Our interview is with Amy Metz author of Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction (4.5 stars, 47 reviews). Before the interview a brief book description: When Tess Tremaine starts a new life in the colorful town of Goose Pimple Junction, curiosity leads her to look into a seventy-five-year-old murder. Suddenly she’s learning the foreign language of southern speak, resisting her attraction to local celebrity Jackson Wright, and dealing with more mayhem than she can handle.A bank robbery, murder & mayhem, and family tragedy from the 1930s are pieces of the mystery that Tess attempts to solve. As she gets close to the truth, she encounters danger, mystery, a lot of southern charm, and a new temptation for which she’s not sure she’s ready.
Interview with Amy Metz
1. What was unique about the setting of the book, and how did it enhance or take away from the story?I have been told that the town in my novel has a personality, as if it were one of the characters. I’m happy to hear that because I felt that way when I wrote the book. Goose Pimple Junction is a fictional town full of quirky people—quirky, but good, people. Except for the one or two bad guys, but every town has a few of those, right?
2. Was there a basis for your story? A previous experience?
Yes, there certainly was. The book is based on two murders in my family’s history. Growing up and hearing accounts of the murders that occurred in the 30’s both saddened and fascinated me. One of them is unsolved to this day, which I think makes the murder all the more tragic.
3. What research did you have to perform to back up your story? Any research which really opened your eyes or gave you new respect for a topic or profession?
I have the actual newspaper articles of the bank robbery and two murders depicted in the book. I also did research online and found a little more information that helped me get the facts straight. The research didn’t give me a new respect for a profession, but it did give me great respect for my grandfather, great-aunt and the families affected by the crimes.
4. Which characters did you most enjoy writing?
In no particular order:
Louetta: I loved creating Louetta. She’s almost eighty years old, never met a stranger, and she’s never at a loss for words. She’s the life of the party–pretty much totally opposite of me.
Pickle: Pickle is a teenager who works for Louetta in the bookstore. You might say he’s got Clue Deficit Disorder, or more bluntly—he’s clueless. But he means well, and he’s a lot of fun to be around. Plus he wears great t-shirts.
Tank Marshall: I really enjoyed writing Tank’s character. He’s a biker dude type, tough as shoe leather, mean enough to bite himself, and just an all around shady character. I love his no-nonsense personality and ironic sense of humor.
5. If you could be one of your characters, whom would you choose?
My first instinct is to say Tess, because of Jackson, her love interest, and she’s about ten years younger than I am. But I think it would be most fun to be Louetta or Junebug, even if they are older women. They both have great personalities, they’re a lot of fun to be with, they’re wise, and they’re strong women. They’re like an older Oprah!
6. Do the characters seem real and believable?
Well, I believe everything they tell me. Seriously, I’ve been told they’re believable, and I certainly think they are. It’s very gratifying to hear people say the characters are people they’d like to know and want to read more of.
7. Can you relate to their predicaments?
Yes, I can relate to them, although I’m more of a chicken than Tess is. All of those shenanigans and mayhem would have scared me off, but they just spurred her to look harder for the killer.
8. Is this a stand-alone book or part of a series?
Murder & Mayhem is the first book in the Goose Pimple Junction series. The second book, Heroes & Hooligans In Goose Pimple Junction, begins just a few months after Murder & Mayhem left off. You’ll love to hate a philandering husband, a murderer, and a stalker, as they scare the living daylights out of the residents, and keep the new police chief busier than a set of jumper cables at a redneck picnic. Suddenly he has his hands full trying to apprehend a killer, stop a stalker, and fight his feelings for Martha Maye, the damsel in distress.
The third book in the series, Rogues & Rascals In Goose Pimple Junction, will feature Pickle’s mama, Caledonia, who is a true southern belle. She’s beautiful, poised, sweet as honey, and someone wants her dead.
9. Are you like any of your characters? Or are any of your characters like you?
My main character, Tess, and I are a little bit alike. Jackson says she can trip over a cordless phone, and that’s pretty much true of me. Poor Tess is always running into something, tripping over something, or knocking something over. Unfortunately, she gets that from me. She’s also a writer, and she loves to bake and garden, so we have those things in common too.
10. Favorite book from childhood.
From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg. I loved that book.
11. What’s on your desk? Can you see your desk? Describe what you see when you look around.
That’s hard to answer, because I use a laptop, and I move around. But there are two things I see in pretty much in any room where I work: my dog and pictures of my kids.
12. What would your ideal office look like?
It would be a bright room on the second floor with tons of windows, and beyond the windows would be the ocean. It would have a lot of cabinets, drawers, and closets for storage, a wall of bookshelves filled with my books, and a big comfy chair and ottoman. It would also have a big pine desk with a vase of fresh flowers and framed photographs of my kids.
Anthony, thank you for having me on your blog. I hope you and your readers will come and visit my characters in Goose Pimple Junction or me at my blog! If there are any authors who would like to promote their work through an author interview, character interview, guest post, or book excerpt, please contact me. I’d love to feature you and spread the word about your work.
Connect with Amy: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Email
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Amy Metz is the mother of two sons, is a former first grade teacher, and is the author of Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction, the first in a humorous southern mystery series. When not actively engaged in writing, enjoying her family, or spoiling her dog and granddogs, Amy can usually be found with a mixing spoon, camera, or book in her hands. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky and can be reached at http://amymetz.com/ or her blog, A Blue Million Books ( http://abluemillionbooks.blogspot.com/ ).
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