From Across State Lines with Nicole Asselin!
Please give a warm welcome to Nicole from Massachusetts…
Nicole Asselin graduated from Curry College in Milton Mass with a degree in English/Creative Writing, minoring in Dance in 2004. She also attended George Mason University and received a Master’s in Arts Management. She currently lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts with her three cats Madeline, The Captain, and Cooper Maye.
She is the current President of Sisters in Crime New England and on the committee of the NE Crime Bake held every November.
The Minor League Mysteries are her debut books. Inspired by her Grandpa and Grandma Asselin, the book combines her two loves, mystery and baseball (Go Red Sox) into a new cozy genre.
Favorite Animal: To the surprise of no one, my favorite animal is a cat. I have three of them, and if I could I would have more. The current residents of my house are Madeline, The Captain (Louise), and Cooper Maye (after Drake Maye, quarterback of the NE Patriots).
Why did you decide to become an author?
I’ve always been a writer. Prior to my mystery life, I was an angsty millennial poet. In college, I studied creative writing and it was a majority of poetry. Then I realized that I had bills to pay and I entered the work force as a technical writer. So that’s the day job. I’m still writing, just not as fun as fictionally murdering people.
One of my first stories I wrote in middle school was done by hand, on a yellow legal pad, held in a manila envelope. Unfortunately, in one of our moves (from Jacksonville to Mechanicsburg) it got lost in the move. It was a YA novel (obviously b/c I was 13), about a HS rock band of ladies who break up because of the lead (Nicole, weird that was her name) got a solo deal. And there was a cute boy too. Man, that would’ve been a great book. I think when it was lost, I was up to 12 chapters. Sigh. What could’ve been.
Is your book set in the same state that you live in? (please describe the setting)
The book is set in my current state and my current actual town, Abington Massachusetts. My dad was military, so we moved a lot, but our roots are based in New England. My Grandpa was from New Hampshire, my Grandma was from Connecticut and that is where they settled after they got married.
After high school, I found a small-ish college here in Massachusetts, and after a year or two of growing pains I settled in and ended up falling in love with the New England weather, the state itself, and the fact it was so close to my immediate family in Connecticut/Cape Cod. This is the perfect time of year, right at the beginning of fall. School is back in session, there is a nip in the air, and football is back! Plus, since I’m a big Red Sox fan, we also have playoff baseball!
As a Red Sox fan, I knew I wanted to write about my baseball love but add the mystery element in it. Instead of setting it at Fenway Park, I decided I liked the idea of creating my own minor league ballpark. Thus, the Abington Armadillos were born. Abington is a town located about 15 miles south of Boston (and an hour’s drive in traffic). Just far enough to feel like the suburbs, but close enough that it isn’t too hard to get into town on the expressway.
This third book in my series takes place in Pennsylvania, at a team that is loosely based on City Island and the Harrisburg Senators. That team was a staple of my summer weekends when we lived down there and I wanted to incorporate that into my ballpark rotation!
Do you have any reoccurring characters in your story? (please tell us about two of them)
Sometimes the recurring characters are some of the best! I may be partial, but the love interest in the book, Davis, is one of my favorites. He is the picture of positive masculinity (other than an annoying tendency to want to protect Madeline from herself). Her former high school crush, now the head of security for the hometown team, Davis comes into her life at a stressful time. But he’s always there when she needs him. Even when she goes to Pennsylvania for a baseball road trip.
Another one of my favorite side characters is a new character in book three. Mallory is the newest intern at the Abington Armadillos ballpark. She’s not your usual kind of intern though. She was in the military and returned to use her GI bill to get a marketing degree. I love this character because she is named after a local here in Abington. At events I like to raffle off character names to people who buy books, and Mallory’s name was the winner! Then, while writing her, I found her to be so fascinating that I can’t wait to add her more in upcoming books. She’s featuring heavily in book four that I’m currently writing.
But I do love my side characters. Eliza the sassy receptionist (also based on a friend/coworker), the family, and Grey (the mysterious security guy).
One Silly Thing About You: My family was part of the Washington Park Drum Corp in Meriden, CT for YEARS. One summer they let me tag along as the flag bearer (my mom was a baton twirler and flag holder during the 70s). At a minor league game in New Britian CT. I was on the field and then chosen to dance the Macarena on the dugout with other people at the game.
Foul Play at the Park: A Minor League Mystery #3
A Little Bit About the Book:
MADELINE BOUCHER thought her problems were finally behind her. The two murders that occurred in her first few weeks of the ballpark were solved, and she could get back to learning the ropes of owning a baseball team from her parents. The All-Star break for the Independent Baseball League of Massachusetts came at the perfect time for her to regroup and recharge.
Her parents, worried about the previous events of the summer, send Madeline to a family ballpark in Bell’s Island Pennsylvania to get away from gossip and prying eyes. While not exactly pumped to be heading south, Madeline sees the benefit in learning from other baseball teams and owners. She just hoped her luck would change with the change of scenery.
Arriving in Pennsylvania, she finds herself embroiled in new family dynamics, possible attempts at sabotage, and even a car explosion. With help from her new friends at the ballpark (and some surprise company), she hopes to use some of her now found investigative skills to help the Bell’s Island Miners right their season. Will it also save their ballpark?
What Format Will This Book Be Available In?
Paperback | Ebook
Nicole's book, Foul Play at the Park, will be available for purchasing soon. In the meantime, however, you can check out her other books through the following link:
For more information, please visit her website: https://nicoleasselinwriter.com/
Comments