An Interview with Author Julie Mulhern by E. B. Davis

My late husband had done things I didn’t like to think about. True, he’d been an

upstanding member of the community. True, he’d been a good provider. True, he’d

adored our daughter. But Henry’s faults as a husband outweighed the good.

He’d cheated on me with friends. He’d cheated on me with strangers. He’d

cheated on me with women who carried handcuffs and whips.

To say our marriage wasn’t in the greatest shape before I did the

unforgivable was an understatement.

My unforgiveable sin?

I earned more money than he did.

Julie Mulhern, Telephone Line, Kindle Loc. 484

A killer is calling, and Ellison’s life is on the line.

Ellison Russell is planning the event of the season—and she’s stressed. Why not yoga?

Because the yoga instructor gets murdered during class—and Ellison’s stress level rises exponentially. Now, in addition to raising a ridiculous amount of money, she’s babysitting a deranged cat (named after the devil himself), taking ten million phone calls (most of them from Mother), and finding more bodies (they’re popping up like dandelions after a spring rain).

There’s no such thing as balance when the killer makes it personal. Can Ellison catch a murderer or will her next namaste be her last?

https://www.juliemulhernauthor.com/telephoneline.html

Julie Mulhern’s writing in The Country Club Murders has been compared to the Gilmore Girls, the old TV show near and dear to many of us with daughters. Why? Because of the close relationship of her main character, Ellison Russell, and her daughter, Grace. And Ellison’s adversarial relationship with her mother. But at times each merge into one character, much to all of their dismays. We all want to be ourselves, not comparable to our mothers. We want to be a better version of our mothers. But then, there are times when no one is better than our mothers, very smart and strong, and sometimes they forget themselves. For example:

“We both stared at the phone.

Neither of us made a single move to pick up the receiver.

Brnng, brnng.

“You’re the adult.”[Grace said]

She had a point.”                                Kindle Loc. 3979

I’m ashamed to say, this reminds me of when my young daughter disposed of a dead mouse in our house that I just couldn’t deal with. Thank you, Audrey!

Please welcome Julie Mulhern back to WWK!                                                                                E. B. Davis

Henry, Ellison’s late husband, was a blackmailer for the thrill of control and power. Ellison found his blackmail files after his death. Why didn’t she destroy them?

Ellison discovered the files in the summer when building a fire and burning their contents wasn’t an option. Later, she put them out of her mind—after all, she’s been BUSY finding bodies.

After Ellison identifies a murdered yoga instructor at the home of her friend Winnie Flournoy, a defense attorney is also found murdered in his car trunk. Anarchy doesn’t connect the two deaths. But it makes Ellison wonder. Why?

Ellison has access to the above-referenced files and knows there’s a connection. Detective Anarchy Jones doesn’t know about the files or their contents.

One of Grace’s friends goes to a bar and comes home drunk, but not before she is assaulted and raped. Grace questions her friend’s innocence. How does Ellison respond?

I don’t think Grace questions her friend’s innocence. What I do think is people (even fictional people) have a tendency to believe in karmic scales. If something awful (cancer, murder, rape) happens there’s a tendency to ask, “What did I do to deserve this?” That question ignores an uncomfortable truth—life is messy and random and bad things happen to good people for no reason. In cases of rape, it’s far too easy to blame the victim (she was drinking, she was dressed provocatively, she was out too late…). According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women in the United States will be raped in their lifetime. Not a single one of them is to blame for what happened to them.

Jennifer and Marshall are new neighbors from California. Jennifer helps Grace with her math homework since she majored in math at Stanford. Jennifer offers to talk with Grace’s friend who was attacked. Jennifer and her sister-in-law, who killed herself, were also attacked. She seems so nice, except her cooking stinks. How could Jennifer possibly think her JellO concoctions are edible? Lettuce, olives, raisins…

There’s a fascinating article about JellO, its ascendency as a salad item, and social history. Gelatin began its culinary life as a delicacy so the advent of refrigeration and instant JellO made it a popular item. Mid-century homemakers got creative (especially after the introduction of lime JellO). I encourage everyone to Google 1970s JellO molds—you’ll find recipe cards that suggest Jennifer’s salad isn’t too far off the mark.

