Thanks, Dad, I’ll Be Careful: Literary Fathers and the Courage They Give Us by Sarah E. Burr

Happy Father’s Day, Writers Who Kill!

Over the past few years, my June post has become something of a Father’s Day tradition. I’ve written about my own dad and the books we shared, celebrated favorite fictional fathers, explored the dads and father figures in my own mysteries, and raised a virtual glass to some underrated literary dads who deserve more love.

This year, I found myself thinking less about “great dads” in the general sense and more about the specific kind of courage fathers and father figures can pass down through stories. We live in a world that often feels loud, uncertain, and frightening. Maybe that’s why I’ve been drawn lately to characters who are brave, not because they’re fearless, but because someone once helped them believe they could face hard things.

In literature, the best fathers and father figures don’t always remove danger from the path. They can’t. Instead, they offer something more lasting: trust, steadiness, wisdom, love, and a sense of right and wrong. They don’t hand the hero a map around danger. They hand them a compass.

For mystery lovers, Carson Drew is one of the finest examples. Nancy Drew’s father could have easily been written as a stern, overprotective obstacle. After all, his teenage daughter regularly investigates dangerous people, explores hidden passageways, and asks questions that most adults would be wise to avoid. Instead, Carson trusts Nancy. He worries, of course. What good fictional father wouldn’t? But he also respects her intelligence and instincts. His frequent reminders to be careful never feel like an attempt to stop her. They feel like proof that he believes she can handle herself, even as he hopes she comes home safely. Carson Drew teaches courage through trust.

Dr. Murry from A Wrinkle in Time offers another kind of courage. His absence drives much of the story, but his love is never absent. Meg’s search for her father becomes a journey into her own strength, and one of the beautiful things about Dr. Murry is that he is not invincible. He needs rescuing, too. That matters. So often, fictional fathers are expected to be all-knowing, all-powerful protectors, but Dr. Murry reminds us that love does not require perfection. Courage can mean admitting fear, accepting help, and continuing to reach for one another even when darkness presses close.

Then there is Pa Ingalls from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, who represents courage through steadiness. The Ingalls family faces hardship after hardship: storms, hunger, illness, isolation, and uncertainty. Pa does not always have an easy solution, but he brings calm, music, work, and reassurance. His courage is not dramatic. It is practical. It’s getting up the next morning. It’s keeping the family moving. It’s playing the fiddle when spirits are low, reminding everyone that they will endure. Sometimes bravery looks less like charging into battle and more like keeping the lantern lit.

In the fantasy realm, Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander from Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series has long been one of my favorite grandfather figures. Zedd is prickly, eccentric, powerful, hilarious, and deeply devoted. He may grumble and lecture, but beneath all that wizardly bluster is fierce love. His relationship with Richard shows that courage requires more than strength. It requires judgment. It requires sacrifice. It requires the willingness to face difficult truths. Zedd teaches that bravery is not simply about having power; it is about knowing when and how to use it.

And, of course, I can’t write about literary father figures who impacted my childhood without mentioning Arthur Weasley from the Harry Potter books. Mr. Weasley's courage is gentle, but it is unwavering. He welcomes Harry into his home, stands against prejudice, protects his family, and never loses his sense of wonder. He’s not the flashiest wizard in the room, and he’s certainly not the richest, but Arthur Weasley models decency under pressure. He teaches courage through kindness, curiosity, and conviction. In a world full of fear and cruelty, he chooses warmth again and again.

What I love about all these fathers and father figures is that they don’t make the world safe by pretending danger doesn’t exist. They make their children and loved ones braver by giving them something solid to carry into that danger. Nancy has Carson’s trust. Meg has Dr. Murry’s love. Laura has Pa’s steadiness. Richard has Zedd’s wisdom. Harry has Arthur’s example of goodness in action.

As a mystery writer, I think about courage a lot. A sleuth has to knock on one more door, ask one more question, follow one more clue, and stand up when something feels wrong. That courage may come from within, but very often, it was planted there by someone who believed in them first.

So, this Father’s Day I’m grateful for the literary dads and father figures who remind us that courage doesn’t always arrive with a sword, a badge, or a grand speech. Sometimes it sounds like, “Be careful.” Sometimes it looks like a hand on your shoulder, a book placed in your lap, or someone believing you’re strong enough to face the next chapter.

Which literary father or father figure taught you something about courage?

Treasure Hunting for Fans by Judy L. Murray

This month I’m thinking about public events and what we as authors do to reach out and touch readers. It’s a tough road but often rewarding.

For some authors it’s uncomfortable to approach bookstore owners they don’t know. If speaking with complete strangers and presenting in front of a group doesn’t come to you naturally, a signing is definitely a step outside your comfort zone. For many, the idea of ‘pitching’ your novel brings sweat to the brow and a very queasy stomach. Yet, I’ve found that public events are my most rewarding opportunity to increase my fan base and sell more copies. Readers encourage me to keep writing my series. As much as I might crash on my couch at the end of a day, I know it’s usually worthwhile. In my mind, book signings and events are like pebbles in the water, widening my scope of repeat reads.

Here are my tips that may encourage you to step away from the safety of your laptop and introduce your work to the outside world.

1. Review your back of the book blurbs or series concept and reduce them down to a short introduction of your book, your series, and yourself to make starting conversations easier. When I say short, I mean short. Rewrite your intro down to less than twenty words. Bookstores are often shorthanded. Managers don’t have time for long-winded conversations. You’ll only have a few minutes to introduce yourself and your work. If you are a local author, use that as your first phrase. That always tweaks a manager’s interest. Then concentrate on your book’s appeal. Its uniqueness. Perhaps tie it into a popular book in your genre that might help the manager picture your book on their shelf. Before you use your introduction to a stranger, practice it. Get confident. That doesn’t mean you might fumble but you’ll likely sound like you believe in the appeal of your stories.

