Q&A: Polly Stewart, Author of ‘The Felons’ Ball’

We chat with author Polly Stewart about The Felons’ Ball, which is an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a powerful Southern family whose dark secrets set in motion a chain of events with deadly consequences.

Hi, Polly! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I love reading, writing, yoga, and hiking in the mountains, especially with my kids and dogs.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I decided I wanted to be a writer when I was seven. I was always a big reader, and I just wanted to recreate that magic that I found in books.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade
• The one that made you want to become an author: Anne of Green Gables
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Middlemarch—the best novel in English! (imho)

Your latest novel, The Felons’ Ball, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Family, loyalty, complicity, murder, moonshine

What can readers expect?

The Felons’ Ball is about the Macready family of Ewald, Virginia, former moonshiners who have supposedly left their criminal past behind but may not be what they seem to be. Every year, the family patriarch, Trey Macready, throws a party on their lavish lakeside estate. His three daughters see the party as a business and social opportunity, but that all changes when Trey’s best friend—who is also his youngest daughter secret boyfriend—is murdered on the night of the Felons’ Ball.

Where did the inspiration for The Felons’ Ball come from?

Like the Macreadys, I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and I find this landscape endlessly inspiring. I also thought it would be interesting to write about moonshining culture, which a lot of people associate with Prohibition but is still very much alive in my part of the country.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I loved writing the father, Trey. He wouldn’t be the nicest person to know in the real world, but I appreciated his sense of humor and his loyalty to his family.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Writers never like to hear me say this, but this was a really fun and easy book for me to write. I’ll probably never have that experience again, but it came together with very few headaches.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on my next novel, tentatively titled The Glass House. It’s about a series of murders in a wilderness area in Virginia that may or may not be connected. This one is really challenging, so I guess my experience with The Felons’ Ball doesn’t mean that writing is going to be easy from here on out!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I’ve been making my way through William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor novels, which I really enjoy. I also just finished John le Carre’s The Little Drummer Girl, which was published in the early eighties but feels incredibly relevant in its focus on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Will you be picking up The Felons’ Ball? Tell us in the comments below!