Welcome to Where Everybody Knows Your... Alibi— where we get to know the fictional towns we’d happily move to... if they didn’t have such a suspicious
body count (but does that really matter?).
This month, we’re heading to Virginia to chat with the fabulous Heather Weidner—a woman who knows her way around a mystery, a small town, and, perhaps most importantly, a perfectly timed meme.
Heather is the author of not one, not two, but four cozy mystery series: the Pearly Girls Mysteries, Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. (Meanwhile, some of us are feeling accomplished when we remember why we walked into a room.)
Her short stories have appeared in numerous mystery anthologies. She’s also contributed nonfiction works and blogs regularly with Writers Who Kill, as well as her own fantastic blog on her website!
And if you follow Heather on social media, you already know she holds another very important title: Queen of Memes. Seriously. The woman can find a meme for anything. Writing deadline? Meme. Murder? Meme. Author life spiraling out of control? Oh, she’s got you covered.
So grab a coffee and let’s head to Fern Valley, Virginia, home of Jules Keene and her Glamping resort, and chat with the always delightful Heather Weidner.
Hello, Heather! Just the name “Fern Valley, Virginia” makes me want to pull up a rocking chair with a sweet tea. What’s the first thing a newcomer learns quickly about this town?
Fern Valley is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia near Charlottesville. It’s a quaint town with an active business council that strives to bring new events and businesses to the area, while preserving its traditional small-town roots. Many of the townspeople are quite vocal, and anyone who is in town for more than twenty minutes learns that it has a very active gossip grapevine.
It wouldn’t be a normal small town without that gossip grapevine! So who unofficially runs the town, and do they know it?
The town council officially runs the town; however, there are a few locals who think they actually do. One is Elaine James, owner of the Birds and Bees nature store and past president of the town’s business council. Another is J. P. Gross, who owns several businesses in town, and he thinks that qualifies him to tell everyone else what to do. Jules’s chubby Jack Russell Terrier, Bijou, thinks she runs Jules’s resort.
Well, of course, Bijou is in charge! LOL!
Who would absolutely notice if something—or someone—was out of place?
Fern Valley has a gossip mill that is faster than high-speed internet. Stories in this town and news of strangers spread like wildfire. Jules’s Aunt Roxanne is plugged into the chatter, as well as the gals down at the beauty shop, Elaine James (owner of the Birds and Bees Nature shop), Lester Branch (Jules’s groundskeeper who always keeps one ear to the police scanner), and Jane “the Pain,” the town’s intrepid entertainment reporter.
What’s the most beloved comfort food in town—and who makes it best?
That would be a tie. Fern Valley has two establishments that have been around since everyone can remember. The first is Pop’s Diner, and it is a traditional silver diner that has been expanded by the string of Pops who have owned the restaurant. It houses a massive music memorabilia collection, and everyone who visits is immediately transported back to the soda shops of the nineteen fifties, “Happy Days,” and Grease. Pop’s has been the place to go after high school football and basketball games. The other is Lula Belle’s lunch counter. A new couple to town (even though they’ve been around for about ten years) bought the establishment from the original owner who specialized in giant homemade sandwiches, salad sandwiches (egg, potato, and pimiento), and strawberry lemonade.
Note to self: plan trip to Fern Valley... pack poodle skirt...
Where would I go to spend a lovely day reading a good book?
Jules Keene themes all of her restored vintage trailers, and many of them have author or book themes. She and Jake (her boyfriend) also have a village of tiny houses where guests can stay. These are all themed for authors: Beatrix Potter, A. A. Milne, Brahm Stoker, J. K. Rowling, and L. Frank Baum. The Harry Potter house has a tiny reading nook under the staircase, and the Wizard of Oz one has a revolving bookcase. Jules put black, white, and gray books on one side, and brightly colored ones on the other in homage to the 1939 film that changed to Technicolor in Oz. The Winnie the Pooh house is really a treehouse that has the best 360-degree view of the mountains from its porch.