2. If I’ve made you a bit worried about your book introductions, I’ll remind you that as important as they are, they aren’t all that matters. Professional speakers will tell you that you only have thirty seconds to capture attention of the bookseller or the reader. Words are seven percent of the message your project. Thirty-eight percent of your message depends on your voice. If you’re warm and interesting, they’ll give you their limited time. Believe it or not, your face is fifty-five percent of your message. You don’t have to have the smile of Tom Cruise or the beauty of Anne Hathaway. Let your public know you’re happy to meet them.

3. Start local. Build an Excel sheet list of area bookstores and shops in a thirty-mile radius. In the world of Google, it’s easy to find the names of shop owners and get a good idea of which businesses like to hold signings. One of my best locations is a gift shop that has a book section. Does the store hold weekly, monthly, or perhaps a group author event? Take a few notes before your call so you sound as if you’ve done your homework on their store and are aware of their stock.

4. Expand your list with those larger or more distant locations that carry novels like your own. If they specialize in gothic or fantasy, yours may not be a fit. Don’t waste your time. Move on. Sometimes stores hold a variety of events, each concentrating on a different genre. If that’s the case, contact the store owner and ask that your books be considered. They often will give you a timeline for when to contact them for an upcoming event. Some will put you on a waiting list.

5. Once you’ve introduced yourself to a store owner, get their name and email address. Send them a thank you with your bio attached and a signature with a live link to your website. Remind them of your interest in their store. Put them on a tickler file. If you are particularly interested in that location, email them quarterly and call them bi-annually. You may be the author they couldn’t fit in during the spring but would love to have next fall. They simply needed your reminder.

7. If a location matches your genre or neighborhood, go to Facebook or Instagram and join their followers. That’s an easy way to be notified when an event is upcoming. When you make a reel or post, hashtag or @ sign area businesses, business associations like their chamber of commerce, or county news. Store owners will become more aware of you before you have even introduced yourself.

8. Start to expand your horizons with area organizations. Join countywide, even statewide, organizations by following them. As you notice potential events enter them onto your Google calendar with reminders. Recently I participated in a very popular church spring market with dozens of vendors ranging from flowers to pottery, to homemade quilts. The interests were varied and it attracted thousands of visitors. Lucky me, I was one of only two authors who ran book signing tents. It was two days of standing on my feet, but I met dozens of my readers and met many new ones.

9. Consider the potential return for your investment before you agree to attend. Do you provide your own tent, table, chairs, decorations, and pay an entry fee? You may decide the event is unlikely to generate enough sales to cover your costs no less your driving time, meals, and labor.

10. Be honest with yourself as to what stores or events are a match for you. I’ve tried huge statewide author fairs. Overall, the effort and the often four- or five-hour drives outweighed the sales. I remember traveling three hours to arrive at six-thirty am to set up, pay a fee, and finally a breakdown time of six pm. Within the first hour I realized that the attendees were unlikely to be interested in traditional mysteries. I crossed that event off my list. Now I do a better job of studying the other author attendees ahead of time. Live and learn. You may find huge events work for you.

11. Try to get comfortable as you encourage strangers to stop by your table. I rarely sit. Picture yourself at a party with strangers. How would you encourage conversations? Is it the football shirt they’re wearing? Their dog? Break the ice for them. Don’t get caught scrolling through your phone instead of striking up conversations as people pass by. I’ve also gotten better at not judging a book by its cover. The young man in camouflage may actually be a cozy buyer, if not for him but his sister. I’ve held many Barnes and Noble signings. Managers are happy to hear from me from one year to the next. They remember me as someone who chats with the public. You are taking up their store real estate if you don’t make a friendly effort.

12. No matter how successful the signing is or isn’t, send the store contact a handwritten thank you note afterwards. You’ll stand out among authors that send an email or none at all. Remember you are building a relationship into the future.

13. A couple of marketing suggestions: have a pop-up banner to bring to each signing for either at your table or outside the store entrance. Bring a newsletter sign-up sheet. That is the #1 way to grow your newsletter or social media followers. Make a checklist of what you need to bring to your signing. I print one out each time. Have your own tablecloth in your book cover theme color. Dress for success. People expect to meet an author dressed appropriately. Be sure to post a signing announcement before the event on social media. A live reel is even better. Post a photo during the event or afterwards about how much you enjoyed meeting new fans. Sometimes I get more results from the posts than the actual events.

Do you have a favorite idea that helps you gain signings and sales? I’d love to hear them in your comments. If you would like my checklist to use, email me at judylmurray@gmail.com.

Best of luck! Judy L. Murray

Award-winning author of The Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series

http//:www.judylmurraymysteries.com

Agatha Christie Plotting Tricks by Judy L. Murray

One of the benefits of a generous writing community is the sharing of resources we come across that can help us improve our work.

Dana Isaacson on CareerAuthors.com discussed Agatha Christie’s plotting techniques in an article entitled ‘Christie Tricks’ as part of a review of Lucy Worsley’s best-selling biography of Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman. Worsley, a popular British historian and bestselling author, covered Mrs. Christie’s life as she evolved from a young debutante, wife, and eventually brilliant mystery writer, including her infamous eleven-day disappearance before her divorce and second marriage. Worsley’s book (Pegusus Books) is now high on my pile of to be reads.

