Today Kate Young is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse, her latest novel in the Marygene Brown mystery series.

Welcome, Kate. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about your novel.

On Georgia’s picturesque Peach Cove Island, a killer is serving up a two-for-one special . . .
 After their mama’s passing, Marygene Brown returned to Peach Cove Island to help her sister Jena Lynn run the family diner, renowned for its homemade peach desserts. But Mama is never too far away—her sassy spirit haunts the island, and more specifically Marygene. Lately Mama has been warning her that the dead will seek her out to solve their murders, an idea Marygene is far from peachy keen on.
But that prophecy appears to be coming true when she goes skinny-dipping off the island and swims right into a woman’s charred corpse floating in the waves. And when Marygene and her brother Sam come upon a second burned body in a wine cellar at an event they’re catering, it appears they have a double homicide on their hands. It soon turns out the victims have more in common than their charred remains, and Marygene will need to double down to find a killer who has no aversion to playing with fire. Good thing Mama has her back . . .

Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse is the second book in the Marygene Brown Mysteries. The series can be summed up in two sentences. Southern belle foodie, Marygene Brown, is haunted by her mother’s spirit, making her a magnet for murder. Marygene discovers that her sleuthing grit is her saving grace.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

I’m honestly not sure. It just sort of came to me while I was storyboarding.

How do you create your characters?

I think about fun quirky people I’ve known or come up with ideas of people that if they were real, would be fun to meet.

Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

In the Marygene Brown Series, I love Betsy and her Aunt Vi. They’re loyal, flamboyant women who would do anything for their friends and family. Plus, they’d be a hoot to hang out with.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

I imagine what I would enjoy if I were visiting an island. Then I start thinking about what it would sound like, feel like, and smell like. I go from there.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

I research police procedures, rural and city precincts. I study city planning in small towns and the politics involved. Luckily, I write southern style mysteries and being southern born and bred, I’m quite familiar with the areas I portray.

Thanks for answering my questions, Kate, and good luck with Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse, the latest book in the Marygene Brown Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Kate and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, BookBuband Goodreads pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – kobo – IndieBound

About Kate Young: Kate writes Southern mystery novels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Chapter. Kate lives in a small town in Georgia with her husband, three kids, and Shih Tzu. When she is not writing her own books, she’s reading or cooking.