Breaking Ground by William Andrews

ABOUT THE BOOK
Julie Williamson is embroiled yet again in another mystery set at the Ryland Historical Society in western Maine. This time, a well-known benefactor is murdered on the morning of the ceremony to celebrate construction of an important new building. As she did in Stealing History, Julie, the historical society's puzzle-loving director, can't help but want to solve the murder, much to the dismay of those around her. From the familiar board of trustees to the tireless town police chief, to Julie's professor boyfriend, Andrews presents another suspenseful novel filled with Maine characters and history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
William D. Andrews is the former president of Westbrook College in Portland, Maine. Now a consultant, freelance editor, and writer, he divides his time between Newry and Portland, Maine, with his wife, Debby. Stealing History, the first Julie Williamson mystery, was his first novel.

EXCERPT
“Julie had no idea of the magnitude of the project, but everyone who talked about it implied it was a big deal. Who was at risk if it didn't go through? Apparently both Nilsson and Dyer, but Howard had said Dyer had a small part of it, except of course for the construction. OK, both men would gain something by making sure Mary Ellen didn't cancel the sale. That was motive. ”

AUTHOR Q and A
We asked author William Andrews to talk about his research and his inspirations.

Q: Has your main character, Julie Williamson, changed at all since your first book, Stealing History, and if so, how?
A: Julie's gotten more self-confident, more sure of herself, more willing to lead. This makes her a stronger director and more able to deal with the trustees and other Ryland people. But it has some implications for her relationship with Rich O'Brian that are touched on a bit in Breaking Ground and will become more apparent in the third book of the series.

Q: If Julie wasn't the director of a historical society what would she be?
A: A cop. She'd probably deny that and claim she's really an historian, but I think she's too interested in people to spend her time doing research about the past.

Q: Why/how did you decide to make old land deeds and property disputes the focus of this mystery?
A: As a student of colonial America, I've always been struck by the fact that much of our country's early life revolved around land and the effort, by both individuals and the government, to get more of it. That led to disputes and controversies since the first European settlers landed. So the role of land in Breaking Ground is really very typically American, and I like playing with that theme in the context of a contemporary murder mystery.

Q: Julie likes puzzles of all kinds. Do you?
A: The only conventional puzzles I try are the ones on NPR's "Car Talk," mainly because I like cars. The puzzle that interests me most is why people do what they do, so in that sense I'm like Julie – and anyone who tries to write fiction.

Q: Do any people you know turn up, or serve as an inspiration for, characters in Breaking Ground?
A: Some of my friends swear either they or someone they know are models for one or another character, but I can honestly say no single character is based on any single individual I know. The characters in Breaking Ground are composites, put together from traits and quirks I notice in various individuals. For example, some people I've worked with are convinced that Mrs. Detweiller, Julie's secretary, is "just like" so-and-so that we used to know, but she's really an amalgamation of characteristics from a number of folks, not all of them secretaries.

Q: Do you prefer reading fiction or nonfiction?
A: I prefer reading to not reading and devour both fiction and nonfiction with no preference for one type over the other. I like to have one fiction book and one nonfiction one going at the same time so I can move back and forth between them.

Q: What are you reading right now?
A: True to my habit of reading nonfiction and fiction at the same time, I've doing two books: Burstein and Isenberg's Madison and Jefferson, a joint biography/history about two major figures in American history I've never liked but feel I should learn more about; and Steve Martin's latest novel, An Object of Beauty, a funny tale about the commercial art world that shows both how interesting and how corrupt dealers are – Julie Williamson might have to look for a stolen painting in a future book.

Q: Who's your favorite mystery author?
A: Not fair! I read any mysteries I can, and even if I end up not liking one I always feel I learn something about how to present and solve mysteries. I especially like mysteries with a strong sense of place. For example, Archer Mayor gets Vermont just right; Lisa Scottoline knows Philadelphia, where I used to live; and Ian Rankin makes me feel I'm in Edinburgh, a favorite city. I hope my mysteries bring small-town Maine to life in a similar way because I think we're all deeply affected by where we live.

Q: Do you currently have any writing projects?
A: The third in the Julie Williamson series is half done, and completing it this year is my goal.

Q: What's your favorite Maine getaway?
A: Since I divide my time between two of the most gorgeous places on the planet – the Mahoosucs and Casco Bay – I don't feel I have to get away to anywhere, but when the urge strikes I'm always happy to head to Mount Desert Island.