Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

• Be sure to read our review for Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson, Book #5) here at OBS.
• Check out our previews interview with author Darynda Jones here.

Darynda Jones is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the quirky and fun Charley Davidson series and the Young Adult series, Darklight.  Today she has taken the time to talk to OBS reviewer Heidi in regards to her newest release in the Charley Davidson series, Fifth Grave Past the Light.  Which has proven to be another wonderful installment full of humor and steaminess that you won’t want to put down!

Heidi: Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us today!  For those of our readers that haven’t had the chance to read the Charley Davidson series, can you share a detailed description of our fun loving heroine, Charley, and the series as a whole?

Darynda: Absolutely! Charley Davidson is a wisecracking PI who just happened to have been born the grim reaper. She solves cases for both the living and the dead, and she gets into a lot of trouble doing it. But she has a whole slew of people she can call for backup when needed, including her fashion-impaired BFF receptionist, her stalwart Uncle Bob whose detective badge comes in handy rather often, a fellow skip tracer who knows just enough about her to want to have her committed, and the dark, enigmatic Reyes Farrow who makes Charley’s nights just as dangerous as her days. The series is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and features much of the local landscape and culture there. If you like your mysteries a little sexy and a lot sassy, Charley Davidson’s world is for you!

Heidi: What do you think is the most intriguing aspect of Charley’s life as the Grim Reaper?

Darynda: I think it’s Charley herself. I love how she handles the whole Grim Reaper thing. She doesn’t take anything very seriously, often to her peril, but as her powers unfold and she discovers what she is capable of, what her true purpose is, she still takes life one day at a time, choosing to laugh in the face of danger instead of . Oh, and she’s a portal to heaven. That’s pretty cool.

Heidi: How does Charley’s 3.7 jobs (P.I., Police Department Consultant, Part time bartender, and Grim Reaper) manage to always pull her into sticky situations?

Darynda: I’m not sure it’s Charley’s job as much as, well, Charley. She tends to see the world through rose-colored glasses and ignore the warning signs around her. Not that she’s completely clueless! She’s got smarts. She just tends to focus on her cases so much that she misses other pertinent clues to what is going on around her. Then again, if she didn’t get into sticky situations, she probably wouldn’t know what to do with herself.

Heidi: What can readers expect with the latest installment of the series, Fifth Grave Past the Light?

Darynda: In Charley’s latest adventures, she has to deal with a group of murdered women who are terrified beyond reason and have invaded her apartment by the droves, a cheating spouse who may be more dangerous than she originally suspected, and a notorious new neighbor in the form of the sinfully sexy Reyes Alexander Farrow. But while her plate may seem full, she still has time to spy on her sister, dole out advice to a Deaf kid named Quentin, and tease the ever lovin’ out of her bestie, Cookie Kowalski. All in a day’s work for Charley Davidson. But it’s the sultry nights and steamy run-ins with her new neighbor that make Fifth Grave so fun.

Heidi: It’s looking like Cookie’s love interest possibilities have slowly been expanding.  Can we expect to see her getting romantically involved in the near future?

Darynda: I sure hope so! That girl needs some love and fast. To be honest, I haven’t decided if I want to give into temptation and let her get together with the man who has a crush on her, or to throw a wrench into the equation and have another love interest walk into her life, thus throwing the crush into a tailspin. Tailspins are fun. I’m leaning that way.

Heidi: And, of course we can’t talk about this series without bringing up the dreamy son of Satan, Reyes Farrow!  How has his and Charley’s dynamic changed in Fifth Grave Past the Light?

Darynda: That is actually a huge part of Fifth Grave. For me, this was kind of a deviation from the normal path in the world of Charley Davidson. I feel like this book, much more than the others, focuses on Charley and Reyes. Their relationship takes a giant leap and I hope readers will like the results.

Heidi: At the end of Fifth Grave Past the Light there are several loose ends.  Will our questions regarding Rocket’s prediction and that final scene with Reyes and his ever-present (in this book anyway) sticky notes be answered in the next installment, Sixth Grave on the Edge? Anything else you’re willing to share about Sixth Grave on the Edge?

Darynda: Well, I’ll definitely tell you that, yes, those loose ends do get tied up, but who are we kidding? It’s me. So while some loose ends will get hog tied, there are always other threads to be pulled that will unravel Charley’s world and lead her to bigger and more pressing questions. Sixth Grave promises to deliver some very unexpected twists and new directions for the series as a whole.

Heidi:  And just to get to know you a little better… Where is your favorite place to write?  Where do you enjoying spending time when you aren’t writing?

Darynda: I have a gorgeous office. I have a hard time writing anywhere else, but only because I’m now utterly spoiled. I love my office and everything just sort of flows when I’m in there. When I’m not writing, I often find myself reading or watching movies in my second favorite place: my living room. I don’t get out much.

Heidi: Thanks again, for taking the time to talk with us!  I look forward to see what Charley gets herself into next!

Thank YOU for having me!!!

Readers can follow Darynda and keep up with all the happenings with Charley, Reyes, Ubie, Garrett, and all our other favorite characters at the below social media links:

• Facebook here.
• Goodreads here.
• And, of course you can always check her out at her website here.