Jill Piscitello is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Sour Note, her first novel in the Music Box Mystery series.

Welcome, Jill. 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.

A Sour Note follows an unemployed amateur sleuth’s journey as she navigates a new career path and the end of an engagement. The discovery of a corpse outside a music school in Hampton, NH leads to public scrutiny of Maeve and her friends. This book is the first in the Music Box Mystery series. I look forward to following the sleuth and her quirky cast of family members and friends.

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

I’m an avid reader of cozy mysteries and wanted to add a bit of glitz and glamour to the life of my amateur sleuth. After a failed engagement to a famous news correspondent, she’s already dodging the press when she discovers the body of a social media darling. I love a great paranormal cozy and wove in a few of those elements in the form of Maeve’s aversion to her cousin’s unsolicited clairvoyant advice.

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

New beginnings and pushing past regrets are the themes underlying this series. After impulsive actions, Maeve is often plagued by bouts of anxiety. Like so many of us, she’s guilty of playing the “I should’ve ___ instead” game. Who else replays conversations in their heads and edits for all of the things they wish they’d said in the moment? I hoped to portray a woman who learns to forgive herself for taking a risk that didn’t pan out as the glittering success she’d planned.

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

I start with an initial idea of what challenges characters are facing and their personality traits, but they have a funny way of taking the reins from there. I tend to favor the older women in my books. Both of my grandmothers hugely impacted my life. I think that’s why, in all of my books, an older woman (mom, stepmom, neighbor) plays a prominent role.

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

My family has spent years vacationing in Hampton Beach, NH. This provided me with an insider’s perspective on the location. I hope readers catch a glimmer of the sights, sounds, and entertainment of the beautiful setting.

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

Most of my research revolved around police procedures. The next book will take place during the fall season and will require more research into what life is like at the beach once the tourists leave.

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

I hope readers end the book feeling as if they’ve taken an exciting trip to the beach and met a charming cast of characters they’ll look forward to visiting again.

Thanks for answering my questions, Jill, and good luck with A Sour Note, the first book in Music Box Mystery series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon    Barnes and Noble      Apple     Google    Kobo    BooksAMillion    Walmart   Bookshop.org

About Jill Piscitello: Jill is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.

A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.