An Interview with Susan Van Kirk by E. B. Davis

 

“But sometimes things are stranger than fiction.

Sometimes our assumptions are totally wrong.”

Susan Van Kirk, Death in a Ghostly Hue, Page 131

The past never leaves us…

Jill Madison and her brothers have never forgiven Quinn Parsons for driving drunk and killing their parents. How could they? When Parsons returns to Apple Grove from his six years in prison, he’s looking for redemption. But his thoughtless actions, so long ago, hurt more residents than the Madisons, and murderous motives abound when it comes to Quinn Parsons. His lifeless body is soon found at the bottom of a staircase. And who threatened him in front of a large cross-section of the town? Jill’s brother, Andy Madison.

When Andy is arrested and charged with murder, Jill and her bestie, Angie Emerson, seek to prove his innocence without forgetting that if Andy is not the killer, someone else is—someone dangerous who may be watching.

Meanwhile, the Old Friends senior group at Jill’s art center is rehearsing a radio-play of Oscar Wilde’s “The Canterville Ghost,” a ghostly story of forgiveness. Strange happenings convince Jill there’s a real ghost at the art center. To prove to herself she’s not going crazy, she begins to investigate the center’s dark history.

She discovers the past is never far away.

Amazon.com

 Death in a Ghostly Hue is Susan Van Kirk’s third book in the Art Center Mystery series. She takes the series full circle when main character Jill discovers the truth of her parents’ deaths, which they thought was the result of drunk driving.

 Jill feels a bit crazy due to all the events happening in her life. Ivan Truelove, the nasty board director who is critical of her, starts needing her and acting human, which is weird. Then, items go missing in her office, indicating that the art center may be haunted. And her brother, Andy, is thrown in jail without bail for murder under the supervision of a bully named Jeeter, who now is the detective in charge of the case. During high school, he picked on Andy. Now, Jeeter is totally in charge of Andy.

 

 Susan has some strong themes running through this book. The radio-play, a ghost, and the sibling’s unforgiving attitude represent the old religious concept of reaping what you sow, redemption, and forgiveness. By the end of her investigation, Jill realizes that sometimes random things happen for which blame can’t be placed. And that there are very few villains and heroes. Humans are a fraught mix of good and bad.

 

 Please welcome Susan Van Kirk to the other side of WWK.                      E. B. Davis

 

Now that I’ve read all three of your books about Jill Madison and her family, I know you said you organized them from the beginning as a trilogy. Was that unlike your previous books?

Yes. My Endurance Mysteries continue as a series, but I plot and plan each one. When I signed a three-book contract with Level Best Books for a new series, it allowed me to decide what each book would be about so there was a natural arc to the series. I’ve really liked that. I planned the first book to be about family and community, the second book about second chances, and the third book about forgiveness. Of course, there are some minor themes too, but overall, the three books center around a terrible car accident that killed the parents of the Madison now-adult children. That event looms over all three books, but each time in a different way. Sometimes families go in a different direction when there is a death in the family. I know that happened with my family, and it affected all of us forever.

 

Quinn Parsons served a six-year prison term. Five years for reckless homicide and one year for driving under the influence. That seems like a light sentence for killing two innocent people outright in a head-on collision. Is that really the sentence in Illinois?

Yes. I checked with Illinois law and with a local judge who often gives me legal advice. I felt the same way, but it is the case. This is another reason people might have a grudge against this young man who wreaked so much havoc on the town.

 

 The seniors’ group Old Friends Talk Art (OFTA), put on a radio-play of “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde. I was confused. At first, I thought they were putting on a podcast, then I thought it was a play. What distinguishes it as a radio-play? Why do they need costumes?

Our local art center put on a radio-play of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Because we had an actual audience like the audience in my book, we opted for costumes. But an old-time radio play means you are basing it on the old radio broadcasts without a live audience. The actors sit on the stage and approach one or two microphones as their time to speak arrives. This way, they don’t have to memorize lines. They still have rehearsals, and the sound effects are all done within sight of the audience, although some are recorded. As one of the characters in my book mentions, it’s easier to put on a radio-play because they don’t have to memorize all the lines. That might be difficult for a few of them.

