1–What is the title of your latest release?
COLD CLAY: A Shady Hollow Mystery. It’s book 2 in the series.
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
We call it “Animal Crossing + Knives Out”. Imagine a charming murder mystery, but all the characters just happen to be animals. And before you ask, no, they’re not for kids.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
We made up the town of Shady Hollow because we thought it would be a fun place for us to explore. It’s sort of the perfect, old-fashioned small town. Plus, there’s no computers or internet in our world!
4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
We would definitely meet Vera for coffee at Joe’s Mug and hang out in Nevermore Books.
5–What are three words that describe your hero?
Orville Braun, our police bear, is brave, hard-working, and honest.
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
We learned that our detective thinks best when she’s drinking coffee or eating delicious food, which is why a lot of it appears in our books.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
A little of both. We write as a team, so we edit small typos as we’re reading over each other’s pages. But the serious editing comes after the draft is finished. It’s a lot easier to fix problems when you can see the whole thing.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Cheesecake – Sharon
Frozen custard — Jocelyn
9–Describe your writing space/office!
I live in a one-bedroom condo with my husband and cat, so space is limited. My husband and I share the dining room table. We don’t host many dinner parties so the dining room is my office. I can’t write unless I am alone, so I usually write when my husband is at work. –Sharon
I write all over my (very small) house. So I’ll write at the table for a while, then move to the couch, or sometimes use the laptop and then switch to the desktop. I find it hard to sit still for long. — Jocelyn
10–Who is an author you admire?
Personally, I’m impressed by authors who can draw you into their world with just a few words, whether that’s a historical setting or a fantasy world. I love Dorothy Sayers, Philip Pullman, Garth Nix, KJ Charles, and Dame Agatha herself (of course). But let’s just say my shelves are very full. — Jocelyn
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
As a child, I got a beautifully illustrated edition of fairy tales from all over the world. I looked at it nearly every day and absorbed those stories into my soul. Everything I write has an element of magic and wonder, probably from that book. I still own the book, and it’s like an old friend. — Jocelyn
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)
Our “call” was actually an email. Caitlin Landuyt, who is now our editor at Vintage Crime, sent us a lovely, kind note that also had a bunch of numbers at the bottom: the financial details of the offer! That’s how we knew it was real.
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
I like mysteries and literary fiction. – Sharon
I read a bit of everything. I love microhistories, mystery, science fiction, and romance. — Jocelyn
14–What’s your favorite movie?
How dare you? That’s an impossible question!
15–What is your favorite season?
Autumn!
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Preferably with as much food as possible. Going to a special restaurant with friends and just hanging out is a great way to celebrate.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I recently watched the movie News of the World. It is based on the book of the same title by Paulette Jiles. It is a book that I loved, and the movie was a faithful representation. – Sharon
I’ve been loving Dickinson, the series on Apple TV. It’s such a fun way to think about Emily Dickinson’s mindset and poetry, with anachronisms that just make me laugh so hard. — Jocelyn
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Ooh. Italian is super comforting. Mexican is delicious. Veggie dim sum is amazing. Basically, if there are carbs involved, we’re in.
19–What do you do when you have free time?
Read, of course. I also like to swim and go to movies. – Sharon
I love to walk and hike. When the weather is not conducive, I’ll hang out in the kitchen and bake or cook. — Jocelyn
20–What can readers expect from you next?
Our next novel in the Shady Hollow series is called MIRROR LAKE, and it comes out April 26th. Our detective Vera will be presented with a most puzzling case: the victim is still alive! Or is he?! We had a lot of fun writing this one.
COLD CLAY by Juneau Black
It’s autumn in Shady Hollow, and residents are looking forward to harvest feasts. But then a rabbit discovers a grisly crop: the bones of a moose.
Soon, the owner of Joe’s Mug is dragged out of the coffeeshop and questioned by the police about the night his wife walked out of his life—and Shady Hollow—forever. It seems like an open-and-shut case, but dogged reporter Vera Vixen doesn’t believe gentle Joe is a killer. She’ll do anything to prove his innocence … even if it means digging into secrets her neighbors would rather leave buried.
Mystery Cozy | Mystery Amateur Sleuth [Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, On Sale: March 1, 2022, Trade Size / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593466285 / eISBN: 9780593466292]
Buy COLD CLAY: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Love’s Sweet Arrow | Walmart.com | Book Depository | Target.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Juneau Black
Juneau Black is the pen name of authors Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel. They share a love of excellent bookshops, fine cheeses, and a good murder (in fictional form only). Though they are two separate people, if you ask either of them a question about their childhood, you are likely to get the same answer. This is a little unnerving for any number of reasons.
Stories all start somewhere! We owe huge thanks to the city of Milwaukee’s fantastic book scene, from our former employer Boswell Book Company to the journalists who work hard to cover local news and events in the way they deserve.
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