I read the review of A SOUR NOTE, (a Music Box Mystery) Jill's newest title, in the Hippo, a New Hampshire newspaper. I didn't yet know her, and was pleasantly surprised to see that she's another author at my publisher The Wild Rose Press. I contacted her, and she is my guest today, release day!
About Jill
Jill is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.
A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three
well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be
found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and
going on light hikes.
Q&A With Jill
When you get an
idea for a book, what comes first usually? Dialogue, the characters, a specific
scene? Or do you plot it out before you write?
The overall theme for a book usually presents itself first, and characters soon follow. For the first few chapters, I just write. But at some point, I crave more organization and draft an outline.
So, what do you have planned next? Or is that a secret?
I’m currently writing the second book in the Music Box Mystery series.
Any advice for new writers?
My advice to new writers is to do something, anything, toward your writing goals at least five days per week. This might entail writing 200 words or 2,000 words. But even a quick skim of your outline, or twenty minutes of research, or fifteen minutes reviewing a writing resource is something.
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and how do you like it?
I am also a
teacher and love my day job.
What do you love that most people don't like and wouldn't understand why you do?
I enjoy washing
and folding laundry set to the tune of a Hallmark movie or HGTV. Why I find
this chore relaxing is anyone’s guess.
What do you dislike that most people wouldn't understand?
I despise having
my fingernails or toenails filed. No manicures or pedicures for me!
What's the main thing that you could get rid of that would give you more writing time?
The internet is a
huge, but necessary, distraction. It’s so easy to get lost in a black hole of
research on a particular time period or other topic related to your book that
writing doesn’t happen.
What's your favorite book of all time and why? What's your favorite childhood book?
As an adult, I
have so many favorite books from a variety of genres. Choosing only one is
impossible. But Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren was 110% my favorite book
as a child. I couldn’t get enough of her hilarious antics. Pippi’s
unpredictability and all-consuming joy for adventure was the antithesis to my
rule following nature.
What is your favorite quote?
I have a long list
of favorite quotes and share one every Monday on social media. “You’ll never do
a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try” by Dolly Parton is at the top of
my list. This quote is relevant to anyone trying something new.
Connect With Jill
About A SOUR NOTE
When murder provides a welcome distraction…
On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her
childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her
mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her
wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy,
casting her in a cloud of suspicion. Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a
cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic,
two-timing ex-fiancĂ©. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box—
the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?
Excerpt
With his mouth set in a grim line, he
waited.
If anyone else had enough nerve to
presume she owed them an explanation, she would respond with a solid mind your
own business. Instead, the seventeen-year-old still inside her refused to tell
him to get lost. “He was hiding money in his office.” This was one of those
times when learning how to wait a few beats before blurting out inflammatory
information would come in handy. Each second of passing silence decreased her
ability to breathe in the confined space. She turned the ignition and switched
on the air conditioner.
“How do you know?” His volume just above
a whisper, each dragged-out word hung in the air.
“I found it.”
“When were you in his office?” He swiped
at a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, then positioned a vent
toward him.
“Last night.” When would she learn to
bite her tongue? Finn’s switch from rapid-fire scolding to slow, deliberate
questioning left her unable to swallow over the sandpaper lump in her throat.
“Where was Vic?”
She stared at the back of the building,
wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “He’d left for the night.” If she averted
her gaze, she could pretend his eyeballs weren’t bugging out of his head, and
his jaw didn’t need a crane to haul it off his chest.
“You were at the town hall after hours?
Did anyone see you?”
“A custodian opened his door for me.” She
snuck a glance. Sure enough, features contorted in shock and horror replaced
his boy-next-door good looks.
Purchase A SOUR NOTE
