Welcome Readers! I am so pleased to introduce you to Rachel Mucha, author of Another Day, Another Partner. Released in January, 2022 from City Owl Press, Rachel’s RomCom/Crime novel features fun characters, punny boats, and an out-of-place “big-city” crime to solve–a perfect read for summer! I have had a blast reading this book, and getting to know Rachel. I can’t wait to share her insights with you!

SMNystoriak: Welcome!  Rachel, I was hoping to give my readers a little bit of information about you.  Can you provide them with a little snapshot into your background?

Rachel: Sure! I was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and unsurprisingly, I spent a lot of time reading as a kid. By elementary school, I knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I wrote a lot of short stories, and attempted my first novel when I was about fourteen, handwritten in a notebook (it did not go well!) Later, I attended Ithaca College as a journalism major, but I took a ton of English and creative writing classes while I was there. Post-grad, my day jobs have involved business writing and editing, but I continued writing books in my free time, because publishing one had been my dream since I was little. Now that I’ve done that, the next dream is to be able to support myself by writing books full-time!

SMNystoriak: What influenced you to become a writer?

Rachel Mucha: I was such an avid reader as a kid, I knew one day I wanted to write a book of my own. I got so attached to fictional characters, I loved the idea of creating some myself.

One of my biggest literary influences when I was younger was Meg Cabot. Her YA books, specifically The Mediator and 1-800-WHERE-R-U series, got me hooked on stories with mystery and romantic elements. Right before I sat down and started working on my debut novel, I read Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, and it’s no exaggeration to say those books changed my life! I devoured them. The combination of mystery, romance and comedy felt like it was crafted just for me, and I knew that when I wrote a book, I wanted it to be like that. Evanovich is a huge reason why Another Day, Another Partner exists! A few readers have mentioned my book reminds them of Stephanie Plum, which I take as the ultimate compliment.

SMNystoriak: Your first published novel is Another Day, Another Partner, from City Owl Press.  Prior to that, had you written any others?

Rachel Mucha: Before Another Day, Another Partner existed, I had an idea for a police procedural trilogy. It centers around detectives at a Cape Cod precinct, the crimes they deal with, corruption within the department, and their friendships and romantic relationships with each other. I actually have two books in this series finished, just sitting on my laptop. I tried querying the first book, Undertow, for about a year, and didn’t get any interest (which is when I then wrote and queried Another Day, Another Partner). I would love to revisit these books and polish them up. I’ve definitely grown as a writer since, but I still adore the characters I’ve created there, and I think they have a lot of potential.

SMNystoriak: Tell us about your writing process.

Rachel Mucha: When I’m pondering a new book idea, I always start with the characters before the plot. I usually think up two leads (who will eventually fall for each other, obviously!) and pick what kind of relationship I want them to have, whether that be enemies or colleagues or exes (or some combination of those).

Once I have a clear idea of what my characters’ personalities are like and how they’re going to interact with each other, I build the plot around that. (For example, my upcoming book Bad Press was born from the simple idea of “What if a crime reporter annoyed the crap out of a detective, and then they fell in love?”) I like forcing my characters to interact, and solving a mystery is a fun way to do that.

I used to be a hardcore “pantser,” having no plan and just seeing where the story ended up as I wrote. Those days are behind me! I’m way more of an outliner and planner now. I even have random notes and scenes written for my characters that are two or three books down the road, just so I don’t forget. I love thinking really far ahead. I have long-term plans for so many of my characters – so I’m a little all over the place, but there’s definitely organization amongst the chaos.

I try not to jump around to too many different WIPs, but…sometimes I get so excited about a new idea, I can’t help myself. I probably have about eight WIPs started, and I have no clue how I’ll have the time to finish them all.

SMNystoriak: A comment: So much about what I love about Another Day, Another Partner, is the relationship between Lulu and Dom.  The enemies-to lover’s trope is alive and well with them!  And you write their banter so well.  Brilliant!

Rachel Mucha: Thank you! Enemies-to-lovers is my all-time favorite trope. It’s so fun watching two people go from annoyance/hate to love; it’s the ultimate emotional journey. And who doesn’t love characters teasing each other and bantering because they’re trying to ignore growing feelings?! I had a blast writing Lulu reluctantly realizing that Dom is the perfect guy.

SMNystoriak: Your book takes place in a small Rhode Island town.  Have you ever visited it?  What prompted you to choose that locale for your story?

