Behind the story of The Moonshine Shack Murder

Diane Kelly is the author of over 30 novels and novellas, including the Death & Taxes, Paw Enforcement, and House Flipper mystery series. According to her bio, Diane writes stories that ‘feature feisty female lead characters and their furry, four-footed friends.‘ The Moonshine Shack Murder is the first in the Southern Homebrew Mystery series.

Women in business

Diane believes that many readers, in addition to wanting to be entertained, also like to learn something new while they’re reading, She said, “I try to include facts and history about the subject matter and settings that I found intriguing during my research for the book. I’m a big reader myself, and I like when books have some takeaway value in addition to being a fun read. When I write a book, I hope my readers learn some fun new things they didn’t know before.”

Diane said that when she wrote The Moonshine Shack Murder, she wanted to show how women can be successful in business by not only being smart, but by also seeking opportunities for cooperative promotion with other business owners. “There seems to be a myth that women aren’t as successful as men in business because they aren’t as aggressive or demanding, but a person doesn’t have to be aggressive to be successful. Assertive when necessary, yes. Aggressive, no. You catch more flies with honey, after all. Women are great at building relationships, and that’s often how their businesses grow and thrive. I’ve known many smart women with great leadership skills, and I love to write about those types of characters.”

Moonshine Shack Murder and the business of moonshine

“I lived in Nashville a few years ago,” Diane said. “When I first moved there, I was surprised to learn that moonshine was being produced commercially. I now live in North Carolina, and learned that moonshining played a big part in this state’s history as well. Moonshining spawned the auto racing industry when ‘shine runners had to soup up their cars and learn tricky maneuvers to outrun law enforcement. Because much of the nation’s moonshine was made in Appalachia, near where I’ve lived, it seemed like a fun way to bring the regions alive and explore the ins and outs of the industry and its history.

The outdoors and the muse

Diane said she likes to work outside as much as possible. “I love the outdoors and being in a relaxed environment makes me feel more creative. I always have a dog or two at my feet, or a cat or two by my side. I brainstorm with pen and paper before setting down at the computer to start a new book. I love long road trips, and I often take advantage of the uninterrupted time on the road to mentally plot out my books. I once submitted an outline to my editor in which a rhino would be stolen from a zoo. When I turned in the outline, I had no idea yet how I was going to pull it off. I mulled the matter over from Dallas to Albuquerque before I finally figured out how to do it. My muse seems to like traveling.”

Not-so-tough research

“The most enjoyable thing I’ve done in the name of research was sampling lots of moonshine! Another interesting thing I’ve done for research (for my Paw Enforcement series) was trying on a bite suit, which is used for training K-9s. The suit felt like wearing one those heavy protectors the dentist puts over your chest when they take X-rays, but wearing it all over your torso. It was heavy and hot, but impenetrable.”

Learn more about Diane Kelly at www.dianekelly.com. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.