the two have an undeniable chemistry. But, then, there's also the single-dad cop who keeps popping up
to keep her safe. Fans of Diane Mott Davidson and Donna Andrews will enjoy this new series. Your Killin Heart was
the winner of the Malice Domestic Competition for Best First Traditional Mystery Novel.--Karen Keefe
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Keefe, Karen. "Your Killin' Heart." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2017, p. 25. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA492536141&it=r&asid=d0fee1cac9fb2f27b02759cfa616a8a6.
Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A492536141
Lesa's Book Critiques
Sharing Books and Authors, with an emphasis on Mysteries.
MONDAY, MAY 08, 2017
Your Killin' Heart by Peggy O'Neal Peden
Peden's debut mystery, winner of The Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition, introduces a sparkling amateur sleuth. Campbell Hale is bright and loyal. She's also a little too nosy and, she admits, "a little too honest". She's the delightful narrator of Your Killin' Heart.
Campbell owns a travel agency in Nashville. She doesn't work in the music agency, but when her lawyer friend, Doug, says he's picking up some paintings at Jake Miller's house, she begs him to take her. Jake Miller was a country music icon, a man who drank a lot, married a lot, and died young. That alone could have made him famous, but Campbell's father still idolizes his songs. She tags along, and, although Doug warns her to stay close, she's dying to see Jake Miller's house. She opens one door too many, though, and finds a woman in bed. It's only later, when they learn Miller's widow, Hazel, is dead, probably murdered, that Campbell realizes she saw the victim.
Sure, Campbell could let that very capable Detective Sam Davis investigate. But, she's already established she's nosy. And, she saw the victim. She knows a few people in the music industry, and she saw a few people at the Miller estate. What would it hurt to ask a few questions? Campbell Hale's interview techniques leave something to be desired, though. When she's threatened, she and Detective Davis both know she may know the killer. And, the killer certainly knows how to reach Campbell.
The conversations between Campbell and Sam are priceless. When he checks the locks on her windows, she attempts humor, warning him his fingerprints are all over the locks. He answers, "What makes you think I haven't though of that? Now, when I murder you out of sheer frustration, I'll have a police homicide detective as witness that there's an innocent reason why my fingerprints are everywhere."
Amusing conversations are just one part of this entertaining book. It's rich in the music and atmosphere of Nashville. The characters are fun. Despite Nashville's size, Peden manages to bring a homespun feel to the debut mystery. Watch for Your Killin' Heart, Campbell Hale, and future books by Peggy O'Neal Peden.
*****
Your Killin' Heart by Peggy O'Neal Peden. Minotaur Books. 2017. ISBN 9781250122681 (hardcover), 272p.
FTC Full Disclosure: The publisher sent me a copy of the book, hoping I would review it.
My Musing ~ Your Killin’ Heart by Peggy O’Neal Peden
Posted on May 14, 2017 | 4 Comments
Your Killin’ Heart by Peggy O’Neal Peden is the first book in the NEW “Nashville” mystery series. Publisher: Minotaur Books, May 2017
Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in Nashville is an aspiring country music star. Campbell Hale, for one, just wants to get her travel agency off the ground and move on from a break-up. But when she gets the opportunity to visit the mansion of mysterious country icon Jake Miller, she jumps at the chance. After all, who knows what clues are lurking around the long-dead star’s last home?
But as Campbell pokes around, she discovers more than a few sequined suits and priceless memorabilia. She finds Hazel Miller, Jake’s widow, quietly resting in a bedroom on the main floor. But Hazel might just be dead quiet. And Campbell might just be the last person to have seen her alive.
Juggling the twisty plots of high-profile country stars with her blossoming business―not to mention the tattered remains of her love life―Campbell thinks she’s got everything figured out. But when the danger becomes personal, she must uncover a killer who will stop at nothing to get what they want―or face the music.
With Your Killin’ Heart, award-winning author Peggy O’Neal Peden has given us a witty debut full of Nashville charm and generous heart.
We are introduced to Campbell Hale who had the misfortune of being slightly inquisitive and found herself involved in a murder investigation, one of which she was not suited to perform. This was a fast-paced and action-packed whodunit that pulled me in immediately and I couldn’t put this book down until it was all said and done. The author did a great job in staging this production with Nashville serving as the backdrop as insider information was spouted during the course of this story. Who killed Hazel? That’s the story and I liked how the author presented the suspects where some were easy to spot, others not so much, and that’s is what kept me engrossed in what was happening on the pages. The narrative was visually descriptive putting me in the middle of all the action as I gasped here and there at the various mishaps that plagued Campbell as she sought a killer’s identity, coming a bit too close to losing her own. Boasting a likable cast of characters that includes Campbell, Sam and MaryNell and engaging dialogue, this was an enjoyable read and I can’t wait for the next book in this pleasant appealing series.
Your Killin' Heart: A Mystery (Nashville Mystery)
By Peggy O'Neal Peden
Minotaur
May 2017
For Campbell Hall, being given the chance to snoop around the late and great country music star Jake Miller’s Nashville mansion is the opportunity of a lifetime. So when her on again off again boyfriend Doug Elliott is given the task of picking up some paintings from the Miller mansion, Campell finds a way to invite herself along. Left alone in the mansion for a few minutes, Campbell takes her own version of a guided tour only to stumble across the bedroom of Jake’s widow, Hazel Miller, who seems to be quietly resting in bed. However, it later turns out that Hazel might have been just a little bit too “quiet,” and that Campell may just have been a witness to murder.
This debut by Peden won the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel competition and deservedly so. The author writes with an easy charm, and she subtly seasons her delightfully down-home story with a sharp sense of humor. Put this together with a strongly realized Nashville setting and a cast of appealing characters, and you have a terrific start to a new series that should delight anyone who, loved Anne George’s Southern Sisters mysteries or Charlaine Harris’s Aurora Teagarden books.
John Charles, ReaderToReader.com