An Interview with Our #2 Top Selling Author, Catherine Astolfo

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Congratulations, Catherine, on being our #2 bestselling author. As one of our most prolific authors, we've watched you promote your books with creativity and excitement.

1. Tell us a bit about your books. What are they about?

Currently, I have five books published by Imajin Books. The first four are part of a series. The Emily Taylor Mysteries revolve around an unusual heroine - the principal of an elementary school. In her late forties, Emily Taylor becomes a reluctant sleuth through a variety of external events. Some of her decisions, however, are based on a fear of discovery, for she has a mysterious past that involves her husband. Readers do not find out the details of this past life until Book 4. My fifth book is a psychological suspense, a standalone, titled SWEET KAROLINE. This novel explores a dysfunctional relationship between two women and what happens when one of them dies violently.

2. Why do you think your books have sold so well?

I believe you must start with a good story. Readers must be caught by the characters, the plot, the setting - or, ideally, all three. After that, it’s good old fashioned hard work - marketing, promoting, networking.

3. Even though you're published by a hybrid/traditional type publisher, you've taken on the role of book promoter. What are some of the ways you've promoted your books?

For the most part, I use social media: Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, my blog, my website, as well as lots of online promotion sites, such as World Literary Cafe. I also network, through Crime Writers of Canada, local libraries, and bookstores to get my name out into the community.

4. What advice would you give to writers considering Imajin Books for their works?

Be prepared to work hard, build your Author Platform, and learn a LOT. Your rewards will be many.

Learn more about Catherine:

Catherine Astolfo's website
Catherine Astolfo on Facebook
Catherine Astolfo on Twitter

The Bridgeman by Catherine Astolfo FREE December 26-28

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The Bridgeman by Catherine Astolfo

Some secrets can come back to haunt you…
Principal Emily Taylor feels safe in the friendly little town of Burchill—until she finds a body in her school. The murder of caretaker Nathaniel Ryeburn brings back memories she'd rather forget and plunges Emily into a mystery that involves a secret diary, an illegal puppy mill and a murderer innocently disguised as an ordinary citizen.
As fear rips through the traumatized town, Emily's investigation inadvertently leads the police to her door, and to her husband Langford, who is hiding a secret of his own. It becomes clear to Emily that many of Burchill's residents are merely wearing masks. And it's time for those masks to be ripped away…and for a killer's identity to be revealed.
Book Details:
FREE Kindle edition - December 26-28
Editorial Reviews:
"Astolfo grabs small-town Ontario and shakes it until its ugly secrets pour out." —Lou Allin, author of She Felt No Pain
"A story rich in detail with unexpected twists and turns that keep you involved right through to the shocking end." —Meredith Henderson, actress, film producer, poet
"Love and depravity, rebirth and rot, veneer and the real wood underneath—Astolfo brings these opposing forces into play as she creates the complex community that is Burchill." —Garry Ryan, author of the Detective Lane Mysteries
Available at:

The Bridgeman by Catherine Astolfo FREE October 11-15

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The Bridgeman by Catherine Astolfo

Some secrets can come back to haunt you…
Principal Emily Taylor feels safe in the friendly little town of Burchill—until she finds a body in her school. The murder of caretaker Nathaniel Ryeburn brings back memories she'd rather forget and plunges Emily into a mystery that involves a secret diary, an illegal puppy mill and a murderer innocently disguised as an ordinary citizen.
As fear rips through the traumatized town, Emily's investigation inadvertently leads the police to her door, and to her husband Langford, who is hiding a secret of his own. It becomes clear to Emily that many of Burchill's residents are merely wearing masks. And it's time for those masks to be ripped away…and for a killer's identity to be revealed.
Book Details:
FREE Kindle edition - October 11-15
Editorial Reviews:
"Astolfo grabs small-town Ontario and shakes it until its ugly secrets pour out." —Lou Allin, author of She Felt No Pain
"A story rich in detail with unexpected twists and turns that keep you involved right through to the shocking end." —Meredith Henderson, actress, film producer, poet
"Love and depravity, rebirth and rot, veneer and the real wood underneath—Astolfo brings these opposing forces into play as she creates the complex community that is Burchill." —Garry Ryan, author of the Detective Lane Mysteries
Available at:

The Bridgeman by Catherine Astolfo FREE August 9/10

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Some secrets can come back to haunt you…
Principal Emily Taylor feels safe in the friendly little town of Burchill—until she finds a body in her school. The murder of caretaker Nathaniel Ryeburn brings back memories she'd rather forget and plunges Emily into a mystery that involves a secret diary, an illegal puppy mill and a murderer innocently disguised as an ordinary citizen.
As fear rips through the traumatized town, Emily's investigation inadvertently leads the police to her door, and to her husband Langford, who is hiding a secret of his own. It becomes clear to Emily that many of Burchill's residents are merely wearing masks. And it's time for those masks to be ripped away…and for a killer's identity to be revealed.
Book Details:
FREE Kindle edition - August 9/10
Editorial Reviews:
"Astolfo grabs small-town Ontario and shakes it until its ugly secrets pour out." —Lou Allin, author of She Felt No Pain
"A story rich in detail with unexpected twists and turns that keep you involved right through to the shocking end." —Meredith Henderson, actress, film producer, poet
"Love and depravity, rebirth and rot, veneer and the real wood underneath—Astolfo brings these opposing forces into play as she creates the complex community that is Burchill." —Garry Ryan, author of the Detective Lane Mysteries
Available at:

Pick up a FREE Kindle edition of THE BRIDGEMAN - Feb 28/29

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Pick up your FREE Kindle edition of THE BRIDGEMAN by Catherine Astolfo today and tomorrow only via Amazon.