Nicknamed Christie’s Tricks for writing the perfect mystery, this checklist helped remind me of her clever style and the elements that ensured her reputation as the Queen of Mystery. If you’ve read any of my books in The Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series, you know I include an Agatha Christie quote appropriate to each novel as a dedication. I get a lot of writing joy when I try to emulate the master.

Christie’s Tricks:

#1 Hide an object in plain sight: In my Killer in the Kitchen, the murder of a celebrity chef takes place during a television cooking show. I loved working on a plot that divulged how the chef was killed yet those in the viewing audience, and including my readers, miss the how-done-it. I lost a lot of sleep while deciding how to pull this off.

#2 The Hidden Couple: In Peril in the Pool House, I created a relationship that was kept under wraps until my protagonist started to unravel truths.

#3 Authors Should Play Fair with Their Readers: When a villain is eventually revealed as a minor store clerk at the local checkout counter mentioned in chapter three paragraph six of a story, my blood boils. As I’m editing, I keep an eye on how the breadcrumbs are dropped. Sometimes it means I need to reweave those details to be sure my readers have a fair shot at discovering the villain. In all my books I try to give readers opportunity to smell a rat. Am I revealing too little or too much along the way? Occasionally, readers get it right. Often, they get it wrong. But they always know the clues are in between the pages.

#4 The omission of tiny but key facts by someone we trust: Christie definitely walked a fine line by maintaining the information given was not false just omitted. In other words, everyone is a suspect. I find it hard to make everyone a suspect, especially if I like them. Do you?

#5 Clothes Do Not Make the Man: No one does a better job at hiding wisdom and intuition better than Christie with her Jane Marple.

#6 Crime Patterns May Fool Detectives: My readers in all my books enjoy my protagonist’s ability to better understand personality traits to the consternation of the local police.

#7 Steal from the News: Christie’s stories picked up on crimes of her century. True crime is also my favorite inspiration for all my stories. A real-life fraud case involving a builder during my real estate management days was the basis of Murder in the Master. I tucked it into the back of my brain to use twenty years later. Villain in the Vineyard, my fourth, was a perfect example of a past crime coming back to haunt someone. My plots, characters, and settings are different from the true crime. But true crime got my imagination whirling in the direction of ‘what if’. What real news have you used to enhance your mysteries?

#8 Set the Crime in a Place Familiar to You: Whether it is at the top of a lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay, an Adirondack cabin, or a dusty horse stable, incorporating a setting we know well is definitely an advantage as we pull in our readers. The first time I walked out to a lighthouse just a mile from my house, I knew there was a story I had to tell.

When you look at these Christie Tricks, which ones do you think have helped you build your mysteries? I want to hear about them.

Nomenclature by Nancy L. Eady

Entering a new area of the law after 34 years in personal injury is not a task for the faint of heart. Entering a specialized area of the law, public health, with zero experience in the field of endeavor is an adventure. I am learning, essentially, a new language, or, to put it in more precise terms, a new nomenclature. 

Nomenclature is an interesting word. One of the 6+ definitions listed for the word in the Oxford English Dictionary is: “The system or set of technical terms used in a science or other discipline; a specific or specialist terminology.” (If you are an English-speaking word nerd, the definitive reference source for a word’s definition and etymology is the unabridged Oxford English Dictionary, “OED”, now conveniently available on-line via subscription.) 

English borrowed the word from classical Latin, in which the word “nōmenclātūra,” meant “the assigning of names to things.” It was used in 1690 as denoting a list of the commonest words in a language to help learners, and in 1798 as a word for the entire word list in a dictionary!  Oxford English Dictionary, “nomenclature (n.),” June 2026, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/4212315392. (In case you can’t guess, I am playing with my new toy, a one-month subscription.) 

Just like my job comes with its own nomenclature, mystery writing comes with one as well. If you are new to writing, here are some common terms and/or abbreviations.

Antagonist – The Bad Guy. 

Backstory – Not the history of orthopedic medicine, but the stuff that happened to your characters before your story opens. 

Cozy – Not how I feel in front of a roaring fire in my fireplace during the depths of winter, but a mystery subgenre where violence is downplayed and the crime takes place in a small, socially intimate community. 

Flash Fiction – Not a photograph of a book taken in the dark but a short story that is less than 100 words long. 

MC – Not the master of ceremonies at an event, but the main character in your work. 

MS – Not a professional woman who wishes to remain neutral regarding her marital status, but “manuscript.” 

MSS – Not a bevy of belles, but “manuscripts.” 

Pantster – Not a tailor, but a free spirit who sits down at her desk and starts writing, surprised as she sees what flows forth from her word crafting. 

Plotster – Not a gardener, but a frustratingly organized individual (at least to those like me born lacking the gene for organization) who plans out the plot of his novel before starting to write. 

POV – Point of View. Not your opinion about politics or the chartreuse and pink dress your best friend is wearing – you might want to keep the chartreuse and pink opinion to yourself in any event - but rather the way in which you tell your story and from whose perspective. 

Protagonist – The Good Guy. 

Swag – Not a jaunty step nor a fancy curtain top but the promotional materials authors use to encourage the public to read their book.

Unreliable Narrator – The person telling your story is not just a liar but a dam* liar.

WIP – Not a program initiated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to create jobs during the Great Depression, but “work in progress.” 

What other words and acronyms might be helpful for a new writer? If you are a new writer, what words or acronyms do you have questions about?

