Butterscotch Jones, hero of “Due North” by Melanie Jackson

Who are you?

My name is Butterscotch Jones. That isn’t the name I was born with but it is who I am now.

Where do you live?

I live in a small bit of woods in Manitoba, known locally as McIntyre’s Gulch. You won’t find it on any map. We don’t exist on the tax roles. We don’t exist at all– not as far as the government is concerned. No phones, no electricity, no doctors, no government services of any kind. It’s a curious place for many other reasons, but the one that strikes the rare visitor the most is that everyone in town has red hair. The next is that every person there is named either Jones or McIntyre. There are good reasons for this.

Are you the hero of your story?

As much as anyone can be a hero in these circumstances. We are, after all, everyone of us in the Gulch, outlaws. That is because we have no laws to live within, but also because we found this place at the end of the world when we had nowhere left to run.

What is the problem in your story?

An airplane and a dead pilot. Usually when a plane falls out of the sky, it attracts a lot of attention. But not in the Gulch. Not when it’s been storming and the wind is screaming like the damned. It was days after the storm when I was out walking with my dog and found it up on Potter’s Ridge. The pilot was past prayers. There was a large duffle bag full of money in the passenger’s seat, and another one on the floor with a broken zipper that seemed to contain jewelry and some kind of bonds and stock certificates. Of course I took them. But you know what they say about there being no free lunch? Well, it’s true. And those two bags brought all kinds of trouble to our little town and threatened to make us known to the authorities.

Do you have any special strengths?

Only the ones that everyone else here has; endurance, inventiveness and loyalty to my chosen family.

Why did you decide to write this all down?

Because one day, maybe soon, I will be gone. Since I will never have children and don’t even have my real name anymore, I could be one of those whose name was ‘writ on water’. I want someone to know what happened before I vanish from the earth.

Where can we read about your adventures?

Bless the modern age! You can read about me in ebooks or print. Just look for Due North or The Butterscotch Jones Mysteries. My pen name is Melanie Jackson. Everyone thinks these books are fiction. Here is a links http://www.melaniejackson.com/butterscotch.html From there you can get to your favorite books stores.

If you were at the store now, what items would be in your cart?

Kerosene, batteries, tea and books. No TV in the Gulch so we read.

What were the last three books you read?

The Secret Staircase, Moving Violation and The First Book of Dreams: Metropolis