NEW MYSTERY - The Inspiration for My New Release

My new story, A TROLL FALLS, is set in what is now the Dallas Arboretum which borders lovely White Rock Lake. This beautiful garden paradise was a yearly field trip with my homeschool kids (pictured there more than a decade ago) and their friends for biology lessons and school photos. 

On my most recent visit, I learned a little tidbit from a fellow who worked there. It sparked all sorts of stories in my head, so when I was invited to participate in this second round of Ever After stories, I decided to use that rumor to fashion a twisted little mystery. And the DeGolyer House, the center of the Dallas Arboretum, inspired my setting for A TROLL FALLS. 

The book is set in 1948 when my mom, a Dallas native, was eleven years old and my grandfather was a fire captain at one of the Dallas stations. It was near the century mark for Dallas and the city was known for amazing Tex-Mex food, yearly cattle round-ups, and Elm Street which was called "the Broadway of the Southwest." 

I used one of the events at the Majestic theatre (which is still an icon of downtown) in a date for one of my characters. The movie, "Red River," starring John Wayne, premiered at the theatre on August 26,  1948. My characters went to the premiere hoping to see the stars, but they were at the Hollywood premiere. It's probably a good thing, because a thunderstorm soaked the block party that the city of Dallas had set up. Square dancers, cattle, trick ropers, and all the guests were thoroughly soaked just before the movie began. That was only the beginning of the trouble for my character that night, though!

I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll keep the trouble, and the rumor, to myself. I bet you'll be able to figure out what that rumor is by the time you finish reading the book! Here's a little more about A TROLL FALLS: 

Murder. Even the word sounds ugly. Almost as ugly as the corpse on the shore.

Dallas, Texas, 1948

Opal Stedman enjoys caring for old Mrs. Farnesworth. But keeping her sister Ruby out of trouble, well that is another issue entirely. Especially now that Ruby has stepped into high society with her new beau. A dubious man. Maybe even duplicitous. 

Even the handsome security guard warns her sister about him.

When a body is dragged onto the shore of the lake that borders their home, rumors and worries over the new man become assurances. But why has he involved her household in these gruesome shenanigans? 

And why are Opal’s loved ones suddenly having “accidents”?

Loosely based on the little-known fairy tale of “Snow White and Rose Red” this mystery twists its way all along the banks of White Rock Lake during its heyday.

This is based on one of my favorite fairy tales. Share one of your favorite fairy tales and why you like it for a chance to win one of my e-books! Be sure to leave your email address! (US only.)

Just released on Tuesday,
A TROLL FALLS is available in
paperback or e-book at Amazon.com

Interview with Mystery Author April Hayman - and a free book!

I'm so delighted to be chatting today with the fabulous April Hayman. Her latest book, When the Pilot Falls, is a mystery set in the 1920s based on a fairy tale and part of the new Ever After Mysteries by Celebrate Lit Publishing. AND she's giving away a copy of it! Woohoo!

--

So I have to ask, April. Where do your mysteries come from. How do you formulate the clues and all of the twists?

A mystery is a question that you don’t want your audience to know the answer to until the end of the book and that, hopefully, keeps them in suspense and guessing all that time. So, I just ask myself a question and build from there. Clues and twists come in two ways. While I’m plotting, I work backwards from the “final reveal” and determine how they got there and what the characters need along the way to figure it out and twists come while I’m writing, usually, and trying to make life as painful as possible for the characters and surprising for the audience. A good twist can be hard to write but when it happens, it’s always a fist pump in air moment.

Working backwards - that's a concept! I've never tried that, but I did find writing a mystery in a historical setting was a lot of fun. Did you find it easier or more difficult than writing a contemporary mystery?

In short, I think writing a contemporary novel is more difficult. The longer answer is, that when reading, I will take a historical over contemporary only because the past is like a dream and I can think about it in fuzzy terms. It’s almost fantastical, in that I don’t have a clear memory of what it was like to live during that time.

Oh, I totally get what you mean by that. Like a little vacay into a time period that isn't all that familiar.

Yes. Books closer to our time period make me more suspicious and I tend to nitpick on jargon, events, fashion, etc. Writing-wise, I like that a historical setting is fairly set in stone and I have to be clever to write around them or weave them into the story, like how I included George Remus, the famous bootlegger of Cincinnati. And I’m forced to research more diligently because I know that the history police are always watching for a mistake. I tend to forget to do that with a more contemporary novel because I’m more familiar with it.

How fun that you were able to incorporate a real person into your story. And incorporate a fairy tale, right? Which one is your story based on and how did you fit it in?

The fairy tale that inspired this book is "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," an old Norwegian fairy tale found in the Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang. I loved how the female protagonist has agency to make her own decisions, even the really bad ones, and learns from them even while humbling herself. I think we could all learn from her actions, honestly.

I'll give an amen there, but quietly because I'm mostly talking to myself! LOL! So tell me about your life as an author. how does it impact your "real life"?

Real life? Is that a thing? Just kidding! Now that my children are older, writing is just another part of mom’s day job. I still have to maintain certain writing or author hours in which the boys are not allowed to interrupt me. As a matter of fact, I have a small sign I post on my office door that states: IN A MEETING. Text if an emergency (I.e. fever, vomiting, broken bones, burglar, aliens). And, yes, writing time falls under “meetings.”

Of course, it does! You're meeting with your characters!

Right. But all joking aside, finding that balance is hard because I am home all day long. Making writing a priority, and convincing myself of that, is a never ending struggle. One that I’m sure many mothers, whether they work from home or not, can understand. It’s not all bad though. My kids and husband are my biggest fans, all of whom are always letting me know it’s just a matter of time before I’m just as famous as JK Rowling. That always makes me smile.

It's such a blessing to have built-in cheerleaders, isn't it? And what's on the horizon for you?

On the horizon is a new 3-book series set on an island chain in the South Pacific. It’s being published by Celebrate Lit as well. I also have a cozy mystery series, The Crawford and Crawford Detective Agency, in the works. The first book of the series is nearing its first draft (finally) and I hope to get that out as soon as I can. I know quite a few of my fans have been waiting for it anxiously.

Sounds intriguing! And I LOVE intrigue! Thanks so much for visiting with us today! Readers, if you want to learn more about April, visit her website, HERE. 

And here's a little bit about April's book, When the Pilot Falls:

In 1923, there aren’t many pilots, but Willie Labeau didn’t let that stop… her.

A bear of a man, Hugh Taylor, needs a stunt plane pilot, and despite their rocky introduction, Willie sets off for golden California and a new life as his pilot. There’s just one little thing she has to do in addition to flying.

Leave his past alone. Period.

When the flame of her own curiosity becomes fanned by encouragement from Willie’s sister, the feisty pilot can’t help but do just a little investigating.

And Hugh vanishes.

Friends rally around her, and with all the information she can find in hand, Willie sets off to rescue Hugh and battle the evil family holding him hostage.

A fierce air race, a sincere act of humility—are they enough to free Hugh and give Willie a chance to be with him… forever?

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. When the Pilot Falls offers a retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” that will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as you watch hearts soar and daring dos.

--

You can purchase When the Pilot Falls by clicking this LINK or clicking the cover. And if you want to win her copy, share the most recent (or current) mystery that you've read! We'd love to know what's on your bedside table!

A Book Review of Smoke and Mirrors by Casey Daniels

Hi, Mary Ellis here. Today I’m reviewing a book I had the pleasure to read this past summer. Smoke and Mirrors, A Miss Barnum Mystery, by Casey Daniels is set in September, 1842, in New York City. Check out the opening line: They came in droves, the gullible and the curious, the naïve and the trusting and those who wanted so badly to believe they were willing to deny their suspicions and abandon their common sense. (Used by permission, copyright 2017, Connie Laux, Severn House Publishers) Yes, the story is set inside Phineas T. Barnum’s American Museum, a showplace of curiosities that was recently made into a film titled, The American Showman, staring Hugh Jackman. Please note: Daniels’s book predates the screenplay and movie by a wide margin.

Hands-down, this book is one of my absolute favorites of the genre, historical mysteries.

Here’s the inside book jacket of Smoke and Mirrors: Evie Barnum is in the employ of her brother, Phineas T. Barnum, at his American Museum—a place teeming with curious scientific specimens and human wonders. In her unique workplace, Evie hopes she can bury her secrets. So when Andrew Emerson, an old friend, shows up at the museum, begging for her help, Evie does all she can to stay away. The next time she sees Andrew, he’s dead in front of the exhibit of the Feejee Mermaid. Suspicion for the murder falls on Jeffrey Hollister, also known as the Lizard Man of Borneo. But Jeffrey goes missing, and Evie is determined to solve the mystery of her friend’s murder, even if it brings her face-to-face with her past…

My conclusion? If you like tautly paced, historically accurate whodunits with fascinating characters along with a touch of romance, Smoke and Mirrors should be at the top of your to-be-read pile! I did not figure out the ending and found the story enjoyable from start to finish.