Some Thoughts on Naming My Fictional Characters by Marilyn Levinson

While deciding on the best names for your characters is not as critical as naming your children and your pets, it does require a considerable amount of thought. After all, you will be living with these characters for quite some time, especially if you write series. I spend the most time choosing my protagonist's name for obvious reasons. My sleuths are always female. I like to give them names I consider appealing and not very common, along with a nickname. In Giving Up the Ghost, my sleuth Gabriela Meyerson is called Gabbie. In Murder a la Christie, Lexie's official name is Alexa. My sleuth in Death on Dickens Island is Cordelia Dickens, though everyone calls her Delia.

However, not all my characters are happy with their given names. Carrie Singleton, in the Haunted Library series, officially changed her name to Carrie because she always hated Carolinda, which she was given at birth.

The names of my other characters usually come to mind as they're about to become  active members of the cast. I do my best to vary them, with regard to the starting letter and number of syllables. Masculine names tend to be shorter, and so I choose names with different vowel sounds. Readers are less likely to confuse two characters named Mike and Brett, while having characters named Fred and Ted in the same book might be a problem for some. But names can get mixed up even in an author's mind. I am grateful to the editor who noticed that I'd changed the murderer's name in the middle of the novel.

Recently, I've been having fun with names in a different way entirely. In the book I'm currently writing, Delia and her son Connor adopt two kittens that are littermates. I decided to call them Romeo and Juliet after my own kitties. And when Connor and his friend Trevor acquire girlfriends, I named them after my granddaughter and her "sister." Boy, was Livvie excited when I told her about that!

We authors have total control when it comes to naming our characters. What do you take into consideration when you name yours?

Killer Questions - Favorite Places to Visit

Killer Questions - Favorite Places to Visit 

With summer being here, people often begin to think of vacations. The Writers Who Kill differ on are our favorite places to visit. Are any of these a favorite for you?

Annette Dashofy - Durango, Colorado, or Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA, if I don’t have the time or money to travel.

Heather Weidner - Any beach, Hawaii, bookstores and libraries.

James M. Jackson - I love being in new places, learning about the fauna, flora, and geology, and taking pictures to capture my impressions. But my favorite place to visit is my home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Martha Reed - Italy, hands down. But I’m keeping other options open.

Sarah E. Burr - London is my absolute favorite city, so much so that I’d love to live there one day.

Kait Carson – Saba

Debra H. Goldstein – For relaxation, any place where I can look at water. For a fast paced trip, a long weekend seeing Broadway shows in New York City.

Susan Van Kirk – Boston

Elaine Douts - My sister’s house because I usually don’t have to cook and clean there.

Margaret Hamilton - Cape Cod beaches and London.

K.M. Rockwood - Mackinac Island.

Korina Moss - That’s a difficult one, since there are many favorites. If I had to pick, I’d say London. You never run out of things to do or see, the architecture is stunning, the history is palpable, and the museums and art galleries are fantastic (and most are free). There are beautiful parks, markets, rivers, and squares. There’s a great variety of ethnic food, although I also love the pubs. 

Grace Topping - It's not a place that I will probably get to more than once, but Petra in Jordan has to be at the top of my list. I wish I could go often.

Shari Randall - Some place new!

Mary Dutta - New York City (with London a close second). It’s all about the theater.

 

The Joys of ShortCon

Michael Bracken

by Paula Gail Benson

I imagine readers are going to see a lot of posts about ShortCon, the program organized by Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson that has taken place for the last three years at Elaine’s Restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia. This was my first time attending, but many participants had been to all three.

Why would you want to go and keep returning?

1. Writing is done in isolation. When you find your tribe gathering, you want to be part of the event, to make connections, catch up with friends, and hear the news. This is difficult for short story writers, particularly those in the mystery field. Most larger conferences focus on novels and have only a few panels on short stories. Also, I don’t think readers of short stories are usually drawn to conferences, unless they read mysteries generally. ShortCon provides the concentration and more intimate setting where people can easily talk.

For instance, I belong to the Short Mystery Fiction Society (SMFS), a group that welcomes members at no cost and annually recognizes excellence in flash, short stories, longer short stories, and novelettes with the Derringer awards (usually presented at Bouchercon). Joseph S. Walker is the President of the SMFS. I’m always reading his messages, but it was a real pleasure to have dinner with him and hear about his short story collection, Crime Scenes, that has recently been published.

Stacy Woodson

A Noir at the Bar event took place at Elaine’s the night before ShortCon. Some excellent writers read their own short stories. The atmosphere was relaxed, allowing participants to get to know each other better before the full day program began.

2. ShortCon operates on a very economical basis. There is a registration fee, but it covers the breakfast and lunch for the day of the program. Also, there are raffles and giveaways throughout the meeting. I asked Michael if any books would be available for sale and he replied that people paid enough to attend, the organizers wanted to give back. They did, in information and in extras.

3. Craft and market information are important. ShortCon recognizes and supplies both. Among this year’s craft presenters were Gary Phillips (who took the group through an exercise in creating a villain) and Art Taylor (who spoke about how to structure a novel in short stories). Art invited Ashley-Ruth Bernier to talk to the group about her recently released The Bush Tea Murder, a novel told in short stories. Art’s own On the Road with Del & Louise, A Novel in Stories, has just been reissued. Michele Slung explained the reading process for selecting stories to be included in Otto Penzler’s The Best Mystery Stories of the Year, and Jackie Sherbow, editor of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, spoke about transitions taking place at that publication.

4. Elaine’s has become well known not only for its superb Mediterranean cuisine but also as a haven for literary events. The Westin Alexandria Old Town (a fifteen-minute drive to Reagan National airport) had excellent rooms, an attentive staff, and a comfortable bar for discussions. Alexandria was a very walkable and Uber friendly city.

Are you a short story writer? Have you considered becoming one? You might want to check out ShortCon. It's a great learning and networking experience.

