Killer Questions - What is the Most Daring Thing You've Ever Done?

Killer Questions – What is the Most Daring Thing You’ve Ever Done?

Molly MacRae - Forty-seven years ago I said I do thinking I really understood what that meant. Yikes. But so far so good.

Shari Randall - On reflection...I'm not daring. Nope. I've got nothing.

Mary Dutta - Left my sleepy suburb to attend college in New York City back when it was way more gritty and not so disneyfied. It’s still my favorite place. 

Nancy Eady - Seriously?  I am a rule follower, so I think ignoring the lines in an empty parking lot to drive wherever I want to is pretty daring.  That being said, adopting our daughter was the most daring thing we ever did, because we adopted her from the state and for the first year we had her, there was no guarantee that we would actually be allowed to keep her. 

Korina Moss - Decide to pursue a writing career.

Margaret S. Hamilton - Hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt

Lori Roberts Herbst - The most obvious answers would be the physical ones: riding in a hot air balloon or taking a helicopter to a glacier for a dog sledding excursion. But the more truthful answer would have to be raising children!

Kait Carson - This is so not a good question to ask me. There have been too many. The first I remember was jumping out of a second-story window when I was seven because I’d watched a Rescue 8 (a very old TV show) where that happened. The look on my mother’s face when I rang the front doorbell. Priceless. I was unharmed. 

Annette Dashofy - This question makes me realize what a tame life I’ve lived. I had some rather dangerous experiences while riding my horse out in the wilderness including once when I found myself riding along a very rocky and narrow ledge with a steep drop on one side and a rock face on the other. When we reached the top, there was a sign stating no horses on that trail. I really wished they’d put one of those signs at the bottom too! FYI, I’m terrified of heights.

Sarah Burr - It’s a toss-up between ziplining 800 feet above a Jamaican jungle or climbing down into one of the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Debra H. Goldstein – Getting up in the morning.

James M. Jackson - There's a fine line between daring and stupid and I think this crosses: I used to see how fast I could go downhill on my road bike. I no longer remember my "record," but it was way faster than was safe. A cop pulled me over for speeding one time in a 35 mph zone.

Paula G. Benson - I’ve kissed a camel. His name is Abraham and he is now 28 years old. I placed a cookie between my teeth. He gently took it from me, pressing his lips against mine briefly.  I have to admit, he’s a pretty good kisser.

Grace Topping - Committing three years of my life by signing on the dotted line and taking an oath of allegiance to join the U. S. Navy. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I decided to chance it. If I found it wasn't for me, it was only three years. Little did I know that I would end up loving it and serve seven years.

Connie Berry - Besides think I could write a book? Seriously, the most daring (foolish?) thing I ever did was climb out on the slippery slate roof of a Scottish country house...with acrophobia.

Martha Reed - In my twenties I lived solo in Texas for a decade and raised and trained Arabian horses. I’m amazed I survived that time in my life. Last year I also traveled solo through Greece. Same party, different location. Evidently, it’s part of my nature. I don’t plan on changing.

Heather Weidner - Once as a team-building exercise at work, we did a ropes and initiatives course. It was hundreds of feet above the ground, and I’m terrified of heights. 

K.M. Rockwood - Daring or foolhardy? Accompanying a fairly new boyfriend on a multi-day, multi-state “run” with a bike club (read motorcycle gang.) 

An Interview with Author Peter J. Barbour about Fifteen Keys

by Paula Gail Benson

Peter J. Barbour

A few years ago, I was invited to join the Bethlehem Writers Group (BWG), a writing critique and support group that originated in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and now has members across the country. (Here is the BWG’s website.) BWG publishes the online quarterly Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (BWR) and meets each month to critique members’ work. (Here is the BWR’s website with information about its annual short story contest.)

One of the BWG member’s stories I’ve had the pleasure to read in part is Peter J. Barbour’s young adult novel, Fifteen Keys. It’s a wonderful exploration of life lessons that both older and younger generations will find fascinating. To read more about the publication process, see the post from yesterday on The Stiletto Gang. Here's a link: https://www.thestilettogang.com/2025/06/16/a-labor-of-love-working-to-publish-a-fellow-authors-book.

