Jenna Scali of the Jenna Scali Mystery Series by @JoanCurtis #AmateurSleuth, #CozyMystery, #Suspense

I’d like to welcome Jenna Scali of the Jenna Scali mystery series, e-Murderer and Murder on Moonshine Hill by Joan C. Curtis.

RW:       Can you tell us about yourself?

JS:        My name is Jenna Scali. I’m half Italian and half Irish. My dad died suddenly when I was nine years old and my little sister, Lou, was seven. We grew up in High Point, North Carolina. I now live in Athens, GA and Lou lives somewhere in the jungle of Africa (Peace Corps). So, you can see we’re really different. I’m gonna be thirty next year, and I’m dreading it. I just finished my PhD at the University of Georgia in criminal psychology and I’m starting a research job at the university soon.

           My current boyfriend is Rich Watring who is a detective sergeant with the Gwinnett County Police. He’s gorgeous and I miss him whenever he’s away from me (which is a lot since I live in Athens and he lives in Lawrenceville).

RW:       During what time-period does your story take place?

A.          My stories take place in the present time

RW:       How are you coping with the conflict in your life?

JS:        I’ve had some trouble coping with my divorce, but Rich has distracted me. Then, last year, I had that problem with the e-Murderer. That really shook me up. I’m finally starting to get over the shock of that experience. My good friend, Quentin Pearson, also helps. He gives me a good kick in the pants when I start feeling sorry for myself. And my second-best friend, Starr Andrews, likes to give me pedicures. (I’m ticklish so I avoid her when she comes at me with her toe polishing tools!).

RW:    Bubble baths or steamy showers? Ocean or mountains? Puppies or kittens? Chocolate or caramel?

JS:        I love the steamy showers and often do my best thinking there. For me it’s the mountains. In Murder on Moonshine Hill, I got to visit the North Carolina mountains in the spring. The mountain laurel was amazing—my favorite color—purple. And kittens. I have two amazing cats, Churchill and Stalin. As for chocolate or caramel, I’d love either, but the caramel has to be smeared with a bit of chocolate to make it fabulous.

RW:       Werther’s has a hard candy that’s both chocolate and caramel swirled together. Yum!

              So, if money were not an object, where would you most like to live?

JS:        I’d live in Italy, hands down. Anywhere in that amazing country. I have a good friend, Rosaria Mangiavillano, who is Sicilian. She is sorta teaching me Italian. I say sorta because with me getting my PhD and her with a 2-year-old, it’s hard to find time. I’ve never been to Italy, but Rosaria and I will go someday and probably take Quentin with us. That’s my dream and what a trip it’ll be!

RW:       What is your secret guilty pleasure?

JS:        My secret guilty pleasure is bingeing on Agatha Christie movies. Give me a Saturday or Sunday morning with a Christie movie, a cat on my lap, and a bowlful of Hershey’s kisses and I’d be in heaven.

RW:       If you were stranded on a tropical island, who would it be with? You can choose any living, deceased or mythical figure.

JS:        That’s an easy question. It would have to be my BFF Quentin Pearson. He would keep me laughing in the worst times and he’d make me get up at the crack of dawn and do calisthenics on the beach. I’d sure miss my current heartthrob, but…my choice is still Quentin!

RW:       If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

JS:        Beware of her curiosity. My friends tell me I’m much too curious for my own good. It has led me into some very sticky situations. With the e-Murderer, I couldn’t let it alone and it almost got the better of me. And, I won’t give away what almost happened to me in Murder on Moonshine Hill when my curious nature took me to places I should have never gone.

RW:       I’ll tell. You got into all kinds of trouble on Moonshine Hill. I was worried about you. But, you gave me a chuckle or two as well. And really, who else would take a gay guy as her escort to a wedding in Redneck Central?

              Party life or quiet dinner for two?

JS:        I’m clearly a quiet dinner for two kind of girl. I prefer to stay at home. Quentin struggles to pull me out of my rut all the time. Fortunately my new boyfriend likes to chill in my living room with my cats, just like me. My ex was a party boy. That was one thing that tore us apart. I suppose I should have realized that when I married him. But, I was young and foolish.

RW:       You’d never be able to tell, but (fill in the blank).

JS:        I love to dance. I say you’d never be able to tell because I’m not terribly graceful. Quentin is my bellydance instructor and he gives me a hard time for my stiff, uncooperative limbs. “You’re too tense, Jen. Lighten up!” He yells at me all the time. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t love doing it. I really do envy his gracefulness.

