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Behind the Writing of Roadside Homicide

Tell us about the background for the theme, what inspired it or why you wanted to write in this setting, or with play with these tropes?

West Virginia will always be my home, no matter where I live. I grew up in Hancock County, at the tippy-top of the state. The hills, the woods, and the Ohio River shaped my childhood and adolescent years. Even decades later, I know every bend and curve like the back of my hand. But West Virginia is not what people think. The people who live there are friendly, open-minded, educated, and face problems a lot of others don’t understand: absentee landowners, loss of jobs in the rust belt, food deserts, mining dangers, and no access to healthcare. I wanted to give readers a taste of the people and the culture there, while writing a fun, cozy mystery that would feel like visiting with old friends, but still present enough of a puzzle to tickle the brain. More than anything, I wanted to convey the love I have for my home in the hills.

Are any of your characters based on real people you know?

Oh, yes. But I’ll never tell who!

Tell us about character traits that were fun or hard for you to include in the book.

I love reading quirky characters, so writing them is even more fun. The main character’s sister is sassy as all get out, and writing one-liners for her is a hoot. Writing villains is always tough for me, because I don’t like seeing people as “bad.” I’m also sad when a character is grieving. Writing the death is easier than writing the characters dealing with the emotional aftermath.

Create a playlist with 5 to 10 songs with the below in mind:

I created a Spotify playlist for my main character, Robin, and her sister, Jenn. These are songs they listened to in high school and now as women in their 20s. They’re millennial and live in rural West Virginia, so they like a mix of ’90s pop and country, as well as today’s hits.

• Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces
• Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well
• Shania Twain – Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
• Megan Moroney – Tennessee Orange
• Kelsea Ballerini – IF YOU GO DOWN (I’M GOIN’ DOWN TOO)
• Miranda Lambert – If I Was a Cowboy
• Ashley McBryde – Light On in the Kitchen
• Lady A – Need You Now
• Carrie Underwood – Before He Cheats
• Taylor Swift – You Belong With Me

Check out the full playlist at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6kXAW8etTDOuk0PfWu4rr0?si=afa9a3c12d6143dc

Were there any alternate endings you considered?

Yes! Initially, I wrote a big ol’ fight between Robin and the hunky sheriff, bringing up old beefs and airing their grudges. What a downer! As I was writing, a different story wrote itself, with more yearning and blushing, bringing them closer. So that scene went right out the window!

Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book?

Robin’s childhood friend, who is one of the suspects, didn’t exist in the original rought draft. I wanted Robin to be more connected to the mystery, to have a stake in it, so I invented Jodi, the old friend. Even after I wrote her, she changed here and there to fit the mystery.

Which of the side characters would you love to explore more, or turn into a main character in another series?

Jenn! She’s so much fun. I wrote a short story about Jenn and her wife investigating thefts in their apartment building and it was a blast. I could totally see writing a spinoff series for Jenn.

What special knowledge or research was required to write this book?

Politics and police work. I researched the duties of a sheriff and how they’re elected (rather than appointed). I’m forever looking up police procedures, protocols, lingo, and slang.

What’s the strangest thing you had to do to create this story?

I made a conscious decision to fictionalize the town. Hancock County is very rural, so the town is basically one crossroads and some very old buildings. I fictionalized the area so I wouldn’t have to be strict with road names, maps, building locations, or anything else I wanted to move around. I knew if I tried to recreate Hancock County, I’d make a mistake somewhere and get called out!

What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

That West Virginia is beautiful and special. And that they can find their family anywhere. They don’t have to be blood.

Was there something major that happened in your personal life while writing this?

I wrote it during the pandemic, which was already stressful. But right around the publishing date, I found out I have a brain tumor. It’s not cancerous, and they’re keeping an eye on it, but the resulting migraine condition I deal with makes it difficult to write as much as I’d like. But I count my blessings EVERY DAY because it could be so much worse. I have my health, and I have a beautiful, loving family that I’m so proud of. Gives you perspective, y’know?

A Recipe to go with the read:

No Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 C sugar
• 1 stick butter
• ½ C milk
• 4 Tbsp. cocoa
• ¾ to 1 C peanut butter
• 3 C oats
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

• Bring to boil the sugar, butter, milk and cocoa.
• Add peanut butter, oats and vanilla.
• Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper.
• Cool.

No Bake cookies are my absolute favorite cookies and they’re super easy to make. I used to look forward to them at every family reunion and church event. I included them in my River Sutton Mysteries because those cookies = fond memories. And now I make them for my own kids!

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Synopsis:

A small town cozy mystery starring a smart young female sleuth and a clean second chance romance with the sheriff, her high school crush.

Robin Pearce is nervous about returning home to the small town of River Sutton. Although she’s excited for her sister’s wedding, hasn’t seen her high school classmates in years. All her old insecurities are squeezing the air from her lungs like a too-small bodycon dress.
On her way home, she almost runs over a bloody man who collapses in the road. He speaks his last words to her and Robin promises to carry on his message, even though she has no idea who to give it to.

Although Sheriff Chris Payne–former high school quarterback and Robin’s crush–warns her away from the investigation, she made a promise she just won’t break. And when her childhood BFF becomes a suspect, she has no choice but to find the killer.

Between dress fittings, a cake crisis, and fueling up on caffeine, Robin puts her web skills to work, uncovering clues about the murder. Can she track down the killer before the Sheriff puts her friend behind bars? Or the dangerous killer strikes again?

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