Author interview with @authoramymetz, author of Rogues & Rascals #cozymystery #giveaway
Today I’m welcoming Amy Metz, author of Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction, to the Readsalot Blog. She graciously agreed to answer a bunch of quenstions.
Goose Pimple Junction. Now there’s any interesting name. Is this a real place?
Yes and no! There is a real Goose Pimple Junction, Virginia, which is where the name comes from, but my books are set in Tennessee.
Caledonia Culpepper and Wynona Baxter aren’t the most ‘normal’ of names. How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?
I think names are extremely important. A lot of times a name will just pop in my head when a character shows up. I have no choice—that’s what it will be. Every so often, I have to really think about a name. Which is why I keep a list of names I like. I had a real problem with a new character who’s introduced at the end of Rogues & Rascals. I don’t know why, but his last name had to be Pepper. It just did. I didn’t really like that, because Pickle’s family name is “Culpepper,” and this new character will interact with Caledonia Culpepper, but his last name had to be Pepper. I did have trouble with his first name though. Nothing sounded right. I tried Frank and Henry and a whole slew of others. I even had typed Frank into the manuscript. Then one night, I was riding down the road with a friend and I just kept calling out names. Billy Pepper. Tom Pepper. Beau Pepper. When I said Virgil Pepper (I have no idea where it came from) we both said, “That’s it!” So I guess the answer to your question is I choose names that go with the character.
Describe Caledonia Culpepper in 1 word.
Oh man! Caledonia is way too complex for just one word! Since you insist, I’m going to have to cheat slightly and say Southern belle.
Describe Wynona Baxter in 1 word.
Now that’s even harder! I’m going to go with unpredicatable.
Describe Rogues & Rascals in 140 characters (also known as a tweet).
You’ll be grinning like a possum eating a sweet tater when u #read Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction: goose pimples with a giggle.
What’s the most amusing thing that happened to you while writing Rogues & Rascals?
Oh, gosh. I had a ton of unamusing things happen, but amusing? Hmmm . . . I guess it goes back to your first question. Last year, my oldest son and I were on our way home from visiting my youngest son at a music festival, and we took a different route home than the we took going down there. I started seeing signs that Abingdon, Virginia was coming up. Whoa! I looked at my son and said, “Do you realize how close we are to Goose Pimple Junction, Virginia?” He said, “We have to go.” So we took about an hour detour and went to Goose Pimple Junction. It was great.
What inspired you to write cozy mysteries?
I actually set out to write a mystery and didn’t realize I’d written a cozy mystery until I submitted it to a publisher and got a letter back telling me so. When I started writing Murder & Mayhem, I wanted to write a humorous mystery, and I wanted to keep it clean so my sons and my dad could read the book. I’m not a fan of blood and gore, violence, or a ton of swearing, so writing a cozy mystery was the result. Maybe it was fate?
What’s your favorite part about the writing process?
I love the second stage—the one right after the rough draft is finished. I love going back and adding layers, making the characters come alive, adding details, and really living in the story.
Rogues & Rascals is the fourth book in the Goose Pimple Junction series. Is this the last of the series? If so, what’s next?
Heavens no! As long as I have readers who buy the books and people who message me asking when the next book will be out, I’ll keep writing.
Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog!
Title: Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction
Author: Amy Metz
Published: May 15, 2016
Publisher: Souther Ink Press, A Division of Blue Productions
Genre: Cozy Mystery
~ Synopsis ~
Like any good Southern belle, Caledonia Culpepper was raised by her mama to be gracious, charming, witty, and above all, a devoted mother and loving wife, so she’s baffled when her marriage falls apart.
Wynona Baxter is a master of disguise but is often a ditzy airhead. A hit woman wannabe, when she’s hired for her first job in Goose Pimple Junction and things don’t go as planned, she’s forced to resort to Plan B. She’ll also need Plan C and D.
Crooked lawyers, restless husbands, a teenaged hoodlum – it seems there are rogues and rascals everywhere you look in Goose Pimple Junction.
When Caledonia and Wynona’s paths cross, they prove there isn’t a rogue or a rascal who can keep a good woman down. Mama always said there would be days like this . . .
~ About the Author ~
Amy Metz is the author of the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series. She is a former first grade teacher and the mother of two sons. When not actively engaged in writing, enjoying her family, or surfing Facebook or Pinterest, Amy can usually be found with a mixing spoon, camera, or book in one hand and a glass of sweet tea in the other. Amy lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
Author Links
Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author page
~ Giveaway ~
Thank you so much for hosting the third stop on the tour! You had some hard questions, but I enjoyed them.
This sounds like an amusing read. I haven’t read any of the books in this series, but will definitely adding to my TBR list.
Happy to hear that, Dianne!
I have a better one word name for Wynona…. Ditzy! LOL… Great interview!
Sharon
You’re right, Sharon! Bless her heart.