Psychic psychologist Marnie Reilly is an open book once you get to know her, but she doesn’t give away her secrets to just anyone. I’m surprised every day as new quirks emerge and things about her past bubble to the surface and explode on the page.
As the main character and protagonist of the Marnie Reilly Mysteries series, she has to be interesting, complex, and deep to keep people coming back for more. Now, likeable is a word I could have included in that list of character traits, but didn’t because not everyone enjoys her company. And believe it or not, she doesn’t care if she’s the most popular gal in Creekwood. People talk behind her back and she’s not bothered. Ms. Reilly is the talk of the town in gossiper’s circles and at the Creekwood Police Department. What has them talking? Her family’s tragic past, her brother’s shenanigans, and how trouble seems to find her no matter where she calls home. And by trouble, I mean murder.
Nearly a year on from the explosive conclusion of Fatal Vow, Marnie’s still healing—emotionally and physically but she agreed to have a chat, answer some questions, and throw her special brand of sass my way.
Marnie Reilly Character Profile
Q: What’s your full name?
A: Marnie Sophia Reilly
Q: How old are you?
A: Mind your business.
Q: When’s your birthday?
A: December 12th
Q: Where were you born?
A: Creekwood, New York in the Adirondack Mountains.
Q: Are you a main character?
A: Uh. Yeah. The series is called Marnie Reilly Mysteries.
Q: Do you have any nicknames?
A: Marn. Good Witch of the North. Madame Séance, Ghost Girl, and Squirt. Don’t ask!
Q: Do you have a catchphrase?
A: I don’t think so. But I should. Danny has, “Is that right?” Tom has, “I’m starving!” Even Tater and Dickens have grumbles and mumbles, and I have nothing. Shari needs to do better.
Q: What do you do for work/career?
A: I’m a psychologist.
Q: Without giving anything away, do you have scars? Physical or emotional?
A: Loads! One around my neck following a violent relationship. There’s the one over my left eye—that’s when Danny and I fell on the ice and I hit my head on his knee. Boy! Did I have fun making him feel bad about that! Umm … There’s one on my left brow bone, too. Geez! I fell on a rock when my best friend, Tom Keller, and I were running away from a “monster” when we were kids. My right thigh has a pretty nasty stitch-line. I fell on a broken Mason jar when … I won’t go into it. We don’t want any spoilers, do we? Let me make this quick. Shoulder, knee, side of my face, elbow … you name a body part, I’ve got a scar.
And you asked about emotional scars too, yeah? How much time have you got?
Q: What do you know about your backstory so far?
A: I was born and raised in Creekwood. Graduated from high school and went off to college, where I earned a business degree. College life was great. My childhood friend Tom Keller was there too. He double majored in criminal justice and police science. It’s probably not worth mentioning, but we had a … uh … a moment—we kissed once, but it was awkward, and we both decided we’re better off as friends.
Okay. Where was I? Oh, yeah! Right before I graduated, a software firm in DC offered me a brilliant opportunity, so I went to work there. I dated a guy for a while, but it didn’t work out. He was secretive and would disappear for weeks on end without a word. Bit of an ass, really. Arrogance personified. *rolls eyes*
Anyway, I moved home after Mom was killed. But I can’t reveal by whom. It’s a spoiler. If I’m being honest, I settled again in Creekwood because living in a big city wasn’t where I wanted to be, and home with Dad made me feel safe.
What did I do for work, you ask? My father had a carpentry and furniture business, and I helped with the marketing, accounting, and scheduling. After about a year of living with Dad, I did the grown-up thing, and I bought a house down the street from him, fixed it up and sold it when I moved in with Ken Wilder. Dad and I argued about it because he never liked Ken. Tom didn’t care for him either. You’d think I could have seen what a future with Mr. Wilder would hold, but I didn’t. Umm … my father died in a boating accident. Things deteriorated in my relationship, and I moved out of Ken’s house and into my childhood home.
Hang on! I haven’t mentioned my brother, Sam. He was an FBI agent and a building he was investigating blew up. So, you could say I live in a world filled with ghosts. You can take that in the literal sense because I am clairvoyant. I see, hear, and feel spirits and speak with them, too.
