A Note from Sarah Burr: I'm handing over the blogging reins to none other than Winnie Lark, the savvy sleuth and bookish brain behind my Book Blogger Mysteries series. Winnie runs What Spine is Yours—a literary hub often dubbed “Metacritic for Books,” but with a delightfully cozy twist. Under her secret blogging identity as The Wren, Winnie dishes out captivating content while keeping her true self under wraps. Her favorite way to spotlight authors? Interviewing them through the voices of their very own characters. And that’s precisely what’s in store for today’s feature. Settle in and enjoy the bookish fun!
Greetings, bookish friends! It’s your friendly,
neighborhood book blogger, The Wren, here to introduce another cozy sleuth you
won't want to miss: Cassidy Jamison from the Pearly
Girls Mysteries.
Let’s start with your event-planning business. You
recently inherited it from your grandmother, yes? What was it like finding out
you were now in charge of her legacy? Was this something you wanted, or were
you rather reluctant to carry the torch?
My previous job was in marketing,
so I knew sort of what to expect. Plus, I’d lived with my grandmother in my
teen years, so I got a firsthand look at her style of event planning. And I am
so fortunate to have inherited a great team with the property and the business.
My grandmother’s friends, the Pearly Girls, Roxanne, Ruthanne, Kate, and
Aileen, have years of experience and aren’t shy about offering all kinds of
advice (on any subject).
The property includes a renovated
farmhouse, which is my office with an upstairs apartment. There is a serenity
garden with a koi pond for weddings and special events, a glammed-up dairy barn
for indoor activities, an amphitheater for shows, a cave, and the remnants of
the old honky-tonk that stood on the property. I’m not sure what to do with the
cave. I’m probably the only gal in the area who has her own cave.
I don’t know anyone who has their own cave! How cool. And
I’ve never heard of someone inheriting friends before. Was that a big
adjustment for you? And where in bookmarks did the name Pearly Girls come from?
The Pearly Girls are a hoot.
They’re all retired now and living their best lives. They grew up in the
fifties and sixties and loved the era of Camelot, the Kennedys, and the glamor
of stars like Audrey Hepburn. And they wore their pearls all the time. Some
classmate named them the Pearly Girls, and the moniker stuck. The gals are my
invaluable support system, even though I often have to be their technical
support. (And sometimes, I have to bail them out of trouble.) Ruthanne is my
bookkeeper. Kate, a retired nurse, keeps the gang in line (usually). Aileen is
a former teacher who loves to tint her hair to match her outfits. And Roxanne
is known about town as the Ivy Springs cougar. They all have hearts of gold,
and I cherish their friendship.
They sound like a really lovable support system! Tell us about the Blue Ridge Mountains, where your adventures take place. What makes it the perfect place for a big event? Have you always lived in the area, or are you a new-to-town amateur sleuth?
When my parents were killed in a
car wreck, I moved in with my grandmother. By then, she was widowed and decided
to turn the property into a place to host events.
The area is beautiful. We’re on
the I-81 corridor, which used to be the main road to Nashville before the
highway system. Entertainers on their way to or from the music city would stop
in Ivy Springs. My grandfather’s honky-tonk (which burned down in the eighties)
was famous for all the celebrities who performed there.
Our serenity garden overlooks the
valley and is the perfect spot for weddings and outdoor events.
You’re definitely making me
want to visit! In Murder Strikes a Chord, the frontman for a popular
band is murdered. How did you get involved with the case? Do the Pearly Girls
help (or hinder) your investigative efforts? Who else do you have in your
crime-solving corner?
I landed a three-week concert series, Groovin’ Through
the Decades, and it’s being headlined by the popular '70s band, the
Weathermen. They were heartthrobs during their heyday, and the Pearly Girls are
over the moon that they will be staying on the property. (And they have full
access to the band.) Life was fabulous until Elvis (my chihuahua) and I found
Johnny Storm floating in my koi pond. The serenity garden wasn’t all that
serene after that. I had to get involved and figure out who killed the singer
before it closed down the show and my business.
Yikes! I hope you and Elvis weren’t too traumatized by
that deadly encounter. It also must be hard to run a client-centric business
like everything is fine, especially when it’s not. How do you do it? Do you
have any tips for planning the perfect event?
You have to be super organized.
Details matter, and you have to stay on top of everything. And you have to be
creative when it comes to events, decorations, and sometimes backup plans when
things don’t quite go as planned.
Being organized
sounds like something an amateur sleuth would benefit from, too! Well, Cassidy,
thanks for taking the time out of your event planning and coming “off the page”
with me. Are there more adventures on the calendar for you and your author,
Heather Weidner?
There are. I am so excited to
host a huge class reunion on the property in the fall. After that, we’ll host a
wine, spirits, and craft beer festival.
My team has a secret project in
the works. We’re looking at plans to turn the cave into a spot for indoor
events like small concerts, parties, and open mic nights. More to come on
that.
Ooo, how atmospheric! I bet
readers have a lot more fun ahead of them in Murder Plays Second Fiddle, which
launches January 2026. Meet Cassidy and the Pearly Girls now in Murder
Strikes a Chord, available wherever books are sold!
Murder
Strikes a Chord on Amazon
Murder
Strikes a Chord on Barnes & Noble
Murder
Plays Second Fiddle on Amazon Preorder
Murder
Plays Second Fiddle on Barnes & Noble Preorder
To stay connected with Cassidy’s author, Heather
Weidner, head to her website: https://www.HeatherWeidner.com.
Learn more about The Wren, Winnie, and the Book Blogger Mysteries at www.saraheburr.com.
Now a cave is a cool spot!
ReplyDeleteRight? I'm thinking it would be great for Halloween parties!
DeleteWhat a fun interview. Now I want my own cave.
ReplyDeleteA cave is going on my house-hunting wish list!
DeleteSarah, thanks so much for letting Cassidy and me visit with Wren!
ReplyDeleteAny time, Heather! You and your characters are always welcome!!
DeleteA fun interview about a fun read!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marilyn!!
DeleteWhat a great story and setting. I’m looking forward to getting to know Cassidy and the Pearly Girls.
ReplyDeleteYay! Glad to hear it, Kait!
DeleteCan't wait to know the Pearly Girls better.
ReplyDeleteThey are a fun bunch!!
DeleteLove these interviews!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Molly! Your characters are welcome any time!!
Delete