A Humorous Mystery Writer Answers a Few Questions

Some time ago I posted a review of Cindy Sample's latest cozy mystery, Birthdays Are Murder, which is the start of her new series: (You can revisit the review HERE)

Ever since then, I have wanted to interview Cindy to find out more about what inspires her humorous tales. But she is one busy lady, so I had to wait a little. Here are a few questions she answered for me. More than anything, she appears to value having fun as part of her writing process.

Enjoy:

1.    How long have you been writing? And how long have you been writing mysteries?

 

My first mystery was written more than a half century ago and was an immediate literary success—Cindy Parker and the Haunted Mansion received an A+ from my third-grade teacher. That success inspired me to finally start writing my eight-book Laurel McKay Humorous Mystery series.

 

2.    You’ve had great success with your Laurel McKay mysteries. What prompted you to start a new Sierra series?

 

Sierra Sullivan is Laurel’s cousin and was first featured in Dying for a Diamond when she served as the cruise director for Laurel’s honeymoon cruise. It was fun to create a spinoff series in a new location and with a totally new cast of characters. Definitely more work but still fun.

 

3.    Formerly Sierra worked as a cruise director, singing and dancing in productions. In Dying for a Double, Laurel is recruited from movie extra to filling in for the star, who’s gone missing. Have you had acting and singing experience? Or did you rely solely on research.  

 

The experts say to write what you know which is what I did with the Laurel McKay Mysteries. I have zero acting and singing experience and zero talent although I love watching musicals, plays etc. This would be a case of write what you want to learn more about. 

 

4.    Are any of your characters inspired by people you have known?

 

My characters are completely fictional. They walk into my books without any help from me.

 

5.    I know characters can become real for an author, in that you can get attached to some of them. Have any of your characters become “favorites?”

 

Laurel’s co-worker and good friend, Stan Winters, who also has a love of performing, is a crowd favorite. And her grandmother is a true scene stealer.

 

6.     Once you get an idea for a story, about how long does it take for you to write the book?

 

I am a very slow writer and in the past few years have dealt with a myriad of medical issues. I have a very vivid imagination though, so there are plots galore that still need to be turned into new books. If only my fingers could type faster or dictation software could understand what I’m saying.

 

7.    Can you describe your writing process?

 

My writing process is erratic at best. Some weeks I binge write very successfully while other times I’d rather read or watch BritBox (I refer to that as research). Once the first draft is done and the beta readers have shared their comments (which can be all over the place) I begin my revision process. 

 

8.    Do you ever write in other genres?

 

My goal is to entertain readers and put a smile on their face so I’m sticking with writing humorous mystery series.

 

9.    Any advice for young or new writers? 

 

Never give up. Learn everything you can about writing craft. There are wonderful books and workshops, many that specialize in a particular genre. Take your time absorbing all the elements in writing a great book. Join online or local writing groups. Networking can be immensely helpful on your journey.

For those of you who would like to know more about Cindy Sample and her books, you can visit her Amazon Author Page  or her website, where you can also contact her.

How about you, blog readers? When you read, do you read for fun or for other motivations? What kind of book do you like best? If a mystery, what kind of mystery do you like best?

 

 

 

My Own Cozy News

 My other news is that my new cozy, Deadly Verse, will be released in June. The build up begins this month, but my publisher told me to feel free about splashing the cover around, so here you are:

Who is this man dressed up in Renaissance garb who looks like he is winking? Luís Vaz de Camões, a Portuguese renaissance poet and some say Portugal's greatest poet, who is famous for  Os Lusíadas, his  epic poem about Vasco da Gama's voyage to India. 

Why does he look like he's winking? He lost an eye when, as a soldier, he fought the Moors. As was not uncommon, back in the day, he was a soldier and wrote poetry. His sonnets are considered on a par with Shakespeare's, Dante's, etc.

What does Camões have to do with a cozy mystery? Well, someone in Braga, Portugal, claims to have an original manuscript of one of his sonnets, possession of which leaves a trail of death. And, you guessed it: Carla is a suspect. 

How the heck do you pronounce Camões? Hah! When the book comes out, you'll have to read it to find out. 😊

Gave you read any cozies lately? If you do enjoy cozies, do you prefer mysteries with a travel angle? Historic? Contemporary?

