#SaturdaySpotlight is on Jace Douglas Johnson & The Sound of Southern Rainbows!

Hello! Welcome to the final Saturday Spotlight of April 2025 and Oh, My Goodness, I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about my guest today!

I met Jace Douglas Johnson years ago after the release of his movie, Little Chenier: A Cajun Story filmed right here in my/our local area about the people of SWLA.

Jace started filming Little Chenier way-back-when but couldn't release it on schedule due to Hurricane Rita in 2005. Let me tell you, I loved/love that movie!

So, it is with great pleasure I bring to you Jace with his book, The Sound of Southern Rainbows.

 Tell me, Jace why you wrote The Sound of Southern Rainbows.

I have an unapologetic affinity for protagonists that are facing insurmountable odds. This core theme seems to weave its way into most of my stories, and The Sound of Southern Rainbows is no different. Detective Kip Montet is a tough guy with a deeply buried sensitive side. He lives by a code of hard work, hard will, and hard liquor, but despite his best efforts, the heartache just keeps piling on.  

Yet, Detective Kip Montet endures: fighting, scraping, and questioning his sanity, until he eventually finds his way back to the light—just in the nick of time.  

All my stories have an underlying hint of Christian faith nestled between the lines. It won’t smack you in the face, but it’s there if you look for it. The Sound of Southern Rainbows is no different. Detective Kip Montet stubbornly adheres to his own faulty codes of moral conduct—codes which often lead to alienation and loneliness. He is a troubled being whose salvation is ironically rooted to his martyrdom. It is only when he abandons logic and replaces it with faith that the intricate pieces of the case start to fall into place.  

Detective Kip Montet is a cowboy through and through. Our lives parallel in that regard. I grew up in a Louisiana ranch family, and I always thought our little sliver of Southwest Louisiana had a unique brand of cowboy that most know nothing about. There are hints of our Texas neighbors in there, but the Cajun influences are deeply imbued—forming a magnificent milieu that’s all our own. I wanted to present the beauty of this unique little pastoral community to the outside world. With all my works, I treat Louisiana as the main character, and The Sound of Southern Rainbows is no different. 

How interesting! Give us more please...

Sure!

Blurb: There’s a serial killer in Lacassine, Louisiana, and little Cricket Moreau has gone missing. 

Haunted by a decade’s worth of failure and regret, Detective Kip Montet is determined to find the little girl before it’s too late. As he navigates through the small Southern town of eccentric characters, from powerful senators to kooky old medicine men, Detective Montet comes face to face with the woes of his past, and the demons that lurk in the shadows of Lacassine Bayou.  

Oh wow, how cool. I used to fish Lacassine Bayou! Now how about an excerpt?

Here ya go... That’s weird, thought Kip, as his gaze drifted to a particularly troubling item: a white ceramic bowl filled with thousands of buzzing flies.

Kip slowly stretched his gun forward. The flies busily scrambled like a blanket of bees on a hive. He tapped the rim of the bowl with the tip of his muzzle. The veil of buzzing wings quickly ascended.  

Kip stumbled backward with a startle. “Jesus Christ!” He covered his nose with his sleeve and turned his back. 

“What is it?” Beasley begged. 

Kip retreated to Beasley’s side. He grabbed his knees and pulled in a composing breath. His voice shook with a whispery exhale, “A baby girl.” 

OH My Gosh! What a hook. Where can we find The Sound of Southern Rainbows?

It is available at Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback and for Kindle (FREE in KU!).

Thanks for sharing Jace! Please tell us a little more about yourself...

I enjoyed the visit, Pam. Thank You! Here is my "official" bio...

Jace Douglas Johnson is a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana. His bucolic writing style, inspired by his love for Louisiana, has drawn comparisons to William Faulkner and G.W. Cable. His works are influenced by an unapologetic nostalgia for the barefoot days of his childhood: a magical time filled with ancient live oaks, stringers of fish, and imaginary pirates.    

After graduating from the prestigious Claremont McKenna College in Los Angeles, Jace immersed himself in the world of filmmaking—resulting in a career of writing, directing, producing, and acting that has spanned over 30 years.   

Jace has recently released the Southern Gothic novel, The Sound of Southern Rainbows, as well as his historical fiction, Charles Claiborne: The Cost of Blood which is also available at Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback and for Kindle (also FREE in KU)

Jace is best known for co-writing and producing the film, Little Chenier: A Cajun Story, which was based on his novella, Little Chenier, Les Jours De Pemon which is available on DVD & Blu-ray.

Jace currently resides in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a local tour guide and a wannabe historian. He is an outdoorsman and naturalist that yearns for the simplicities of yore.  

Connect with Jace on Facebook.

Well, friends, hope you enjoyed today's guest! It's always a pleasure to feature authors and artists from all over the world but a special treat when it's someone from my native area.

While you're here, visit my featured artist, Pat Robbins & The Kozy Knot and check out the featured book in the sidebar, Not Your Lucky Day by L.R. Trovillion!

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT