In a Pickle follows a man trying to find his way out of a business deal gone wrong and a reverend determined to help solve the mystery that surrounds his fate. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The inspiration for the setup for the story is found in one of the quotes from the book: The Reverend Sweetie Bird Charles declares, “…it taught me one lesson for sure. It sure enough drilled into my noggin not to count my chickens before they hatched, even when I could see them eggs in the nest what seemed to be tucked away safe and sound. Yes, sir, someone comed to rob the henhouse, and I didn’t hear a cluck or a cock-a-doodle-do or nothing.”

Your story is a wonderful blend of mystery and humor. How do you manage to create a successful blend of drama and levity?

I think it’s probably the sarcasm and the absurdity of the situations that The Reverend Sweetie Bird Charles finds herself in that make for the levity. I write from my experiences (not necessarily those of The Reverend) and have learned through a lot of livin’ that life can throw crazy things anybody’s way. Sometimes we laugh to keep from crying… and sometimes it’s just damned funny.

Do you have a favorite among your colorful cast of characters?

Do I have a favorite? Not really. Do other people have a favorite? Most definitely. And the winner is: Agnes! People have shared with me that they love Agnes because she says what they have always thought but were afraid to say out loud. Agnes becomes their spokesperson, as it were. I think that a lot of people have an ‘Agnes’ in their mind—sometimes they acknowledge that entity and give her space, but most of the time they don’t due to societal constraints. The fact that she tends to lay things out clearly and minces no words makes her a popular gal.

Is this the first book in a series? What are you currently working on?

The next book in the series is available on Amazon and is titled The Church of Unrealized Fantasies—it’s the continuing story of The Reverend Sweetie Bird Charles, Agnes, Mama, and assorted characters we’ve met in In a Pickle and a host of new friends as she stumbles upon Destiny. Yes, I meant to capitalize the word…Destiny. Read the book and find out.

I am currently working on Book 3 in The Reverend Sweetie Bird series… but I never tell what I’m working on until I’m finished. Suffice it to say, the adventure continues.

Author links: Website