Peter’s own journey to writing is an interesting one. He was kind enough to agree to an interview. Welcome to Writers Who Kill!

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

PETER J. BARBOUR: When I was younger, I don’t think I ever set a goal to be an author. I was a poor English student in high school and am a very slow reader. I view writing as painting with words. I enjoy drawing, painting, and sculpture. In general, I like to create things. Writing a story is one way to create something.

I wrote everyday as a physician. Neurologists, generally, pride themselves in being able to tell a patient’s story. At the same time, I found myself sharing my personal story with patients to help them deal with loss. I decided to write my story, “Loose Ends,” sharing my experience handling the loss of my father, first through divorce, and the through death. I published “Loose Ends,” and enjoyed the experience of writing and sharing that way. I subsequently started writing short stories. I enjoyed the challenge of getting them published. I think that’s when I realized I wanted to continue to write.

How did you decide to write for younger readers?

PETER J. BARBOUR: I aimed Fifteen Keys at middle-grade and young adults because that was the stage my grandchildren were at. The project began as an attempt to share what I was learning about ethics with them in a painless, humorous way. Mussar, Hebrew for ethical training, a feature of the process is keeping a journal of how you are doing throughout the day as you incorporate into your experience the virtue on which you are working. Instead of journaling, I chose to write short stories. I published a few of them, read them to the grandchildren every opportunity, and enjoyed the feedback. They called them life lessons. Although the stories are primarily aimed at the young, adults enjoyed them as well.

What gave you the idea that led to your writing Fifteen Keys?

PETER J. BARBOUR: After writing short stories illustrating the virtues that I was studying in Mussar, I decided to weave them together into a novel. I chose fifteen virtues from the teaching of Alan Morinis, Everyday Holiness: the Path of Mussar, and Greg Marcus, The Spiritual Practice of Good Actions. For the genre of the book, I especially like the format of a hero goes on a journey. Fifteen Keys became an action-adventure with a hint of fantasy and a subtext of mindfulness.

Are the characters based on people you knew when you were growing up?

PETER J. BARBOUR: The main characters are based on my grandchildren. I incorporated some traits and behaviors, that allow me to identify who’s who and keep them true to their characters. The odd folks sprung from my imagination.

I’m intrigued that you also illustrated the book. Were the drawings part of the writing process or did they come after the novel was finished?

PETER J. BARBOUR: The descriptions in the story live as images in my mind in part based on my experiences and the places I’ve visited. It was just a matter of putting the images into drawings.

All the illustrations were added after the book was completed. My friends at BWG suggested illustrating the book. I had published three illustrated children’s books in the past, Gus at Work, Oscar and Gus, and Tanya and the Baby Elephant. So, I was familiar with the process.

When did you decide to publish the novel through the BWG?

PETER J. BARBOUR: I had considered publishing with BWG from the beginning. Publishing with BWG was one of the advantages of joining the group, although, I must admit, it was not my first choice. Getting a publisher or an agent is no mean feat. After several years of trying and receiving multiple rejections or no response, I decided to go with BWG. BWG is a small independent press. I knew they would be responsive to my needs. I was familiar with their other publications that demonstrated their attention to detail.

Tell us about the publication experience, particularly working with Carol L. Wright, Marianne H. Donley, and Dianna Sinovic, who provided editing and formatting assistance.

PETER J. BARBOUR: I found the entire experience rewarding and fun. Carol, Marianne, and Dianna took a personal interest in the project and, as it developed, I felt their pride in the final product as we completed it. I trusted in their direction, opinions, and support. They responded immediately to all my concerns and questions. I deeply appreciated all their effort. Also, as I went through the process of vetting each chapter with the group at our bi-monthly meetings and long form reviews, (I had two), I benefitted from the help of the whole group at BWG.

Why is this a book that parents should share with their children or grandparents should share with their grandchildren?

PETER J. BARBOUR: My hope is that people will find the book interesting, exciting, and engaging. The lessons are woven into the plot subtly with the hope that they will provoke conversations, and the lessons will be internalized, and the message that balance is the key endures.

Will you write for this age group again?

PETER J. BARBOUR: Absolutely. I already have an idea in what direction the sequel might go. Someone has also planted an idea for a children’s book regarding the fifteen keys.