 

Why was OFTA started?

In real life at the local art center, a group of local citizens thought it would be great to have a place for older residents to learn more about art and creativity. They organized their group, which anyone can join, to meet once a month and hear lectures from exhibit jurors, people in the region who do creative projects, and artists who have exhibits. They also take fieldtrips to other art centers and exhibits. It’s a wonderful opportunity, and we have a good-sized population of seniors and retirees.

 

In Jill’s OFTA group, her custodian, Chad McKenna, suggested they start a group because the volunteers at the art center, largely seniors, wanted an opportunity to get together and enjoy creative activities. Jill has been energized by this group, and when they came to her wanting to do a radio-play, she was all in. It grew from there with sound effects, costumes, etc.

 

 As a tie in to the radio-play, Jill decides to display ghost art. Are there artists who specialize in ghosts?

Not that I know of, and I checked with our local art center and got the same answer. It’s a great idea for Jill to add art to the radio-play.

Since it’s a “radio” show, where are they getting all the sound effects? Do they know how they did it in the “old” days?

 They researched online for how sound effects worked in radio shows. Chad, their custodian who plays Sir Simon de Canterville, oversees sound effects. He recruits two of his old army buddies to help. They use real chains to rattle for the ghost, bacon frying for rain, a can of various nails and other objects that they shake for thunder, etc. It’s fun to watch them do these things as the play rehearsals go on. I also wanted to combat ageism a bit with this group that has so many skills.

 

Although none of the siblings have forgiven Quinn Parsons for killing their parents, Tom and Jill seem less angry, blunting their raw feelings. In seven years, why hasn’t Andy?

This is an excellent question, Elaine. Everyone deals with grief differently, including my characters. I believe it lies in their personalities and life experiences. Tom is a police detective who’s seen what anger can do to people. It can corrode their souls. It can destroy them. Also, he’s well grounded with a wife he loves and two children he cherishes. Jill left Apple Grove and worked in the art scene in Chicago. She was away from the constant reminders, although it was hard for her, at first, to return to her hometown and the house she grew up in with her parents. But as time has passed through two books, she has found her place in the family and come to terms with the loss of her parents. This leaves Andy, the middle child. He’s in touch with his feelings and writes and plays his own music with his rock band. His job at the gift shop, owned with his partner Lance, is to be the welcoming face of the business. He knows everyone in town and listens to their stories. He commiserates with their losses. But he hasn’t confronted his own anger over that car accident. He’s stuffed it away where he doesn’t have to think about it…until Quinn Parsons returns.

 

After a series of things get lost in Jill’s office, she wonders if she has an actual ghost in the art center building. When she mentions the possibility to her boyfriend, Sam, the doctor, he treats her like a hysterical woman. On top of his crazy schedule that doesn’t allow them much time together and not taking her seriously, will Jill give Sam the deep six soon?

Sam does have a few rough edges that might be a deal-breaker. Jill and Sam are still in the early stage of their relationship, and if they decide to move in together, I think it will give her some time to consider if she can live with a man who doesn’t always share her opinions. But remember, she is a forgiving kind of person. Could be a bit stormy ahead, but relationships depend on communication and compromise.

 

There were irregularities about the accident. In the car that struck the parents, two of the three boys were in the back seat. Parsons, the driver, also claims he had no brakes. Wouldn’t the investigators have checked out these things at the time of the accident?

We never hear all the results of the earlier investigation. However, we are told that the front of the car was so smashed it wasn’t possible to check those front brake lines. On top of that, memories are vague on the part of the car’s occupants. They’d been drinking quite heavily. The two who survived have little recollection. It’s not until Quinn Parsons is hypnotized in prison that he remembers the brake failure. But he’s lied before…

 

Angie thinks because she works in a bar that her language skills are lacking. She is beefing up her vocabulary, but unfortunately, her speaking to suspects becomes entangled with words like “countenance,” and “perchance.” Will Jill ask her to stop, or will Angie get tired of it eventually?

