There is a very specific kind of joy that sneaks up on you while writing a book. Not the fireworks kind. More like the quiet hum you feel when the scene clicks, the characters stop arguing with you, and suddenly you are smiling at your screen like it just told you a secret.

Murder at the Midsummer Feast gave me a lot of those moments. Some loud. Some tender. Some deeply unserious in the best way. Today I want to share five of my favorite behind-the-scenes delights. No spoilers. Just vibes, affection, and a little chaos.

Pour a drink. Get cozy. Let me gush.

1. A Southern Small Town That Smiles Sweetly and Knows Exactly Where the Bodies Are Buried

Writing a Southern small town is like baking a cake with a suspicious number of secret ingredients. On the surface, everything is charming. Porch swings. Friendly waves. The smell of magnolia and something fried drifting through the air like a promise.

But underneath? Oh, everyone knows something.

What I loved most was building a community that felt lived-in and diverse. Not a postcard version of the South, but a real one. One where people coexist, collide, support each other, side-eye each other, and absolutely remember what you did ten years ago even if they pretend they do not.

There is a particular pleasure in writing towns where everyone is connected in quiet, complicated ways. The kind of place that welcomes you in with sweet tea and then locks the door behind you, just in case.

2. A Friendship Where No One Is a Fixer Project

One of my favorite things in this book is the friendship at its center. A woman and a man who are not trying to save each other, polish each other, or turn each other into a better, shinier version of themselves.

They like each other as they are.

That sounds simple. It is not.

Writing a friendship rooted in mutual respect, curiosity, and trust felt deeply satisfying. They challenge each other, yes. They frustrate each other, absolutely. But there is no underlying agenda. No “you would be better if you were more like me.”

Just two people saying, “You are strange. I am strange. Let us be strange together.”

Honestly? More of that in fiction. And in life.

3. Sherlock and Watson, But Make It Summer Fair and Dessert Competition

This one delighted me to no end.

I loved flipping the Sherlock and Watson dynamic and letting it unfold at a summer fair while someone judges desserts between mystery-solving moments. Cressida is the brilliant, intuitive, people-loving mind who sees patterns everywhere. She has never met a vintage pump she did not immediately love and possibly plan an outfit around.

Miles, equally observant and thoughtful, brings a different kind of intelligence to the table. Chess boards. Quiet noticing. A steadiness that balances Cressida's spark without dulling it.

Watching them work together at a summer fair setting was pure joy. Sweet aromas in the air. Competition tension rising. Mysteries unfolding between dessert tastings. It felt playful and grounded and slightly absurd in a way that made my heart very happy.

Also, yes, I firmly believe breakthroughs happen faster when snacks are involved.

4. A Black Family of Women With Opinions, Shoes, and Absolutely No Shame

There is something sacred about writing family dynamics that feel both affectionate and unfiltered.

This family of women knows each other’s business. They know each other’s closets too. Especially the shoes. Especially the shoes that make everyone raise an eyebrow and say, “You did not need those.”

They will judge. They will tease. And then they will quietly buy an outfit that just happens to go perfectly with those shoes so they can borrow them later without asking and without ever acknowledging the borrowing.

Writing them felt like slipping into a room already full of laughter, side comments, and love. Each woman distinct. Each voice clear. All of them orbiting each other in ways that feel chaotic and deeply loyal.

It was warm. It was funny. It felt like home.

5. Letting Gothic Be Warm, Modern, and Inclusive

Gothic stories have always been about atmosphere. Shadows. Old secrets. Uneasy beauty. But I loved bringing warmth and modernity into that space without losing the mood.

This book let me play with candlelight and creaking floors alongside laughter, chosen family, and a cast that reflects the world as I see it. Diverse. Messy. Alive.

There is room in gothic stories for joy. For softness. For people who look like us solving mysteries while wearing shoes that absolutely do not make sense for the terrain.

That blend felt like magic to write.

When I look back at Murder at the Midsummer Feast, these are the pieces that linger for me. Not just the plot beats, but the textures. The relationships. The moments where the story breathed and smiled back at me.

If you have read it, I hope you felt some of that too. And if you have not yet, just know that a small town is waiting, secrets tucked neatly behind its smile, yoga mats rolled out, and someone somewhere guarding a pair of shoes they swear they are not emotionally attached to.

They are lying.

Now It's Your Turn to Gush

So here's what I want to know: What's one thing you absolutely love about the story you're working on right now? It can be anything—a character quirk, a piece of worldbuilding, a relationship dynamic, a scene you can't wait to write (or just finished writing and are still grinning about).

Or if you've read Murder at the Midsummer Feast, tell me: What surprised you? What made you smile? Did you guess the killer, or did someone's shoe collection distract you too effectively?

Drop a comment. Let's celebrate the secret joys—yours, mine, all of them. Because storytelling is hard work, and we deserve to talk about the parts that make our hearts happy.

Pour yourself something cozy. Tell me what you're writing. Let's gush together.

Until next time,

J.P. White

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