At this time of year I should be outside with my guests drinking Pimms on ice in the garden. We’ve had one or two sunny days recently, but nothing like the sunshine today’s guest is used to :)  Thanks for coming all the way to rainy Yorkshire, Jolie Pethtel! What a lovely name!

Where do you live, Jolie? I currently live in Indiana, but we’ve been trying to transfer back to Arizona. That’s where most of my family lives.

Where is your favourite place in the world? There’s a lot of places I would love to go, but as far as places I’ve been I’d say Sedona, Arizona is the most beautiful.

I hadn’t heard of Sedona before, so I looked it up. What a stunning landscape! Dramatic and rugged, and the colours are beautiful.

Being a writer is a great job.  What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? When I was a teenager I did surveys on the phone. Yeah, I was one of those people you dreaded getting a call from before caller ID.

What a nightmare job. I feel for you!

What book do you wish you’d written? I wish I’d written Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. People either love or hate it, but it was one of those rare cases where an author’s first novel just exploded into popularity and she ended up with a series everyone has heard of that ended up being turned into four blockbuster movies. Not bad for a first time author.

And it also provided E.L. James with the basis for the Fifty Shades of Grey fan fiction. Definitely not bad!

What’s your favourite song? That’s a tough one. What I listen to depends on my mood or what I’m writing. I like a lot of different genres of music from pop and alternative to new age. Lately, I’ve been listening to more top 40 stuff. Clarity by Zedd, Burn by Ellie Goulding, Counting Stars by One Republic and Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men. Though I’ve also been caught singing along to Fancy by Iggy Azalea in the car with my teenage daughter. I guess if I had to narrow it down, my favourite all time feel good song is You Make Me Feel by Cobra Starship.

Well, either I’m totally behind the times, or none of these are well known in the UK. I suspect the former! :)

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them? I suppose I should think of someone who has made a significant contribution to history, but I have a bit of a crush on Jensen Ackles, who plays Dean Winchester on Supernatural. I’ve watched all the seasons multiple times and I never get tired of it. As to what I would say, I can’t imagine. I’m married, so hitting on him is probably out of the question lol.

Haha! Maybe not a good idea:)

What’s your happiest childhood memory? We didn’t have a lot of money when I was a kid and my mother’s car didn’t even have a radio, but we used make up songs to sing on road trips. I guess kids were more easily entertained in those days before video games and computers.

Oh I can remember singing in the car, too. I still do!

If you had to marry a fictional character, from film, television, or books, who would it be? Dean Winchester from Supernatural. The character isn’t just sexy and willing to fight for what he believes in, but he’s funny, puts family first and isn’t afraid to show his vulnerable side. Rarely does a man embody all these qualities, which is probably why he’s a fictional character.

I’ve never seen Supernatural. Seems I’ve been missing out!

What’s the most important lesson life has taught you? Don’t put off your dreams because time has a way of slipping away from you. Go after what you want and don’t give up.

Time definitely does slip away, sadly. 

And finally, please tell us about your latest book, where we can find it, and where we can find your blog/website

My second book in the Jezebel Jinx Mystery Series, Poison Pens just came out on June 6^th from MuseItUp Publishing. It’s an unusual twist on a murder mystery weekend that will keep you guessing. It doesn’t just focus on a single character or murder, but all the secrets that tie each of these people together as victims and potential suspects. It’s like a mystery soap opera with a little romance and comedy thrown in. Right now there’s an introductory special for the new release and it’s available for half off if you get it from the MuseItUp Publishing website.

If you’d like to learn more about me or my books visit me at http://www.joliepethtel.com

Thank you for inviting me to be a guest on your blog, Helena!

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Thanks so much for coming, Jolie. I feel I’ve really learned a lot today. And I love the sound of Poison Pens, and the great cover!

If you have any questions for Jolie, or any comments at all, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!