Why does Aggie favor Hunter Tafft instead of Anarchy? Does Max also favor Hunter?

Ellison’s housekeeper, Aggie, adores Hunter because her late husband used to work for him. Max the dog favors anyone who’ll give him treats. Preferably bacon.

Even though she knows better, Ellison still blames herself for the breakdown of her marriage. Why?

There are so many ways to answer this question.

First, what we know and what we feel are often at odds. Guess which one most often wins?

Second, Ellison’s stories are set in the 1970s and she’s almost 40, which means she was born in an era (and in a social class) when women kept quiet and looked the other way. That’s what her mother would have done.

The weight of familial and societal expectations sits heavily on Ellison’s shoulders.

When Ellison raises one million dollars to match that of other, larger cities for the museum exhibit, she and Grace celebrate with chocolate cake. While eating cake, Grace says, “If I was raped, and you murdered the rapist, it would totally be my fault.” She’d followed my reasoning down the wrong path.

“Nope. The decision to commit murder would be on me, not you. But death—even a violent death—would be too easy.” I narrowed my eyes. “I’d rather let the guy live and make his life miserable.”

“Whoa.”

“What?”

“For a minute there, you looked and sounded exactly like Granna.”

“Your grandmother has her good points.”

“True. But she can be scary.” Grace shuddered…”

Is there such a thing as a fate worse than death, like Ellison’s mother?

A fate worse than death? Absolutely. Is that fate actually Ellison’s mother? Doubtful.

A theme, a fact, in Telephone Line is that woman blame themselves for things beyond their control—or at least they used to do so. It was the old blame the victim game that persists. I remember the phrase, “She got herself pregnant.” As if a pregnant girl sought out artificial insemination instead of being raped. Why were the responsibilities and repercussions always assigned to women? Do you think the “Me, Too” movement is a result of this skewed legal problem?

Women blame themselves, women blame each other, and men blame women. Is it any wonder that women end up with the blame?

I think #metoo is about the thousands of women who’ve kept silent about rape, harassment or abuse (many because speaking out might mean the loss of a job they need to support their families). It is so important for women to speak up when abuse happens. Legal protections are in place, and speaking up gives the police an opportunity to investigate when evidence still exists.

Why is Libba so interested in Anarchy’s past, his single status, and his future?

Libba’s interest in Anarchy is based on her feelings for Ellison. She doesn’t want to see Ellison get hurt again.

Ellison and Max outrun a man she thinks is following her. Is Ellison in really good physical condition? How about Max?

Ellison keeps fit. She and Max (who’s a Weimaraner) are both runners.

In assault and rape cases, often the trial to prosecute the perpetrator are more traumatic to the victim than the criminal act because the defense tries to discredit the victim. Is that still the case?

Recently in Missouri, a lobbyist attempted to take the teeth out of Title IX legislation. He argued, “women, more than men, regret casual sex, and it is these unsatisfying sexual unions caused by regret — not rape — that is the real sex problem on campus.” That argument—she wanted it then she changed her mind—was made in APRIL. So, yes, discrediting the victim is still a problem.

  

Ellison is a dog person. When her friend Winnie asks her to take care of her cat, Beezie, Ellison doesn’t realize the cat’s nickname is short for Beelzebub, and for good reason. The cat attacks her friend, Libba. Even Winnie’s kids hate the cat. Why are people blind to their pet’s behavior? And why didn’t the cat attack the intruders Winnie had in her home?

True story. I know a woman who had a Pomeranian who attacked anyone who walked through her front door. She didn’t see it as a problem (what damage can a Pom do?) When one of her friends required stitches (apparently those little dogs can do a number on ankles), she paid the doctor’s bill and did not apologize for her dog. I have no idea why some people can’t see problems right in front of them—but they can’t.

As for Beezie and the intruder, for all we know, Beezie did attack. Since Ellison wasn’t there to see it, the attack is not in the book.

Are Swanson’s and Woolf’s local Kansas City stores?

Swanson’s and Woolf’s were beloved Kansas City stores. Sadly, they both closed years ago.

What’s next for Ellison?

Ellison has a gala coming up. I’m pretty sure something will go disastrously wrong.

