Author James W. Ziskin: The Prank, a Pug Named Leon & Cyanide

Award-winning crime novelist James W. Ziskin joins Matt Cost and BJ Magnani on Big Blend Radio’s "Pets, Plots & Poisons" Podcast to talk about his "Ellie Stone" Mysteries, set in the 1960s, and his new standalone suspense novel, "The Prank."

The conversation starts with pets: Saint and Millie’s dirt-road romance, Dr. Watson the fetch-playing cat, and Jim’s cats Tuppy and Boko, including Tuppy’s ice cube “launch pad.” 

Then Jim explains how a pug named Little Leon sneaks into every "Ellie Stone" book, why he’s named after Trotsky, and what it takes to write a 1960s female reporter as a man. They also dive into Dante, the Decameron and Ellie’s trip to Italy, how Jim wrote about 80,000 words of "The Prank" in roughly 40 days, and a plot tip on pantsers, plotters and keeping your continuity straight. BJ closes with her poison of the month: cyanide, plus the 1982 Tylenol poisonings that changed packaging forever.

Pets, Plots & Poisons airs every 3rd Thursday on Big Blend Radio.

LINKS: - James W. Ziskin: https://jameswziskin.com/  - BJ Magnani: https://www.bjmagnani.com  - Matt Cost: https://www.mattcost.net  - Pets, Plots & Poisons podcast channel:  https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/pets-plots-poisons-podcast