What are you working on now?

PETER J. BARBOUR: I have three short stories that need a home. I’m thinking about an anthology for my short stories, some of which need work. I’ve enjoyed working on that.

Peter, we wish you every success for Fifteen Keys and for all your writing projects. Thanks for being with us!

ABOUT PETER J. BARBOUR:

Dr. Barbour retired his reflex hammer and, in 2020, moved to Lake Oswego to become a full-time writer and illustrator. His previous works include a memoir, Loose Ends, three illustrated children’s books: Gus at Work, Oscar and Gus, and Tanya and the Baby Elephant. In addition, he has published over forty short stories that have appeared in e-journals and magazines. One of them, “The Fate of Dicky Paponovitch,” earned him Raconteur of the Month from Susan Carol Publishing Company. He belongs to the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Barbour has long been actively involved in Mussar, an ancient study of Jewish ethics, virtues, and mindfulness leading to character development. He participates in the process as a group facilitator and brings Mussar’s timeless wisdom to the writing of Fifteen Keys. He and his wife, Barbara Barbour, who is an accomplished photographer, now live in Oregon. Whenever they get a chance away from their vocations, they enjoy traveling and the outdoors. 

Writing to a Prompt by Debra H. Goldstein

Writing to a Prompt by Debra H. Goldstein

 

Sometimes, when life overtakes my creative side or I need a break from a project that isn’t flowing the way it should, I opt to write a short story. The word count of the short story can range from 500 to 5000 words, but my sweet spot is closer to 2500-3000 words. If I’m tired or simply not generating new ideas, I look for a submission call with a writing prompt. The prompt may be a word, phrase, or sentence that must be used, or it may be a thematic concept. During the past few months, two such stories of mine were published.

 

The anthology Paranoia Blues: Crime fiction based on the songs of Paul Simon (edited by Josh Pachter) was released on October 31. The title gives you the clue that each author had to make any Paul Simon song from an assigned album the basis of the story. Which song we chose and how we interpreted it was up to each writer. My album was So Beautiful or So What, which he released in 2011. I carefully listened and read the lyrics of each song on the album and thought of different ways I could develop a story beyond what existed. I narrowed my song choices to two, but I was torn between both. Then, I saw a news story covering a protest involving people living in a tent city near a park. I knew, based upon the lyrics of the title song, where my story needed to go.

 

My story, also called “So Beautiful or So What,” kept the tent city and park setting, dropped the protest, and changed the perspective to the viewpoint of the homeless – focusing on their interaction to stay alive and reaction when murder invades their world. Although there are paragraphs in the story that track actions mentioned in the song, the world I created goes far beyond the lyrics, but still pays homage to Simon’s work.

Last year, Black Cat Mystery Magazine announced an open call for cozy mystery stories. The use of the word cozy prompted me to know the story had to have an amateur sleuth, be set in a confined space, have no blood, gore, sex, or dirty words on the page, and would need a twist ending. Wanting to distinguish myself from the other stories submitted, I opted to tell my story, “The Girls in Cabin Three,” through a series of letters or postcards written by a camper to her parents. For fun, I added references that people familiar with the Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (Camp Granada Song) might recognize and chuckle at. The story was accepted and published in Black Cat Mystery Magazine #12.

 

In both instances, writing to the prompt gave me a beginning that allowed my creative juices to flow. If you are an author, do you find writing to a prompt helpful or stifling? If you are a reader, do you enjoy anthologies or magazines devoted to one theme?

 

 

Literary Dad Goals: The Fictional Unsung Hero Dads Who Deserve a Father’s Day Shoutout by Sarah E. Burr

Happy Father’s Day, Writers Who Kill! I’m taking back the reins from my character Winnie Lark and her “Off the Page” interviews to share my annual Father’s Day blog post.

In the past, I’ve shared stories about my own wonderful father and the fictional fathers we all adore. For this year’s post, I wanted to highlight the fathers or father figures who are often overlooked by the literary world. Remember, not all heroes wear capes. Some wear sweater vests, tell you to eat your vegetables, and warn you about the dangers of solving mysteries. In the pages of fiction, we meet many famous father figures, but today I’m raising a virtual glass to the unsung literary dads. These are the overlooked, the quiet champions, the lovable oddballs who make fictional childhoods feel like home.

