It has become a sometimes painful tradition for me to interview myself after I finish a book. It is painful mostly because I have to interview myself and I can be annoying.
But it also serves as a memory catcher for what happened while I was writing the book.
In this case, the book in question is Gumbo Ya-Ya Exit, book ten in my Big Uneasy series.
I’ll begin by sharing with you what the book is about:
In New Orleans, secrets don’t stay buried—and neither do old, cold sins…
Madeline Baker thrives on order. By day, she runs the front desk at Baker Boys Investigations; by night, she’s mystery author S.C. Fitz-Dankworthington—her best-kept secret. She’s got a deadline looming and no time for danger or romance.
Then Quinn Ellery walks in, seeking her alter ego. His neighbor—another S.C. Fitz-Dankworthington—has been murdered, and he’s convinced it’s no coincidence. Soon after, his grandmother ropes Maddie into solving a 60-year-old killing—until someone tries to blow Gammie up and nearly takes them out instead.
Caught in a deadly web of family lies and long-buried truths, Maddie and Quinn race to unravel the past before it buries them too. In the Big Uneasy, murder and mayhem simmer with romance, gumbo, and secrets too close to home.
Get your copy now to return to the Big Easy with the Bakers!
And now let’s dive into the interview:
Me: So here we are. Book ten in the Big Uneasy. Are you as mind blown as I am by this?
I: I think I’m more mind blown.
Me: That’s not actually possible. We have the same mind.
I: Whatever.
Me: Alright then, let’s move along and talk about the book. Why did you decide to do Maddie Baker’s story? I mean, she’s the youngest. Shouldn’t she have to wait?
I: She didn’t want to wait. And because she is the youngest, she knows how to get what she wants. She’s been able to observe, take notes, and learn from twelve siblings.
Me: That make sense. What about Quinn? He’s the eldest.
I: That was just kind of a joke that ended up mattering to who and what Quinn was.
Me: You had trouble getting a feel for Quinn and how to get him into the story.
I: WE had a lot of trouble with all the characters in the book. It was like herding cats to get them to show up and forget behaving.
Me: There was another element of this book that put you, I mean US, on the struggle bus. Maddie being a lawyer.
I: When we made her lawyer, it was just because it was getting hard to think of jobs for thirteen people, particularly law enforcement jobs. But then it came time to tell her story and I came to an awful realization.
Me: And that was…
I: All my knowledge of the law and lawyers had been gleaned from television and movies. And even I knew that wasn’t a good resource. I had two choices. I could do a lot of research or I could find another way to solve my problem.
Me: Let me guess, you found another way.
I: You could have helped more.
Me: I’m here now, aren’t I?
I: Barely.
Me: I think it’s time to wrap this up. Someone is riding the cranky bus today.
I: Whatever.
Me: So that’s another wrap in our Behind the Book series, where we take a shallow dive into what happened behind the scenes and mostly tell the truth about what we find. Be sure to return for our next installment when someone gets around to finishing another book.
I: There are days I’m sorry I gave up swearing.
Gumbo Ya-Ya Exit will release in bookstores on April 30, but it is already available in MY bookstore right this minute. Like, right now.
No matter how you like getting your books, we both hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.