Small Town Characters
This is why I decided to make a small town the scene of my Jorja Matthews mystery series. It may be why many mystery writers do so. I am a small-town girl so it is easier for me to write about small-town living, but I also enjoy writing about the small-town characters. While it is far-fetched to believe crimes happen on a regular basis in any small town, you have to take into account the fact that this is fiction. And there are many of us who absolutely love an enjoyable story with a believable character who lets you tag along as he or she investigates a mystery.
Of course, no one should be without a BFF so we move on to Taylor Bishop. She is a barista who is strong willed and loves to argue to prove her point, she is impulsive and sometimes impatient, she enjoys playing tricks and scaring others, she loves vampire movies and hates spiders, and she has a cat named Bella (go figure). She also dresses according to mood and would do anything for her best friend. Taylor plays devil’s advocate with Jorja but is also very supportive of whatever Jorja decides to take on, even if she’s not able to hide her concern for her friend.
Other characters include Chief Douglas, the gruff, no-nonsense Chief of Police and his front desk clerk, Betsy; Jim Cooper, who is Sandra’s brother and a police officer from a neighboring town; Nurse Willows, who holds more secrets than even she realizes; Cheryl, a county records clerk who assists Jorja on a case they will soon discover is much more than meets the eye; and Ruth, Jorja’s best friend from high school, who became a missionary, moved away and then returned to town with her husband, Pastor Pete, and their baby.
These are characters you will get to know when you read No Mother of Mine and many of them will continue on throughout the Jorja Matthews mystery series. I have made every effort to make them feel, sound and appear as real as someone you might just happen to meet on any given day and I hope you enjoy meeting them and look forward to reading more about them as the series continues.