Mabel Skinner sits down for a Q&A with dru’s book musings responding to twenty or more questions so that we can learn more about her. So, let’s get to know Mabel.
What is your full name?
Mabel Skinner
How old are you?
I’m in my thirties.
What is your profession?
I’m an app developer who has worked from home since before it became common, and now I also own a garlic farm, which I’m struggling to keep profitable so I don’t have to sell it to a non-farmer.
Do you have a significant other?
Sort of. Maybe. There’s this guy I didn’t trust at first, but he’s growing on me even though I’m a loner by nature.
What is their name and profession?
Charlie Durbin, residential real estate developer
Do you have any children?
No.
Do you have any siblings?
No.
Are your parents nearby?
No. They died in a work-related accident when I was a child, so my grandparents raised me. Sadly, they’re gone now too, and my last family member was my aunt, who died and left me her garlic farm.
Who is your best friend?
There are two: Rory Hansen, who runs the local Community Supported Agriculture program, and Emily Colter who owns the goat farm next door. They were friends of my aunt, and I inherited them along with the farm.
Do you have any pets?
I never had any until I moved to the farm, but now I have an orange housecat named Pixie who yowls to announce visitors. Not quite pets, but I also care for several barn cats, and the local animal control officer is always trying to convince me to take in more cats he can’t place elsewhere, and I usually agree, since it’s what my aunt would have done. Most recently, he convinced me to take in a pregnant feral cat until her kittens were born and weaned, and she could join the other adults in the barn.
What town do you live in?
West Slocum, Massachusetts (western part of the state)
Do you live in a small town or a big city?
Small town.
Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
Farmhouse that I inherited.
What is your favorite spot in your home?
The eat-in kitchen where I can work on my laptop, with Pixie nearby, surrounded by memories of my aunt and a great view of the farm.
Favorite meal and dessert?
For meals, I’m not fussy, as long as I don’t have to do the cooking. I mostly order take-out of whatever the special is at either of two local restaurants, Jeanne’s Country Diner and Maison Becker, which both buy garlic from me. My newly favorite dessert is cheesecake bars, which my goat-farmer neighbor makes with her goat cheese.
Do you have any hobbies?
Not unless you count my work as an app developer, which I love, but it always seems to take a back seat to the farm work. Mother Nature doesn’t care if I have a deadline to deliver an app.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
I’m too much of a home-body to travel much. Plus, the farm is so gorgeous, and I have some wonderful friends here, so I have everything I want right here.
What music do you listen to?
Anything except birdsong.
Do you have a favorite book?
I’ve been studying my aunt’s journals, trying to learn more about farming and what she wanted to accomplish with her property so I can carry on her legacy.
What is your idea of a really fun time?
It’s more a moment than a time, when things all come together and a problem is solved, whether it’s for an app design, finding new ways to ensure the farm’s sustainability, or figuring out who a killer is.
If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
From Digital to Physical, The Story of a Reluctant Farmer
Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur sleuth, with help from my friends, and a lot of obstruction from the local detective.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Get up as close to noon as possible, run errands and deal with the farm until dinner time, and then do my work as an app developer until three or four in the morning. That’s typical, but there are many days when the demands of the farm require me to get up at dawn (ugh), like when I tried to improve the sustainability of the farm’s income by renting out the lavender field for a wedding, and I had to be available to deal with problems early in the morning, on too little sleep. Even worse, they expected me to mingle with the guests. I’m not sure we’ll ever do that again, but I’ll undoubtedly try other things that don’t fit into my preferred schedule.
Rhubarb Pie Before You Die is the second book in the “Garlic Farm” cozy mystery series, released December 22, 2020.
Mabel’s hope of finding an enthusiastic farmer to buy Stinkin’ Stuff Farm is dying a little bit every day. So far, all she’s found are double-dealing developers. But after a heated dispute over grass clippings with an obsessive local rhubarb breeder, she discovers something even more distressing—the breeder in question undisputedly dead in his greenhouse. . .
Uncomfortably aware that she might be a prime suspect, Mabel stops digging in the dirt long enough to dig up more information about the dead man, and anyone else he might have argued with. The list is longer than she imagined, and includes a persnickety neighbor and a rival rhubarb breeder. With all the ingredients for a homegrown mystery, Mabel must unearth a killer—before the next plot to be dug is her grave. . .
About the author
Gin Jones is a retired lawyer who specialized in ghost-writing for other lawyers. She prefers to write her own books, though, since she doesn’t have to worry that her sense of humor might get her thrown into jail for contempt of court. In her spare time, Gin makes quilts, grows garlic, and advocates for patients with rare disorders.
All comments are welcomed.
I’m glad to discover this series! I farmed garlic myself for some years. Am off to buy the books.
yay
I’ve seen pix of your garlic on facebook, Edith! I grow it too, but I’m a terrible photographer, so the garlic in my pix come out looking like lumps of dirt.
Thanks Mabel for responding to my questions.