Jamie Rutland Gillespie joins us for this week’s The Cozy 52 interview. Read on to find out more about Jamie’s books, what inspires her, and what she has coming up next.
Who or What is The Cozy 52? Each week I will be sharing an interview with someone involved with Cozy Mysteries – an author, blogger, Facebook Group host, podcaster, cover designer – so that we can showcase this amazing community! I hope you’ll discover some new authors, plus learn more about what goes on behind the scenes with the people who write, publish and promote cozy mysteries!
Introducing Jamie Rutland Gillespie
NAME: Jamie Rutland Gillespie
LIST ALL YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES: A Bobwhite Mountain Cozy Mystery Series (Books 1-4)
HOW ARE YOUR COZY MYSTERIES PUBLISHED? Self-Published
The Q&A
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
I was born and raised in a tiny country town in South Carolina. I lived there until I graduated high school and then moved to another town in the same state and have lived here ever since. I got my first library card from the town library when I was 6 years old. I have always loved to read. I would walk to the library and check out books and then sit on the bench out front under the towering magnolia tree and read. When it started to get dark (or my Momma called the library and had them come out front to tell me to come home), I would walk back home with my book haul. I’ve always had stories made up in my head. I think I always knew I would be a writer. I currently live in SC with my husband of almost 34 years and our adult daughter. We recently rescued two pups from the shelter. Baby and Precious are adult chihuahuas that have been together their entire life. Their former Mom got sick and couldn’t keep them. We feel so blessed to have them in our life. They are such sweet doggies.
LIST THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WE WOULDN’T READ IN YOUR ‘OFFICIAL’ BIO.
- I won the Little Miss beauty contest when I was 4 years old
- I twirled baton when I was younger and participated in lots of parades and events
- I love college football, baseball and basketball. My husband doesn’t like sports at all. We’re an odd couple but, it works for us.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START WRITING? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE COZY MYSTERIES?
I have always wanted to write. In fact, I did…I loved English and Literature classes in school because it meant writing projects. I got a very late start as far as becoming a published author. I had my daughter late (I was 34 when she was born) and was a hands on Mom when she was younger. Then, I was the primary caretaker of my elderly parents for almost 20 years until they passed on. My husband and daughter had been pushing me for years to “write the story”. Finally, I realized life would pass by whether I did what I had always wanted to or not. That same day, I started writing Book 1 in my series and haven’t stopped writing since. I write cozy mysteries because those are the books I love to read. Something about a cozy little town with everybody knowing everybody else in town reminds me of the wonderful little town I grew up in. I especially love mysteries and enjoy the twists and turns I put into my books leading up to the reveal.
WHAT SUBGENRE(S) OR THEMES OF COZY MYSTERIES DO YOU WRITE?
I write cozy MURDER mysteries. My books have pets and recipes in all of them as well. (They aren’t paranormal books.) They also mention elements of Faith in them, since I’m a spiritual person and that’s just natural for me to include. Not a lot…just sprinkled here and there.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES. WHAT INSPIRES YOUR SERIES?
A Bobwhite Mountain Cozy Mystery Series is about how the main character, Landry Burke, inherits her late Aunt Tildie’s entire estate. It includes a 5 story apartment building on main street as well as a bookstore across the street, Jasmine Bloom Books. The very first day she is in town to take over the estate, she and her aunt’s attorney, Adam Wilcox, find a body at the apartment building. Naturally, she wants to solve the murder quick and get on with learning the ropes of her new business properties. She has help in the form of Ms. Millie Wells. She is the manager of the bookstore and Landry’s Aunt Tildie’s best friend. They get into some crazy shenanigans along the way. This series is filled with murder, mystery, relatable characters, humor and a town that feels like “home” after only the first book. Each of the books also have recipes in the back of tried and true (by my daughter and myself) yummy food. This series is inspired by all of the trips my family took to the Appalachian Mountains when I was a little girl. My Daddy always took some back roads and we visited some of the small, quaint towns off the beaten path. I loved those little towns and the people were always so friendly. I pictured those towns when I wrote the first book in the series, Inheriting Murder.
WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO READ COZY MYSTERIES?
I think readers love cozy mysteries because they can relate to the characters and usually find at least one character that reminds them of a friend or family member. Also, most of them include pets or recipes and that is a bonus, too.
ASIDE FROM BEING AN AUTHOR, ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE COZY COMMUNITY IN ANY OTHER WAY?
I have a Facebook Reader’s Group, The Reading Cabin. We have so much fun! There are puzzles, giveaways, trivia and all sorts of things. It’s also where I announce all the news about my books. We are like family in this private group. We all love books and love to read with a passion. I also have an Author Page on facebook, as well as a Twitter and Instagram page.
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?
Some of my favorite writers are Mary Higgins Clark, Mary Daheim, Agatha Christie, Louisa May Alcott, and so many others. My writing style was influenced by many of my favorite authors.
IF YOU WERE MAROONED ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT 3 BOOKS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU?
A compilation of all Agatha Christie books; a survival book (a thick one since I know I would be clueless, lol); my Bible.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS COMING UP THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
I’m currently writing Book 5 in this series. There will be a Book 6 and that will be the final book for this series. I have a new series in the works that will also be a cozy mystery series but very different than this one. I also have two standalone books that I can’t wait to write.
The Quickie 5
- FAVOURITE FOOD: Mexican food
- BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: Iced tea
- MOST PRIZED POSSESSION: Both of my grandmothers’ bibles.
- SUMMER OR WINTER? WINTER!
- FAVOURITE VACATION SPOT? The mountains of NC/TN
To keep up to date with Jamie Rutland Gillespie online, you can connect with her on:
AMAZON | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP | FB READER GROUP
LINKS TO BOOKS:
INHERITING MURDER, Book 1 | FALLING FOR MURDER, Book 2 | WITCHING FOR A MURDER, Book 3 | CAROLING INTO MURDER, Book 4
Great interview! I too got my library card when I was around 6 and spent a lot of time in the library in the small town we lived in in Kansas. I now live in Arkansas and still have a library card although I don’t use it as often because I buy all my books and hoard them! I have the Bobwhite series on my Kindle but may have to buy them too for all the recipes!
I’m also a fan of libraries and spent so much time in them as a child as well! I still have a library card and while I almost never go in person any more, I love checking out ebooks and audiobooks from there (I still end up buying more books than I can count, but libraries are a great way to “test drive” some series before I splurge on them!)
Great interview. I love Jamie’s books, they are like a breath of clean fresh winter air. The characters in Jamie’s books are so vivid and real. The recipes are great too!
What a great way to describe Jamie’s books! And I agree – characters can make or break a book! Thanks for stopping by!