You can buy it on sale in Kindle at Amazon.

It's also available in library edition hardcover or in paperback.  Thanks for dropping by Suspense Sisters today, readers!  Mary Ellis 

Interview with author Nancy Herriman

Today, Suspense Sisters welcomes author, Nancy Herriman, who wrote the Old San Francisco Mystery series, Welcome, Nancy! Stay tuned to win your choice of the first two books in the series.

SS: If you had to describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say? 

NH:  A slightly zany individual with an active imagination?

SS: What do you do when you’re not writing? Any interesting hobbies?

NH: I sing. A lot. And help plan music for one of the choirs at church. Music is my stress relief.

SS: What was your favorite book as a teen or child?

NH:    As a child, I loved ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.’ As a teen, I devoured Dickens and Agatha Christie. I don’t think I could pick which book of theirs was a favorite.

SS: Tell us three things about yourself that might surprise your readers.

NH:      This one might not be a surprise, given that I’ve mentioned that I sing, but when I was in college, I fronted a cover band.

-      I have an engineering degree (which I mention in my bio) and used to work in the tech industry. That fact regularly surprises and interests readers.

-      I’m obsessed with watching American Ninja Warrior. The show has yet to inspire me to go lift weights at the gym, however.

SS: What genre did you start out writing? Have you changed course? Why or why not?

NH:   I began writing historical romance. Then dabbled in Young Adult and Romantic Suspense. Now I’m writing my first love—historical mystery.

SS: What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

NH:    When I was pitching my first manuscript (which has never been published), an agent challenged me to explain what made my story ‘special or unique’. At the time, I couldn’t come up with a good answer. In the years since, I’ve thought about her comment often and hope I’ve succeeded.   Readers have frequently told me that they love my descriptions, and feel utterly immersed in the story and the setting. It’s also a great compliment when folks say they didn’t figure out who the killer was!

SS: Any other genres you’d like to try? If yes, what and why?

NH:  I’d like to try my hand at a contemporary cozy. Most of my books are fairly serious, and it might be fun to write with a lighter tone for a change.

SS: If you could go back in time and do something differently at the start of your career, what would it be?

NH:     I wish I’d written more. But my children were small when I began chasing this dream, and I never felt that I had the time.

SS: What is the most important piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors?

NH:   A piece of advice I still give myself on a regular basis—the book doesn’t have to be perfect the first pass, or the second. Or the third! Just get the words down on the page.

Here's a little bit about Nancy's latest, No Pity for the Dead. British-born nurse Celia Davies runs a free medical clinic to assist the poor women of San Francisco. Aided in her endeavors by her half-Chinese cousin Barbara and feisty housekeeper Addie, Celia has earned the  trust and friendship of many of the city’s downtrodden, including a young orphan named Owen—who’s just confided to her that he’s stumbled upon a corpse. Owen recently started working for the ruthless real estate and development group, Martin and Company, and discovered a dead body in the office’s basement. Celia turns to Detective Nicholas Greaves for help, only to learn that one of the main suspects—the husband of Celia’s dearest friend—is an old enemy of Nick’s. Now, Celia and Nick must put aside their personal feelings about the case—and each other—if they’re going to bring a killer to justice...

Nancy Herriman retired from an engineering career to take up the pen. She hasn’t looked back. Her work has won the RWA Daphne du Maurier award, and Library Journal has said that her ‘A Mystery of Old San Francisco’ series is “…just the ticket for anyone who misses Dianne Day's 'Fremont Jones' series as well as readers of Rhys Bowen's 'Molly Murphy' historicals.” When not writing, she enjoys singing, gabbing about writing, and eating dark chocolate. She currently lives in Central Ohio. Find more at www.nancyherriman.com

To win your choice of Old San Francisco Mysteries, either book 1, No Comfort for the Lost or book 2, No Pity for the Dead, leave Nancy a comment below. Sorry, US only.