Zo Zones is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about Mining for Murder, the latest novel in the Happy Camper mystery series.

Welcome, Zo. 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.

Hello, all. I’m Zo (short for Zoelle) Zones, and I’m the main character in Mining for Murder. Mining for Murder is the third book in the Happy Camper cozy mystery series.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?

My writer always has plans for me, but then I shake them up with an unexpected thought or word. It keeps her on her toes!

How did you evolve as the main character?

I started the Happy Camper gift shop after being a journalist for ten years. People aren’t reading as many newspapers as they used to, and my job was unexpectedly cut along with several of my friends’ jobs. But I turned the negative into a positive by opening up my own tourist shop, a longtime dream of mine.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?

I share the story with my good friends Jules, the owner of Spirits & Spirits, and Hattie, our town librarian, and my boyfriend Max, our local forest ranger. Brady Merrigan, the town sheriff, also dominates a good deal of the story, but with the recent influx of murders, who can blame him?

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?

I living in Spirit Canyon, a fictional town in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It’s a beautiful area with fishing, hiking, and a picturesque waterfall. A busy vacation destination, the town is filled with fun shops like mine. The perfect place to visit!

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?

My writer is a native of South Dakota and has vacationed in the Black Hills many times herself. She loves sharing details about her state with readers and hopes you enjoy your time here!

Thank you for answering my questions, Zo, and good luck to you and your author, Mary Angela, with Mining for Murder, the latest book in the Happy Camper mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Zo and her author, Mary Angela by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Apple – Google Books – Kobo 

About Mary Angela: Mary is the author of the Happy Camper cozy mystery series, the Professor Prather academic mystery series, and several short stories. When Mary isn’t penning heartwarming whodunits, she’s teaching, reading, traveling, or spending time with her family. She lives in South Dakota with her husband, daughters, and spoiled pets.