While Angie is the best friend ever and would ride into hell for Jill, she is very unlike Jill in many ways. She has more common sense, less book-learning. That’s Jill’s territory. I think this is a phase Angie’s going through that will slide into the past.

 

Jill learns of Ivan’s tragic past in this book, which makes Jill try to cut him some slack. Will Ivan and Jill form a friendship? 

Highly doubtful. Ivan has driven her nuts, made her doubt herself, and been an all-around jerk. But their relationship needed some sort of resolution, so in the spirit of the overall book, I decided forgiveness might be the best choice for Jill. But it’s “forgive, but not forget.”

 

Jill characterizes her father when she says, “Patience was his middle name.” And yet, she is very impatient. Does she take after her mother?

Yes. Her father was the backbone of the family when it came to common sense, patience, kindness, and humor. Her mother, the sculptor, was more the organizer of the family. She was home more and had quite an influence on Jill, having her in her art studio from a very young age. But she didn’t have the patience and laid-back personality of her father.

Weirdly, Jill knows the origin of her next-door neighbor’s name, Tigger. What she doesn’t know is who he really is and what his job is. Will we find out more about Tigger?

I’m afraid he will go down in the history of the series as the mysterious next-door neighbor. If there were a fourth book, I think Jill would be beside herself with curiosity about him and his job. But right now, she’s a bit busy trying to figure out what to do to help Andy. Tigger has been a great ally in that situation, but his lips are sealed.

 

When a character from the nineteenth century speaks, you use language that was common during that time. Was it hard to find authentic language to use (i.e., anon and betimes)?

That came largely from my imagination, and a lot of reading of 19^th century literature. One thing you’ll never see is Daniel Lowry, the ghost, using contractions. The spoken language of educated people back then was much more formal. I simply tried to put myself in his position, but I also wanted him to be charming and funny. The language he spoke helped make that happen.

 

Like Jill, do you think the bad outweighs the good of social media?

Sadly, I think social media let the genie out of the bottle. We’ll never live without it again. But it’s only as good or evil as the motives and intelligence of the people who use it. In my mind, that might be the bigger question.

 

What’s next for Jill?

 Since this is the last book of the trilogy, I believe we must assume she and Angie will continue to get into minor trouble until she and Sam decide to make their relationship official. Then, my guess is they’ll grow up a bit, and like many of us, lose their sense of adventure as Jill and Sam start a family. Sad, but true, it will never be Neverland for Jill. So, I will wish her luck with Sam and a happy future. Angie will always be around as her BFF.

An Interview with Susan Van Kirk By E. B. Davis

When Jill Madison returns to her hometown to become executive director of a new art center, she never would have dreamed unexpected secrets from the past would put her life in danger. When her parents’ old friend, and Jill’s mentor, Judge Ron Spivey, is murdered, he leaves behind more than a few secrets. His baffling will makes Jill a rich woman, if she can survive the six-month probate period.

She finds a target on her back when the judge’s estranged children return and form an unholy alliance with a local muckraking journalist who specializes in making up news. According to the judge’s will, if Jill dies, the family inherits.

Jill and her best friend launch their own investigation, determined to find the judge’s killer. In the meantime, Jill must run her first national juried exhibit, launch a new seniors’ group, and move the weavers’ guild into the art center. Her arch nemesis and art center board president, Ivan Truelove III, watches her every move, determined to remove her if she makes a mistake. And, in between finding dead bodies, Jill may also discover a bit of romance with a newly arrived doctor in town, if she can live to enjoy it.

Amazon.com

 

It isn’t often that a second book in a series compels my reading more than the first in the series. But I could identify with the internal struggles that main character Jill Madison endures in Death in a Bygone Hue.

