Have you ever wondered if your favorite characters from books were based on real people?Today author Vicki Vass answers that question for us. Her Antique Hunters cozy mystery protagonists are based on two of her close friends. Now these are ladies I'd love to meet.Vicki and I also spend time talking about her latest mystery, Bloodline, a book that cozy mystery reviewer Karen Owen named the best mystery she's read so far in 2017.You can find out more about today's guest, Vicki Vass, and all her books on her website VickiVass.com. You can also find her on Facebook at VickiVassAuthor.Links and resources mentioned in this episodeClick on any of the book covers to go to Vicki's books on AmazonBiltmore Estate Wikipedia pageA Cup of Tea and a Cozy Mystery book review sitePress play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.Transcription of Interview with Vicki VassAlexandra: Hi, mystery readers, this is It's a Mystery podcast. I'm your host, Alexandra Amor, and I'm here today with Vicki Vass. Hi, Vicki. Vicki: Hi, Alexandra. Alexandra: How are you doing?Vicki: Good. How are you today?Alexandra: I'm very well, thank you. So let me just introduce you to our our listeners. After visiting Asheville, North Carolina, Vicki Vass found herself transfixed by the magic that surrounded this beautiful mountain town. She knew she wanted to capture that magic in her new "Witch Cat Mystery" series and live there so she bought a lot. "Bloodline" is the first novel in that series. An avid reader, Vicki researched Appalachian folklore, Celtic legends, and the Biltmore Estate. All of these things play a role in "Bloodline." Vicki has written over 1,400 stories for "The Chicago Tribune." I want to ask you about that as well. Let's start out today talking about your "Antique Hunters Mysteries" because you've got four books in that series. Vicki: Yes, and I'm working on book five. I used to spend my weekends antiquing with my two best friends, and that series grew out of those experiences. The characters are loosely based on my two friends.Alexandra: Oh nice. We've got Anne Hillstrom and CC Muller. Tell us about those ladies.Vicki: Anne is very much in real life as she appears in the book. She is an avid collector and sometimes does not know when to get rid of things, and she's never had a antique or a sale that she does not want to visit. Whereas CC is very much like the practical German journalist and always keeping Anne on track. So it was just very fun to write about them and to share their story, though they've never encountered a real-life murder, but it's just been fun to share their experiences and their characters. I'm working on book five in this series right now, which has been a challenge but it's a lot of fun. I think the readers who enjoy the series will enjoy it. Alexandra: Oh, that's great.Anne and CC are both estate sale bloggers, is that right?Vicki: Well CC's the blogger because she's a journalist. Anne is more the sale expert, the antique expert. She's, like I said, she can find something, dig it out and find a treasure anywhere she goes, in the dustiest of places, but CC chronicles their adventures in her blog. Alexandra: Oh okay, I get it.One of the things I love about hosting this podcast is that the mystery authors that I interview have come up with such unique premises for mysteries, and I have to say this is one of the unique ones I've ever seen with "The Antique Hunters." I just think it's amazing. You've based that on your friends, and they must be aware of that, are they?Vicki: Yes, they're very much aware. Actually they tell me now they don't want to share stories with me because they'll end up in the book...