Oh my literary heart! I don’t know how I’d pick. I guess I’d have to make multiple trips... oh, well!
What tradition would confuse outsiders but is perfectly normal to locals?
Some of the Southern expressions or idioms would make outsiders scratch their heads. “Bless Your Heart” sounds lovely, but it really is an insult that means something like, “Awww. He’s as dumb as a bag of rocks and doesn’t know it.) Here are some more fun ones:
• He’s getting too big for his britches. (His ego is way too big.)
• She is a steel magnolia or whiskey in a teacup. (She may look sweet and innocent, but don’t ever underestimate her. She will cut you off at the knees.)
• She’s madder than a wet hen. (Hens do not like to be splashed with cold water, a way that supposedly causes them lay eggs.)
• He thinks the sun comes up just to hear him crow. (He’s egotistical and thinks the world revolves around him.)
• If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch. (If you can’t keep up, don’t try.)
• My back teeth are floatin’. (Excuse me. I need a restroom break.)
• Fish or cut bait. (Stop talking and do something.)
Haha! I love those!
Is there someone who always finds themselves in the middle of the town’s shenanigans?
Jules Keene, owner of the Fern Valley Camping Resort, often finds herself in the middle of all kinds of situations (including multiple murders, many of which happened on her property). And the town’s community news reporter, Jane “the Pain,” seeks out gossip and shenanigans in her quest for the next best story.
Which season defines this town, and why?
There is something beautiful happening in every season in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Nature lovers appreciate spring and autumn with all the bursts of seasonal color. And there are so many things to do outside in the summer and winter months.
I bet it’s absolutely stunning!
If the town had a motto, what would it be?
Fern Valley, mountain-life at its finest. (Also a place where everyone knows your business.)
What would locals say is the best thing about living here?
Everyone loves the quaintness of the town, the slower pace of life, and the people. While some may be nosy and in everyone’s business, they all have hearts of gold and would do anything to help a neighbor.
That sounds like a lovely place to be!
Thank you, Heather, for a glimpse into life in Fern Valley, Virginia. Heather’s newest book in the Jules Keene Glamping series—HAZARDOUS LINKS AND HIJINKS comes out this November!
Pros, duffers, and crazed fans have descended on the tiny Blue Ridge Mountain town for Fern Valley’s inaugural Pro-Am golf tournament. Glamping resort owner, Jules Keene, and her team are trying to stay below par and keep up with all the guest check-ins and peculiar requests. Then, if that wasn’t enough chaos, Jules’s ex-husband, sportswriter Rick Benson, a.k.a. the Idiot, arrives unannounced with demands of his own.
Tragedy strikes when one of the professional golfers is found dead at the bottom of a cliff near the second hole. The Idiot is arrested for the gruesome murder, and Jules feels compelled to help him clear his name because this is probably the one and only time her ex wasn’t lying.
In HAZARDOUS LINKS AND HIJINKS, Jules is thrust into a world of high stakes and even bigger risks, and she needs to solve the murder before the Idiot is put away for good and the loss of the tournament revenue devastates the local economy.
Heather Weidner writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries.
Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.
She is a member of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, Sisters in Crime – Chessie, Sisters in Crime - Grand Canyon Writers, Guppies, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers, and she blogs regularly with the Writers Who Kill.
Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and crazy, adventurous dog.
She earned her BA in English from Virginia Wesleyan University and her MA in American literature from the University of Richmond. Through the years, she has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager.
Annie McEwen writes the Northwoods Mysteries, inspired by the pine forests and sparkling lakes of northern Wisconsin, where she spent childhood vacations and still visits family today.
A former farm kid, Annie now lives in rural Indiana with her husband. Their children and two young grandsons live nearby, making grandparenting her favorite role. Their home also includes four fur babies—two of whom appear in her books.
When she isn’t writing, Annie enjoys trash-to-treasure projects, gardening, working as a radiological technologist, and connecting with readers and fellow authors.
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