RW:       If I could (fill in the blank) I’d (fill in the blank).

JS:        If I could, I’d grab Rich, Quentin and my two cats and runaway to a quiet island off the coast of Sicily. All I’d do all day long is read murder mysteries.

RW:       Those are all the questions I have for you. Thank you for speaking to me.

Joan C. Curtis

Bio

Joan is an award-winning writer who has published seven books and numerous stories. Readers compare her to the great Southern writer, Fanny Flagg. “She writes characters and a story that will stay with you.”

Her debut mystery/suspense novel, The Clock Strikes Midnight, won the Royal Palm Literary Award in 2015. The e-Murderer: Book 1 Jenna Scali Mysteries won the Gold from the Global EBook Awards 2016. Her newest release is Murder on Moonshine Hill: Book 2 Jenna Scali Mysteries.

Murder on Moonshine Hill

Book 2 Jenna Scali Mystery Series

The Plot:

When Jenna decides to go to this wedding, she expects to dredge up old secrets and old hurts and she expects to see people from her past, but she doesn’t expect to stumble on a dead body.

Jenna’s friend is arrested. The wedding is cancelled. And Jenna’s tendency to stick her nose where it shouldn’t be leads her into the path of the killer.

Set in the serene mountains of North Carolina Murder on Moonshine Hill is filled with suspense, humor, and a quirky cast of supporting characters.

An Excerpt:

Beneath the crisp morning sky that promised a glorious spring day lay a broken body. The legs sprawled backwards and the arms stretched over head. One hand gripped a shiny object. Dried leaves and pine straw stuck to the bright yellow Polo shirt. A grotesque grimace covered what was left of the face. The clothes looked neatly pressed and clean except for the dried debris. Ants crawled over the bare neck and hands, making the body look as though it moved. Flies surrounded the head. The wind blew a wisp of hair back from the youthful brow. An ugly hole pierced the forehead.

Young buds sprouted from the wild azalea and rhododendron bushes. Birds chirped, hawks squawked, and a rippling creek filled the silence. But the overpowering smell of death kept a lone raccoon and two deer at a safe distance.

Contact Joan C. Curtis:

Website:  http://joancurtis.com

Blog:  http://joancurtis.com/blog/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/joanccurtisauthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JoanCurtis

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Joan-C.-Curtis/e/B0024JEG6E/

Book Links:

Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing, Inc.

The Clock Strikes Midnight:

Video Trailer:  https://youtu.be/rIeIokOeBw4

MuseItUp Publishing, Inc:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/coming-soon/the-clock-strikes-midnight-detail

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUGACKO

Roses & Thorns Review:  http://rosesndthorns.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-clock-strikes-midnight-by-joan.html

e-Murderer:

Video Trailer:  https://youtu.be/vsK_cmUnwu4

MuseItUp Publishing, Inc:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/e-murderer-detail

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013GR330M

Roses & Thorns Review:  http://rosesndthorns.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-e-murderer-jenna-scali-mystery-by.html

Murder on Moonshine Hill:

MuseItUp Publishing, Inc:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/mystery-thriller-suspense/cozy-mystery/murder-on-moonshine-hill-detail

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HWOR4J6

Roses & Thorns Review:  http://rosesndthorns.blogspot.com/2016/11/murder-on-moonshine-hill-by-joan-c.html

You’ll notice we always include the publisher’s buy link. That’s because authors usually receive 40-50% of the net proceeds from the publisher. Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%. When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left. So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40-$2.99. If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $1.70-$2.10.

Download the file from the publisher onto your computer as you would any other file. I’ve created a folder for books on my computer, with subfolders by source (Marketing for Romance Writers, Net Galley, Authors who find me on Kindle lists, etc.). That way, if there’s a glitch with your Kindle, the books are on your computer. Some publishers send books in all digital formats. If my Kindle breaks and my kids buy me a Nook, I won’t have to replace all of my books. If you have a Kindle and your hubby has a Nook, you won’t have to buy separate copies, so buying directly from the publisher can save you money.

Moving the file from your computer to your e-reader is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive. Plug the larger USB end of your e-reader charging chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from the folder into which you’ve downloaded the book to the Documents/Books directory on your e-reader. You can move the file by highlighting it and dragging it to the documents directory or subdirectory in your Kindle you want to move it to. Or right click on it, and then left click copy or move. Or hit Control/C for copy, Control/X for cut, and Control/V for paste.

Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

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