Here are some of my favorite literary, under-the-radar dads (and dad-like legends) who have delighted me throughout the years.

 

Mr. Nicolson (From Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison)
This hilarious, coming-of-age series defined my tween years. While Georgia Nicolson is off chasing boys and navigating the deeply traumatic trauma of eyebrow shaping, her dad is the unsung comedic relief and emotional grounding force. He’s awkward, exasperated, and wonderfully loving, even when Georgia thinks he’s the most embarrassing person on Earth. Mr. Nicolson is a reminder that not all heroes are smooth. Some are just endearingly supportive in the face of teen chaos.

 

Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander (From the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind)

One of my favorite characters of all time, Zedd is a wizard, an eccentric mentor, and main character Richard’s surrogate father. Zedd may be more of a magical grump than a gentle cuddler, but his love for Richard is fierce, protective, and surprisingly tender beneath the sass and fireballs. Every chosen hero needs a wise, old guide, and Zedd fills that role with paternal pride.

 

Matthew Cuthbert (From Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery)

Matthew didn’t plan on raising a red-headed whirlwind, but once Anne Shirley entered his life, he quietly gave her his whole heart. His shy smiles, wordless support, and puffed sleeve heroics made him a father in the truest sense. Matthew proves that the softest hearts often make the strongest dads.

 

Bob Cratchit (From A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
While he often stands in Scrooge’s shadow, Bob Cratchit is one of literature’s most quietly courageous fathers. Though poor in coin, he is rich in kindness, spirit, and resilience. His love for his family is unwavering. Bob represents the dads who hold their families together with hope, a warm hearth, and possibly a plum pudding or two.

 

Fenton Hardy (From the Hardy Boys series by Franklin W. Dixon)

A retired detective-turned-private investigator, Fenton Hardy is the reason Frank and Joe are always hot on the trail of suspicious ne'er-do-wells. He encourages his sons’ sleuthing (a questionable parenting choice, but I love it), offers sage advice, and intervenes when things get dangerously real. Fenton is a rare kind of mystery dad who respects his kids' curiosity and always has their backs.

 

Chief Brown (From the Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol)

Chief Brown might be Idaville’s top lawman, but he’s also the supportive dad of boy-genius Encyclopedia Brown. He doesn’t hover or micromanage. Instead, he trusts his son’s sharp mind and lets him help solve neighborhood crimes (the '60s sound wild). Chief Brown is the kind of dad who encourages independence while always being just a phone call away from backup.

 

Henry & Grandfather Alden (From the Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner)

At the start of this children's series, Henry steps in as the de facto dad for his siblings, protecting and providing for them with bravery and hot stew. Later, when they reunite with Grandfather Alden—a once-feared figure turned loving patriarch—the series gains not one but two wonderful father figures. Grandfather Alden transforms into the cozy granddad of dreams. He is kind, present, and always ready to help solve a mystery with cookies at the ready.

 

These father figures may not be on every “Best Dad in Fiction” list, but they deserve all the love, books, and maybe a fresh pair of socks. Whether they’re solving crimes, raising rambunctious kids, or just quietly being there with a mug of cocoa, these dads are the literary glue that holds their fictional families together.

To all the dads who taught us, protected us, and made us laugh—thank you. We see you. We appreciate you. And we wish you a Happy Father’s Day!

 

Which underrated literary dad melts your heart?

Has AI Made Copyrights Obsolete?

 

Guest Post by Jennifer Sadera

My husband has a cool job. He creates unique spaces for museum exhibits in New York City. Among my favorite of his projects over the years are: The Costume Institute and Karl Lagerfeld exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; the live-plant-wall project in the main entrance at Lincoln Center; the Tiffany Gallery in New York Historical Society; and the Anne Frank exhibit at Center for Jewish History. A bonus for me: attending the openings of all these exhibits.

At these events I meet some of New York’s movers and shakers and conversations are usually interesting. Inevitably, discussion pivots to what I do. When I explain I’m an author, most people are intrigued and ask a lot of questions, but every so often people declare that they, too, could write a book. At this point I paste on a smile and try to look interested as the person before me launches into a fifteen-minute oral dissertation of the book’s premise, plotline, characters, and theme. When I ask them how far along they are in the writing process, the answer is usually a head shake and admission that they haven’t actually begun writing.

