Today Salad Bowl Saturdays is hosting Marilyn Meredith (a.k.a F.A. Meredith) as part of her blog tour for Murder in the Worst Degree. The body that washes up on the beach leads Detectives Milligan and Zachary on a murder investigation that includes the victim’s family members, his housekeeper, three long-time friends, and a mystery woman.
There's a contest at the end, but read the 'tween stuff first, you hear? ~ Jim
There's a contest at the end, but read the 'tween stuff first, you hear? ~ Jim
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Because I’m a great grandmother and a Sunday School teacher, there are many of my friends and acquaintances who are quite startled when they discover I write about murders. What I’ve always said about the Rocky Bluff P.D. series is that I’ve strived to show how what happens to the policemen and women on the job affects the family, and how what happens in the family affects the job. But, after all, I am writing mysteries—and most mysteries include murders
In my first book in the series, the murderer killed in the fashion of a vampire—though he wasn’t one.
Looking back, I’ve used a lot of stabbings and slashings, and even a beheading. And yes, there have been shootings—but not as many as you might imagine.
Poisonings, yes, and an overdose too.
I’ve never counted the murder methods, nor tried to come up with something unusual, though it has happened. Being a writer who only does a minimal amount of planning before I start writing, I’m often surprised by who ends up being a victim and even the murderer—and often what method the person used to dispatch his or her victim.
Despite the fact my sleuths are police detectives, my Rocky Bluff P.D. series tends to be on the softer side of the procedural spectrum. You may ask, how can you say that after listing all these gruesome methods of murder? My answer, I don’t dwell on the gory details—at least not in my later books.
Frankly, I enjoy reading the more hard-edged mysteries too, but when it comes my writing I’ll stick to focusing on the characters and the step-by-step solving of the crimes.
Thank you so much for hosting me today.
Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith
In my first book in the series, the murderer killed in the fashion of a vampire—though he wasn’t one.
Looking back, I’ve used a lot of stabbings and slashings, and even a beheading. And yes, there have been shootings—but not as many as you might imagine.
Poisonings, yes, and an overdose too.
I’ve never counted the murder methods, nor tried to come up with something unusual, though it has happened. Being a writer who only does a minimal amount of planning before I start writing, I’m often surprised by who ends up being a victim and even the murderer—and often what method the person used to dispatch his or her victim.
Despite the fact my sleuths are police detectives, my Rocky Bluff P.D. series tends to be on the softer side of the procedural spectrum. You may ask, how can you say that after listing all these gruesome methods of murder? My answer, I don’t dwell on the gory details—at least not in my later books.
Frankly, I enjoy reading the more hard-edged mysteries too, but when it comes my writing I’ll stick to focusing on the characters and the step-by-step solving of the crimes.
Thank you so much for hosting me today.
Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith
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F. M. Meredith aka Marilyn Meredith is the author of over 35 published books. She enjoys writing about police officers and their families and how what happens on the job affects the family and vice versa. Having several members of her own family involved in law enforcement, as well as many friends, she’s witnessed some of this first-hand.
THE CONTEST:
Once again I am offering the opportunity to have your name used for a character in a book if you comment on the most blogs during this tour for Murder in the Worst Degree(purchase here). Tomorrow you can find me visiting Jackie Vick at http://jacquelinevickauthor.blogspot.com/
Marilyn, Thanks for joining us at Writers Who Kill.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it say about us that we are willing to murder people on paper? Some claim to kill only reluctantly while others have nary a qualm about taking a fictional life, but all of us choose to write murder mysteries, not something else.
I'm not about to suggest an answer, but I do find it an interesting question.
~ Jim
As a beach writer, I consider murders at or on the beach fun reads, Marilyn. Keep up the good work, and thanks for blogging with us!
ReplyDeleteReaders don't ming when people are killed, but don't kill an animal unless you're willing to face a storm of angry responses from readers.
ReplyDeleteSince it's only 6:40 a.m. here, you all must live on the other coast or somewhere in-between. James, I'm delighted to be here and must say I love writing murder mysteries. E.B. the beach is a perfect setting for my series since I lived in a beach town for years and still love visiting the ocean and the towns along the way. And Warren, I've been careful about animals, I know how readers feel about them.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to WWK, Marilyn, from another great-grandmother, who also murders people on the page. I think it's over twenty bodies now including those in my short stories, and I've only used a gun twice. I love introducing myself to new people as the little, old, white-haired lady who murders people. Then I pause and add, on the page, of course.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to introduce yourself, Gloria! Glad to know that I'm not the only blood thirsty great grandma around. And I think the last time I shot a gun, I was a teen and my dad had me shoot his rifle.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun article! Thanks for sharing your success with us.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any where near your number of books,but I'm working on it! Slowly.
Murder methods are secondary in my books, too. One method I will consider is strangling. I used to work in a medium security prison, and I can't tell you how many of the inmates I supervised told me (usually sadly) about murders they'd committed, and more often that not, it ended in "I grabbed him (her) by the neck and shook him, and then he was dead."
HI, Marilyn, interesting topic. I haven't been terribly innovative in dispatching my victims. In my last novella, I killed off three characters: hung one, induced a heart attack in another, and tossed the last one into the river. I need to be a little more creative. :)
ReplyDeleteKM, I had fun writing this--actually hadn't thought much about the ways I dispatched people until I wrote this.
ReplyDeleteAnd Paul, thanks for stopping by. I've never thrown anyone in a river, but the ocean has come in handy.