The plot contains complications that harken back to the Vietnam War, which brought back memories I’d left behind. In addition, the murder victim was someone we came to know in the first book and who championed the main character. This intimate knowledge of the victim made Jill’s quest for justice meaningful. Too frequently, that element is missing in mysteries—mainly cozy mysteries—because no one wants the victim to be mourned too much. And yet it is this element that makes the story compelling and memorable.                                                                        E. B. Davis

 

How do colors get their names, such as Naples yellow?

That is a huge question. Sometimes it's because of where the colors were first discovered or who discovered them. But references to different color names go clear back to early Greek literature. While the history of color names isn't conclusive, those names are affected by culture, language, and our perception of color. And, over time, color names and actual colors change, just like language. Naples yellow goes back to a Latin fresco treatise written between 1693 and 1700. It first appeared in that writing by Andrea Pozzo, an Italian Jesuit and painter. The term made its way into English in the eighteenth century. (The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St. Clair, John Murray Publisher, 2016) This is a huge topic, and this book by St. Clair is fascinating when it comes to learning all about the history of colors.

Remind readers from the last book, what was the second chance Judge Spivey gave Jill?

A couple of situations put Jill in hot water with the art center board. First, she forgot to set the alarm at the building, leaving it open to anyone, and this resulted in the theft of an expensive sculpture made by her award-winning sculptor mother. Second, when a body was found in the basement, the board realized it wasn’t Jill’s fault. But then Jill was found at the scene of another murder. The board members are appalled by bad publicity, and they think Jill should leave murder investigations to the police detective. Her mentor spoke up for her, believed in her, and got the board to give her a second chance. 

What is a juried art exhibit? Who qualifies as a juror?

A juried exhibit is one that utilizes an outside expert to discuss and evaluate artwork. For example, for Jill's exhibit, she contacts a curator, Anthony Arteaga, from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He is an expert in the art of rural and agricultural communities. That would fit perfectly with Jill's exhibit, which has a harvest theme. He attends the exhibit and judges the artwork. This means a juror must be an expert in the type of artworks used in the exhibit, and the juror should be familiar with the show’s media.

Jill keeps three white boards, but none of them hold murder suspects. What does she track on the boards?

She talked the board into buying her three white boards because her job is filled with so many activities. Her white boards keep them straight. Currently, on her white boards are grant writing, social media, exhibit schedule for the next year, partnerships for sponsors, and reception details. In addition, one board has membership drive, check with juror, newsletter, and volunteers. This stresses the variety of jobs Jill must do as executive director, and it also lets the reader know how crazy busy she is with this job.

Why does the legal concept of “residual legacies” provide motivation that could threaten Jill’s life?

This is a legal term. In Illinois, an estate the size of the judge’s requires a six-month probate period. During that time, the executor must pay the debts, funeral expenses, and taxes. After probate ends, the executor distributes legacies or specific items marked as gifts. Everything in the judge’s will is earmarked for people or organizations, including Jill. Because he has named but not given anything to his children, they receive nothing unless Jill dies before the end of the probate period. Then the “residue,” or what she would have received, goes to the children.  Get the picture? Target on her back.

What is the “slayer law?”

This is yet another legal term. If Jill were convicted of the judge’s murder, she would not be eligible to receive anything from his estate nor could she make money, say, writing a book about the victim. Again, the children would get the residual inheritance she would have received.

Does probate have to take six months or is that the average time needed to process the will?

In Illinois, where the story takes place, probate is six months as determined by law.

Why does Jill need emotional balance to paint?

Her painting is a product of her emotions. When she first came back to Apple Grove in Death in a Pale Hue, she couldn’t paint and hadn’t been able to in several years. Her parents had died six years earlier, and that emotionally crippled her thoughts and her painting. But slowly, as she comes to terms with their deaths and finds the love and support of her brothers and town again, she notices the shape of a hand, the light resting on a vase, and the shadows in the trees of her yard. Slowly, slowly her emotional balance begins to return, and she can paint again. The first book centers on “community” and the newest centers on “second chances.”

What is gesso and why are canvases coated with it?