Julie Mulhern Interview by E. B. Davis

Then I made coffee. I even whispered to Mr. Coffee,

“Two shootings in one day. It’s a good thing Mother is in Palm Springs.”

He offered me a sympathetic gurgle.

Julie Mulhern, Shadow Dancing, Kindle Loc. 4175

Visiting a psychic is outside the norm for Ellison Russell. Finding bodies is not. Unfortunately, the psychic’s crystal ball says Ellison will soon be surrounded by death. Again.

Drat.

Now there’s a corpse in the front drive, a witchy neighbor ready to turn Ellison and her (not so) little dog into toadstools, and a stripper named Starry Knight occupying the guest room.

How did 1975 go so wrong so quickly?

Ellison must handle Mother (who’s found a body of her own), make up with a certain handsome detective, and catch a killer, or the death surrounding her might be her own.

www.juliemulhernauthor.com/books.html

I’ve always hated when children called their parents “Mother” and “Father.” They are roles not names. It’s like calling your dog, “Dog.” Ellison Russell, Julie Mulhern’s main character, calls her mother, “Mother,” but she calls her father, “Daddy.” I don’t have to tell you how Ellison’s relationship with her mother and father differ. A word says it all. But even if forty-year-old Ellison calls her father, “Daddy,” she doesn’t want or need a paternalistic man, somewhat unique for many women in the 1970s, the era of The Country Club Murder series. She’s a grown up. What she calls her father is more sentiment than deference.

In Shadow Dancing, Ellison became my hero. She’s taken it upon herself to help a runaway and, in the process, saves Anarchy’s life. She’s been a strong character since book one, The Deep End, but even though she’s too old to be a flower child, she is ahead of her time, which can be trying when the rest of the world expects the status quo. She has a little problem, though. She talks to her coffee maker, with whom she’s a bit too infatuated. But if her dependence on Mr. Coffee is one of her detriments, at least she can make coffee even if she doesn’t cook or bake.

Shadow Dancing is Julie Mulhern’s seventh book in The Country Club Murder series. Please welcome her to WWK.                                                                                                                   E. B. Davis   

Do you think parental imperiousness is a function of personality or the era?

Frances Walford is a force in the community, in her social circle, and in her daughters’ lives. Part of that forcefulness is pure Frances and part of it comes from the era in which she was raised.

What is an ambiance committee?

An ambiance committee decides the décor for an event. That has not changed since the 70s.

In the seventies, Blue Nun wine was popular. What kind of wine was it? (Chablis? Where did Chablis go?)

Blue Nun was Liebraumilch. I actually had a bottle ordered in (my local wine store doesn’t carry it as a matter of course—imagine that). So, so sweet.

Why did desegregation cause a massive flight from Missouri to Kansas?

Kansas City is a metropolitan area that crosses state lines. On the Missouri side, there’s Kansas City, Missouri. On the Kansas side, there are numerous small cities—Mission Hills, Prairie Village, Mission Woods, Fairway, Leawood, Overland Park, etc…

In the 1970s, Kansas City, Missouri was a more diverse city than the smaller Kansas cities.

With the advent of desegregation in Kansas City, Missouri, many families moved to Kansas where the majority of the citizens were white and the schools were homogenous.

How were Shawnee Mission schools top ranked? The reality must defy the description.

The Shawnee Mission school district is where many Missourians who moved to Kansas sent their children. They had dedicated teachers, engaged parents, and were top-notch in academics. Don’t let the name “Shawnee Mission” fool you, the schools were great.

When Jinx went into rehab and gave up drugs and alcohol, she takes up smoking, which none of her friends complain about. Do you think her friends would be as accepting today? Do you think no tolerance is the best policy?

I asked one of my dear friends, who still smokes, about this and she promises me smokers have become pariahs. In the 70s, smoking was accepted.

Whether 1975 or 2018, kids run away from home with the same result—prostitution and drug addiction. Do we have better policies in place to save these children today than in 1975?

I wish the answer was yes, but the reality is that very little has changed. Children are advertised on on-line forums, children are groomed for exploitation, and predators are real.

How did Aggie go from being a P.I. to being Ellison’s housekeeper?

