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Murphy – A man is found murdered in a Dumpster behind a gas station in Murphy. The suspect is his own brother, furious at the dead man for selling their family land.
And so begins author Julianne K. Rhodes newest fictional story, Murder in Murphy. Like her previous six novels, this one is also set in a North Carolina mountain town.
“I base all my books in North and South Carolina,” the Canton resident said.
Like most writers, Rhodes came to writing through her love of reading.
“I remember our mother reading books to us when we were little,” Rhodes said, referring to her older sister. “My sister has a memory of my mom paying her $2 for every book she read.”
Rhodes cut her teeth in the profession by writing a column called “Mountain People,” but when she remarried in 2018, she had to move away from the area.
“I’m a mountain girl,” she said. “I needed a job that had flexibility so I could spend time here.”
Rhodes’ desire to be in the mountains is what motivated her to become a novelist. And she found that she loved writing.
“At first, I started out writing short stories on Facebook,” she said. Those became so popular that her readers suggested that she create a collection.
“When I held my short story collection in my hands, that’s when I knew I was going to write a novel,” Rhodes added.
A prolific writer, Rhodes publishes two novels a year.
“I write one for spring and the second one is published just before Christmas,” she said.
Rhodes enjoyed writing Murder in Murphy, as it brought back memories of time she spent in the area as a child.
“We used to camp at Lake Chatuge,” she said, adding that her family spent time enjoying downtown Murphy. “I thought the courthouse would make such a great place for the trial in my book.”
Rhodes said she loves being an author.
“I love the writing process,” she said. “My favorite part is being out and talking with my readers.”
Her husband fully supports her, but she feels encouragement from her mother as well.
“My parents passed away before I became an author,” Rhodes said, “but would have been over the moon about this.”
Her book is available through Amazon or, for a signed copy, at novelsbyjuliannekrhhodes.com.