 

Good Distractions Make for Excellent Vibrations by Debra H. Goldstein

Sometimes, when good things are happening, it seems like life gets in the way of doing everything one wants to do – especially writing. But, that’s okay. 

You may ask how it can be okay? You’ve always heard a writer is supposed to write. A writer is supposed to be glued to the chair, fingers on the keyboard, for certain lengths of time or until a given number of words are created. There’s a lot of truth to those ideas. 

There also is truth to be found in a writer’s negative feelings of being overwhelmed, out of ideas, completely frustrated, or having trouble balancing or even finding freak out moment time (see my Hamster Wheel blog https://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/2026/04/running-aimlessly-on-hamsters-wheel.html ). Those are the lousy depressing times when one wonders if words will ever flow again. The times that hopefully will pass but seem like they won’t.

They aren’t what I’m talking about. I’m addressing not writing because of exhilarating and wonderful distractions. Reading the different posts on Facebook, Instagram, or blogs posted or written by Writers Who Kill authors, I see this past month included graduations, military commissions, Daisy to Brownie bridging, weddings, births, new homes, visiting guests, remodeling that finally finished, book launches, award ceremonies, attending conferences, traveling for fun, and planting for the new season. If you ask me, all of these were good reasons not to write. 

The funny thing is that while words may not have gotten down on paper, I find that during these happy times, words keep percolating in my brain. Story ideas that have been tangled become clearer. It is the calm before the storm of words flow. Maybe it has something to do with the release of brain chemicals associated with happiness or simply relaxing, but I know that when the time presents itself to write again, I will. It’s truly okay. I can feel the good vibrations.

What about you? Do you ever find yourself so detoured by happy occasions and acts that you can’t squeeze in other things? When you can, do things work out? 

HOW TO INSPIRE READER LOYALTY

by Korina Moss

A photo posted by Dana, a loyal reader of mine 

Reader loyalty. Every author hopes for it. Cozy mystery authors count on it for their careers. One way to foster loyal readership is through marketing, but that’s putting the cart before the horse. First, you must write a series that inspires reader loyalty. 

Cozy mysteries are intended to be a standalone series. Writing a standalone means you have to focus on writing the best self-contained story you can. But writing standalones within a series means you also have to consider the books you'll be writing next. Ultimately, you want a connection among your books and a progression of your characters. These two things will help to elevate your series and inspire reader loyalty. How to do this? Here are 5 things to keep in mind that may help:

1. Give your protagonist a character arc throughout the series. 

Cozy mysteries are comfort reads, so although we want to write a three-dimensional protagonist (which likely means she’ll have some flaws and challenges), you need to put a light touch on them. Your protagonist must be likable from the beginning, and therefore, her issues can’t be so heavy or need such redemption that the reader isn’t riding with her from the start. With this in mind, you can introduce an arc that gets resolved in book one and then a bigger arc that runs throughout the series, or you can introduce an arc and show your protagonist’s growth incrementally throughout each book. Either way, don’t hit the reader over the head with lessons learned. Character arcs should also apply to your core series characters (those who help your protagonist sleuth and show up in every book). Think about what changes they might go through within each book. What small differences will readers be able to see in your core characters between book 1 and your later books? 

2. Keep in mind the time between when the books take place. 

Does your first book take place in the spring and the second book take place the following fall? Then you need to keep in mind when you write that second book that 6 months have passed for your characters. If your protagonist has just moved into her new apartment in book 1, she’s not going to be unpacking boxes at the start of book 2 if it takes place 6 months later. (Unless she’s like me, lol.) If two characters start dating in book 1, then you have to consider that they’ve now spent six months dating at the start of book 2. If your sleuth and the detective have been awkwardly flirting in book 1, and in book 2, you have them acting exactly the same, you need to mention why their status has remained the same. Have they avoided each other since the last murder investigation? Only seen each other in passing? Are both horribly shy? There should be a reason why their relationship is in the same place. Things will have happened in those months between books that readers didn’t get to see. Make sure each book simply acknowledges that. 

3. Make some community characters recurring.

If you introduce characters who play an important role in your book and they’re part of the community, readers are going to want to see them again and know what they're up to now. It’s a great way to make the town feel alive and slowly grow it. However, not every character can be in every book. They still have to serve a purpose to the mystery. You don’t want too many names and characters for your readers to have to remember. But using these recurring secondary and tertiary characters not only adds color, they help to make your characters feel like they actually live off the page. 

4. Keep the relationships between characters growing and changing.

In real life, romantic relationships and friendships change and grow. Especially if your protagonist starts out in a new town (like Willa does in my Cheese Shop series), you’ll want to show the progression of her friendships and the romantic relationships from book to book. This will have to be done a bit more slowly than in real life, but there are always ways to show growth and for relationships to get tripped up. I age my characters, but not every series does. I understand why and it may not be important to readers to see them age. However, I think if my characters are going to grow and their lives are going to change, and I'm writing different seasons and holidays and shop anniversaries, then my characters should also get older. 

5. Ground your setting.

You want your reader to have a good image in their head of your setting. One way to do this is to have a strong handle yourself on what your town looks like, what’s there, and where the places are located. It will keep you from making mistakes and also allow you to paint a better picture of your setting for the reader. Make note of the shops or locations that play a role in your books. You’ll want to show many of them again in future books, even if it’s just a mention of walking past them. If your protagonist has 3 places she always goes to—for example, her home, the local café, and the shop she runs—you want to describe not only these three places, but where they exist within the town. It will give your reader some idea of the size of the town, if it’s walkable, if your protagonist lives in a rural location, etc. Your setting is like those recurring characters I mentioned earlier—your readers want to be reminded that those places still exist even if they don’t play a role in that particular book. 