This always makes me grit my teeth. Honestly, if you tell me you’re a lawyer, a doctor, an exterminator, or nearly any other job on the planet, it’s highly unlikely I will pipe in with, “Oh, I could do that.” I could not do those jobs because I am a writer. That is my job, and it’s not as easy as it looks. Trust me. I started writing at age eight. My dad was my first editor and critic (thankfully he was not critical!), which gave me the curiosity to learn all that I could about writing. After college, I worked on the staffs of Woman’s World, Beauty, and Redbook magazines. When both my children were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and I needed to be near them to manage their condition, I ditched New York City and began a freelance writing business in my home. I can trace the evolution of my writing style through the hundreds of clips from the magazines, newspapers, and other periodicals I contributed to over many years. And still, I was offered my first contract by a traditional publisher only after writing six books over 12 years. And I’m one of the lucky ones.

People know this. Powerful people like Mark Zuckerberg. He doesn’t have time (and probably not the talent since he is not a writer) to create the millions of books he needs to train AI and give his company, Meta, an advantage over the competition. But this is apparently no problem. He allegedly took our books without offering compensation or even asking for permission, wiped the copyrights, and has turned the world’s best writers into teachers for their replacements.

How can this be, you may wonder. Copyrights protect a writer’s intellectual property . . . until a trillion-dollar company decides to disregard laws. It can afford to. As intimated in a recent article in the Atlantic, it’s cheaper to compensate for the pirated intellectual property of more than 7 million writers than fall behind in the worldwide AI race. Strange set of priorities, don’t you think? Who is he protecting? Certainly, not the right to create.

There’s a saying that those who create don’t destroy, but what about those who steal creations? I assert that destruction of artists and livelihoods—already a struggle—can be the only outcome. He’s literally stealing from those who can least afford it. There’s a reason most of us creatives fall into the “struggling artist” category. 

The Authors Guild is on top of this issue with a class-action lawsuit underway. If you think your writing was pirated, you can search the Library Genesis database (www.libgen.is/fiction), which lists all books from “publicly available internet sources.” Simply type your name into their search bar. If your book comes up, as mine did, your work has been stolen for the use of training AI.

Let’s face it, artists of all types—writers, photographers, and painters to name a few—are the low-hanging fruit in this situation. Our work is easy to access and ripe for the picking if the plunderer can afford to disregard the law and settle their debts at a later time—once they rake in the trillions from their AI victory. We are the David to Zuckerberg’s Goliath. But we know how that battle ended, don’t we? Reach out to the Authors Guild and find out what action you can take to keep our collective intellectual property protected.

But for now, I’d love to hear different perspectives. What do you think, is there an upside to using AI in this capacity? How might AI help our writing community?

Jennifer Sadera is the author of the recently released domestic suspense I KNOW SHE WAS THERE (CamCat Books). Her writing has earned her multiple awards at Atlanta Writers conferences and a fellowship at Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. A former staffer on Woman’s World and Redbook magazines, she now contributes to ITW’s The Big Thrill and is a finalist for Chronogram  magazine’s top author of the Hudson Valley, New York, where she lives. She is a proud member of ITW, MWA, and SINC.

 

Advice for Aspiring Authors from the Writers Who Kill

by Heather Weidner

June is the season of graduations and speeches about future adventures. To celebrate, I asked the Writers Who Kill what advice they would give to aspiring authors, and they provided a wealth of valuable information for folks at any stage of their careers. 

Find Your Crew

“Find a good supportive critique group. Learning how to provide a good critique will help your writing even more than the advice you get from your group."

~ James M. Jackson

“My advice to new writers: make friends in the writing community because writing is an up and down business, but they will be there to support you in the good and bad times (keeping you sane doing the thing you love).” 

~ Debra H. Goldstein 

“I’d tell new writers to find their tribe. Writing is a solitary pursuit, but not a lonely one. I highly recommend checking out Sisters in Crime and especially the Guppy Chapter. It’s the place to go to find encouragement and answers in a safe and nurturing environment.”

