1--What is the title of your latest release?
Specters in the Glass House
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Most writers are awful at elevator pitches! LOL But I’ll try. Specters in the Glass House is a dual time novel set in 1921 Prohibition Era and present day. It encapsulates the unsolved and ghostly murder mystery of the “Butterfly Butcher”, and the alluring and terrifying butterfly house set at a Wisconsin manor just outside of Milwaukee.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Because I wanted to set a book in the Prohibition era as well as look at it from a different angle, I set it just outside of Milwaukee, which was a region hit very hard during Prohibition.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Oh, I absolutely would! I think both protagonists—Marian from 1921 and Remy from Present Day—would have a lot to teach me.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Because I have two protagonists, it’s only fair to answer for both. Marian, who is from 1921 would be described as: haunted, unsure, and lost. Remy, from present day, would be described as: solitary, capable, and loyal.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned a lot about the different lifestyles of individuals living with various mental health challenges and how much they have to offer their communities and families. I also learned how stigmatized mental health can be, and the ignorance that comes from uneducated stereotypes.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I totally edit as I draft.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I am so not a foodie. In fact, I usually forget to eat. (I just wish my hip-size proved that!). But if I need to pick a snack, it’s usually popcorn.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
My office space is a spare room in our house that I’ve turned into a cozy abode. It’s a hodge podge of knick-knacks and brick-a-brack, scattered with lots of ravens and Edgar Allan Poe paraphernalia. I lovingly call it my “pawn shop”.
10--Who is an author you admire?
I read anything Hester Fox writes. I adore her books. And a close second is anything written by Sarah Ladd.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
The Cost of Discipleship, by Deitrich Bonhoeffer. My journey through life, perspective on faith, and devotion to God was dramatically reshaped after reading Bonhoeffer’s words and then studying his life and actions.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was actually eating Mexican food at our local restaurant, so I couldn’t hear what my agent was saying. I had to run outside and have her repeat it, while wishing I’d grabbed milk or something because my mouth was on fire from the hot sauce. Not very glamourous, but definitely memorable.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
It’s a toss between a good Regency that is more Austen-like than corset-buster, and a Gothic mystery.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
The Gladiator. No. No, wait. Lord of the Rings. Yep. Nope. Probably, Cinderella. I don’t know. Back to the Future? John Wick. For sure John Wick. No. I can’t pick. It’s like picking a favorite child.
15--What is your favorite season?
Hands down Autumn and then Winter. I’m a cold weather person.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
At home, with my blanket, a movie, and my family.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Well, I’m currently binging SEAL Team and it’s pretty amazing. I come from an ARMY family and while SEALs are Navy, I’m not sure I’ve made it through an episode without tearing up.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Mexican. As evidenced by when I got “The Call”.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
What is free time? Play with my cats. I’m a cat lady. I’m also crazy. So there’s that.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
The Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse releases in April. It’s inspired heavily by Edgar Allan Poe’s, Annabel Lee, and is set in the Porcupine Mountains of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Oh yes, and the lighthouse is haunted. Of course.
In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron's empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family's Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian's sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present. With dead butterflies as the killer's ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.
In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer's quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold's mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian's great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings? Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?
Renowned as a "trailblazer extraordinaire" (Booklist) of inspirational dual-time suspense, award-winning author Jaime Jo Wright weaves a haunting tale of mystery, legacy, and the relentless pursuit of truth across two distinct eras.
Romance | Christian [Bethany House Publishers, On Sale: October 1, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780764241468 / eISBN: 9781493448197]
Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author--including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards--is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin's rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes - providing an exhilarating amount chaos.
Visit her online and listen to her podcast MadLit Musings on your favorite podcast player.
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