Readers become loyal to a series when they love the characters, the town, and the cozy feel. They like to feel like they’re returning to “old friends” in a place they’d love to live (minus those pesky murders). You want to make these things as real as possible for them. A progressing arc of your protagonist and core characters and their relationships not only makes them more realistic, it also gives your readers something to be invested in and look forward to. Connecting the books with many of the same community characters and town businesses leads to a comforting familiarity for your readers. I hope these five tips will help your series become one readers will want to revisit again and again. 

Readers: What makes you return to a series and become a loyal reader? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, as well as two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free seasonal newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

EXERCISE YOUR IMAGINATION: Keep It Fit and Flexible for When That Creative Spark Ignites Your Mind

 By Lisa Malice, Ph.D.

A Writer’s Creativity Tags Along on Vacation. That was the title of my March 14 blog post for Writers Who Kill. It recounted how wrong I was thinking my brain could take a holiday from crafting characters, settings, and plots when those storytelling elements found their way into my vacation.

This weekend, it happened again, though not on vacation, but during an event I never would have imagined could spur a creative thought—a welcome-to-your-new-home party for my 97-year-old gym buddy, Bert, after he moved to an assisted living facility.

Hanging out with Bert, a man with nearly a century of life experience to share, is always a history lesson, but as I talked with some of his new neighbors, I discovered many with interesting lives to share, too. I met psychologists, teachers, preachers, engineers, even hourly power company workers who shared fascinating life tidbits.

But one resident really sparked my thriller writer’s imagination—Charlie, an 86-year-old gentleman who spent his life in the water as a professional diver. He started out in the late 1950’s as spearfisherman, keeping local restaurants stocked with grouper, snapper, sea trout, and other sea delicacies from the Gulf. In the 1960’s, Charlie opened his own dive shop, complete with a 40-foot pool for training and certifying recreational and professional scuba divers, and boats for shuttling divers to coral reefs, shipwrecks, and other dive sites.

If that wasn’t enough, Charlie was a commercial pilot, taking to the air in his private plane to ferry fishermen, hunters, and divers across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico (as it was named back then) to the dirt airstrips dotting the backwater islands.

Sounds like a real character? You bet! Strong in mind and body with an adventurous spirit that lets nothing get past him. You know what that means? He often finds himself in tough situations, up against the roughest of characters, some who will put him and others in harm’s way. A whole host of problems he encounters in his life and work can serve as a setting for mystery, thrills, and suspense (e.g., hurricanes, mechanical problems, missing people or boats) and dark characters and their nefarious dealings (e.g., organized crime, Soviet spies, smugglers, treasure hunters).

My mind is having fun imaging all that could go wrong and how fictionalized Charlie gets out of it alive. Will I set out to write Charlie into a series? No. This is not the genre I read, nor write. But what What I’ve discovered from this experience is that such exercises of imagination are good for my writer’s mind. Pumping creativity instead of weights, running with a story idea rather than with a treadmill, keeps my mind healthy, ready to flex its cognitive muscles when faced with the spark for my next great tale.

How about you? Please share a situation that unexpectedly sparked an idea for a new character, a new plot, maybe even a series? If you are not a writer, please share how a spark of imagination helped you solve a difficult problem.

Why Authors Need Public Speaking Skills

By Heather Weidner

If you read studies about universal human fears, public speaking is always at the top of the list. In high school and college, I was terrified of any speaking engagement, and it took years for me to overcome it.

My company sponsored a Toastmasters group when I was a technical writer, and I swallowed the panic and signed up. The good thing was that the group was new, and everyone was a novice. We bonded over a “we’re in this together” vibe, and it was the best training that I’ve ever invested time in.

As a writer, you are often asked to do panels, teach workshops, do readings, and speak to groups. The more you practice, the better you get. But many people miss opportunities to meet readers and talk about their books because it is such a debilitating fear. I stuck with my Toastmasters journey, and after several certifications and what felt like hundreds of speeches, I finally was comfortable standing in front of a group.

 Here are some things I learned that have helped me along the way.

•  Don’t have anything in your hands or put your hands in your pockets. People tend to jiggle their keys or change and play with pens or things in their hands. Don’t clutch the microphone, lectern, or table. It makes you look like you’re hanging on for dear life. (I shredded a tissue once, and another time, I broke a ball point pen.)
• Practice what you’re going to say in front of a mirror or record it, so you can see if you’re making faces or tripping over certain words. But don’t write out your presentation verbatim. Put bullet points in your notes. You want to look natural and sound authentic.
• Make sure you’re looking at the audience. If it terrifies you, look at the top of their heads. They think you’re looking at them, and you’re not staring them in the eyes.
• Don’t read your PowerPoint slides verbatim to the audience. Talk about key points and provide examples. And don’t turn your back on the audience to read your slides.
• Watch the “errrrs” and “ummms.” A lot of times, you use them or crutch words (like “you know,” “you see,” or lots of “ands”) for fillers. People start paying attention if there are too many, and they listen for them and ignore your message.
• Know your material. It’s okay to have index cards or a few notes (like bulleted items), but don’t take a copy of what you’re going to say verbatim. You will go to where you are most comfortable, and you’ll end up reading your text, and that is the fastest way to put people to sleep.
• If you lose your thought, take a breath or a pause and then continue. Pauses always feel a lot longer for the speaker than they do to the audience.
• If you’re on a panel, be a good citizen. Don’t hog the time or the microphone. If you agree with what someone else said, give them a shout out. Be attentive and listen to your fellow panelists’ answers.
• And don’t forget to speak into the microphone. You want to make sure everyone can hear you.

