Negative Reaction (Callie Cassidy Mysteries)
by Lori Roberts Herbst
About Negative Reaction
Negative Reaction (Callie Cassidy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting - Colorado
Independently Published (April 25, 2023)
Digital - Number of Pages: 305
ASIN : B0BXFV1N4C 
Wedding bells are ringing in Rock Creek Village. But when a venomous villager crashes the nuptials, events take a toxic turn…
The long-awaited day has arrived — photographer Callie Cassidy’s best friend is tying the knot. With a gentle snow falling outside and family and friends gathered inside, the wedding couldn’t be more perfect. Even Callie’s golden retriever, Woody, and her tabby cat, Carl, have donned tuxes for the occasion. And the icing on the cake? Callie’s trainee, Braden, is acting as official photographer, with the assistance of his twin brother, Banner. Callie is as proud as if she were their mother.
But as the ceremony ends, an uninvited and apparently inebriated visitor barges into the Event Center. The guests are shocked — and more than a little dismayed — to see Brian Ratliff, the twins’ absentee father, who slunk out of town two years prior, leaving his teenage boys to fend for themselves. Several volatile confrontations ensue, concluding with an angry altercation between Brian and Braden.
When Brian later winds up in a coma, the victim of poisoning, suspicion mounts against Braden. Callie is incensed, certain the boy isn’t capable of harming his father. Besides, plenty of villagers despised the man — any of them might have slipped him the toxin that rendered him unconscious.
As evidence accumulates against Braden, Callie fears he will end up taking the fall. With Detectives Raul Sanchez and Lynn Clarke stonewalling her, she turns to family and friends — including the town’s feisty new cub reporter — for help. Together, can they prove Braden’s innocence — and reveal the true culprit?
About the Author Interview
When did you catch the writing bug? I’ve been a reader since my earliest memory, and I think many voracious readers fantasize about becoming writers. When I was in high school, I followed the writing path by studying journalism and went on to become a journalism teacher. I piddled around with fiction writing from time to time, but work and raising a family took most of my attention. It wasn’t until my nest emptied and I retired that I started pursing it seriously. Then, I couldn’t stop!
Besides Author, what other job titles have you held? I taught English for three years, followed by a twenty-one-year stint as a journalism teacher. Then I became a high school counselor for six years before retiring to follow my author dream. I have been lucky to truly enjoy every job I’ve held.
When you’re not working, what fills your time? Reading, of course. I enjoy going to the movies. My husband and I love to travel, and we go where we can when we can. Also, we’re big sports fans and attend a lot of basketball and hockey games. But by far my favorite way to spend time is with my family. The four grandkids can always make me smile.
If your life were made into a movie, is it a comedy or drama? Who plays you? Absolutely a comedy — and I guarantee it would flop at the box office — too boring! I guess I’d say Valerie Bertinelli (of One Day at a Time fame) would play me. We’re about the same age, and when I was in high school, people used to tell me I looked like her.
What is your favorite childhood memory? My maternal grandparents owned a farm (a turkey farm, of all things!), and I used to love visiting them. They’d let me help with the turkey poults and take me for rides on the tractor. My grandmother tasked me with picking the strawberries, and I was always allowed to choose flowers from her iris garden to decorate the house. I felt so loved and important whenever I was there. Such happy memories!
What advice would you give to your younger self? You can follow more than one dream — just maybe not all at the same time. Enjoy whatever stage you’re in, and be present for it. Don’t wish your life away.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you? I’m really trying to come up with something, but nothing particular pops into my mind. One of the advantages of aging, I suppose — the memories of such angst tends to fade away.
What is your greatest achievement? Personally, it’s my family — my husband, two grown daughters and their spouses, and four kind and loving grandchildren who all make me so proud. Professionally, I’d say it’s the hundreds of students I worked with over the years who have gone on to be productive, thinking members of society. I am so grateful I had a chance to be part of their lives.
What makes you laugh? My husband’s “dad jokes,” dumb though they are. Reruns of The Office. Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club books. My grandchildren’s silly antics.
What is your greatest extravagance? Gadgets. I love almost all electronics and spend way too much money on them. Kindle, Remarkable 2 epad, laptop, iPhone, FitBit — and more. But I enjoy them tremendously, so no regrets.
What are your pet peeves? When people cut others off in traffic or even cut in grocery store lines, it grates on my nerves. Also, I can’t stand it when people look at their phones during a movie. I find it so irritating and distracting!
Tell us something about yourself that no one else knows. Sometimes I keep Dove candies in my desk drawer and eat them while I’m working. Shhh. Don’t tell.
What is always in your fridge? Cherry Pepsi Zero. It’s my addiction.
What is your most treasured possession? I have a half bottle of Shalimar perfume that was on my mother’s vanity when she died. Every so often, I take the top off and travel back in time to the scent of her. It’s as if she’s right there with me.
What is your favorite movie? TV show? I’m going to limit this to the past year since I’m old enough to have so many of them over the decades. My favorite movie of 2022 was A Man Called Otto. Loved it and the book that inspired it. As for TV, I’ll go with Ted Lasso. So uplifting.
What is your favorite song, and why? “Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies…” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” (I’m not even sure why I like it so much, but whenever I hear that song, it makes me smile.
What did you eat for breakfast? Did you make it yourself?
Cheerios with blueberries. Cereal by General Mills, blueberries by nature. Combined by yours truly.
Describe your perfect day. I wake up in a cabin in the mountains and work for a couple of hours on my newest novel, as my husband takes care of all the necessary chores around the place. Then we join our daughters and their families, who are conveniently living in cabins adjacent to us. We all spend the afternoon hiking, laughing, playing games, eating good food. At night, my husband and I settle in by the fire, watch a little TV, then read a good book. A simple but fulfilling day.
About Lori Roberts Herbst
Lori Roberts Herbst, who writes the Callie Cassidy Mystery series, spent much of her life writing, editing, and psychoanalyzing. Through thirty years of teaching journalism, advising newspaper and yearbook staff, instructing budding photographers, and counseling teenagers, she still managed to hang on to a modicum of sanity. Her books have earned first-place CIBA awards in the Murder and Mayhem division. She currently serves as secretary of the Sisters in Crime North Dallas chapter and is a member of the Sisters in Crime Guppies and the Mystery Writers of America.
Author Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorirobertsherbst/
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