Gesso is a primer, brushed on the canvas and dried before the artist begins painting. It makes the canvas less absorbent and smoother. Otherwise, the paint would be absorbed by the canvas texture. Gesso is made of a combination of chalk, gypsum, binder, and pigment.  

What is Savvy B?

Jill and Angie drink some wines that are widely sold to thirty-somethings in the Midwest. Savvy B is what they call a particular Sauvignon Blanc wine, and it’s very popular. In fact, it’s Jill and Angie’s favorite.

In a weird way, I felt sorry for the judge’s kids. They had been spoiled, but then they were discounted because they were spoiled. Yes, you grow up and get over it, but cutting them out of so much money without anything almost feels spiteful. Why did the judge leave them nothing?

It’s true that they were spoiled growing up. You can tell that from the conversations about their pasts. However, the judge has made this decision based on his children’s bad decisions in their adult years when they are no longer thoughtless teenagers. For years he supported them, but their ingratitude, selfishness, and lack of self-discipline always came shining through. His decision about his will describes the judge’s code of ethics and how his children’s ethics disappointed him.

The judge invested in paintings. I’ve never heard of a fire sprinkler system that sprayed powder. Are these common where valuables are kept?

Our local art center has this system to protect the artwork in the gallery. There are advanced clean agent fire-extinguishing materials out there on the market to safeguard high value assets like rare books, paper documents, archival film and video, antiques, and artworks. If water were used, these valuable objects would be destroyed. These clean agents leave no residue (like on Judge Spivey’s paintings), and they are non-damaging and non-corrosive. Some are gaseous agents that extinguish a fire by depleting the oxygen. They are widely used by museums and archival collections.

Is Death in a Bygone Hue fantasy or is it real? The description of the painting gave me such a visual I wondered.

This painting came from my imagination. Having lived through that time, I have vivid memories of photographs both from the news and in books. I created a painting that would be a reminder of that war, but it would also be cloaked in sepia tones that made it seem like a long-ago dream. As Jill describes it, “It was about the years that chip away at human memory, forgetting the thousands of lives lost on both sides of the conflict. A filmy curtain covers the entire scene, taking away our memories of the details and statistics. It was about the irony of what time does to sacrifice. A reminder our lives and deaths were such a small slice of the continuum of time.” For those of us who lived through that time, it’s a part of who we are. And in this story, it’s a reminder that the judge, who had been in Vietnam, bought this painting because he either wanted to be reminded or he couldn’t forget.

The judge had asked Jill to find him a forensic art examiner for appraising his paintings—or at least one of them. Why does Jill think Death in a Bygone Hue might be a forgery?

Jill has a lot of experience with art materials and the history of paint colors. She did a job where she learned about tests used for authenticity. So, she is suspicious of the paints used in this particular painting. As it turns out, the signature of the artist is also something that gives her pause. What kind of paints were used and were they available or typical of the artist’s work? Are there multiple layers of paint or the use of a canvas or frame that post-dates the artist or the artwork?

Is the IAAF real?

No. I made up this appraisal organization for the book. However, I based it on such a group in Palm Desert, California, called the National Institute of Appraisers. They both appraise and authenticate artwork for insurance, divorce, bankruptcy, collateral, and estate probate among other things. I also had to research the techniques they use to do their work so Jill could speak about it with authority. However, I moved my IAAF group to Chicago so it would be easier to transport the judge’s paintings for authentication.

It’s ironic that newspaper editor Jezbhel Gushman brings up the subject of journalistic integrity.  Have today’s journalists forgotten why the press was deemed “the fourth estate?”

Some of them for sure. I based this journalist on someone I know who used to be the editor of a newspaper. Integrity was not her key characteristic. Innuendo and rumor peppered her work, but not so specifically that she could be sued. I often had the same reaction as Jill when I found myself in her crosshairs. Ironically, some of the least honest journalists are the ones who write about integrity the most. Fortunately, they are not all like that. But this particular editor puts pressure on Jill, helping to form a bad opinion of her in the minds of the townspeople.

When the IAAF determines that Death in a Bygone Hue is a forgery, why do they call in the FBI?

