AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Welcome author Allie Pleiter, to Ruff Drafts.
Allie, can you tell us how long have you been published? What titles and/or series have you published and with which publisher? Have you self-published any titles? Please give details.
I’ve been writing for over 20 years, with over 70 titles to my name. I’ve been published with Love Inspired (Harlequin) for multiple series, the Riverbank Knitting Mysteries with Berkley, and currently the Nimble Needle Mysteries with Kensington.
Wonderful!
Tell us a little bit about your books — if you write a series, any upcoming releases or your current work-in-progress. If you have an upcoming release, please specify the release date.
My current mystery series is the Nimble Needle Mystery series from Kensington. Book two in the series, TWO PURLOINED PILLOWS, came out March 31. It follows ONE SHARP STITCH which debuted the series last year.
Congratulations!
Describe your goals as a writer. What do you hope to achieve in the next few years? What are you planning to do to reach these goals?
I’m always looking for new ways to keep my level of productivity high. I have a writing system called The Chunky Method that applies many of the concepts of time and project management to the writing process. Working in genre fiction like mystery and romance as I do, I’m always finding fresh ways to tell stories and unique characters to inhabit them.
That sounds very interesting, and it sounds like it works well for you.
What type of reader are you hoping to attract? Who do you believe would be most interested in reading your books?
Obviously, by mysteries have a high appeal to readers who also enjoy crafts like knitting, needlepoint, and crochet. But I try to make sure my mysteries entertain all sorts of readers. If you like a touch of humor and a quirky small town vibe to your mysteries, you’ll like my books.
Nice.
What advice would you give other authors or those still trying to get published?
It’s very straightforward—write. Learning about craft is useful, marketing is an essential skill, but nothing teaches you about writing better than writing. Finish the book. It takes focus and perseverance, but taking a story all the way to completion is an essential skill. Keep writing.
Great advice.
What particular challenges and struggles did you face before first becoming published?
I was fortunate to get a fast start to my publishing career, but I know that’s rare. Learning to balance the various things an author has to manage these days—marketing, social media, etc—means today’s writers need to behave more like entrepreneurs than artists.
That’s so true.
Do you belong to any writing groups? Which ones?
I belong to Sisters in Crime and the American Christian Fiction Writers. Because I do so much book coaching and public speaking, I also belong to the National Speakers Association.
Those are helpful groups for authors. I’m a fellow member of Sisters in Crime.
What are your hobbies and interests besides writing?
Needlepoint, of course! I’m drawn to the colors and textures of the craft. I love how you can take a canvas and stitch it in a way that makes it your own. I find it the perfect counterbalance to a long day of staring at words on my computer screen. I also am an avid knitter for the same reasons.
It’s good that you can use your hobby in your books.
What do you like most and least about being an author? What is your toughest challenge?
Unlike many writers, I’m a raging extrovert. I love to get out and meet readers. While social media has its challenges, I am grateful for the way it allows readers to connect directly with me in ways they couldn’t back when I first became an author.
An important point.
What do you like about writing cozy mysteries?
Cozies are the perfect balance of puzzle and comfort. I love creating the kind of town and neighbors I’d want to know. Shelby, my sleuth, has a band of loyal friends to lean on and a community that supports her. When you combine that interpersonal warmth with the lure of solving a tricky mystery, it’s the perfect place to engage your heart and your mind.
I totally agree.
Can you share a short excerpt from your latest title or upcoming release?
I stared in disbelief at my mother. “We are talking about grown adults here, aren’t we?”
Mom offered me one of her more dubious looks. “I guess that depends. Behavior or chronology?”
Based on the series of warnings Mom had just given me about the two supposed grown adults in question, it was a valid distinction. We were discussing an upcoming event at Nina’s Nimble Needle, the needlepoint shop my mother owned and I’d taken over as manager. Event? Maybe. Circus of clashing egos? More likely. “Can’t we expect grown adult behavior from actual adults?”
“With those two? Not a chance!” came a declaration from an outlandish older woman named Dot, seated at the large gathering table in the back of Nina’s Nimble Needle. All the rest of the NYAGs—the Not Your Average Grannies, who have been shop fixtures for as long as I can remember—nodded in agreement. These women gathered nearly every day at the shop to work on their needlepoint and flex their considerable gossip skills. The NYAGs knew about all the goings-on in town and had opinions on most of them. They were some of our best customers, staunchest allies, sources of endless amusement, and some of Mom’s closest friends. I adored them as much as they frustrated me. And I knew enough to take their warnings to heart as much as Mom’s.
Evidently my worry showed on my face, because Dot consoled, “Don’t worry, hon,” with a dismissive wave. “You’re up for it. The trick will be to keep ’em apart.”
