#Death at First Sight- Character Interview

It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that something’s not right on Bay Island…

Since she left her psychiatric practice in New York City to open up a psychic shop in her hometown on Bay Island, Cass Donovan has given her fair share of readings to conflicted customers. But what she sees in Ellie Callahan’s future doesn’t bode well.
When Ellie’s mother, Marge, publicly confronts Cass about the reading, the embarrassment makes her want to curl up and die. And when she later stumbles across Marge’s body—and is a suspect in her murder—Cass is suddenly the star of Bay Island’s rumor mill.
Cass is determined to prove her innocence and save Ellie from meeting the fate in her unfortunate vision. But even with the help of her friends Bee and Stephanie, Cass will have to channel some serious sleuthing instincts to find the real killer…

Q: Cass, thanks for stopping by Island Confidential! Tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something we might not guess?
A: My name is Cass Donovan, and I own a small psychic shop on Bay Island, a small island nestled between the north and south shores of Long Island, New York. Since I own a psychic shop, readers might not guess that I’m not actually psychic. At least, I never thought I was, though a few recent incidents have me questioning that assessment. Typically, I use my intuition, as well as years of psychiatric training, to dissect the small tells people don’t even realize they give away on a regular basis. Those gestures and subtle nuances usually give me enough information to come up with a fairly accurate “reading.”
Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best?
A: I’d probably have to say I get along best with my friend, Stephanie. We were childhood friends growing up on Bay Island, then fell out of touch for seventeen years when I went away to college and didn’t return. When I finally came back to Bay Island, our friendship picked up as if no time had passed at all. Of course, her husband, Tank, is a bit of a problem, only because he thinks I’m a bad influence and a magnet for trouble. I’m not sure where he got that idea from. Okay, maybe I have some idea…
Q: Which other character do you have a conflict with?
A: My biggest conflict is with Marge Hawkins. I don’t have anything against her, really, except that she’s giving my friend, Bee, a hard time, but she has no use for me. She doesn’t believe in what I do and wants me to stay away from her daughter, Ellie. But Ellie and I are friends, and I would never offer her bad advice. And she trusts me, coming to me often for readings. One day, after she finds out I did a reading for Ellie, she calls me out in the middle of the deli. In case you don’t know, the deli is pretty much gossip central, so a public confrontation there spreads throughout the island like wildfire.
Q: Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author, Lena Gregory?
A: Well, don’t ever tell her I said so, but she’s kind of stubborn. Sometimes, I try to tell her how to tell my story, and she insists on writing it her own way. Usually, I just shut up and let her do her thing, fully content she’ll back up and do it the way I told her to. She’d save herself a lot of time and frustration if she just did it my way in the first place.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: Winters on Bay Island don’t bring much business, so I’m working on a way to generate some extra income for the season. I don’t want to give away the surprise, but let’s just say it involves a séance and a haunted house.

About the Author

Lena lives in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island with her husband and three children.
When she was growing up, she spent many lazy afternoons on the beach, in the yard, anywhere she could find to curl up with a good book. She loves reading as much now as she did then, but she now enjoys the added pleasure of creating her own stories.