Some secrets can come back to haunt you…

Principal Emily Taylor feels safe in the friendly little town of Burchill—until she finds a body in her school. The murder of caretaker Nathaniel Ryeburn brings back memories she'd rather forget and plunges Emily into a mystery that involves a secret diary, an illegal puppy mill and a murderer innocently disguised as an ordinary citizen.

As fear rips through the traumatized town, Emily's investigation inadvertently leads the police to her door, and to her husband Langford, who is hiding a secret of his own. It becomes clear to Emily that many of Burchill's residents are merely wearing masks. And it's time for those masks to be ripped away…and for a killer's identity to be revealed.

Featured Author: Catherine Astolfo

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Our next Featured Author is Canadian author Catherine Astolfo, whose Emily Taylor Mysteries are filled with rich culture and unique characters. In The Bridegman, book 1, you'll be introduced to Emily, a school principal and amateur sleuth who just can't seem to stay out of trouble...


What inspired me to write The Bridgeman?

The devil inspired me to write The Bridgeman. Not literally, I hope, but more in the sense that I am intrigued by evil people. I am attracted to the reasons behind their darkness. As an old song says, "evil grows in the dark"…or does it? I think truly wicked people walk among us, aliens with human faces. Their lack of empathy, twisted ideas, and desire to hurt absolutely make me want to dig around and find out why.

Instead of becoming a police officer or a detective (since I’m a physical coward), I became a mystery/crime writer. I look for evil everywhere and luckily, there is lots of it around. In the newspapers, on television, from word-of-mouth, and let’s not forget, urban legends.

The Bridgeman began as a character sketch. On a drive through a little town in Ontario, I was stopped at a drawbridge, where I noticed the lockmaster going about his business in a very ordinary way, barely noticed, red-checkered jacket, plain face, every day, slow habits and movements. And I thought: what could this almost invisible person be hiding? What dark secrets might lie beneath the banality of his existence?

At the same time, my niece had acquired a job as a veterinarian’s assistant. Her tales of the puppy and kitten mills and their victims gave me an idea for the secret my ordinary bridgeman might suppress.

So began the Emily Taylor Mysteries. At first, Emily Taylor, the local school principal, was a vehicle for the bridgeman character sketch, and later, for Victim’s premise (Book Two). By Book Three, Legacy, Emily had asserted a strong voice of her own and had become more the centre of the series than the carrier.

In the last few months, I have happily been adapted Emily for the new world of eBooks. She loves our publisher, Imajin Books, and has been blossoming under their tutelage. Despite being media shy, she even appears in the trailers!

Catherine (Cathy) Astolfo is a retired school principal who uses her psychology degree for evil purposes, but only in writing. Follow her blog, visit her website. The Bridgeman is now available at Amazon and Smashwords. Visit Imajin Books for the links and lots of information. Victim will follow soon!

New Release: The Bridgeman by Catherine Astolfo

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Catherine Astolfo's beloved mystery series gets a fresh new look--one that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Complete with a stunning new cover, this second edition comes to you in the form of an ebook edition. If you haven't read The Bridgeman, book 1 in the Emily Taylor Mystery series, you're in for a real treat.

Some secrets can come back to haunt you…

Principal Emily Taylor feels safe in the friendly little town of Burchill—until she finds a body in her school. The murder of caretaker Nathaniel Ryeburn brings back memories she'd rather forget and plunges Emily into a mystery that involves a secret diary, an illegal puppy mill and a murderer innocently disguised as an ordinary citizen.

As fear rips through the traumatized town, Emily's investigation inadvertently leads the police to her door, and to her husband Langford, who is hiding a secret of his own. It becomes clear to Emily that many of Burchill's residents are merely wearing masks. And it's time for those masks to be ripped away…and for a killer's identity to be revealed.

Available now in ebook edition via Amazon and Smashwords.

Check out the reviews:

"Love and depravity, rebirth and rot, veneer and the real wood underneath—Astolfo brings these opposing forces into play as she creates the complex community that is Burchill. Ordinary people find themselves in an extraordinary situation. Astolfo reveals their personalities in delicious detail." —Garry Ryan, author of the Detective Lane Mysteries

"Master storyteller Cathy Astolfo pulls out all the stops as old secrets come back to kill…in this chilling story of twisted desires. Astolfo grabs small-town Ontario and shakes it until its ugly secrets pour out. You won't catch your breath until the last page turns." —Lou Allin, author of She Felt No Pain

"Catherine Astolfo's descriptive prose and well-crafted characters soon make you feel part of the community of Burchill, sharing Emily's terror at what is happening in her perfect little town. It's a story rich in detail with unexpected twists and turns that keep you involved right through to the shocking end." —Meredith Henderson, actress, film producer, poet

"Astolfo throws opens the door of her idyllic setting into a world of darkness, depravity, and danger...After reading The Bridgeman, you’ll want to go home, lock the doors, and hug your pet." —Anthony Bidulka, author of the Russell Quant Mystery Series

Available now in ebook edition via Amazon and Smashwords.