“Far apart,” added Tilly, another NYAG, as she looked up from the Christmas stocking she was working on for her fifth grandchild. It’s not at all uncommon to see people working on Christmas stockings in June here at the store. Or baby items the minute a pregnancy is announced (if even before). Needlepoint takes time to accomplish. Lots of it.
“Dot’s right. You can handle ’em,” cheered Livvy, another NYAG, in her musical Charleston accent.
I welcomed the consensus of NYAG support. After all, I’d been taking time to accomplish my work here, too. I’d been stepping farther and farther into my role as the permanent replacement for my mother, Nina. I’d been back in my hometown of Gwen Lake, North Carolina, and running the shop for just over a year now, and almost everyone considered me in charge.
Almost everyone.
Thank you for sharing that excellent excerpt.
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about you or your books?
I’m excited to be continuing this series—so look for a third book, THREE TANGLED THREADS in 2027. I also love to visit book clubs and speak at events, so if you have a bookish event coming up, let’s connect!
Thanks for that offer.
Please list your social media links, website, blog, etc. and include some book cover graphics and author photos if possible.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliepleiterauthor/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/alliepleiter
Facebook group (books): https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesidewithallie/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-pleiter-6a021b139
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alliepleiter
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/alliepleiter/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/453346.Allie_Pleiter
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allie-pleiter
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Allie-Pleiter/e/B001H6IEUO/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
Thank you for the interview, Allie. I’m also sharing the blog tour for your new release. Best wishes on it.
Two Purloined Pillows (A Nimble Needle Mystery)
by Allie Pleiter
About Two Purloined Pillows
Two Purloined Pillows (A Nimble Needle Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher : Kensington Cozies
Publication date : March 31, 2026
Print length : 272 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-10 : 1496752031
ISBN-13 : 978-1496752031
Digital
ISBN-13 : 978-1496752055
ASIN : B0FGRZ45KV
Audiobook ASIN: B0FR3WWJ4M
Audio CD ISBN-13 : 979-8228762817
When 30-something graphic artist Shelby Phillips reluctantly returned to her small hometown outside Asheville, North Carolina to manage her mother’s needlepoint shop, she thought it was temporary. But getting entangled in murder investigations has a timeline of its own…
It’s been a little over a year since Shelby started managing Nina’s Nimble Needle following her office-romance and career implosion, and Shelby’s mom has finally handed her the reins—technically, at least. Next, Shelby is excited to oversee two well-known needlepoint designers who will be participating in the town’s first two-week-long arts festival . . .
Laura Bitters and Paul Bardo have each stitched up one-of-a-kind pillows that should be big wins for the Nimble Needle at the festival’s auction . . . until the pillows vanish amid a sudden string of shoplifting incidents.
To add to the knot in Shelby’s stomach, Laura proves highly anxious, while Paul is an egomaniac who believes Laura has been stealing his customers for years. But things go from bad to tragic when Laura behaves oddly at the auction dinner, then collapses—dead.
Soon after, Shelby makes a shocking discovery in Laura’s room at the local inn. Then tests reveal that Laura was poisoned. Resolved to piece together the truth, despite the police chief’s determination to keep her on the fringes, Shelby rallies her personal team, including her sister, Jessica, her friend Deb, and Jake, her potentially more than a friend. As an extra twist, a magazine reporter arrives with unsettling—yet useful—dirt that includes Laura and Paul.
What unravels is a skein of suspects, long-held resentment, bitter jealousy, and betrayal, from which Shelby will have to pull the one crucial thread tied to the killer: a murder-worthy motive . . .
About Allie Pleiter
An avid crafter, coffee junkie, and firm believer that “pie makes everything better,” Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction, working on as many as four books at a time. The bestselling author of over seventy books, Allie has enjoyed a twenty-plus-year career with over 1.9 million books sold. In addition to writing, Allie maintains an active writing productivity coaching practice and speaks regularly on the creative process, publishing, and her very favorite topic—The Chunky Method of time management for writers. She lives in the Charlotte area with her husband and the world’s most adorable dog. Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com to learn more.
Author Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliepleiterauthor/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/alliepleiter
Facebook group (books): https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesidewithallie/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-pleiter-6a021b139
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alliepleiter
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/alliepleiter/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/453346.Allie_Pleiter
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allie-pleiter
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Allie-Pleiter/e/B001H6IEUO/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
Purchase Links – Author Website – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
April 1 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
April 1 – deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 1 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW
April 2 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
April 2 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT
April 2 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 2 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 3 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
April 3 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
April 4 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 4 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
April 4 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
April 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
April 6 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – AUTHOR GUEST POST
April 6 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
April 7 – Salty Inspirations – CHARACTER GUEST POST
GIVEAWAY LINK: https://kingsumo.com/g/1vjvj61/two-purloined-pillows-a-nimble-needle-mystery-by-allie-pleiter
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