Another Book Review for Those Who Like Cozy Mysteries: Birthdays Are Murder

 I'm an afficianado of cozy mysteries, which is why I write them instead of thrillers or suspense, etc. So recently I read this delightful cozy by Cindy Sample, Birthdays Are Murder:

It’s always fun to discover a mystery full of both suspense and humor, which is why I like Cindy Sample's earlier "Dying" series. (Dying for a Double, Dying for a Daquiri, etc.) In the first book of her new mystery series set in Spindrift Cove, Birthdays Are Murder, Sample offers ample doses of both.

Protagonist Sierra Sullivan, aging actress and longtime widow, has moved to Spindrift Cove a small coastal town in the Pacific Northwest, to be near her married daughter. Formerly a cruise ship director who sang and danced in productions at sea, Sierra has taken a gig performing at a children’s birthday party to make ends meet. After the party, still in costume, Sierra discovers the body of the host. Soon after, Sierra discovers she is a prime suspect. To make matters worse, her daughter works for the police department. To make matters even worse, a new corpse turns up while Sierra is sneakily trying to find out who killed the first one.

It is hard to say more about this delightful book without dropping spoilers at every turn. And there are turns aplenty, as well as a colorful and well-rounded cast of characters. An added bonus is the wry humor that permeates Sierra’s observations as she tries to track down the killer without becoming the next victim herself.

You can get a copy of Sample's book HERE  . It's available in Kindle and in paperback.

THE AUTHOR

I am hoping to get an interview with her later, but you can learn more about her on her WEBSITE. 

In a future post I have news about a cozy of my own that is going to be published in June. Stay tuned. 

Meanwhile, how is your own reading going? Do you have any cozies to recommend? 

The Hamish Macbeth Mysteries by M. C. Beaton

               

Recently I discovered the cozy mysteries of M. C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series, set in Lochdubh, a small fishing village in the Highlands of Scotland.
I found the books, while browsing in my favorite used bookstore in Midtown, Sacramento, Time Tested Books. There were five altogether, and, after buying two, and then two more, and then the last one, I'm completely hooked.

These are the five. The proprietor of the store assures me there may be more in the back room. But I clearly see that once those run out, I'm going to have to go online and find even more.

What is so special about these books? Well, two factors right off: I love cozies, and these are well written cozies. And I love books set in far away places. These mysteries leave you with a feeling that you've had a free trip to the Highlands.

But there are writerly reasons I am enamored of this series as well:

 First, the characters: Hamish Macbeth is the lanky, endearing police constable who loves Lochdubh and has no ambition to be promoted to the larger town of Strathbane, where his nemesis, Chief Inspector Blair, does harbor ambitions and constantly chafes at Hamish's success at solving crimes

in the area. Hamish himself is unorthodox in his approach but has strong integrity and empathy for his fellow villagers. He loves dogs, checks in with older people to see how they are doing, and yet is relentless and quick witted in the pursuit of justice. But all the villagers are nicely drawn as well, with just the right, minimalist brushstrokes that fix them clearly in your mind.

Then there is the plot — each book is a great puzzle to solve. Every single element of storytelling drives the plot forward, and Beaton is a master of tweaking interest and suspense with false leads and true ones, side stories, and the unexpected, until she brings you to an ending that is inevitable but not predictable.

The setting is superb. Beaton manages to give the landscape such texture and atmosphere that it becomes a character in its own right. Lochdubh is so far north that summer gets little darkness and winter gets little light. Storms rage even in late spring and early fall, followed by surprisingly mild days until the next shrieking winds descend with buckets of rain. Mists rise, swirl, and disperse. Clouds hover and cover. The village has a couple of hotels, a restaurant, a bar, a general store run by an Indian named Patel, an elementary school so small its students are in danger of being bussed to a larger district, a police department with one constable (Macbeth) who lives in part of the police station. Such a locale colors the lives of the people, and by the time you put down the book, it's easy to feel you've had your free trip to a remote village in the Highlands.

There is wonderful humor in the way Beaton tells these tales. Even with mayhem on the loose, it's hard not to snicker and chuckle as characters enter and exit with their little moment of drama. And while this series has a progression in the lives and interactions of the characters—especially the star-crossed romance between Hamish and Priscilla Halburton-Smyth—each mystery is a satisfying stand-alone read. (I didn't read these five in order, as I wasn't sure what the order was, and that didn't spoil my enjoyment one bit.)

You can see all of the books in the series at Beaton's website HERE.

But, oh, oh, oh: dreadful question to consider: What am I to do when this series runs out?

How about you? Do you have a series you are absolutely hooked on? (Recommendations, please — especially if it is a mystery series.) And, what do you do when you get to the last read in the series? Start over? Look for a new one?