Let’s see. What else? Oh, yeah. After all the deaths and troubles with Ken, I went to a psychiatrist named Carl Parkins who introduced me to The Collective. After spending time with them, I went back to school and got a degree in psychology.
That brings us to where Marnie Reilly Mysteries Book 1: Divine Guidance picks up. Full disclosure: I left out some details because I don’t want to give away too much.
Q: Describe where you live?
A: Wild Creek Ranch is my little slice of heaven—or hell, depending on the day. It’s a beautiful ranch just outside of Creekwood in an area locals call Spooky Hollow because the Founders’ Cemetery is close by. It’s over five-hundred acres and some sections are woods, which is lovely during the day, but not so much at night. I know nothing about agriculture, but I am learning every day. Besides, when I bought the ranch, the previous employees stayed to help manage the property. Thank goodness!
Q: How many stories have you been in?
A: So, I’ve been in three books Divine Guidance, Torn Veil, and Fatal Vow. There’s a fourth book coming out this year, but I can’t tell you the title. Shari would kill me! Uh … I’ve also featured in a few short stories: The Island, Christmas Eve in Creekwood, Friday the 13th, and three or four others that don’t have names—they just sit there on Shari’s hard-drive and three backups, not being read. *rolls eyes*
Q: Plans for future stories?
A: I am not at liberty to say.
Q: As a character, who is your favorite character in your stories?
A: Really? Are you trying to get me in trouble?
Q: Do you have superpowers or defining traits you’d like to share?
A: Well, we’ve already covered my clairvoyance. I’ve studied martial arts, but I’m out of practice. Does being a smart-ass count? Ha! Ha!
Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
A: Flying! Or teleportation. Oh! Time travel! Can I have all three?
Q: Are you a good guy/gal or a bad guy/gal?
A: Hehe. That depends on who you ask.
Q: Any archenemies you can tell us about?
A: Loads! But I can’t say. SPOILERS!
Q: How about a love interest? Do you have a significant other?
A: This is a bit of a spoiler, but Detective Danny Gregg and I are an item.
Q: Do you have any phobias?
A: Claustrophobia. I hate closed spaces. It stems from childhood. Have you read the short story The Island at the end of Fatal Vow?
Q: Do you ever lie? Or are you always truthful?
A: Uh … I’ve told a white lie or two. But in my defense, it’s always to protect someone.
Q: Do you have a best friend? If so, could you tell us about them? Their traits?
A: Tom Keller. What can I say? There will never, ever be anyone like him in my life. Geez! I can’t do this right now. Sorry. *Eyes brim with tears—reaches for tissue*
Q: Do you have a pet?
A: Two gorgeous Border Collies named Tater and Dickens. They are the smartest … well, Tater is highly intelligent. Dickens is still in training. He’s a goofball. Ha! Ha! Don’t get me wrong. Tater gets into mischief too, but he was much easier to train. Gus, my best friend Tom’s black Lab, has been living with us since July. His folks couldn’t take him because they travel a lot. Anyway, if you haven’t read Fatal Vow, you won’t know what I’m talking about. Best if I leave it there.
Back to pets. Elk and Arnie manage the ranch for me and they get miffed when I name the livestock. It’s okay if they do it, but they say I’m not allowed because I’ll get attached or give them a stupid name. Just the other day, I named our new bull Buford, and both razzed me. I think Buford is a fine name for a bull, don’t you?
I’ve named three of the horses: Harry, Ed, and Lucy. Harry escapes often, so we’ve got a Houdini thing going there. Ed looks like Mr. Ed and Lucy has reddish hair. I’ve not named the other two horses because they belonged to the Billingsly family and they are called Minnie and Moe. I’ll get to the cows, goats, chickens, and geese in time.
Two Clydesdales are arriving next week. I haven’t named them yet, but I will once I meet them. In case you’re wondering, we need them to plow the organic veggie patch we’re putting in next spring. It’s a part of veterans’ mental health and wellness center we are slowly opening here on Wild Creek Ranch. Yeah. It’s taking longer than expected, but we’re getting there.
