Janna Rollins, author of An Escape Goat, the first novel in the Ben Goat mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today. This is a particular pleasure for me as I love everything to do with goats.

Welcome, Janna.

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

Hello and thanks for having me! AN ESCAPE GOAT is the first book in the Zen Goat Mystery series. Callie Haybeck has recently moved to Bobwhite Hollow, New Hampshire after finding long-lost family through a DNA kit. She fell in love with her new family and the area, so has opened a goat yoga studio on her great-uncle’s farm. In this first book, she is hosting her first goat yoga retreat when one of her guests, a Boston socialite, is found dead behind the haystack. Worried that she has invited a murderer to stay at the family farm, Callie enlists the help of her cousin Tristan to flush out the killer. She’ll need to find all her inner balance to stay one step ahead and keep her family safe.

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

The mystery came from developing the characters for the story and thinking about what secrets they might be hiding.

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

Family is the underlying theme of the story. I’m an armchair genealogist and I like to dig deeper to find the stories that lie beyond the names and dates. Family secrets and drama play a huge role in how individuals within that family interact and view each other. I wanted to explore some of those connections, or non-connections, in my writing.

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

Before I start writing, I spend time with each character getting to know them a bit and finding out what makes them tick. That being said, each of them very much evolves during every stage of the writing process. While I do really like MOST of my characters, in this series, Uncle Will is probably my favorite. I love his wisdom and twinkling eyes.

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

Research and visiting the area where my fictional Bobwhite Hollow is set. Soaking in the atmosphere, taking gobs of pictures, and then imagining. The farm part comes easy, since I grew up on a small farm and have goats in my own barnyard right now!

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

Oh gosh, all kinds of research. My husband was born and raised in New England, so I’m constantly picking his brain for little details I wouldn’t know myself. I research all kinds of little tidbits while I’m writing, from murder weapon feasibility to average temperature in the region on a specific day and everything in between.

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

Just that they can be assured no goats were hurt during the writing of this book! I’ve had some readers wanting to make sure a goat doesn’t get murdered between the pages, and rest assured, they do not!

Thank you for answering my questions, Janna, and good luck with An Escape Goat, the latest book in the Zen Goat mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Janna Rollins by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – Powell’s Books

About Janna Rollins: When  Janna Rollins isn’t writing, she likes to thumb through New England-based magazines and drool over the pictures. She has a love for red barns, goats, and genealogy. Janna can be found showing her socially awkward side on Facebook or sharing pictures of her tiny one-acre farm on Instagram. She is a member of Sister In Crime, and also writes the Hometown Hardware Mystery series as Paula Charles. Janna lives in Southwestern Washington with her husband and a whole menagerie of furry and feathered critters.