Christina Estes

Welcome, friend! I am so excited to bring you this conversation with Christina Estes, author of Jolene Garcia Mysteries, the latest of which The Story That Wouldn’t Die I shared about in my last post. If you are interested in the intricacies of local news, check out this one! Let’s welcome Christina and learn about the book.

Get to know the author: Christina Estes

Hi Christina! Welcome to Armed with a Book. To start us off, can you introduce yourself to our readers? 

Thank you for inviting me, Kriti!  I spent more than twenty years working for different TV and radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. My career inspired my mystery series, which began with Off the Air, winner of the Tony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Set in the Southwest and a Good Morning America Buzz Pick. 

This is the second Jolene Garcia mystery. How did you approach writing this one so that new readers could jump in without having read Off the Air?

I love series and it’s not unusual for me to start with the second, third, or fourth book. Being able to read a book out of order without feeling left out is something I appreciate as a reader and focused hard to accomplish as a writer. There are a couple references to Off the Air in the sequel, but The Story That Wouldn’t Die is a very different story, and I’m proud that readers have found it can be easily read as a standalone.

Jolene’s gut tells her there’s more to the story, even when her bosses push her to drop it. Do you think most reporters have that kind of “sixth sense”?

Good reporters are curious and persistent. Those traits can often lead to increased perception or feeling like there’s more to the story than what they’re being told. In The Story That Wouldn’t Die, Jolene also connects strongly with someone she briefly met and, when something happens to him, that connection propels her to keep digging.

The book’s pacing is fast, yet there’s plenty of humor. How do you balance suspense with Jolene’s wit? 

I never set out to write humor—it seemed to happen naturally. I think it’s because journalism can be a strange and stressful environment. Between the industry’s financial instability, the pressures of social media, and daily deadlines, the experiences often lead to funny comments and intense interactions.

Jolene is sarcastic, determined, and deeply compassionate. Which of those traits came first when you were creating her? 

Kriti, you ask such insightful questions! For me, Jolene’s determination and compassion come first. For some readers, it’s her sarcasm. I never considered Jolene as particularly sarcastic until readers told me—and it kind of caught me off guard. Writing Jolene’s verbal zingers without realizing they were especially sarcastic gives you an idea of how working in newsrooms affected me -lol!

Without spoiling anything, was there a scene in this book that was particularly hard to write — either emotionally or in terms of getting the details right?

Yes! I cried writing the last scene. I can’t say anymore without spoiling it.

You’ve worked in Phoenix news for decades. What do you think readers would be most surprised to learn about life in a local newsroom?

I think most people would be surprised at the small staff and limited resources in local news operations. 

How much of your own personality or experiences as a reporter slips into Jolene?

Jolene is definitely inspired by my experiences, both as a veteran reporter and former foster parent. Like Jolene, I grew up in the Midwest and arrived in Phoenix feeling like a fish out of water. At the time, the Phoenix market was full of reporters who had more experience and were more sophisticated than me—especially the ones from southern California who seemed effortlessly cool. I can call on those memories when writing Jolene’s feelings and reaction in different situations. 

The rivalry between Jolene and JJ is delicious to read. How much of that competitive streak have you seen firsthand in real-life reporting?

Delicious is a wonderful description – thank you! JJ is a composite of reporters I met early in my career in Phoenix. Did I mention I felt insecure then? 😊 I have two specific experiences that prompted me to create JJ’s character. I won’t detail them because I don’t want to inadvertently ‘out’ anyone, but I will say I can laugh about the experiences now because I’m older, wiser and much more confident in my abilities and secure in my own skin.

Social media plays a big role in modern journalism. How does it change the way a mystery like this unfolds compared to 20 years ago?

Social media has dramatically changed local reporting compared to 20 years ago. Pre-social media, people watched local news on TV and checked websites. Today, few people turn on the TV at set times to catch local newscasts and traffic for many websites has also decreased. With fewer people watching newscasts, commercial revenue for local news operations have dropped dramatically. Since local newsrooms are unable to increase ratings, they have cut costs—again and again, which is why I think people would be surprised at how few resources there are in local news. 

Pre-social media, there was more distance between local news employees and their audiences. By that I mean, twenty years ago, you weren’t watching videos or viewing photos of your local TV news reporters’ weekend activities or favorite foods. Some argue that certain non-journalism posts harm the reputation of journalism, while others argue it can help people feel more connected to journalists.

When it comes to investigating someone, social media platforms are often the first place to look. With people publicly sharing so much personal information, it can sometimes make a reporter’s job easier to find people and request interviews or learn more about them and their contacts.

Jolene interacts with an incredible range of people in the city. Was it challenging to juggle such a large cast while keeping the mystery clear? 

One of the challenges of writing a “whodunit” and “whydunit” is developing a realistic cast of characters without overwhelming the reader. My editor, Madeline Houpt, gave me amazing advice, which I hadn’t thought of as a writer, but now I catch it as a reader and boy, do I appreciate it! She told me to remind readers of who the character is and why’re they’re in the story. For example, if a character named Kriti is introduced at a bookstore in Chapter 2 and doesn’t appear again for several chapters, the reader needs a brief refresher. As my brilliant editor told me, very few readers read an entire book in one sitting—sometimes there are days, weeks or longer periods between reading.

Jolene spends a lot of time in the field, eating on the run, chasing leads — what’s her go-to comfort food after a long day?

Jolene is always up for chips and salsa! In The Story That Wouldn’t Die, when she’s feeling a bit worn down Jolene finds comfort with carne asada fries. 

How do you decide which real Phoenix landmarks to weave into your fiction?

When it comes to real businesses, they all have special meaning to me—either they’re places I was introduced to by news colleagues or I admire how they support the community. For example, I’ve been eating at Miracle Mile Deli and Haji Babi for more than twenty years. Here’s a fun fact: Luana’s Coffee and Bar created a secret menu item based on a scene in The Story That Wouldn’t Die! 

As for landmarks like the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center and South Mountain Park, they come up because of where the story takes Jolene. One of Phoenix’s most iconic images is Camelback Mountain and I’m thrilled my publisher, Minotaur Books, included the image on the cover.

What’s one tiny, easily-missed detail in your book that you secretly hope readers notice?

Oh, what a great question! There is a major Easter egg (hidden detail) for hardcore fans of Murder, She Wrote. I can’t wait for someone to spot it!

I’m curious what does undercover gear include?

For Jolene’s undercover assignment, I relied on my experience. I carried a purse with a recorder inside that I would start and stop, and a tiny camera hidden inside a pen that I clipped to the outside of the purse. I could record different angles by moving the purse around.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

It took 15 years from the day I said, “I’m going to write a book!” to the day I was published and I take no kind word or gesture for granted. Thank you for reading The Story That Wouldn’t Die and helping spread the word!

Your’re welcome! It’s been a pleasure to connect with you. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me and share with my readers.

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I hope you will check out The Story That Wouldn’t Die on Goodreads and read my review on the blog.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books for connecting me with the author and giving me a chance to highlight this book on my blog in exchange for an honest review. 🙂

Thank you for reading the interview! 🙂 See you tomorrow!