Aggie’s beloved husband, who held the P.I. license, died after a long bout with cancer. When Al passed, Aggie did not have a license and she needed a change.

What is a ruana?

A ruana is essentially a large, square poncho with a slit down the front.

During the 1970s, many cities had urban blight. When did revitalization of the inner cities start? Big money was involved, right?

In the early 1970s, things were hopping in Kansas City. We had a new airport, we’d won a Super Bowl (and would surely do it again soon), we had an expansion baseball team, and Kemper Arena was built and was the host for hockey, NBA basketball, and the Republican National Convention. Kansas City also built a convention hotel which involved tearing down some seedy business downtown. And yes, big money was involved.

That said, revitalizing a downtown is not the same as revitalizing the inner city. I learned enough about revitalizing a downtown to write a book. I don’t know enough about revitalizing inner cities to answer even this simple question.

If secrecy was such an issue for Bruce, why did he pick Ellison’s car in which to have carnal relations with another woman?

Ellison’s car was parked far from the clubhouse, it wasn’t locked, and Bruce didn’t want to have carnal relations in his own car.

After catching the two in the back of her car, one her parents had given her, one she isn’t wild about anyway—is the car a goner?

Absolutely! Just as soon as she can get around to it.   

Although Max, Ellison’s snack and nap-loving Weimaraner, can be a traitor, he really defends and protects not only Grace, Ellison’s teenage daughter, and Ellison, but also the witch next door, Margaret Hamilton (no relation to WWK’s Margaret S. Hamilton), after romping through her house in pursuit of a squirrel and breaking household items. I was surprised that the witch was so forgiving. What changed her mind?

How to answer this without revealing a twist or two? Let’s just say Max redeems himself when the chips are down.

Although Ellison didn’t label the men’s bad behavior when she accepted a blind date from Libba, she knew it was sexist. How were women objectified during this era? 

There’s a laundry list. Women were paid less (a lot less). Sexual harassment was rampant. Married women who worked were earning a second-income which was often regarded as supplemental rather than essential. The slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby” was widely recognized (cigarettes again)—if the woman smoking a Virginia Slim had come such a long way, why was the manufacturer still calling her baby? Don’t get me started…

Libba has lousy taste in men. What is she looking for in a man? How can she be Ellison’s best friend?

Libba does have lousy taste in men. She wants someone who is exciting but dependable. Someone who won’t hold her down but won’t wander. Someone who wants stability but not marriage. That’s a hard man to find.

As for being Ellison’s best friend, having bad taste in men has nothing to do with being a good friend. And, when it comes to friendship, Libba is exciting but dependable.

Ellison is unusual for her time. She’s glad Anarchy helped her solve a problem, but she doesn’t want him solving her problems. Why?

Ellison would rather have a partner than a white knight. The disparity in power between a damsel in distress and white knight troubles her. Also, when it comes to knights, all that armor gets in the way of building something real and lasting.

It must be wonderful to make money by doing something that is a heathy and creative outlet. How does painting restore Ellison?

Ellison expresses emotion with paint. Any anger she feels over the way women are treated? On canvas. Any sadness she feels over the latest murder victim? On canvas. Her painting allows her to express things she’d never say out loud.

Each of your books has the same title as a song of the era. How do you choose them?

Finding the right song title is one of my great joys. I was over-the-moon thrilled when I discovered Watching the Detectives was released in 1977. As for Shadow Dancing, what better title for a book with a stripper as an important character?

What’s next for Ellison?

Back Stabbers (an O’Jays title) will be out in October. When Ellison’s stockbroker is murdered (of course she finds the body) she discovers what sexual harassment in the workplace looks like.

As women’s rights have improved, do you think children are better or worse off than in the 1970s?

Growing up in 70s, I enjoyed an idyllic childhood. It was an era of free-range parenting. I roamed the neighborhood with my friends, unfettered by cellphones or the lure of video games.

Most of my friends’ mothers were stay-at-home moms. They mothered with Neosporin, Band-Aids, bologna sandwiches, and homemade popsicles.

Those women were our safety nets.

That was then. This is now. Changes in children’s lives have much more to do with new technologies, social media, video games, and a push to succeed at the expense of playground time than they do with their mothers’ rights.