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Any time someone asks “why do you write mysteries” I tell them because it’s the only way to kill someone who irritates me and not go to jail. And I tend to stick to cozy mysteries because I don’t want to have to learn cop procedures. Just kidding. I still do a lot of research on cop jargon, weapons, and crimes, but I like to focus on what makes characters tick more than the policy and protocols. I leave that to the more procedural driven writers because those are the kind of details you cannot get wrong and still maintain your readers’ trust.
To me, there’s something comforting about characters living in a place where nothing truly bad happens (unless you count the dead person who usually is universally disliked anyway) and often there’s a spark of romance. It’s a nice break from real life. One of the first books I read as a kid was a Nancy Drew mystery, so detectives out of uniform who can make up the rules as they go along have always been appealing. Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe, Robert Parker’s Spenser, and of course the great Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum all get to solve crimes but bend a few laws along the way.
In truth, I’m one of those idiots that writes in multiple genres. The idea of self-discovery is a common theme throughout all of them, whether it's after losing a job, a cheating boyfriend, or the world as you knew it. It’s when characters are at their most vulnerable but also the most interesting. It’s one thing to know at the end of a cozy the killer will be caught, that’s kind of a given. But as a writer, I love the journey of writing a book where I have no idea what’s next for my characters beyond solving the core plot problem until I’ve outlined all the way to ‘The End’.
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“Framed for Murder” is the first full-length novel in the Pine Cove Mystery series. The series began with the novella, “The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder” and the characters grew on me so much I gave them their own series. In “Starlight,” Mel meets neighbor and café owner Jackson Thibodeaux and Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks over a dead body. From the get go, both men annoyed her. Once Jackson found out about her debilitating fear of heights, he treated her like she was made of glass. Gregg thought she was perfectly capable, just not of investigating the suspicious death. She’d hung up her police badge back in L.A., after all. Their constant bickering, a leftover from high school, didn’t help. But in the end, the three came together to find justice. Now where does that leave them? That’s what I came to find out. Join me as I interview my characters! Bonus -- I tried to create images of them using AI getting...mixed results. Tell me what you think in the comments!
Jackson: At The Hungry Puppy, we make healthy, nutritious food for humans and dogs alike and yes, do some baking. What was the latest crime spree you saved us from? Oh, right (leans in toward me and stage-whispers) there was a rash of houses getting toilet papered. Thank goodness the deputy was there to protect us from rambunctious teenagers. Marla: Gentlemen, before this gets too out of hand, readers are dying to know if there’s a love triangle between the two of you and Mel O’Rourke? Jackson & Gregg: (both snort derisively in agreement) No, there’s no triangle. Gregg/Jackson: Mel has feelings for me. (turn to look at each other) What? You’re crazy/You’re delusional.
Marla: What about you, Jackson? First impression? Jackson: Her fiery temper that matches her hair. It was right before Christmas and she came charging out the front door, yelling at me for taking up her guest parking. Not ten seconds later, we hear a scream from her lobby and run back to find a dead guy. (smiles) For the second time in like thirty-seconds she’s mad at me, this time for trying to protect her from seeing the corpse. Gregg: She was a cop, you idiot. Pretty sure that wasn’t her first DB. Marla: Let’s talk about that, Deputy. Currently, Mel is looking into the murder of an oil executive and you keep telling her to stay in her lane. So what’s the deal? Either she deserves the respect of having been a cop or she doesn’t? Jackson: (smirking) Yes, Deputy, do tell? Gregg: Well, like you just said, she was a cop. Past tense. She needs to stay out of the investigation before she messes up the evidence, or worse, winds up getting hurt. She nearly got killed the last time. I won’t let that happen again. Jackson: Won’t let that happen? Go ahead, order her to stand down. I can’t wait to see how that goes for you. Marla: Thank you both for talking to me today. I'm going to end this now before things get out of control.
To read more and decide for yourself who’s going to get the girl in the end, pick up a copy of “Framed for Murder” at any online book site! |
AuthorWriter of stories since 2021. Archives
September 2024
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