Interview with Jess Lourey
Today, Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views, talks with author Jess Lourey, about the new installment of her Murder-by-Month Mystery Series, “June Bug.” Jess spent her formative years in Paynesville, Minnesota, a small town not unlike the quirky town featured in her book series. She currently resides in Alexandria, MN, and teaches Creative Writing and Sociology at the local college. When not raising her children, teaching, or writing, Jess can be found gardening and navigating the niceties and meanities of small-town life. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, The Loft, and Lake Superior Writers. Juanita: Welcome to Reader Views Jess, we are excited to have the opportunity to talk with you about your new chic-lit novel, “June Bug.” This is the second installment of your Murder-by-Month Mystery Series. Would you tell us about your series?
Juanita: Where is Battle Lake, and why did you decide to set your series in this location? Jess: Battle Lake is in west central Minnesota, toward that part of the state that looks like a little elbow sticking out into the Dakotas. I was living in Battle Lake when I started the series, and it was clearly the perfect place to stage some murders. There was a cast of crazy characters that I couldn’t make up, fiberglass statues, Indian burial grounds, and extreme weather. What else do you need? Juanita: How have residents of Battle Lake responded to your book series? Jess: Overall, very well. Like most intelligent people, they’re convinced that the foibles of the characters in the book exactly capture their neighbor, or aunt, or boss, but never themselves. The only hitch from Battle Lakians is when a woman came up to me at a booksigning in my hometown, and said, “My dad is the mayor of Battle Lake and doesn’t like your books at all, but I really do!” I guess you can’t please everybody. Juanita: Would you tell us more about your leading heroine, Mira James? How did you come up with her in the writing process? Jess: Mira is that woman all of us (yes, you too, men) who never quite feels like she’s in the right place at the right time, who always feels a little displaced. Of course, in Mira’s case, there are also dead bodies and cross-dressing bosses to deal with. Juanita: I’ve heard Mira described as a Laura Ingalls Wilder meets Carrie Bradshaw type of character. Would you agree? What impresses you most about Mira? Jess: I would be proud to place Mira in the company of Laura Ingalls and Carrie Bradshaw. Like both, she is resourceful, independent, caring, and funny. Juanita: What happens in “June Bug”? Jess: The central plot of June Bug is inspired by a true story. In the 1920s, many wealthy families from the east coast built summer homes in the Battle Lake area. One of these families had a magnificent mansion with servant’s quarters, and the place was built on a little peninsula. One summer, one of the guests at the mansion lost an enormous diamond in the lake, and it’s never been found. What a great story! So I added some twists and turns, some humor, and a great cast of characters to that kernel of an idea to create “June Bug.” Juanita: Does it follow an edge-of-your seat type pace? Jess: There are definitely a lot of tense moments throughout the book. Juanita: Who are some of the other characters that Mira encounters in “June Bug”? Jess: There is Mrs. Berns, the randy octogenarian, Kennie Rogers, the town mayor with an inexplicable southern accent, and Gary Wohnt, the enigmatic police chief. They’re my favorite, but new characters pop up throughout the series. Juanita: Since this novel is considered chic-lit, how does romance and relationships factor in to “June Bug”? Jess: I would place June Bug more in the comic caper sub-genre, but there is a really hot (and hysterical) romance brewing in June Bug. Juanita: Jess, you seem to have quite a perceptive eye on the somewhat quirkier side of human nature. Would you comment on your unique insights and comedic delivery? Jess: I think the very nature of human beings is funny. We think we’re really important and that our actions have great meaning, when the truth of it is that we stumble through most everything. Poking fun at that, looking at what is really meant by the saying, “Well, we’re only human,” is what my comic writing is about. Juanita: Jess, what is the underlying message of “June Bug”? Jess: It depends what you need when you’re reading it. If your life is getting a little too busy, I would say that the theme of the book is to get some perspective on what really matters. If your life needs some romance, the theme is the importance of patience. A recurring, strong theme throughout the entire series and one that is very important to me is that women can rescue themselves, and usually do. Juanita: Why is portraying a resourceful, strong woman important to you? Jess: First of all, I think it’s realistic. Most of the women I know are superheroes—raising their kids, keeping their homes, sustaining relationships, working outside the home. Everywhere I look I see strong, resourceful women, and I’d like that reflected in literature more. Second, the mystery field is full of “male romances”—you know the book, where the crusty but lovable older guy with a pot belly saves the world and gets the hot chick. I’d like to balance that out a little and offer some strong, female-centered mysteries. Juanita: With the success of your book series so far, obviously readers appreciate Mira and how her adventures uniquely touch their hearts. How does it feel to be embarking on a series that is becoming so relatable to other women? Jess: I’m very proud of it. I write books that I want to read, about a world I’d like to see (minus the murders). Juanita: How long have you been writing? How do you feel about the overwhelming response to your Murder-by-Month Mystery Series? Jess: I’ve been writing since I was very young, but only writing novels for the past ten years. I will never be a poet or a short story writer, but I have a passion for the novel. And overwhelming experiences are almost always better than underwhelming ones. Juanita: What draws you to the mystery theme? Juanita: Do you see yourself branching out of the chic-lit and mystery genre? Any future projects you can tell us about? Jess: Thanks for that question! I'm actually working on a full-length fiction novel featuring a 13-year-old Native American girl forced into reeducation at an Indian boarding school in 1920s South Dakota. I want to explore the strength of the human spirit and the interaction of people and their environment in the dramatic, beautiful, and bleak setting of the Black Hills. I am also deeply engaged with exploring the repercussions of using education as a blunt instrument. I'm excited to combine my writing skills with my sociology background in the research and writing of this. I do plan to return to the Murder-by-Month series, though, and complete all twelve. Juanita: Jess, I understand that you recently went on your first book tour. How was the experience? Jess: Actually, I toured to support May Day, the first in the Murder-by-Month series. I also am just wrapping up my June Bug tours. Both were a wonderful learning experience, and I’ve enjoyed meeting all the people, except for the one guy who slapped down his copy of May Day, grunted, “Sign it, but just your name. It’ll be worth more when you’re dead that way,” and walked off. Juanita: How can readers find out more about you and your endeavors? Jess: My website, www.jesslourey.com, is the best place to find updates. And look for Knee High by the Fourth of July, the third in the series, due out September 2007. Juanita: Jess, that’s a quick turnaround time for your next novel! With promotional tours and full-time writing, as well as teaching at your local college, you must have a very tight schedule. How do you balance the creative process, the “business”, teaching, and your personal life? Jess: That’s easy. I don’t have a personal life. Seriously. It’s okay, though, because I live in a rural area and the gene pool is pretty shallow when it comes to dating. I can only choose between serial hunters or online dating, and when I’ve tried online, I somehow end up with the men who’ve recently had a sex change operation (wish I was kidding) or are confused about their sexuality. So, I don’t watch much TV, I have no social life (so sad), and in place of both, I write. When I tour, many people who come to my signings say they wished they had the time to write, and if there is one point I need to stress, it is that you will never have more time in your life than you do right now, and chances are, you’ll have less. If being creative is important to you, make time for it. Juanita: Thanks for the opportunity to talk with you today Jess. We have enjoyed hearing about your humorous and quirky new novel, “June Bug,” and strongly encourage readers to check out your entire Murder-by-Month Mystery Series. Before we depart, do you have any last thoughts for your readers? Jess: Thank you for your time! Listen to interview on Inside Scoop Live |
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