An Interview with Verity Cade by Kathryn Johnson
Hi, everyone! I’m the author of the Haunted Farmhouse mystery series. Since the third novel in my series—Udderly Dead—will be released in next week, I wanted to ask Verity Cade, my amateur sleuth in these heartfelt, small-town stories, to join us for a chat.
KJ: Verity, a lot of exciting things have happened in Evansfield, Vermont since your first appearance in The Death of a Maven. You’ve lost a dear friend to murder, nearly been killed yourself, and tourists to your lovely farming town have become mysteriously involved in yet another impossible crime. I wonder how deeply these murders may have personally affected you.
VC: I must admit, dealing with murder has been shattering for all of us. For me, it’s meant stepping away from my dairy farm and assisting Sheriff Bailey with his investigations. Fortunately, I’ve had a lot of help from my friends uncovering the identity of the killers.
KJ: So, now your quaint New England town has returned to its usual peacefulness?
VC: I only wish. Like today, my cows seem unusually nervous. It’s made me suspicious and I was just starting into their pasture to investigate. Something tells me there may be an intruder on my property.
KJ: Oh dear. That doesn’t sound good. Ummm…if you don’t mind waiting to do that for a few minutes, perhaps we can talk about something a little more cheerful? I’ve heard rumors that you’ve been seen flirting with a very handsome man who isn’t from around here. Is romance brewing in your life?
VC: (Laughing) Oh, that’s just gossip. You know how small towns are. Every innocent conversation is turned into soap-opera drama!
KJ: Then there really is no one in your life to whom you’re attracted?
VC: Let’s just say that me ever falling in love again is unlikely. I mean, since my husband Mark passed a few years ago, I haven’t been interested in dating, even though my friends insist that it’s time. Besides, farming consumes so much of my life. I’m happy enough without a man in my life.
KJ: You really don’t want to someday find someone to love again? That would make me feel very sad for you.
VC: (Sighing) I’m just saying that Mark was…well, he was everything to me. I doubt I’ll ever feel that way for another man. I guess it’s just never occurred to me to search for another partner.
KJ: You know what they say…never say never. Alright, I have another rumor I’d like to talk about. A little bird has told me that your farm may be haunted.
VC: You’ve got to be kidding! (Verity laughs a little too hard.) I mean, really? Haunted? Like with spooky ghosts and ghouls and eerie sounds in the night?
KJ: They swear it’s true. A figure was seen in your parlor window. They said it looked like a man in an old-fashioned military uniform.
VC: Well, that’s just ridiculous.
KJ: And one of your close friends, Kate, told me that she’d seen a couple dressed in Victorian costumes at the Fourth of July fireworks. She said they appeared out of nowhere then disappeared just as suddenly. She was sure you’d seen them, too, and you appeared to know them.
VC: I’m sure she’s confused. They were probably re-enactors left over from the parade. Listen, wouldn’t you rather join me for a walk across my pasture to see what’s been spooking my cows instead of talking about ghosts?
KJ: Actually, Verity, I know what’s in your pasture. I’m your author, remember?
VC: Oh, right. Apologies. I didn’t mean to offend.
KJ: I’m not in the least offended. Our relationship must be a bit confusing to you. After all, I created you.
VC: True. Oh! Something just occurred to me. Since you create all the people in my stories, you know who will appear in the next book. What did you say it was called?
KJ: Udderly Dead.
VC: Such a strange title. (Verity rolls her eyes.) Anyway, I was thinking. If it’s true that you know who will show up in Evansfield in the future, you might be able to tell me more about the man you mentioned. The one I was rumored to be flir—I mean, talking with.
KJ: Well, I wouldn’t want to give away too much about what will happen to you in Book 3 of your series. But I don’t think it would hurt to mention that he is an FBI agent.
VC: Oh my!
KJ: And he’s definitely a heartbreaker in the looks department.
VC: I see. Then I definitely don’t want to get involved with anyone like that. Who needs a broken heart?
KJ: (smiling) I guess we’ll see.
Want to know more about Udderly Dead?
A body in the pasture. A killer on the loose. And Verity’s freedom on the line.
Verity Cade’s peaceful Vermont farmhouse turns into a crime scene when a stranger’s body is discovered in her cow pasture—and she becomes the prime suspect. With no alibi and the FBI swarming Evansfield, Verity’s world starts to unravel fast.
Sheriff Bailey’s been sidelined, her friends at EPI are under federal orders to stand down, and even her resident ghosts, Percy and Anna Louise, can’t intervene. With the walls closing in, Verity must decide how far she’ll go to clear her name—and whether chasing the truth will make her the next victim.
Heartfelt, witty, and steeped in small-town charm, Udderly Dead delivers all the trademark twists, humor, and haunted surprises that cozy mystery fans love in the Haunted Farmhouse Mysteries series.
Preorder it here: https://books2read.com/u/mZ9adl
Meet Kathryn Johnson:
Kathryn Johnson (aka Mary Hart Perry/Nicole Davidson) has authored over 40 thrilling mystery, suspense, and historical novels for adults and young readers. Her books have been nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award and won the Heart of Excellence and Bookseller’s Best Awards presented by the American Library Association.
Kathryn loves teaching the craft of fiction writing at The Writer’s Center (https://writer.org ), in the Washington, DC area, as well as throughout the world via live workshops on Zoom. She has developed seminars for and spoken at the Smithsonian Institute, Library of Congress, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and many regional writers’ conferences.
As the founder of a writer’s coaching and editorial service, https://KathrynJohnsonLLC.com , Kathryn is bursting with pride for her amazing author clients as they pursue their own publishing careers. Her nonfiction book, The Extreme Novelist is based on her popular 8-week course for fiction writers. https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Novelist-No-Time-Write-Drafting/dp/0692420835/
