I'm delighted to start the new year off by interviewing Gloria and showcasing this novel.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE IMAGES IN THE COVER
DESIGN FOR SKULL GARDEN?
Skull Garden is
the third in the Cornwall & Redfern Mystery series which is set in a small
town with a greenhouse enterprise to which many of the characters have a strong
connection. This glass cathedral in the forest has been the scene of attempted
murder, illicit plots, and romantic interludes. In Skull Garden, my
protagonist, Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall, takes on the task of combing the back
roads of the county to locate abandoned cemeteries and document the tombstone
data. However, she finds more than overgrown graves in these gardens of the
dead. Or, should I say, she finds LESS.
YOU’VE WON AWARDS FOR YOUR WRITING OF LIGHT MYSTERIES. IS
IT A CHALLENGE TO INJECT HUMOUR INTO MURDER PLOTS?
The crimes in my mystery novels are treated with deadly
seriousness. I don’t purposefully add humour to the characters or the situations
they find themselves in. It just happens. Apparently, it’s my style of writing,
so I’ve decided to embrace what comes naturally and roll with it.
MYSTERY AND WICCANS ARE MENTIONED IN YOUR BACK COVER
BLURB. WOULD YOU DESCRIBE SKULL GARDEN
AS A BLEND OF GENRES?
No, I don’t think it is. The Cornwall & Redfern mysteries
are grounded in the real world. The Wiccan secondary storyline that pervades
Skull Garden reflects today’s growing interest in earth magic. No one is
levitating or casting love spells, but there is a Midsummer ritual which
celebrates the return of darkness to the natural world. Bliss reluctantly
attends, and this transitions into the pivotal scene near the end.
THE NOVELS IN THIS SERIES HAVE A BOTANY THEME COMMONALITY.
WHICH TITLES ARE AFFILIATED WITH WHAT PLANTS?
In her first appearance in CORPSE FLOWER, Bliss can barely afford gas for her motorcycle. Her
cousin offers her a generous fee to help him pollinate two Titan Arum (corpse flower) specimens, and she accepts. Only to
become entangled in grow-ops, blackmail, and murder.
SHROUD OF ROSES
takes place in winter. The greenhouse is filled with exotic flowers, but it’s a
withered bouquet of roses found in an abandoned school that sends Bliss and her
posse on a hunt for a killer who has re-appeared to strike again, and again …
As mentioned above, SKULL
GARDEN refers to the decaying cemeteries hidden within the forested areas
of our rural counties – sacred places of disappearing history.
FANS HAVE COMMENTED ON THEIR ENJOYMENT OF YOUR QUIRKY STABLE
OF CHARACTERS. WOULD YOU SAY THIS SERIES IS CHARACTER OR PLOT DRIVEN?
Hmm. Character or plot driven? I would hope both. Authors
are often asked this question, but I enjoy reading novels that contain both
strong characters and strong story lines. I admit I will occasionally read a
thriller by a well-known author where the plot is so exciting and
death-defying, I forget that the characters (while heroic and good-looking)
don’t jump off the page – they jump into volcanoes, or off mountains, but not
into my heart. After one of these action-packed adventures, I’m good for a
while, and want characters I can see, hear, feel and, yes, taste. So, I strive
to ensure my books contain both plot and characters the reader will love, or
love to hate.
IN ADDITION TO YOUR CORNWALL & REDFERN MYSTERY
SERIES, YOU CO-AUTHORED A CRIME THRILLER NOVELLA SERIES WITH ME. WHAT’S NEXT ON
YOUR WRITING HORIZON?
I’m currently working on a genre-crushing fantasy. I planned
it as a serious venture with much battling and blood, but I already know the
blood and battles will be accompanied by a sarcastic female protagonist who
takes no crap from her enemies, whether human gang members or the supernatural
horde at the gates. Her male ally will be strong, handsome, and have muscles up
to here.
Now, what else? I have another Cornwall & Redfern
adventure in mind. Tentative title: Botanicus
Mortus, but that will probably change. Will you and I write a third Blair
& Piermont suspense novella? Only time can tell.
Looks like first order of business is to find an assistant.
If only.
CONTACT INFO
Email: gloriaferris@rogers.com
Website: www.gloriaferris.com
Amazon Author Central Page
SKULL GARDEN LINKS
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