1. I hear you have a parrot in your latest novel, Ghostly Protector. Tell us about the book.

The parrot, Bailey, is the comic relief in my latest book, Ghostly Protector. He belonged to the ghost. Like I showed in previous books, pets can see the departed, so Bailey is no different. Well, except he can talk. Sort of. Very frustrating for the ghost. A hoot for me to write.

Here is the blurb for Ghostly Protector:

He finally found his long-lost love, but will he have to arrest her for murder?

Adam Fox is a detective with the Chicago Police Department. He’s solved every murder case assigned to him, with a little help from the newly departed. No one on the force knows he can communicate with ghosts, and he wants to keep it that way. His latest case brings him face-to-face with his teenage love—and the murder victim’s roommate—Evie. He’s more than ready to close this case and rekindle what he lost, but for one minor technicality: the ghost doesn’t know how he died.

Evelyn Harper can’t believe her eyes when she opens her door to Adam. She never forgot their brief encounter and regretted they didn’t exchange last names and phone numbers before she was urgently pulled away. Now he’s in front of her, telling her that her roommate was murdered. If that wasn’t bad enough, signs indicate she’s the guilty party. How can she prove her innocence before she’s arrested for the crime?

Adam has dreamed about Evie ever since that summer night eleven years ago. He’s not willing to let her go again and will do all he can to prove she’s not guilty. But the ghost is also in love with her, mad that she’s implicated, and won’t move on until she’s safe. And when the ghost is mad, the building can shake. How can Adam clear Evie and help the ghost move on before disaster strikes?

Here are the buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D77YC3L2
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghostly-protector-stacy-mckitrick/1145822606
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/ghostly-protector/id6504463321
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ghostly-protector
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-M0OEQAAQBAJ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1578573

2. Why did you add a parrot to this book?

A friend has a grey parrot (really named Bailey) as a pet, and she would tell me all these funny stories about him. I told her one day I would write a book and put Bailey in it. She thought that would be fun. So…Ghostly Protector was the next book I was writing, so in went Bailey. FYI: I have never met Bailey, so I’m hoping that I did right by him. He was fun to write about in any case.

As for me and pets, we lost our last pet in 2001 and haven’t replaced him. We travel too much and that just wouldn’t be fair to a pet (or to anyone we managed to get to babysit said pet). One day will come when our travel days are through, and Hubby and I both said that we’d probably get a cat then. Maybe. Our best friend is allergic, so who knows? I’m hoping that’s a long time down the road!

3. What other books have you written?

Ghostly Protector is the third book in the Ghostly Encounters series (you don’t need to have read the first two to read this one). I also have six books in the Bitten by Love series (vampire romances). But my next book will be an alien romance (titled Alien Desires), which I hope will be released by this summer.

None of my vampire romance books have pets, but Ghostly Liaison (book 1) does have a chocolate lab (which was featured on your blog before). I wish Barnaby was a real dog. I love him.

You can find all my books and their buy links on my web, http://stacymckitrick.com

4. How do you promote your books?

I’ve tried promoting on Book Bub, but that didn’t work out so great. I’m still struggling on how to promote. I do love to attend book conventions (if I’m selected), so I can meet readers face-to-face. I’ll be at Indy Author Event on April 26, 2025 in Carmel, Indiana and Literary Love Savannah on July 9-13, 2025 in Savannah, Georgia.

5. Where can readers learn more about your books and connect with you online?

Website: http://stacymckitrick.com
Blog: www.stacysrantings.blogspot.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6564751.Stacy_McKitrick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StacyMcKitrickAuthor/
My Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/723076717851931
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/stacymckitrick
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/stacy-mckitrick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacymckitrick/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@stacymckitrick
Bluesky: @stacymckitrick.bsky.social

I do have a newsletter. If you sign up (it’s a double-whatchamacallit so you have to verify your email), you will be sent a link to receive a free e-book of my short story, Savannah’s Destiny. It’s where I mixed up the two series. It has a vampire. It has a ghost. Sadly, no pets, but it was a lot of fun to write. Here’s the link to subscribe: http://subscribepage.io/ZPkJgC

Thanks for the interview, Marcia! Hope your readers are interested in light-hearted, semi-steamy, paranormal romances!

MARCIA: Thank you, Stacy, for being my February interviewee! I love your romances!

MONTHLY BLOG EBOOK CONTEST! Would you like to win a Marcia James’ ebook? Visitors to this pro-pet blog can join in the fun, comment, and/or share photos of their pets for a chance to win one of my ebooks!

Each month, I’ll randomly pick one blog commenter to win. To leave a comment and/or a photo, click on the word “Reply,” which is just below the social media icons for THIS interview. (Don’t scroll past this interview to the next interview.) Go Pets!