Nutmeg Lit Fest

I am fortunate to live in Connecticut,for a number of reasons, but also where a group of four dedicated authors started a Facebook group called Nutmeg LitFest. These four individuals travel around the state and find venues to host local author events. On September 12, I was invited to be at the Crystal Ridge Winery in South Glastonbury, Connecticut. It was fun to meet other local authors and readers. The view of the Hartford skyline and the setting sun over the hills to the west was amazing.

The fun began when our town's First Selectman, Michael Pelton, decided he wanted to pretend he was the author!

The next morning, I was back on the road to Manchester, Connecticut, where local authors lined two blocks of Main Street to discuss their books and meet readers. My next stop is October 12, when I will be at Priam Vineyards in Colchester, Connecticut. If you are local, I would love to see you there.

Planning the next book - "Uncharted Drift"

– A book needs characters the readers care about. A book needs a plot line (s) that keeps readers turning pages. Easy, right? No. I’m writing my sixth book and working on developing interesting characters and plot lines. Since this book is a spin-off of my fourth book, Deadly Secrets, the characters are coming easily, with maybe too many interesting characters. I have several plot lines in mind, and now I need to determine if they all work and how they come together at the end. I am trying a new way of plotting this time. Because ideas come to me at the times when I’m not at my laptop, nor do I want to get it fired up, I purchased a small wipeable board that I can easily access anytime to develop characters and outline plot ideas. The board is easily erased as changes are made. In the meantime, I have to write bios for all the main characters. It’s a time to dig deep into each character to capture what they look like, their mannerisms, how they think, and what baggage they carry. Where they find joy and what causes them anxiety. Because a writer likes to get right into the story, it’s easy to put the bio descriptions off, but I’ve learned it is better to take the time to do this, because I’ll be sorry mid-story if I don’t.

An Unexpected Death

This summer, I decided my first Caitlyn Jamison mystery book, An Unexpected Death, needed a new look. My graphic designer at Six Penny Graphics in Fredericksburg, Virginia, did a great job in capturing Caitlyn as she sets out on her first investigation. When Caitlyn arrived in Upstate New York for her cousin’s funeral, the last thing on her mind was investigating his death. But Caitlyn has a strong sense of justice, and she was determined to find out who caused the death of her cousin. Against the wishes of the local sheriff, Ethan Ewing, she persisted in being involved. At first, she was a thorn in Ethan’s side, so to keep her from going off on her own, he reluctantly accepted her help. He asked her to listen and read the body language of those he interviewed. The result—with her creative mind, Caitlyn became a valuable resource for Ethan. An Unexpected Death is where the adventure begins!

The Magic of Books

One of my readers in New York’s Adirondacks, sent me this photo. She’s found her perfect spot on the shore of Lake Champlain to enjoy The Art of Murder.

That’s what’s magical about books. There are various ways to take your favorite author with you wherever you go. I just finished reading Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders. It’s different from his Thursday Murder Club books, as We Solve Murders is more in the thriller category. His character Amy is an enigma. She is likable and mysterious in that she is a contracted bodyguard with no qualm about killing if needed. Osman’s supporting characters are fully developed and I love their quirky personalities. I think we will be seeing more of this crew. Now I’m on to one of my favorite authors, Paula Munier. I love her character, Mercy Carr, and her dog, Elvis. The title is The Night Woods, and in this book, Mercy is ready to deliver her first child. But that doesn’t stop her from investigating the attack on her friend and a murder. I look forward to the journey Mercy and Elvis will take me on.

The Art of Murder

I can’t believe it has been a year since I've posted. Time to catch up! I’m excited to announce that my fifth book, The Art of Murder, was published in May. This book, originally titled Glenside, presented a number of challenges. As stated in the last post, the characters, Autumn Whitcomb and Yuri Rachinskij, were developed by patrons from two rural Upstate New York libraries. The patrons did a great job, and I am forever grateful to them for bringing me two interesting characters. Because of the differences in the characters, I had to work on some complicated plot lines. Officer Autumn Whitcomb was fairly easy to develop. She dealt with sexism and fraud in her North Carolina position while dealing with a failed relationship. Her character overcomes and grows when she is made a detective with a New York police department and is immediately faced with a murder to solve. Quickly. Ukrainian Yuri Rachinskij was the biggest challenge. I wanted him to be real, but without getting into the war. What would prompt him to leave his beloved National Archives and end up in the same New York town as Autumn? I worked through that challenge and came out with a winner. Whenever I finish a book, I wonder if anyone will like it. That’s the life of an author. This book resonated with readers right away. One reader wrote, “You've hit another one out of the park. Somehow, you manage to take current concerns and weave your characters through them into a tapestry that keeps us on the edge of our seats in suspense. Hope you have as much fun writing as we do reading.” The answer to that is, yes, it is great fun to be with my characters. You can find the book on Amazon: