Nimble Needle Mysteries

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

There’s a reason I often teach writing productivity. I have a very specific system, called The Chunky Method, that allows me to calculate my writing speed with accuracy. A murder mystery takes me about 14 weeks while a romance takes me about 10 weeks. I usually write between three and four books a year.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

None, unless you count the one I am currently working on. My most recent release, ONE SHARP STITCH, is my 70th published book.

Do you write under a pseudonym? If not, have you ever considered it?

I did once, for two books. I didn’t care for it. If I have my way, all my books will be under my real name. It’s a point of pride for me, I suppose.

What comes first for you, the plot or characters?

Usually characters for the romances and plot for the mysteries. That makes sense, because romances are very much character-driven stories, and mysteries depend much more heavily on plot.

How do you select the names of your characters?

Other than keeping an alphabetical chart so I don’t have too many characters whose name start with the same letter, I don’t have much of a system. They usually just come to me. In ONE SHARP STITCH, I needed a name for a cat. I was wandering the needlepoint shop and saw a tool called a “Snag-Nabbit.” I thought Nabbit would make a great name for a cat, and used it. That’s probably the most unusual name source I’ve used.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

I have often referred to myself as “a tortoise on the run.” That speaks to me of a consistent, methodical journey towards a goal.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

Scrivener. My go-to word processing software. And it’s not an expensive product—just a very good one.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Knitting and needlepoint! Which is why it is no surprise that ONE SHARP STITCH is a needlepoint-themed mystery. My series before that was the Riverbank Knitting Mysteries. So I guess you could say it’s what I do when I’m writing, too.

What is your favorite childhood book(s)?

I have always loved The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I have a granddaughter coming soon, and I’ve already bought her a copy.

What are you working on now?

I am working on my next romance in my Three Sisters Farm series from Love Inspired as well as the next Nimble Needle mystery, TWO PURLOINED PILLOWS.

One Sharp Stitch (A Nimble Needle Mystery)
by Allie Pleiter

About One Sharp Stitch

One Sharp Stitch (A Nimble Needle Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies (March 25, 2025)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496752007
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496752000
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DB3CD9GB
Audio CD ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DSYHJN3R

When thirty-something Shelby Phillips returns to her quiet hometown just outside of Asheville, North Carolina, she reluctantly takes over her mother’s Nimble Needle needlepoint shop—and gets entangled in a murder investigation . . .

It’s only temporary. That’s what Shelby Phillips tells herself when she returns to excruciatingly harmless Gwen Lake after her graphic arts career—and the office romance blooming with it—get tossed like rejected design mockups. Her plan is as simple and fool-proof as a tent stitch: manage the family needlepoint shop during her parents’ RV vacation. It’s just a month. It’s not as if they’re retiring . . . right?

When Shelby becomes responsible for hosting a trunk show with local vendors, she’s determined to pull it off. Even if that means dealing with former classmate Kat Katsaros, a rising entrepreneur specializing in needlework scissors. Kat has changed since high school—and she’s angling to take over the Nimble Needle herself. The tension unspools when Shelby makes a terrible discovery on the morning of the event: Kat’s dead body.

Shelby can’t believe the death was an accident. That’s why she’s set on exposing who committed the murder with Kat’s own equipment. She finds help in a new friend, a potential crush, and the surprising support of her sister and the Nimble Needle stitchers. Still, Shelby must move quickly to stop the crafty culprit before her maybe not-so-temporary new life in Gwen Lake comes apart at the seams . . .

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 sixty books, Allie has enjoyed a twenty-plus year career with over 1.8 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.

Author Links

Website www.alliepleiter.com

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Facebook group (books): https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesidewithallie/

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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

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