The FBI has a special unit that investigates art fraud and theft. Both comprise the third highest-grossing criminal trade in the world in the last forty years. It’s a six-billion-dollar industry worldwide. The FBI assembled a special team that has recovered billions of dollars in stolen art. Money laundering is one of the biggest scams because it’s an unregulated market. Its lack of transparency or regulations on art transactions make it a target-rich environment for thieves and forgers.

Is there sales tax charged on painting sales?

Yes, unless it is an illegal transaction as explained above.

Poor Sam, the emergency room physician. He insists that Jill have no more investigations. He won’t be “the one” for her, will he?

That remains to be seen. They are still in the glow of just getting to know each other. He’s worried, after several incidents, that she’s dealing in dangerous investigations that her brother, the detective, should be investigating. She isn’t a detective. He’s looking out for her well-being. Her brother Tom does this too much. Suppose she will notice the similarity?

What’s next for Jill?

This is the preliminary work-in-progress thought, but as always, I reserve the right to make changes in this third maybe-plot.

Jill Madison decides to liven things up at the art center by staging a radio show of Oscar Wilde’s “The Canterville Ghost” by the senior group. The opening of an art exhibit that features ghosts will accompany the big event. The theme of Wilde’s novella is forgiveness and redemption. Strangely, odd things begin to occur at the art center and rumors spread that there is a ghost haunting the building.

Meanwhile, the young man who killed the Madison family’s parents in a DUI accident returns from prison, determined to make a new home in the town. He has done his time, become involved heavily in AA, and been sober. When Andy Madison threatens him at Wiley and Angie’s bar, the unfortunate felon is soon murdered, and Andy is the number one suspect. Jill cannot let Andy go to prison for a murder he didn’t commit. You know where that leads…

An Interview with Susan Van Kirk by E. B. Davis

Who knew going home could be deadly?

I will show them success. Artist Jill Madison repeats this mantra when she returns to her small hometown to restart her life. Hired to manage a new community art center, she vows to make it successful so the people of her town will have what she did not have—an education in the arts. She no sooner accepts the job than a burglar makes off with an expensive sculpture and an uninvited corpse is discovered in the basement. Even worse, the body belongs to someone Jill knew…well. Investigating what happened places Jill right in the path of a murderer.

How will she keep her job, run her first big event, and escape a killer who plans to paint her out of the picture permanently?

Amazon.com

 

 

In Death in a Pale Hue, Susan Van Kirk’s first novel in her new Art Center Mysteries, readers are introduced to main character Jill Madison, a thirty-year-old amateur sleuth. Bad publicity resulting from finding a corpse in her art center building might be unfortunate, but when the corpse turns out to be the third bestie of her high school years, a shock for all, the discovery compels Jill to investigate. Susan’s secondary characters are well drawn. Angie, the second of their high school triumvirate, abets Jill’s forbidden investigation. Her oldest brother Tom, a police detective, is the one forbidding.

 

Susan portrays well a family left in the aftermath of tragedy. As the youngest and the recipient of their mother’s artistic talent, Jill tries to enact the tenets of their parents’ trust to set up the art center as a nonprofit and memorial to her mother for whom the center is named. Oversight by a fifteen-member board of directors keep her on a short leash.

 

Please ask WWK blogger Susan questions about this new series.                 E. B. Davis

Is Apple Grove, Illinois, a real place or based on a real place?

Apple Grove is a small town in my head. It’s smaller than my hometown, and larger than my current town. The art center in my current town was built on an old apple orchard, so I thought Apple Grove would be an apt name for the town. The only real thing in this book is the art center in our town, which has a very scary basement. I’d never go down there alone.

 

Jill’s parents were a biracial couple. Why did they settle in Apple Grove, which in the 1980s wasn’t as accepting as Chicago?

Jill’s mother, Adele Marsden, was a sculptor, and once she got her MFA, she was offered a job by Apple Grove College. Howard Madison, her husband, sold insurance and was able to start his own agency anywhere. Their family was unique since Apple Grove had mostly a White population in the eighties, but as time went by, they were welcomed by the liberal college faculty as well as people who bought insurance from Howard.

