White Gloves and Waltzing, by Deb Meredith

Deb Meredith
Deb Meredith
My name is Meredith Cole and I’m delighted to be a debutante at last. I begged my mother when I was twelve to let me go to Cotillion and learn how to waltz. I thought it would be like going to a ball in a Jane Austen novel, complete with a fabulous dress and white gloves. But my mother, a college professor, had no interest in paying for me to learn to be a “lady.” So now I can never remember where the forks go when I set the table (something I’m sure they covered in the first lesson).

I live in New York City with my husband, my 4-year-old son, and my two cats. I try to swim everyday (I wrote a short story called “Exercise is Murder” set at my pool for the June 2008 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine). I also love to go on long walks, entertain friends, eat dessert, and play cards (my family has cutthroat Pounce tournaments where there is no mercy for anyone of any age).

I began my career as a filmmaker, and directed two feature films (“Floating” and “Achilles’ Love”) when I was in my twenties. I wrote a lot of screenplays that are still sitting in a drawer, but the birth of my son forced me to reevaluate my career. I wanted to spend time with my baby without completely abandoning my creativity. Since I love to read novels, it seemed natural to write one myself.

Deb Meredith's book cover
Deb Meredith's book cover
I found the inspiration for my mystery in the vibrant arts community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I made my heroine, Lydia McKenzie, a fine art photographer. In her photographs, she recreates historic murder scenes using her friends as models. And when she finally achieves her dream of having a show of her work in a New York gallery, Lydia discovers to her horror that someone is killing her models just like her photographs.

My book POSED FOR MURDER will be released in February 2009 by St. Martin’s Press, and I’m hard at work writing the next book in the series. I’m looking forward to blogging this year with such a talented group, and celebrating everyone’s exciting debut. Now–what time do we waltz again?

19 Replies to “White Gloves and Waltzing, by Deb Meredith”

  1. Deb Meredith, welcome! First off, I love your cover and your book sounds fantastic. You’ll have a fabulous time here at the Ball, and I hope you’ll call on us older Debs when you need us!

    all best,
    Deb Mia

  2. Welcome to the Ball Meredith! So glad you’re finally about to get those etiquette lessons you yearned for in your youth. LOVE your cover–it looks fantastic! Best of luck for a wonderful debut year and so happy you’re one of the Debs!

  3. Your cover IS fabulous!! I love that you wanted waltz lessons. When I was in eighth grade, it became the “thing” for all the parents to sign up their kids for ballroom dance at the middle school, or maybe it was called formal dance. But it wasn’t the “sexy sequins and rhumba” kind of dance now popular on reality shows, oh no.

    It was awkward, pimply eighth graders stepping on each other’s feet while listening to The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”. Slowed down on the record player. Seriously. If I’d known this phrase at the time, I surely would have said, “What fresh hell is this?”

    Maybe you dodged a bullet on all that waltzing.

  5. I love your author photo and now I realize it’s taken in NYC, isn’t it? Is it Brooklyn? Confession – I am a New Yawker too. Well, at least I was – born and bred city girl, although I am long gone along with any last trace of my accent. We’ll have to catch up there sometime soon. And congratulations on getting out there on the floor.

    I’ll be joining you soon,
    Deb Eve

  6. You know, with enough champagne in her, any Deb can waltz perfectly… in her own mind, at least! (Trust me, I’m an expert on both drinking champagne and fooling myself.)

    Great first post! Your book sounds really fun. I’m already trying to guess what some of the murder scenes will be.

    ~ Deb Katie

  7. Thanks everyone for your warm welcome! And for all the compliments on my cover. I was so happy that the designers really “got” the book.

    I can’t wait to read Tiffany and Gail’s first posts–I feel like I’m really getting to know everyone through the intros.

  9. Meredith, welcome. Your book cover is FABULOUS and I can’t wait to read the book. Also, with a dog, husband and 4-year-old plus living in The City, you are in quite similar circumstances to me (with dog, husband, 2.5 year old and living in Toronto) which is fun.

    Great intro post!

  15. Congrats on your blogging debut, Meredith. Can’t wait for Posed for Murder, and why didn’t you mention that it was a Malice Domestic Best First Mystery winner? As for those pesky forks: would you really want to hang out with folks who base their assessment of people’s worth on how they place the forks? 😉 Liz

  17. Thanks to everyone for dropping by to read and comment. I’m definitely feeling less insecure about my lack of knowledge on the proper place to put forks. And I promise to go on and on about my book prize in two weeks when we talk about “getting the call,” but I figured I should probably save something up for future posts…

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