MUSE MONDAY
Please welcome my guest, Julie Howard who writes exciting stories set in rural areas.
I
used to be a city person. We lived in an urban area of California, fought
traffic every day in tiresome commutes, and considered the “country” anything
more than a half hour away from a city. Imagine the tribulation of driving
nearly an hour to find a Starbucks. Then I moved to Idaho.
There
are communities in this northwest state tucked so far back in the mountains
that you have to ask “why?”, followed by “how?” Many of these communities
sprang up during the gold and silver rushes of a bygone century. Roads were
built before asphalt and automobiles, and remain gravel and dirt. Now these
places are havens for those who seek privacy and who don’t worry about modern
conveniences such as an electric grid or cell phone coverage.
In
California, my small hometown of 14,000 people was considered small and rural.
I stand
These
places are the inspiration for the setting of my Wild Crime series. I liked the
idea that, if you get into trouble, you’re pretty much on your own. And if your
spouse doesn’t like you much, you may never be seen again. The fictional Hay
City, Idaho was born and my main character Meredith Lowe was in deep trouble
before her husband decided they would move there.
The
flip side of remote locations are the characters you can meet and the instant
friendships that crop up. People are kind and generous, and children are safe
to play in the front yard unattended. Life moves slower and time appears to
stand still.
I’ve
lived in Idaho for nearly twenty years now and am thankful to have made this my
home. My husband and I have a great time traveling the back roads and marveling
at the tiny towns we discover in remote locations.
Julie Howard is the author of
the Wild Crime series. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered
topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. She is a member of the Idaho
Writers Guild, editor of the Potato Soup Journal, and founder of the Boise
chapter of Shut Up & Write. Learn more at juliemhoward.com.
Book
one of the Wild Crime series is “Crime and Paradise”
Book
two is “Crime Times Two,” released October 2018
“Crime Times Two”
burb:
Meredith knows three things:
First, the man in the library begged her to help him. Second, he was afraid of
his wife. Third, now he’s dead.
While the evidence first points
to a natural death, Meredith is certain there’s more to discover. People are
tight-lipped in this small mountain village, and the man’s wife isn't talking
either. Then a second death occurs, with remarkable similarities. It’s time to
talk about murder.
As a slow-burning relationship
heats up in her own life, Meredith struggles with concepts of love and hate,
belief and suspicion, and absolution and guilt. Nothing is clear cut…
She must decide: Is guilt, like
evil, something you can choose to believe in?
Excerpt from
“Crime Times Two”:
Jowls quivered under the man’s weak chin, and Meredith noted the
stained and frayed shirt of someone who spent a lot of time alone in dark
rooms, sending out a better version of himself into the virtual world. His eyes
were anxious and beseeching at her as though she should have a clear
understanding of him and his life.
Somehow, over the past hour and a half they’d been sitting next
to each other – him playing video games and sharing his life story and her
ignoring him the best she could – she had become his confessor and friend.
Meredith gave him what she hoped was an impartial-though-quasi-friendly
smile. She reached for her purse and papers and rose from her chair. “Well.
Nice talking with you.”
The man was lost in his own train of thought and seemed only
slightly aware that Meredith was leaving.
He shook his head, morose.
“To make a long story short,” he summed up, “I think my wife is
trying to kill me.”
BUY LINKS:
Crime Times Two
Crime and Paradise
Connect with Julie here:
Website: http://juliemhoward.com
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