~ Kait Carson

“Seek out a writing community. Writing, for all its joys, can often feel like a solitary path. But even the most solitary journeys are made lighter with kindred spirits by your side. Surrounding yourself with fellow writers who understand the late-night edits, the plot twists that won’t twist, and the triumph of typing “The End” can make all the difference. Whether you connect through a local Sisters in Crime chapter, a virtual writing group, or a cozy nook within your own community, take the step to reach out. Speaking as a lifelong introvert, I can promise you this: having writing friends in your corner doesn’t just enrich your craft, it nourishes your spirit.”

~ Sarah E. Burr

Listening to Criticism

“Embrace helpful, constructive criticism and ignore hateful, biased, ignorant opinions of your work.” 

~ Margaret S. Hamilton

Perseverance

“Never give up! Building a writing life is a marathon not a sprint. Volunteering is the easiest way to meet your peer group, raise your profile, introduce your work to a wider welcoming audience, and make new life-long friendships!”

~ Martha Reed

“Just 200 words a day is a novel in one year.”

~ Judy L. Murray 

“Writing is work, and you need to treat your writing life as a business. Guard your writing time. It’s valuable. Also, invest in a good author headshot.”

~ Heather Weidner

“Keep on writing. Persevere. Get involved with fellow writers to learn your craft and critique your work. And keep on writing.”

~ Marilyn Levinson

“Don't stop and don't give up.”

~ Nancy Eady

“The difference between a writer who is published and one who isn't — the published writer didn't give up. Be too stubborn to give up.”

~ Grace Topping

Hone Your Craft

“Enjoy your writing. Love what you create. Share it with others in a writing community, in person and online. Listen carefully to other people's critiques (and bite your tongue when you want to defend your work) to find nuggets you can implement to improve. And then, give other writers the same courtesy.”

~ K. M. Rockwood

“Be patient. (I know, that's a hard one.) Focus on the writing before you spend too much headspace on publishing and all that entails.” 

~ Korina Moss

“Whether you're talking about life or about writing, you have to find your own way. What works for you? People are always asking writers about their “process.” Are they a pantser or an outliner? Do they write 1,000 words a day? Do they listen to music or write in silence? In the long run, you have to find what works for you. That might take a while in writing and in life.”

~ Susan Van Kirk

“Read, read, read. Read voraciously in the genre you want to write but read other genres as well. As you're reading, notice. What do I love about this? Where do I start skimming?”

~Lori Roberts Herbst

“Revision is the key to success.” 

~ Molly MacRae

What was the best piece of writing advice you received? 

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. 

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a crazy Jack Russell Terrier. 

Creating a Fictional Character

 

By Margaret S. Hamilton

Betty Birdsall is one of the first characters I created while populating the fictional college town of Jericho, Ohio. She is named for my mother, Betty, an active garden club volunteer. Slender and energetic, her gray curls crushed under a sun visor, my fictional Betty is usually found weeding the public display beds and watering the hanging flower baskets on Main Street. She drives a Prius station wagon loaded with gardening tools and yard bags.

 

Betty is a widowed schoolteacher who taught third grade for forty years. In addition to the mandated public-school curriculum, Ms. Birdsall took her students on nature walks every Friday. Her students and their children acknowledge they can still identify fifty kinds of tree leaves, native pollinators, and local wildflowers. Her classroom windowsills were lined with seedlings and forced tulip and hyacinth bulbs. On Earth Day, her class traveled to a local park to plant tree saplings.

 

Betty’s husband taught botany at the local college. They welcomed visitors to their woodland gardens next to the bird sanctuary. Betty still lives in the brick bungalow on the back college lane with Mabel, her feisty terrier mix.

 

Betty is kind and willing to share her gardening knowledge with novice gardeners, but she also has high standards. She doesn’t tolerate wanna be gardeners who purchase coneflowers and daisies in five-gallon pots, plant them in a new flower bed, and then announce that their garden is ready for the annual house and garden tour. Betty believes gardens should blend into the landscape, with perennials planted in a continuous bloom sequence, and winter interest bushes like hollies and red-twigged dogwoods providing a year-round dimension to the garden.