Q: Name three things you love.
A: Animals, food, family/friends. Not specifically in that order.
Q: Name three things you loathe.
A: Charlatans, bullies, and reporters.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: Give me a good, rare steak any day of the week. And pizza. I love pizza. Thin crust, pepperoni, mushrooms, and Italian sausage.
Q: What music do you like?
A: Most of it. Classic rock, classical, swing, jazz … Country, but none of that pop crap that says its country and clearly is not. My taste is eclectic, and it also depends on my mood. But isn’t that true for many?
Q: If you had a theme song, what would it be?
A: Hmm … Considering the crap that’s gone down in Creekwood, how about the theme from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? You know the one, right? I hear it in my head sometimes when a situation feels uncomfortable.
Q: Do you like to read? What sort of books?
A: Mysteries, psychological thrillers, poetry, and recipe books. I’ve read all of Sue Grafton’s books because everyone says I remind them of Kinsey Millhone. Agriculture is a great topic of interest, too. And of course, I read anything and everything related to the field of psychology.
Q: Do you drive? If so, what type of vehicle do you have? Or do you walk? Take public transportation?
A: I love walking through the fields and along the creek, but I’m still healing from … Uh … Anyway. Right now, I’m driving Danny’s old Jeep Cherokee. But I bought myself a new Jeep Wrangler last year. It’s a 5-speed and I can’t manage manual after the explo … Shoot! That’s a spoiler, too. Anyway. Danny and I have swapped cars for a few months.
Q: What’s the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?
A: Mom and Dad dancing together.
Q: What’s the most horrendous thing you have ever seen?
A: That horrid scene of my mom … How the killer left her … I can’t talk about it. Even now, so many years later, the taste of adrenalin seeps into my mouth and, well, I’m a psychologist and even I can’t get that image out of my head.
Q: Does your author make you do stupid things? If so, would you like to share an example?
A: Tcha! You have no idea! She does writing challenges and ropes all of us into her delusions.
Q: If you could visit a fictional place, other than our own, where would you go?
A: Between you and me, it would be nice to get away for a while. Creekwood isn’t the cozy town some imagine. Anyway. Matar and Vue in the Empire would be fun. That’s TL Brown’s fictional world in the Bellerose Witchline series and Door to Door Mystery series. I would love to get to know Lucie Bellerose, Emily Swift, Templeton, and Rabbit.
I think it would be nice to visit Louise Penny’s Three Pines, too. Like Creekwood, it’s not as idyllic as it appears, but the people are lovely.
Q: Are there other fictional characters you would like to meet?
A: I do believe Kinsey Millhone and I would get on like a house on fire. Michael Connolly’s Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller would be interesting. I think Lee Child’s Jack Reacher would be a good friend to have too. Gosh! There are so many! Oh! And Ruth Zardo from Louise Penny’s Gamache series would be a hoot, don’t you think? So much wisdom, pain, and irreverence. A conversation with the poet would be amazing. Of course, I would bring my swear jar along to that tête-à-tête.
Q: Do you ever worry that your author will kill you off?
A: *sigh* There was a time when I didn’t think so, but after last year, I am not sure. She’s unpredictable.
Would the author like to comment on any of the character’s answers?
A: Marnie does have a catchphrase—or two. In fact, she used one in this interview: “In my defense…” is her go to when she does something she shouldn’t have. And who can forget, “Here comes the storm.” That caution is woven into each story. Will it be in Book 4? What do you think?😏
Stay tuned for an interview with Lucie Bellerose from Writer TL (Tracy) Brown’s Bellerose Witchline series. If you missed my Indie Author Chat with Tracy, check it out here: https://sharitmitchell.com/2024/05/29/indie-author-chat-with-tl-brown/
Indie Author Chat returns on July 3rd with Jennifer Brasington-Crowley, author, illustrator, and Slytherin.
And if you have just discovered the Marnie Reilly Mysteries series, click the link to be taken to my Amazon page for more information.
As always, feel free to leave comments or ask me questions. I will respond as quickly as possible.
Thanks so much for spending time with me. See you soon! 👋