Rachel Mucha: I absolutely love New England. I’d move there in a heartbeat if it weren’t for the winters. A few years ago I went on a road trip and visited several towns in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island – and I fell in love. Coastal settings in books are my favorite, so I knew I wanted Another Day, Another Partner set on the New England coast. There’s also something interesting to me about the juxtaposition of a crime happening at the beach. People expect crime in big cities, but small coastal towns? Not so much. It adds a cool dimension to the story, I think.

SMNystoriak: Another Day, Another Partner is such a fun read! Without giving away too many specifics, what were some of your favorite parts to write?

Rachel Mucha: I touched on it a little already, but definitely the progression of Lulu and Dom’s relationship – how a young cop with trust issues was able to open up and accept her new partner, when she really didn’t want to. It was fun figuring out how to gradually get Lulu to warm up to Dom.

And while I liked writing the banter and the humorous parts, I also loved when I got to write the dramatic scenes. There’s one scene where Lulu and Dom have an argument that gets pretty heated, and that was so fun to write because up until then, Dom had been such an easy-going guy. It was an enjoyable challenge to write him frustrated and upset – it added more depth to his character and showed readers that this nice guy would stand his ground.

SMNystoriak: Many of your readers have also commented that they LOVE Lulu’s younger sister Val in this book.  How did you come up with her character, and the role she would play in the story?

Rachel Mucha: It’s funny how much people love Val, because I hadn’t really planned on her doing much in the story at first. I knew I wanted Lulu’s family to be included in the book, and I liked the idea of giving her a meddling little sister. But as I wrote, Val’s involvement in the story really evolved, and I thought it would be hilarious to have this teenager helping cops take down drug dealers. I wanted to create a rag-tag team vibe, which is one of my favorite parts of cozy mysteries. And Val interfering in Lulu’s love life, as little sisters are wont to do, was a great added bonus.

SMNystoriak: Speaking of Val, here’s a fun question:  What kind of music would she be streaming?  What about TV shows/Movies?

Rachel Mucha: Val would definitely be obsessed with reality tv and probably follow the Kardashians religiously. I could see her watching crime shows, both fictional and real. Maybe Lulu would comment on how inaccurate the detective shows are and Val groans dramatically and says, “Why do you have to ruin everything?”

As for music, I think I have Val listening to Britney Spears at some point in the book. I could see her listening to mid-2000s throwbacks a lot, since she’s a “2000s kid.”

SMNystoriak: Along those lines, it’s time to think about the writer’s dream for a bit: If Another Day, Another Partner were to become a film, what would you want to be included on the soundtrack?  Are there any specific actors you would love to see in the main roles?

Rachel Mucha: I know a lot of writers assemble playlists for their books, which I love…but I haven’t done that! I have no clue what kind of music I’d like to hear in a movie adaptation, but I’d love to get suggestions from readers.

As for actors, I think Selena Gomez would make a great Lulu. (I came to this conclusion after watching her in Only Murders In The Building). As for Dom, I have no idea! It’s funny, when I’m working on a project, I can often think of actresses to play my female leads, but I can never pick actors for the male leads. It feels like no real man can compare to the perfect image I have in my mind! Whoever plays Dom would definitely need to be very charming. I also imagine him as boy-next-door handsome, not necessarily some rugged, sexy guy. Again, I would love to hear reader suggestions for this!

SMNystoriak: So many of us absolutely love Lulu and Dom, and can NOT wait to read more about them!  Is there a sequel in the works?  If so, are there any little gems you can tell us about it—without giving away too many details?

Rachel Mucha: Yes, there’s a sequel in the works! I definitely want readers to see more of Lulu and Dom’s adventures, and how their relationship will continue to progress. The sequel is a lot of fun, and probably just as outrageous and far-fetched as the first book. The basic gist is Dom takes Lulu to his sister’s wedding out of town, and while they’re there, a guest in the hotel is murdered. So, naturally, Lulu and Dom join the investigation and are determined to catch the killer (with some assistance from everyone’s favorite supporting characters, too, of course!)

The picture above really makes me think of a certain Boat scene in Another Day, Another Partner, lol! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me readers get to know you. I have loved every minute I have spent with your characters, and can’t wait for the next installment!

Your turn! Let me know in the comments if you have had the chance to read Rachel’s Debut! And, as always, I’d love to hear what books you have on tap for summertime reading!

If you are a fan of RomCom/Crime with Romance, check out Rachel Mucha’s debut, Another Day, Another Partner: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NDZ95PT?ref=KC_GS_GB_US

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Connect With Rachel!

Author website: rachelmuchabooks.com

Twitter and Instagram: @rachmucha