Feeling comfortable as a speaker opens up all kinds of opportunities (many of them are paid) for writers. And it’s nice to be invited to be a presenter or a guest speaker. 

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 Mini Aussie Shepherd.

MOMENTS OF INSPIRATION and JOY in FRANCE and ITALY

                                        A newly-restored Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, May

                                                                By Margaret S. Hamilton

Our recent trip started in Paris and ended in Florence. We visited art museums, churches, and gardens, and enjoyed memorable meals. The photos reflect moments of joy we found on our travels.

From Matisse's Jazz collection of cut paper collages. We saw the Matisse 1941-1954 exhibit at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Renoir, Dance at Bougival, on display in Paris at the Renoir in Love exhibit at the Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Saint-Chapelle, the gothic "jewel box of Europe" was built in 1248 in Paris.

                                            The Conciergerie Clock, the oldest in Paris, 1370.

La Maison de Verlaine restaurant on the Left Bank, where Verlaine lived and in 1922-23, Hemingway and his young family.

Lunch in the Jardin de Luxembourg on May Day, a national holiday. Everything was closed, so visitors and residents alike took advantage of a glorious early summer day.

                                                            A dog bar in Aix-en-Provence.

                                    The rose garden at the Pavillon de Vendome, Aix-en-Provence

A painting of Chagall's Paris Opera Garnier frescoes at the Chagall Museum in Nice. The frescoes pay homage to fourteen major composers.

                         Renoir's studio in his country home in Carnes-sur-Mer, near Nice.

                            The Chapel du Rosaire de Vence, designed by Matisse in 1951.

                                                A market town near Grasse, southern France.

                            Gardens at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France

A statue of Boccherini in his hometown of Lucca, Italy, home of a music conservatory.

Our hotel room in the Oltrarno district of Florence overlooking a private garden. Instead of traffic noise, we woke to birdsong every morning.

The trap door to Michelangelo's hiden room in the Medici Chapels in Florence. In 1530, Michelangelo was wanted by the Medici Pope Clement VII. He spent two months in hiding, leaving charcoal sketches of future works on the walls of his hidey-hole.  Reservations for the actual room are restricted.

An actor declaiming Dante's Inferno in the medieval town of San Gimignano, Italy.

The Basilica of St Mary of the Angels is built around the Porziuncola, the 9th century little church where St Francis renounced the world and founded the Franciscan order.

Fra'Angelico, Annunciation fresco, in the Convent of San Marco, Florence, 1443.

The Giardino Delle Rose is a public rose garden high on a hill overlooking Florence. Instead of a steady stream of tourists, vistors strolled the many levels on the garden and ate picnic lunches on the grass. A welcome refuge in a city filled with tourists.

Readers and writers, have you discovered inspiration and joy in your travels?

St Paul de Vence, France

Margaret S. Hamilton has published forty short stories and has two novels on submission.

Home - The Official Website of Margaret S. Hamilton

                                                         

An Interview With M. A. Monnin

by Grace Topping

 

For mystery readers who may be armchair travelers, finding a mystery series set in places they may never visit is a real joy. One of those is M. A. (Mary) Monnin’s Intrepid Traveler Mystery series, with books set in Greece, Italy, Bermuda, and soon, Egypt. If you have visited some of those places, reading the vivid descriptions in Mary's 's books will make you feel as though you are there again. The most recent book in the series, Death in St. George, takes readers to Bermuda. Death in Luxor (Egypt) comes out in August. 

 

Death in St. George

When Stefanie and Thomas meet in Bermuda for time alone away from the demands of the Artifact Retrieval Team that Thomas heads, their romantic rendezvous is waylaid by an archaeologist who requests their help to recover an emerald bracelet that’s been stolen from his site. Thomas is reluctant, but Stefanie can’t resist the lure of Spanish gold. Then one of the archaeologists is murdered, and they find themselves on the suspect list. Spanish gold isn’t the only thing uncovered. Secrets can be deadly, and Stefanie and Thomas must find the killer before it’s too late.

 

 

Welcome to Writers Who Kill, Mary.

 

With your interest in travel, it’s no surprise that you would write about interesting places. But what inspired you to incorporate antiquities retrieval and suspense?

 

I didn’t set out to have artifacts be at the center of the series. When I visited Santorini, I was fascinated by its history as the inspiration for Plato’s Atlantis, and we visited the archaeological site of Akrotiri, the very modern city (for its time) that was buried under 40 feet of ash when the volcano erupted back in the Bronze Age. Then we went on to Crete. The museum had clay snake goddess statues from Crete, and a small gold ibex, which was the only gold item found thus far in Akrotiri—other than a few tiny gold beads. My mind went to ‘what if.’ What if a gold snake goddess was found in Akrotiri? What kind of people would go see it? Who would go to any length—even murder—to own a piece of Atlantis?

 

I went home and wrote Death in the Aegean. After it was finished, I realized it had series potential, and the biggest draw for me, and, I hoped for readers, would be interesting artifacts and antiques from different cultures.

As for suspense, I’ve always loved mysteries. As a teen, I loved the gothic romances of Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels and Phyllis A. Whitney. They were mysteries at heart, and I’m sure that’s where I get my need to include romance and suspense.     

 

How do you pick the places you feature—places you’ve been or places you want to visit?

