Today Miranda Trent is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Draw and Order, the latest novel in the Paint & Shine mystery series.

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

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too. Hi, my name is Miranda Trent, and I am a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design. I went to New York City to make my fortune, but unfortunately, Appalachian Mountain landscapes painted in the French Impressionist style aren’t in vogue Then came the sad news that my dear Uncle Gene passed away. That was immediately followed by a call from his lawyer notifying me that I had inherited the family farmhouse.  

I decided to start a cultural adventure business that touched on all my strong points. I lead a group of tourists on a woodland trail, and as a group, we create a painting of sandstone formations. Then I take them to my farmhouse for a traditional southern meal paired with home-brewed moonshine. The name of the business is Paint & Shine. I am so excited.

Does the writer control what happens in the story, or do you get a say too? That’s tricky because my writer plots the entire mystery before she starts writing. Then, I begin guiding the story while she’s writing. I have so many good ideas. She sometimes has to reevaluate and take time to update the outline. LOL!

How did you evolve as the main character? My writer finds my point of view has the most interesting perspective of the cast of characters. She thinks that a strong, independent young woman approaches life challenges so that readers will find them compelling. That’s about it, I guess. I think he’ll be an essential part of the series.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them? My favorite character is Ranger Austin Morgan. I’ve known him since I was a kid because he lives on the next farm down the road. He’s become vital to me during our crime-solving adventures.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story? My favorite place is on the front porch swing with my puppy Sandy in my lap. In the mornings, I have a cup of rich coffee and with fresh cream. In the evenings, I’ll be enjoying a moonshine cocktail.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book? This series is very special to my writer. Her parents were born, raised, married, and now buried in this beautiful part of the Appalachians. Her grandfather built the farmhouse featured in the books, and she lived there until she was two. Here’s hoping that this series has a long successful run.

Thank you for answering my questions, Miranda, and good luck to you and your author, Cheryl Hollon, with Draw and Order, the latest book in the Paint & Shine mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Miranda and her author, Cheryl Hollon by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon    B&N    Kobo     Google Play  IndieBound 

About Cheryl Hollon: Cheryl now writes full-time after she left an engineering career of designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small glass studio behind her house in St. Petersburg, Florida, Cheryl and her husband design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass, and painted glass artworks.