 

Did their children Tom, Andy, and Jill experience prejudice?

In their earlier years, yes. Adele Marsden was Jamaican and Black, and her husband, Caucasian. Because their oldest child, Tom, took after his White father, he didn’t experience prejudice, unless he found himself defending his siblings at young ages. Andy and Jill both had soft honey skin tones, and Andy took the brunt of racial incidents. Because he was a talented athlete, he gained friends through the teams he played on. He protected Jill, who occasionally came home crying in grade school. But by the time they were in high school, everyone knew them from clubs and classes, and they had lots of friends. In small towns, people often go from first grade through high school with classmates they’ve known over twelve years. It’s a different dynamic than suburbs or urban areas.

 

Is the Brookington Award real?

No. I made up that name for a sculpture award that Adele

Marsden won. It illustrates her fame in the art world.

Their parents’ wills provided for a trust to be set up for the art center. Even though their attorney oversaw the trust and set it up as a nonprofit, wouldn’t the children have any say in who was appointed to the board or how it was run?

The trust provided for the Madison lawyer to set up the board. At the time they made their wills, the Madisons didn’t know where their children might end up living. The board works independently of the family. However, Jill’s name and art background would certainly give her the edge when it came to applying for the directorship. Her interview revealed her passion for giving children and adults creative experiences in the art world.

 

Why doesn’t Jill head off Ivan, the board president, who evidently doesn’t like her, by confronting him? Why doesn’t he like her?

Jill isn’t big on direct confrontation. When she returned to Apple Grove, her confidence was at an all-time low. She’d rather avoid Ivan, as seen by her arduous work of keeping him from coming to the art center in person. Ivan is one of those people who would be difficult no matter who took the job of executive director. He is irritable, unhappy, and looking for someone to blame for anything. He also likes to be in control, as evidenced by his constant micromanaging of Jill’s work. It’s not that he dislikes her; he’d simply rather be making the decisions and calling the shots. He doesn’t work well with others.

 

Jill is an artist, but she hasn’t painted in five years. Why?

Whether you’re an artist or part of some other creative venture, your ability to create is often tied up with your emotional life. In Jill’s case, her mother’s life as an artist is closely tied in with Jill’s thoughts about art. It’s difficult to paint a brushstroke when you’ve lost confidence in yourself. It all began when Jill’s parents were killed in a senseless accident with a drunk driver. Since then, her emotional life, as well as her ability to paint with ease, have suffered. She’s hoping, by coming home, she’ll resolve the issues in her head when it comes to the family tragedy. Then maybe she can paint once again.

 

Why can’t Jill keep track of her phone?

She’s a bit ditzy when it comes to her phone. She has so many things going through her mind because of the work at the art center that she loses track of it. Jill must keep a whiteboard on the wall filled with lists of what she needs to do to get this center up and running. It’s a huge job, filled with details, and this means she occasionally loses her phone. She’s under pressure because she alone carries the weight of making the art center a success.

 

What is the relationship between the local and state police? Even when called to process a crime scene, do the local police still have investigative jurisdiction?

They work together in a small town like this. Tom collaborates closely with the coroner, Abe Calipher, and calling in the state police would be normal procedure in this case. They’ve rarely had a murder in Apple Grove. Once the state police document the scene, they turn it over to the coroner and Tom to finish. State resources will also be helpful in identifying the body and processing the evidence.

 

Why does Jill have her brother Andy’s ringtone set for “Welcome to the Jungle?”

Andy’s the crazy kid/adult in this family, always willing to try anything. When they were growing up, he went through school just ahead of Jill and made her look like a saint in their parents’ and teachers’ eyes. Her teachers would say, “You’re Andy Madison’s sister? Seriously?” It’s not that he was ever in serious trouble, but he was often rash and didn’t have much common sense. On more than one occasion, Howard got a phone call from the school principal about Andy. As an adult, his partner, Lance, talks him out of his risk-taking. Jill thinks that song reminds her of Andy—crazy in the jungle. This would be a great contrast to her ringtone for Tom: “The Theme from ‘Law and Order’.”