 

She supports and adheres to current Ohio law, allowing six home-grown marijuana plants per adult in a household, grown inside or out of sight from the street. Betty has known many chronic pain patients who have benefited from marijuana and makes their locally sourced consumption possible.

 

In my recently published story, “With a Little Help From Her Friends,” Betty readies her own gardens for the local House and Garden Tour while supervising preparations for the other featured gardens. Deer and rabbits have feasted on the daylilies and hostas. Snapping turtles are on the move, laying eggs in the nearby green space. And there’s Hugo, a six-foot black rat snake hunting for moles, chipmunks, and mice.

 

Assisted by her chemistry professor neighbor, Betty identifies the culprit responsible for killing the annuals in public gardens around town. Hugo and his slithery friends ensure that the perp doesn’t escape before the police arrive.

 

Mystery Short Story: With A Little Help From Her Friends | Kings River Life Magazine

 

Writers and readers, have you created characters based on a real person or certain characteristics of a real person?

 

Margaret S. Hamilton’s debut amateur sleuth mystery, What the Artist Left Behind, is on submission.

 

Home - The Official Website of Margaret S. Hamilton 

 

 

 

My Father Always Finds Corpses by Lee Hollis: A Review by E. B. Davis

 

With a wryly witty and assured voice and a vastly entertaining cast of characters, Lee Hollis puts a modern slant on the classic murder mystery as a father-daughter sleuthing duo are drawn into a case close to home . . .

You never forget your first corpse. For former child star Jarrod Jarvis, that discovery was twenty-plus years ago, and a lot has happened since he solved a string of real-life Hollywood murders. Now Jarrod lives in Palm Springs where he writes and directs local theatre, while quietly grieving the loss of his partner, police detective Charlie.

Jarrod hasn’t disclosed much about his sleuthing past to his daughter, Liv, who just earned a degree in criminal justice. There’s been distance between them since Charlie’s death, and Jarrod’s unsure how to bridge the gap. Liv, meanwhile, has put her career on hold in order to help her filmmaker boyfriend, Zel. His new documentary idea is to track down the surrogate who gave birth to Liv. Skeptical and annoyed by Zel’s pressure tactics, Liv goes to confront him at his apartment. But there’s no need to break things off—because someone has bludgeoned Zel to death.

Jarrod rushes to Liv’s aid, surprising his daughter with his ease around a crime scene, firing off questions like a modern-day Columbo with better hair and wardrobe. Another shock is quite how many people had motive to finish Zel off—including a Russian film professor, a former First Lady, and a sexy Secret Service agent. Together, Liv and Jarrod comb for clues across the sun-drenched Coachella valley, growing close again. But while there’s nothing like murder to bring a family together, this father-daughter reunion may be short-lived as long as a killer is on the loose . . .                                                                                                                                              Amazon.com

 

Lee Hollis is a pseudonym for the brother and sister writing team of Rick Copp and Holly Simason. Rick started writing for TV in the 80s and has an extensive resume of shows that he wrote for, created, produced, and sometimes acted in, which I will not enumerate here since he started at age twenty-four fresh out of New York University. His sister, Holly, wrote a cooking column in their hometown paper, which won awards. Together, they compounded their wins. My Father Always Finds Corpses was released on May 27. It is their fourth mystery series.

 

Jarrod Jarvis, a former child star, is now near sixty. His late husband, Charlie, a LA homicide detective, died ten years ago. They had paid a surrogate to have a child. Their daughter, Liv, is now in her 20s, and both have relocated to Palm Springs, CA from LA. Jarrod is still in mourning for Charlie and hasn’t dated, a situation his friends want to change. He is also at a loss as to how to improve his relationship with Liv, who was closer with Charlie. The murder of Liv’s boyfriend provides this opportunity. His experience and professionalism make him shine in his daughter’s eyes. Some first books allude to the MC having solved murders in the past, giving them an instant reputation and precedent, which I find unnecessary and a bit annoying. In this book, it’s sort of like that as readers aren’t enlightened about this previous experience, but… 

 

There are caveats and clues in the book that glimpse back to a before, starting with the title. Jarrod can’t always find corpses if this is the first one. And in fact, it isn’t. After researching Rick, I found that he had delved into mystery writing before collaborating with his sister. In 2001, he wrote the first Jarrod Jarvis mystery, The Actor’s Guide to Murder, followed by, The Actor’s Guide to Adultery, and finally, The Actor’s Guide to Greed, the latter winning a LAMBDA Literary Award for Best Mystery. These early books are set before Jarrod and Charlie marry and have Liv, and are living together in LA. It is wonderful to find that the harkening back to previous murder solving is actually substantiated by these books. Unfortunately, the illustrious prequels haven’t been digitalized and are quite expensive to buy. So, although they would be interesting to read, I probably won’t unless someone reissues them. Hint! Hint!