 

Places I’ve been. When I’m considering a location for a book, first I look at places I’ve been to, and then I look at what kind of special items from that country’s past would be attractive enough to steal, either by thieves or by a collector who coveted the item. That research has been a lot of fun. I got to dig into Renaissance pendants for Italy, New World jewels transported by the Spanish Treasure Fleet for Bermuda, and in my upcoming book, the gold of the pharaohs.

 

Do you visit the places where you set your stories?

 

Every country, but not every location within the country. That’s where research is invaluable.

 

You’ve set your books in Greece, Italy, Bermuda, and soon to come, Egypt. Is there a place you yearn to visit or write about?

 

Right now, Malta is calling to me. So is Gibraltar.

 

Do you have a favorite among the places you’ve set your books?

 

Greece. I’d live there on one of the islands if I could. I’m not picky. I’d take Crete, Santorini, or Rhodes. I’ve been twice, and would love to go back.

 

You spent years living in Germany. Was this your first foray into foreign travel? Please tell us about it.

 

I’m an Army brat, and spent nine years of my childhood living on US Army posts in Germany. That had a huge influence on me. In addition to loving to travel, I think of myself as a child of the Cold War. When my father retired, I missed the travel, so I joined the Air Force and was stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. I got out at that time, but my husband was Air Force, and after Germany, we moved to The Netherlands, Spain, and England. After my husband retired from the Air Force, we continued to travel, visiting countries that we hadn’t lived in.

 

When did you develop your interest in archaeology?

I want to say the seed was planted when my father brought home Greek vases from his military exercises on Crete, but also, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in old buildings and artifacts. Growing up surrounded by medieval churches and walled towns made an interest in archaeology second nature. And I can’t leave out the movies—I’m a huge movie fan, and Raiders of the Lost Ark probably sparked my interest in archaeology as a hobby.

 

You’ve written several short stories, published in well-regarded publications. Which came first, the short stories or the novels?

            

The short stories came as I was waiting for “the call.” I believed in my first book, but it took a long time to get a contract, so, since I was a fan of short crime fiction, I thought I’d try my hand at it. Besides reading lots of Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock magazines, I’d listened to probably hundreds of hours of the old half-hour radio programs like Suspense and Johnny Dollar, so the short format was easy to move to.

 

Please tell us about your journey to publication. Was it a long one?

 

Very. It took me several years to get a contract for Aegean, my first book. And of course, I had a few manuscripts in boxes that weren’t good enough to pitch. All the rejections were hard to take, but I’m very thankful that I stuck with it. There is nothing more rewarding than hearing that a reader really enjoyed my book. Except for them saying they didn’t guess whodunnit!

 

With writing being such an isolating activity, how do you connect with other writers and the mystery-writing community?

 

That is so important. First, I have my local group of romance writers. I meet with them monthly. Then, there is the wider mystery/crime fiction community. I’m the current president of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. We have over 950 members, and we connect online in an io Group. It is wonderful—no matter what writing-related topic you have a question or comment about, someone will chime in with advice, experience, and commiseration. And everyone can contribute when it’s convenient to them. I’m also a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. Each organization gives back and connects in different ways. I’m also a member of Curators of Crime with authors Connie Berry, Lane Stone and Nina Wachsman. We present programs that connect our books with real life art/artifact/antiquities crimes.

 

What’s next for Stefanie and Thomas?

Egypt! Their fourth adventure, Death in Luxor, will be out August 11^th. After that, I’m not sure. They have a couple options they can pursue. 

 

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned since you started writing?

 

For every piece of advice an industry expert gives you about writing, there is another expert who swears by the exact opposite. So it’s important to learn the craft, and go with what feels right for your book.

 

Thank you for letting me spend time with you today.

 

Thank you, Mary.  I look forward to Stefanie and Thomas’s adventures in Luxor. A place I’ve always wanted to visit. 

 

Be on the lookout for Death in Luxor, coming in August.

 

 

Death in Luxor

 

Undercover artifact theft investigator Stefanie Adams and her Artifact Retrieval Team (ART) lead and partner, Thomas Burkhardt must head off trouble before it starts at the opening ceremonies of Egypt’s Grand Egyptian Museum. Anonymous notes have threatened the Gold of the Pharaohs, a special exhibit featuring glittering gold pectorals, collars, bracelets and rings that once belonged to Egypt’s powerful pharaohs. Stefanie is thrilled at the opportunity to fulfill her dream of visiting Egypt and the fabulous tomb of Queen Nefertari, She For Whom The Sun Shines. But trouble comes from an unexpected quarter, and this thief doesn’t stop at murder to possess a golden relic of ancient Egyptian royalty. She and Thomas suspect members of the Kemet Forever Society, wealthy A-listers who all admit to an obsession with ancient Egypt, and aren’t above using their influence for special perks. Trailing the suspects up the Nile, through temples and tombs, Stefanie and Thomas race against time to recover the stolen gold before it is secreted out of Egypt and another victim falls in the thief’s deadly game.

 

 

BIO

M. A. Monnin is the author of the Intrepid Traveler Mystery series, including Agatha Best First Novel finalist Death in the Agean. The fourth in the series, Death in Luxor, releases in Aug 2026.She also writes the St. Killian, PI and the Hawk Hathaway, Time Traveling Troubleshooter short stories. Mary’s short stories have appeared in Black Cat Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, and numerous anthologies. A member of ITW, MWA, SinC, and SMFS, an avocational archaeologist and USAF veteran, Mary is President of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime, a trustee of the Kansas City Archaeological Society and treasurer of Mid-America Romance Authors. She lives in Kansas City, MO. Find her on FB and IG, and at www.mamonnin.com and www.CuratorsofCrime.com .

Grace Topping is the author of the Laura Bishop Mystery Series.