So Over My Head by Jenny B. Jones

SO OVER MY HEAD

(A Charmed Life Novel)

by Jenny B. Jones

Commercial YA
Thomas Nelson Books
www.JennyBJones.com


5 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday, May 21, 2010!




About the Book:

Newly single, stalked by a killer, and in desperate need of some chic clown shoes--Bella is one skinny mocha frapp away from total meltdown.

When the Fritz Family Carnival makes its annual appearance in Truman, Bella's keen reporter instincts tell her the bright lights hide more than they reveal. Her suspicions are confirmed when one of the stars is murdered. Though the police make an immediate arrest, Bella doubts this case is quite that simple.

She needs her crime-solving boyfriend, Luke, more than ever. Problem is, his ex-girlfriend has moved back to town, giving Bella some murderous thoughts of her own. Then again, there's no time for a relationship crisis when Bella's doing her best to derail her father's wedding and stay one step ahead of a killer.

Is God sending her a message in all of this madness? With a murderer on the loose and her boyfriend's ex on the prowl, this undercover clown has never had more to juggle--or more to risk.





Read our Exclusive Interview with the Author!

1) How did you get the idea for the novel?

The series is basically Gossip Girl plus Vernoica Mars plus Green Acres plus WWE Smackdown. I was intrigued by the idea of what would happen if you took a Gossip Girl type of character and dropped her into rural Oklahoma. I gave her some sleuthing skills and a family very connected to professional wrestling and the series came to life. In book three, So Over My Head, Bella Kirkwood is doing some investigative reporting for the school paper when a murder occurs, and she finds the body. I loved the idea of a circus coming to town and Bella having to join it to get the scoop on the murder. She’s nosy like that. I’m crazy about contrasts, so I thought it would be a fun contrast to have this Betsey Johnson-wearing girl now in clown shoes and a rainbow wig. There is a traveling circus that comes to town every summer and stays for months, and that’s loosely what this is based on. Plus I think circus performers provide all sorts of fun characters.

2) If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be?

Oprah’s Favorite Things. I’m not stupid. Forget the book, just give me a new TV and a Prius!

3) What kind of research did you have to do to bring this story to life on the page?

I had to go visit WWE Smackdown, as Bella’s stepdad is a professional wrestler. I drug some friends along for that one. It was one weird night, but fun. Surprisingly, professional wresting matching are FULL of children in the audience. I also had to research the carnival and circus life a bit. One of the character’s is an aerialist, so I needed to dig around and find out about that life. And Bella Kirkwood is a fashionista, so I had to stay up on my subscription to InStyle. Especially since my fashion smarts consists of walking into Gap, locating a decent looking mannequin and buying whatever ensemble it’s wearing.

4) Who’s your favorite character in the book and why? Who was the most fun to write?

My favorite character of the book is a girl called Ruthie McGee, who desperately wants to be Bella’s crime-solving sidekick. She’s the daughter of a pastor, but definitely does NOT fit the stereotype. She’s into tattoos, dog collars, and dyes her hair in accordance with holidays and mood swings. Ruthie is pushy, outrageous, crazy, and will say anything. She was a lot of fun to write.

5) So Over My Head is a great title! Who came up with it? Was it the original title or did it change along the way?

It wasn’t the original title, but it was always an alternate. The original title was already on its way to being used by a writer friend of mine. We found this out late in the game and had to scramble for a new one. I think So Over My Head really sums up the book well though. In this book Bella finds a dead body and knows the case is not what it seems. So she takes it upon her teenage self to get to the bottom of it. This becomes a little problematic when she finds her own life at stake. It’s so hard to solve a murder mystery when someone is trying to kill you! And then her boyfriend’s ex has moved back into town causing major problems. And on top of that, Bella’s father is getting married to a woman who definitely has something to hide, and Bella has to formulate a fool-proof plan to bust up a wedding. It’s enough to frizz a girl’s hair and make you need some Clearasil. So without a doubt, Bella Kirkwood is in way over her Gucci heels.

About the Author:

Jenny B. Jones writes adult and YA Christian Fiction with equal parts wit, sass, and untamed hilarity. When she's not writing, she's living it up as a high school speech teacher in her hometown of Arkansas. Visit the author's website at: www.JennyBJones.com

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