 

As you can imagine, the writing is stellar. However, unlike the other series written by Lee Hollis, these books have no cooking component and are without recipes. That’s the only negative! The secondary characters are memorable and include a gay couple and a former First Lady of the US, now a widow living in Palm Springs and a friend of Jarrod’s. Seeing Jarrod and Liv’s relationship blossom while investigating murder shows that future books may turn this sequel into the start of a new series. We can only hope so.     

 

How to Start Your Crime Story. Or Not. by KM Rockwood

Grab your readers right away. Start with the action. A body needs to show up in the first chapter (or even the first page.)

All good rules for writing crime fiction.

I’m always tempted to start with an information dump. After all, the readers need background for the characters and the story, right? But—if it’s all ho-hum details and no action, nobody’s going to read far enough to engage with the characters anyhow. So important background needs to be included in short spurts which should also serve another function, preferably advancing the plot.

So while my first draft is usually info-dump heavy, one of my goals on the next go-round is to extract the essential information and disperse it throughout the story.

“In the car on the way to the action” is another trap I tend to fall into. What better than to have a dialogue between characters that sets up the story and demonstrates participant’s traits? I suppose it may work for some skilled authors, but in my writing, it comes across as stilted and awkward. By this point, I recognize the problem, and either start over again or, if the beginning has got the story going, treat it like an info dump and go back to fix it on the second draft. Firmly park the car and disperse the important details.

Akin to that is describing a character’s physical appearance by having them look in the mirror. Since I tend in the direction of not enough physical description, rather than too much, that’s never been a problem for me.

Skip any mood-setting description. It may be intended to set the scene and the tone, but nobody besides Snoopy thinks it’s a great idea to start with “It was a dark and stormy night.”

The unnamed or mysterious narrator, observing from afar, can feel chilling and create tension, but unless it’s in the hands of an exceptionally talented author, it often ends up feeling like a cheap trick. Readers aren’t usually fond of ethereal, nameless characters. Sometimes, though, I’ll come to the end of an intriguing story and realize I still don’t know the main character’s name. It’s always been a story in first person point of view where I find myself identifying so closely with the character I don’t need a name. It’s just “me.”

Then there’s the popular TV meme of the scene of the murder. Usually outside with crime scene tape delineating the area, emergency

vehicles scattered around, often with their flashing lights (but the sirens muted—otherwise how could the audience hear the dialogue?) and official personnel scurrying around with clipboards, evidence containers, and body bags. Our main character is being brought up to speed by others on the scene. Works much better visually than on paper.

Prologues can feel like an awkward attempt to set up a story. They can be abrupt and distancing. Most editors these days seem to feel they should be avoided.

Maybe, though, rules like this are made to be broken.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, opens with a cryptic gift of a pressed flower. It immediately signals an intriguing long-ago mystery before the actual story begins.

Never start with a dream. It can frustrate readers and make them feel cheated when they realize that a dramatic scene in which they have invested their attention is not real, even within the context of a fictional story.

Yet many would say that Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, which starts with "Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again,” is a perfect start to her story. Note, though, that there’s no attempt to entrap the reader by pretending it’s anything but a dream.

The “fake action” scene is similar to this. An exciting beginning which turns out to be a movie or a video game. I can’t think of any examples that “work” for me.

Philosophical openings don’t work for most of us, although some writers with serious depth to their works can carry then off.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

That famous start to Charles Dickens’ The Tale of Two Cities also breaks “any more than thirty word in a single sentence and the reader’s mind will check out” rule of thumb.

How do you like the starts to crime stories, both the ones you write and the ones you read?