A Sour Note by Jill Piscitello

 When murder provides a welcome distraction . . . 

Wild Women Authors welcomes author Jill Piscitello as she celebrates the release of A Sour Note, a contemporary cozy mystery, part of the Crimson Rose line for the Wild Rose Press. With Jill is event planner Maeve Cleary who will go first.

Good morning, Maeve. Thanks for spending time with us.

Let’s begin with where you are from. Hampton, a small beach town in southern New Hampshire.

Tell us a bit about A Sour Note. After ten years of living out of state, I am now residing in my childhood home while rebuilding my financial situation and recovering from the demise of my engagement. The discovery of a corpse outside my mother’s music school provides something else to focus on.

What made you choose event planning for a career? I’ve always loved a good party and found I actually have talent when it comes to planning functions.

Knowing what you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with being an event planner or do something different? I am sticking with the job title but moving in an entirely new direction with the role. Instead of planning lavish events for wealthy adults, I now set up at local, small-town venues for music students. Ask me in six months how it’s going because this is a new venture.

What is your biggest fear? Failure. I’ve already had my share of low moments and am aiming for more success in life. But this time around, I know that success doesn’t have to equate to glitz, glamour, and big city living.

Who is your favorite fictional character and why? Beth Dutton from Yellowstone is a force to be reckoned with. I love that she is unapologetically herself. Kelly Reilly is a phenomenal actress. Beth wouldn’t be Beth without her in that role.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? When you look better, you feel better. Although these words are true, I tend to favor more casual attire. But my mother is always insisting I step up my fashion sense. She has a point, but I loathe shopping and can’t say I’ve fully absorbed and adhered to her advice.

Good point—about mothers. Thanks for this, Maeve. Now, we’d like to chat with Jill.

Which writer or character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing? I find it difficult to narrow influential authors down to just one. But I’ve always found it fascinating how some authors such as Nora Roberts and Stephen King, to name a few, can churn out such a large number of unputdownable books. Where does that constant state of creativity come from?

With regard to research, where did you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths, thereby changing the original concept? After decades spent visiting Hampton Beach, NH, I am very familiar with the location. However, I conducted quite a bit of research regarding police procedures and the healing properties of plants and scents. I was not led down new paths but definitely could get lost in all of the interesting information.

Tell us a bit about your publisher. How did you hear about them; what influenced you to submit to them. When researching publishers for my first manuscript, I noticed many positive statements online shared by authors from The Wild Rose Press. My first book was rejected by them, but the editor was generous enough to offer invaluable feedback. I used every bit of advice when drafting a novella for their Christmas Cookies anthology and was thrilled that they accepted the story. A Sour Note is the second book they’ve published, and I can’t say enough about how lucky I am to work with such an incredible editor and publisher.

What's next for you? I’m currently working on the sequel to A Sour Note.

 To learn more about Jill Piscitello and the stories she creates go to: https://jillpiscitello.com/

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