Winona Mae Montgomery first appeared in Apple Cider Slaying and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Winona.


What is your full name?
Winona Mae Montgomery

How old are you?
28

What is your profession?
I own and operate a cider shop inside the historic Mail Pouch barn on my granny’s orchard.

Do you have a significant other?
No. But I’m a little sweet on the sheriff. When he’s not being impossible.

What is their name and profession?
Sheriff Colton Wise.

Do you have any children?
No.

Do you have any siblings?
No.

Are your parents nearby?
No. I was raised by my grandparents.

Who is your best friend?
Dot aka Dorothy Summers.

Do you have any pets?
I have two orange tabbies, Dolly & Kenny Rogers. Granny has a fainting goat named Boo.

What town do you live in?
Blossom Valley, West Virginia

Would you say you live in a small town or a big city?
Definitely a small town.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
I live in a renovated outbuilding at the orchard.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
I like my living room couch where I can curl up with Dolly and Kenny Rogers and read or enjoy the orchard view through my front window.

Favorite meal and dessert?
Swiss mushroom burgers and Hank’s mama’s dump cake.

Do you have any hobbies?
Creating new cider flavors

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains, so I’m not sure it gets much better than this.

What music do you listen to?
Country, especially classic country

Do you have a favorite book?
I have about a thousand favorites.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
A bonfire with friends, music and food.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Country to the Core

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Accidental. And I try to work alone, but Dot and Granny and her ladies like to get involved. Hank too. Sheriff Wise hates it.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I wake up early and help Granny with the orchard, however she needs, then I head over to the cider shop and set up for the day. If college is in session, I work on my studies between customers, though thank the good Lord I’ll graduate soon. I spend my evenings with Granny and friends, or out and about in my community. Occasionally that involves helping our new sheriff navigate the small, quirky town I love, but I don’t mind that one bit.


Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win one (1) print copy of Apple Cider Slaying, limited to U.S. residents. Giveaway ends May 1, 2020. Good luck everyone!


Pulp Friction is the second book in the “Cider Shop” cozy mystery series, released April 28, 2020.

Nothing’s sweeter than a fruitful family business, and for Winona Mae Montgomery and her Granny Smythe, that means Smythe Orchards in Blossom Valley, Virginia. But this year’s apple crop is especially juicy—with scandal . . .

SEEDS OF DANGER

Thanks to Winnie’s new cider shop, Smythe Orchards is out of the red and folks can get their fix of the produce and other delectable products they love all year round. The locals are even booking the shop for events, including a June wedding! Winnie couldn’t be happier to see the barn filled to the rafters for the big bash—until her doting ex, Hank, is caught in a heated argument with the groom. Winnie plans to scold Hank after the party, but spots him running off instead. And when the groom turns up dead, apparently hit by the honeymoon getaway car, Hank is the main suspect. Now Hank is on the lam, and it’s up to Winnie to get to the core of the truth—before the real killer puts the squeeze on her . . .

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About the author
Julie Anne Lindsey is an award-winning and bestselling author of mystery and romantic suspense. She’s published more than thirty novels since her debut in 2013 and currently writes series as herself, as well as under multiple pen names, for Harlequin, Kensington, Sourcebooks and Crooked Lane Books. When she’s not writing the stories that keep her up at night, Julie stays busy in Ohio with her husband and three amazing kids. Today she hopes to make someone smile. One day she plans to change the world. Learn more about Julie at julieannelindsey.com.

All comments are welcomed.