The more memorable experiences all involve crime scenes. Most of the dead bodies I saw were under tarps. The worst was if the body under the tarp was small because you knew it had to be a child. That was more upsetting than seeing an uncovered adult body.
Lilly isn’t the only female character in a male-dominated field in this book. Was this a conscious decision on your part? What appeals to you about strong female characters like Lilly and Firefighter Bell?
I decided that Lilly needed a friend—someone who she didn’t supervise and someone closer to her own age than Leanore. When I was doing research into wildfires I came across an article about how difficult it was for women to become firefighters. It’s a grueling process with physical requirements that many of the strongest men fail. The women who do make it often have to take the test several times. I had a flash that a woman with that kind of determination and discipline was the perfect friend for Lilly. I hope Bell will be a recurring character.
Throughout the novel, Lilly struggles to keep part of her past a secret from Rod. When he finally finds out the truth, he doesn’t respond the way Lilly expected. Was this what you planned all along, or did his reaction surprise you as well? What were you saying to readers with this choice?
I always planned that Rod wouldn’t be bothered by Lilly’s past. His character is very accepting of other people because he craves that in return. What I didn’t expect was that he would make the joke about the salamanders and lizards. That came to me as I was writing the scene. I was also surprised by Lilly’s reaction. I think she’s a little annoyed with his almost unconditional acceptance because she genuinely believes that actions have consequences. Later, when she runs into Cathy who’s become a pariah after making offensive comments on TV, Lilly feels compassion for her and better understands Rod’s viewpoint. She even repeats to Cathy what Rod had said to her.
How do you think Lilly has evolved as a character since your first novel? Was this evolution deliberate or do you feel like your characters take on lives of their own?
Lilly is more in control of how she appears. She’s a little better at holding back what she’s thinking and feeling, which is part of gaining maturity and discipline. Her worldview has also become more nuanced and she has much better relationships with other people.
All that was planned. What was a surprise is that Lilly is a little sad about those changes. Lilly looks at the young intern Cathy who, although impetuous and unwise, has a purity and truth to her. Then she looks at Ceasonne Polignac who has the wisdom and self-control of age, but is tired and full of regret. Lilly worries that by finally growing up she’s sacrificing something in herself that’s honest and strong. She also sees what happened to Jessica Egan, and how she began to compromise, and this frightens her as well.
Social media like Facebook and Twitter also play a role in Hot, Shot, and Bothered. Are you active in social media? How do you feel about social media in general? What do you think about its influence on our world today, particularly where the news is concerned?
It’s funny, but when I originally wrote A Bad Day’s Work I made Lilly twenty-four years old. My editor felt that Lilly wasn’t credible as a person in her early twenties because she didn’t use enough social media. In particular she didn’t send text messages or Tweets from her cell phone. My editor was right and I changed her age to thirty-one before publication.
But in a very short time the world has changed. Tweeting, YouTube, Facebook, and other social media aren’t just for young people anymore. Everyone has a cell phone with them at all times. My ninety-one year old grandmother has a Facebook account. Whether it’s GPS, e-mails, or status updates, everyone is logged in somewhere.
This has sped up our access to everything. Word of mouth can spread in minutes. Videos go viral and rack up enormous hits overnight. We all have access to first-hand accounts of disasters and revolutions as they’re happening. The danger is that there’s no filter. No one is fact checking. No one is corroborating stories.
What can we expect from the next book in the Lilly Hawkins trilogy?
Lilly’s Uncle Bud has always been a bit of a shady character. In the third book, something from his past comes violently back to haunt him. As Lilly tries to uncover the truth and protect Bud, she becomes the target of a killer who wants to keep his own secrets buried.
ENHANCE YOUR BOOK CLUB
1. Jessica was a staunch animal rights activist and she lived her life as best she could in support of her beliefs, even to the point of changing her diet. For your next book club meeting, plan a potluck and have everyone make and bring a vegan dish (and the recipe) to share. Discuss in your group reasons why animal rights activists and devotees may choose to live a vegan lifestyle.
2. Lilly sees the world through the lens of her camera and the filter of what is newsworthy. Try looking at the world through Lilly’s eyes. Take out your video camera or cell phone and see what (real or imagined) stories you can stumble on. How did looking through the lens of a video camera change how you saw your neighborhood? What did you find yourself looking for or gravitating to when you were behind the camera? Did you find that your perspective change? In what ways? At your next book club meeting, share and discuss what you discovered with the group.
3. To learn more about Nora McFarland, visit her website at www.noramcfarland.com. If you haven’t read A Bad Day’s Work, consider selecting it for your next book club pick. Discuss with your group the ways in which you think the author’s history and background influence the stories she tells. How is the first novel in the Lilly Hawkins series similar to and different from the second? Did the author’s style remain consistent? What themes and topics does the author seem to touch on in both books?
Table of Contents
Cover
Back Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Acknowledgments
Touchstone Reading Group Guide
Hot, Shot, and Bothered Page 30