Interview with Julie Morton, Author of Deadly Keyholes
29 Dec 2020
What can you tell us about your new release, Deadly Keyholes?
Deadly Keyholes is a domestic crime drama. Miranda LaVelle is an unwanted, bastard child born in the 1920s Jazz Age to a horribly neglectful mother and father. She would probably have died had it not been for her great aunt, Genevieve Woods, coming to her rescue. Genevieve’s life in a wild, gritty oil boomtown in South Arkansas is not suitable for a child, nor are her not-so-legal businesses. But, there is no choice. Their lives intertwine and unexpected discoveries are made. However, life is not easy and multiple murders haunt them. Deadly Keyholes is populated with strong women who will do whatever is necessary to protect those they love. They are my heroes.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
My mother. She taught me to read at a very early age and I was enthralled with the imaginary worlds to which I was transported. Later, I wanted to create those worlds.
What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?
1) To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. What little girl doesn’t want to be Scout with Atticus for a daddy?
2) Fear of Flying, Erica Jong. It freed me of guilt.
3) Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry. These characters are so real they walk right off the page and talk to you.
4) Colony, Anne Rivers Siddons. Anything by her, actually.
5) Wish You Well, David Baldacci. Louisa Mae Cardinal is my kinda gal. She spoke to me at a time in life when I really needed her.
Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
Fellow Arkansan, Maya Angelou, posthumously. Can you teach us how to find our voices, as you found yours?
What’s your favorite thing about writing?
The escapism. I am always fully engulfed in the characters and their stories.
What is a typical day like for you?
I live on a small, rural acreage so, it’s early to rise, take care of the animals and, in the spring and summer, tend my beloved gardens. My stories are character driven so I set aside time to sit quietly, look out the window at my woodlands, and allow them to tell me their stories. Then I write. It’s not a daily occurrence, but, on the days they choose to speak to me, it is exhilarating.
What scene from Deadly Keyholes was your favorite to write?
Giving Dee Dee her just deserts.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man,” Shakespeare.
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