I started writing the Jill Quint Series ten years ago, so she’s been in my imagination a long time. For those of you new to the series, I thought I would do an interview with her.
Who Are You?
I’m in my mid-forties and I grew up in California. I did an undergraduate degree at UC Davis in Botany and took a few classes in viticulture thinking some day I might want to own a vineyard. I went to medical school at the University of Wisconsin which is where I met my three dear friends - Angela, Marie, and Jo. After medical school I returned to California to work in my chosen field of Forensic Pathology in a crime lab. After twenty years I was tired of the time I spent on paperwork and court testimony, so I retired to operate a vineyard in the central valley of California. You would have thought I would go to Napa, right? However, I love Moscato wines and sweet wines in general. The grapes that go into those wines love heat, so Napa isn’t warm enough. My mother lives in Arizona and I have no children. I have a Dalmatian dog that I gained from a crime scene. Her name is Trixie and she’s my running partner.
Partner?
After I had my first batch of grapes ready for bottling, I approached a local wine label artist, Nathan Conroy, to design my first vintage wine labels. We hit it off and he doesn't mind my habit of getting in the crossfires of violence. He gets involved in some of my cases. He’s a Master Black Belt in Hapkido and has saved our lives on occasion. He’s also a wonderful cook and feeds our brains. In Book 13, we made it official and got married. He’s also branched into beer can designs and he teaches the creative marketing aspects of wine at UC Davis.
Passions?
Nathan, Trixie, the Green Bay Packers, and truth are my passions. I take on cases to find the truth in someone’s death
Why do you do what you do?
I work as a part-time Forensic Pathologist and PI because victims and their families deserve truth and justice. It’s my small contribution to humanity to take murderers off the street that might have gotten away with the perfect murder.
What is your biggest on the job frustration?
I hate the time waste of when law enforcement doesn’t take me and my team seriously because we haven’t had their detective training. I feel like I start from scratch with every case having to prove the usefulness of me and my team.
How’s the wine business?
I sold out my first two vintages of Moscato. I handled a case in Sicily and investigated some grape varietals that I added to my vineyard. The first vintage occurs five years after planting so I have a while to go on that. I’m working on plans to build a tasting room.
Do you want more work?
No. My team can’t give me anymore time to assist on cases and I need to work on my vineyard. A case a month is about all I can handle. Plus, as there’s an autopsy involved that needs to occur quickly, I have to drop everything and travel to wherever the remains are. So this is not a job I can schedule.
Who should play you on TV?
Hilary Swank. I would have said Nicole Kidman, but she is playing Dr. Kay Scarpetta, another notable fictional Forensic Pathologist.
In other news, the following books are on sale today or in the future for 99c/99p:
A Breck Death 2/15
Death On A Green 2/19,
A Taxing Death 2/23
Murder At The Podium 2/27
I know these sales are for the US and UK, I’m not sure about CA or AU.
I’ve listened to much of Red Rock Island as an audiobook and it’s so exciting to hear my words! The narrator will finish all five Damian Green Books and then we’ll release them about 2-3 weeks apart. I don’t have a date for that yet. I'm still searching for a narrator for Jill.
Mint Death is scheduled for release 3/31. You can pre-order here. Jill is called to a case in Washington, DC by the daughter of a man that works at the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. He works at the machine that cuts sheets of printed bills into individual currency. He dies on the job. However, what appears to be an open and shut case to the police, soon becomes a complex case when his remains are stolen from the Medical Examiner's Office.
At the moment, I'm listening to Encore In Death by JD Robb, and I'm reading Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland.
Finally, if you like kick-ass women stories follow this link for books that fit that description.
This is world peace or at least it was until the dog woke up and found the cat sleeping next to him.
Cheers,
Alec