 

What kind of dog is an Akita?

Originally from Japan, the Akita today has two strains: a Japanese strain and mixed American strain. They are affectionate and loyal to family, good with children, and not so happy around strangers. The male grows to 27-28 inches at the withers and anywhere from 100-130 pounds. They can be solid white with a black mask, or mixtures of brown, black and white. The American Kennel Club recognizes the American mixed breed. Angie Emerson, Jill’s BFF, and her husband, Wiley, have a pet Akita named Priscilla. Their bar is named for her—Priscilla’s.

What is Jill’s puke rule?

Jill’s description: “I never went into a bar I’d call a dive. I defined ‘dive’ as a place where it was dark when I walked in, but if I saw it in the light of day, I might throw up because the darkness hid the dirt and various stains and ugliness that defied naming.” Jill is 30 years old. Obviously, she isn’t like the 56-year-old Grace Kimball from my Endurance Mysteries, who rarely went into bars of any kind.

 

You describe Andy and Lance as “frat boys,” and they are partners in their gift shop. Are they also life partners?

Yes. They met in college and have been together ever since. Why they haven’t married, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll find out as the series continues. Lance is the Yin to Andy’s Yang. They’re good for each other.

 

Other than her phone, Jill seems very organized and prepared. Was she a Girl Scout?

I’m absolutely sure she was! In small-town Illinois, Girl Scouting was extremely popular when she was young. So now, as an adult, she over-prepares for everything. I was shocked when she was able to find her house keys in the bottom of an over-filled tote bag. She needed them fast.

 

Jill visualizes painting colors and equates them to emotions. When she wants to remain calm she thinks of a “calm shade of white and permanent blue.” What is permanent blue?

Permanent Blue is the name of a specific color of oil paint. It’s equivalent in acrylic paint is called ultramarine blue. It can be mixed with other colors like crimson or white to create new hues. It’s a deep blue and, when mixed with white, very calming. Jill’s emotions are closely tied to colors.

 

I haven’t found Chablis wine in years. Where do Jill and Angie buy it?

Chablis wine comes from a region in France. I believe you can buy it on all kinds of internet sites. Angie and Jill buy it at a wine store in town that specializes in all varieties of wines. We have such a store in my current town of Monmouth, Illinois. They have Chablis.

 

Why does Jill compare Carolyn to the Lady of Shalott? What does that have to do with the title of this book?

Carolyn loved that poem from high school by Alfred Tennyson. The story of the Lady of Shalott is sad and lonely. Everything around her is white and colorless, all pale hues. She had a curse put on her that if she left her tower, escaping to the real—and colorful—world, she’d die. She chose to leave and escape from her prison. Carolyn compares herself to the Lady of Shalott because she is unhappy, and she sees her life in their small town as depressing and limited. She wants to leave and have a fuller life. She says if Jill were to create a painting of her life in Apple Grove she’d call it “Death in a Pale Hue.”

 

Why does Jill take risks that she knows could get her fired or worse?

First, she’s young. The longer she’s in Apple Grove, the more confidence she begins to gain again. Second, she’s with Angie. The two of them have a history of taking risks, and they like the excitement of being partners in crime. Third, she takes some risks out of loyalty to their friend, Carolyn. Loyalty is a quality she values. At times, I wanted to tell her to stop and not take these risks, but she didn’t listen to me. One of her risks involved a shotgun full of buckshot. I’m not sure she’ll ever learn.

 

What’s next for Jill and her family?

Death in a Bygone Hue will be out in June 2023. It continues a few months after the first book. Someone close to Jill is murdered right off the bat. Whew! The estate is large and leaves a great deal of money to both Jill and the art center. The murder victim’s family is cut out of the will. If Jill is convicted of the murder, the family inherits the estate. If Jill dies, the family inherits the estate. Jill is in trouble again.