Holly Yew is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Paint Me A Crime, her first novel in the Rose Shore Mystery series.

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

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

Paint Me A Crime is the first book of the Rose Shore Mysteries. Rose Shore is a fictional town in the not-so-fictional Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada. Jessamine Rhodes, a former art curator, moves there to own and operate the community art center, but during her grand opening, a priceless painting is stolen and a prestigious art collector is murdered. Jessamine then sets out to find the missing painting and bring justice for the art collector’s death in order to save her new business from going under.

I have currently written two more books in this series, both of which are awaiting copy edits from my publisher. Each mystery is a standalone, so the books do not necessarily need to be read chronologically but to fully follow the characters’ personal stories, it is best to read them in order.

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

I wanted to try writing a mystery novel but had no idea where to start. I looked up writing prompts online and came across one that said, “A painting goes missing in broad daylight. There were numerous people in the room, but no one saw anything.” That prompt became Paint Me A Crime.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

The Rose Shore Community Art Center plays a large part of the book’s theme. My original story centered around an art gallery but was changed to an art center to better suit the typical small-town feel of cozy mysteries. Here everyone can gather for classes or special events that Jessamine hosts in an informal setting.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

I usually start with a name for the characters (which I just find off a name generator online. I have no deep meaningful way of picking names!), and their personalities take shape from there. Andrew Marsh is probably my favorite character in the Rose Shore Mysteries. He’s the admin assistant at the art center and is the one in Jessamine’s friend group who makes everyone laugh. But not only is he funny, he is very sweet and caring, and I like having this character that’s the bright sunshine in the dark moments of the novel. 

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

It strongly helps that I live in the Okanagan and can include descriptions that are right outside my window. The Okanagan has four true seasons, and I lean heavily into the season each novel takes place in. Because Paint Me A Crime takes place in September, there are descriptions of golden leaves of Birch trees, bright mini pumpkins, and cool, crisp fall air. Jessamine’s best friend owns a tea shop, and she creates fall-themed teas such as spiced cinnamon chai and cozy caramel rooibos.

Since Rose Shore is a fictional town, I include everything I love about the typical cozy mystery small-town setting. There are delicious restaurants, libraries where book clubs meet, parks and beaches to hang out at, and quirky characters for Jessamine to interact with.

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

Since art, crafting, and painting happen so often throughout the novel, I did a lot of research into different art mediums and the techniques used to create the art. In the opening chapter, the art center hosts a watercolors class, and in my research, I learned that for watercolors, it’s typical to have two water jars available: one for rinsing the paintbrush and one for painting with so the canvas doesn’t entirely become a murky brown color.

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

Paint Me A Crime was my first attempt at writing anything ever! I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I first sat down to write it, but here it is, a published novel years later. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been excited for this book, and I hope you enjoy reading it! 

Thanks for answering my questions, Holly, and good luck with Paint Me A Crime, the first book in the Rose Shore Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Holly and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – Amazon Canada – Barnes and Noble

About Holly Yew: After having called many places around the world home, Holly Yew has settled in the Okanagan, BC with her husband, son, and two rescue dogs. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s playing the piano, watching Star Wars, or enjoying a Dole Whip in Disneyland. Holly is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers.