Tips to Help Writers Stay Motivated

 

Tips to Help Writers Stay Motivated

by Heather Weidner

Today marks the 25^th anniversary of 9-11. It is one of those moments that I will always remember where I was and how the news affected me. Horrific news stories, the political climate, the economy, not to mention personal tragedies, can all hinder your writing and demotivate you.

Writing is primarily a solitary business, and a bad day, the grumpies, a negative review, someone’s snarky comment, or events in your life and the world can easily cause a writer to question everything.

Here are a few ideas that I have picked up during my writing journey that may help. 

• Look at the feedback/criticism. Learn from it, but don’t dwell on it.
• Keep control of that voice in your head. Be aware of your self-talk. You don’t need to make things worse by letting them consume you.
• Take a break and do something else for a while. Physical activity will clear your mind and get your endorphins going.
• Do something else that’s creative (e.g. paint, cook, draw, knit, sew…). It will boost your energy and your mood.
• Take a minute to be grateful. Make a list of things that are going well. You’ll be surprised at all the positive things in your life that you are thankful for.
• Volunteer or help someone else. You’ll often find that your troubles aren’t as challenging as what others are facing. You are also able to make a difference in someone’s life.
• Writing is work, and it’s a long process. There is a lot of waiting. Stay busy during the quiet times. The best advice I ever received was to write the next book.
• When something happens that you don’t like, take a minute to cry, scream, yell, or eat chocolate. Get it out of your system and move on. You’ve got things to do. Don’t waste precious time.

The writing journey is a roller coaster ride, and there are days that I don’t feel like writing. When that happens, I try to do some other book-related or marketing tasks. What do you do to keep yourself motivated to write?

If you or someone you know is struggling or in emotional distress, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7, to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Heather Weidner writes cozy crime fiction for readers who want justice with a sprinkle of fun and a southern accent.

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. 

 

What Grover Taught Me about Writing Mysteries

By Heather Weidner

 

I am Gen X, first-generation Sesame Street and first-generation MTV. One of my favorite children’s books of all time was the classic, The Monster at the End of This Book. I still have my copy. Mystery, fantasy, suspense, monsters. This book had it all.

 

 

As I look back on some of my childhood favorites, I realize I’ve been reading mysteries for a long time. Here’s what this Little Golden Book and the blue fuzzy monster from Sesame Street taught me about writing mysteries. 

• You need to build suspense in your stories to keep your readers engaged.
• Your readers need to like or empathize with your protagonist.
• Everyone is afraid of something, and writers need to tap into fears to build tension.
• Write strong (and fun) dialog. Make it sound like real speech, slang and all.
• Use pacing correctly. Slow down the action to build suspense, and speed it up to amp up the excitement.
• Your protagonist needs a challenge or a problem to solve.
• Your character should not be perfect. Little (or big) flaws make your character relatable and interesting.
• Make sure your character is not flat. He or she needs to be a real person (or monster) with all the things that life throws in the way. Your protagonist has to stumble and make mistakes.
• When you think your character has had enough and is close to breaking, pile it on. Add more tension.
• Don’t load up your work with a lot of narrative and back story. Readers want to stay in the action.
• And most importantly, never forget that reading is fun.

Do you have a favorite children’s book that taught you some life lessons?

Heather Weidner writes cozy crime fiction for readers who want justice with a sprinkle of fun and a southern accent.

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. 

 

By Heather Weidner

I have taken quite a few aptitude and personality assessments throughout my work career as team-building exercises, and mine tend to show a strong aptitude and inclination for traits that relate to harmony, strong communications, and building relationships. In the day gig in IT, it’s great. We try to solve problems and provide the best product to meet the customer’s needs, so my skills fit my work. These traits may not be what you want when you are writing your mystery. Conflict is a key for good storytelling. Here’s why you need conflict and lots of it.

Years ago, the wonderful Mary Burton told me never to end a chapter where everything is wrapped up neatly. It’s boring when everything works out seamlessly and your character is too perfect. You need those moments that make everyone’s heartrate tick up a few beats, and you want to keep your reader reading past bedtime.

No one’s life is rainbows and roses all the time, and that goes for your protagonist. Your character should have flaws or circumstances that hinder him or her from time to time. There should be situations that the sleuth needs to overcome. The characters should have personal battles that cause issues and pop up at the worst possible time. There need to be bad decisions with consequences. And sometimes, there are circumstances beyond their control that they must resolve.

Make things personal for your protagonist. Allow your readers to see the depth of your character and his or her struggles and fears. When things are happy and comfortable, pile on the disruptions. Isolate your sleuth and take away what the character needs or wants. You may even have to up the body count.

Conflict creates tension that keeps your readers wondering about what is going to happen next. It also moves your story forward and keeps your readers engaged.

As a writer, what are some of the things you do to add conflict to your work, and as a reader, what frustrates you about conflict in your favorite character’s life?

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. 

Her short stories appear in a variety of anthologies, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.

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. 

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.

Interesting Tools You Can Use for Research

(Or When You’re Supposed to be Writing)

by Heather Weidner

 

The internet is a great place to get lost in research or the rabbit hole of endless clicking when you’re supposed to be writing. Hopefully, these sites can be helpful or at least be a source of entertainment. Here’s my list in no particular order.

      https://www.flightradar24.com/ – Check out the aircraft in flight at any given moment.

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/landsat/outreach/your-name-in-landsat/ - Use this site to create an image of your name from photos taken from outer space.

http://howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com – Find out how many humans are in space at any given time.

https://web.archive.org – Look up old websites and blogs if they are still available in the webverse.

http://whois.domaintools.com – Use this to see who owns a web domain/web address.

http://10minuteemail.com – Create an email address that lasts for 10 minutes. Many find it helpful when they want to view a site that requires an email address while not providing their own.

http:.//downforeveryoneorjustme.com   – Check website and system outages here.

http://futureme.com – Schedule/send your future self an email.

http://privnote.com – Send an email to someone that will disappear after it is read. (Just remember, this is the internet. Nothing is ever gone forever.)

http://window-swap.com – Use this site to discover the view from a random window somewhere in the world.

http://thetruesize.com – See how large states and countries truly are.

http://virtualvacation.us – Take a minute for a quick, virtual vacation.

http://monkeytype.com – See how fast you really type.

http://keybr.com – Use this to improve your typing speed.

https://www.louvre.fr/en/online-tours  - Take an online tour of the Louvre.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/collection - Visit the British Museum without leaving your desk.

http://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour - Check out the Smithsonian’s natural history collection.

http://everytimezone.com – See what time it is in any time zone.

https://radio.garden/ Listen to random radio stations worldwide.

https://app.radiooooo.com/ –  Listen to music from a variety of decades.

http://coolthings.com – Check out some useful (and not so useful) gifts and gadgets.

https://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/ Find the perfect gift for bookworms in your life.

Some of these have some interesting information that may spark some ideas for stories or things to include in your writing. What is an interesting site that you have used for research? 

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. 

 

 

Is Your Generational Influence Showing in Your Writing?

By Heather Weidner

Recently, I’ve taken several management classes for work about communication and coaching different generations in the workforce, and some of the discussions of each cohort’s preferences and experiences made me think about my writing.

The generations and their birth years have been defined as: 

The Generation	Birth Years	Description
Greatest Generation	1901-1927	Resilient, came of age and fought/supported WWII
Silent Generation	1928-1945	Influenced by the effects of the Great Depression and WWII
Baby Boomers     Generation Jones	1946-1964     1956-1965	Post-war expansion and social change   Came of age during the Vietnam War and the civil unrest
Generation X	1965-1980	Latch-key kids, self-sufficient
Millennials or Generation Y	1981-1996	First generation Internet and known for work-life balance
Generation Z	1997-2010	Digital natives or iPad kids
Generation Alpha	2010-2024	21st Century kids
Generation Beta or Sigma Generation	2025-2039	AI and Automation generation

As I age and some of my newer series’ sleuths get younger, I found that there are some key things to be aware of to ensure that my writing is accurate.

Do I have the slang right? Are the expressions from the correct time period? We often do a lot of factchecking of things in our research, but dialogue is often overlooked. Here are some examples from each group. Sometimes the terms overlap generations, and other times, you need a dictionary, encyclopedia, a search engine, or an AI chat to translate. 

The Generation	Slang for Fabulous	Slang for Awful
Greatest Generation	Swell, grand, top-notch, first rate	Lousy, rotten, no good, the pits
Silent Generation	Neat, keen, peachy, dandy	Crummy, bum deal, for the birds
Baby Boomers	Far out, groovy, cool, right on	Bummer, drag, bogus, bad trip
Generation X	Awesome, sweet, cool beans, rad	Lame, weak, harsh
Millennials or Generation Y	Awesome, epic, legit, amazing	Trash, cringe, fail, the worst
Generation Z	Slay, fire slaps, lit, hits different	Cheugy, sus
Generation Alpha	Slay, bussin’, fire, GOAT, cooked	Mid (mediocre), trash, NPC behavior (Non-player character in a video game)
Generation Beta	It’s Too Early to Tell	It’s Too Early to Tell

Your language choice is influenced by your experiences and those around you. I’m GenX, and I grew up with Baby Boomer teachers and co-workers. I tend to use slang from both of those groups. Now that I have more Gen Zs in the workforce, I’m adapting to a whole new set of words. (Some days, it’s like learning a foreign language.)

Do my allusions fit the age or experience of my character? When I first started working, the Silent Generation or the Boomers would always talk about where they were when certain historic events happened. (My generation was not born when Kennedy was shot, we were toddlers when Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and we were in elementary school when Nixon resigned.) I have a Boomer on my team who often doesn’t get why some of his teammates don’t get his jokes and cultural references. (“Seinfeld,” and “Cheers” are available in reruns or on streaming, but Gen Y and Gen Alpha didn’t watch “Must See TV.” They are used to on-demand not cable or network television.)

Do my historical and cultural references match the age group? As authors, we check our facts to ensure authenticity, but sometimes we make mistakes when we reference things that happened before a certain group was born or when they had to be in bed before “Late Night TV.” (I didn’t get to see “Saturday Night Live” live until the eighties because of a nine o’clock bedtime.)

Does my technology reference the correct age group? Just ask someone younger than you what the little icon next to “Save” is in most computer applications. They all know the button is  for saving, but those who didn’t use floppy disks have no idea what the picture is. (My Gen Z niece calls record albums “big CDs.”) I discovered when I did a ride along with my local police department that some of my law enforcement references were dated. (Most use digital fingerprinting now.) If you write police procedurals, make sure you keep up with the new technology.

There is so much research out there now about the different generations, their experiences, and their preferences, and if you want an immersive lesson in jargon, spend an hour or two watching TikTok.

For additional information on the generations, check out:

A Year-by-Year Guide to the Different Generations

The Changing Generational Values – Imagine | Johns Hopkins University

Age Range by Generation | Beresford Research

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. 

Her short stories appear in a variety of anthologies, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.

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.

 

Quick Motivators When You Don’t Feel Like Writing

By Heather Weidner

 It’s March, and the weather is finally getting warmer here in Central Virginia. I can’t wait to get outside. I love the spring weather, but sometimes, it’s harder to keep my writing routine on track when there are so many distractions.

 Here are few ideas that might help you get motivated or moving when you don’t feel like writing:

• Get up earlier than normal to start your writing session. Sometimes, it helps if you finish earlier in the day when there’s still time to do something else.
• Editing/revising is the hardest part for me. I really have to focus (and stay focused) to make sure all the changes are made. I usually reward myself with a social media break, a walk outside, or a quick research break (scrolling through the internet) after I hit a milestone.
• Get a good, noise-cancelling headphone set. It’ll block out the world, and you can listen to your choice of music. (I have playlists for every mood (and type of writing task. This is my playlist of songs about writing.)
• Keep small pieces of chocolate or other favorite treat on your desk for writing sessions. It’s a great pick-me-up, and it’s a nice little reward.
• Keep some tactile toys on your desk (e.g. stress balls, Slinkies, or fidget toys) for a quick break. Sometimes, these help while you’re working through a plot hole.
• Take an exercise break when you need to get up and stretch. There are plenty of chair yoga and chair stretch videos online to get your endorphins going.
• If you have a pet, take a puppy or a kitty break. Sometimes, a burst of activity can get you moving again.
• Get your phone or your camera and go out and take some pictures. You can always use them for your blog or socials.
• Work on another creative project. This will engage your brain and your hands.
• Write some notes or emails to family and friends. It’s a great way to keep in touch, and it kickstarts your writing.
• Start a celebration journal and keep a log of your milestones and successes.
• Find an accountability partner who will help you stay on track.
• Take a 10-minute tidy-your-desk moment. You clear your thoughts and get a clean desk.
• Create a reward jar. When you reach a milestone, you get to pick a treat.
• And don’t forget to celebrate when you hit your milestones or make your goals.

 What do you do get yourself motivated?

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. 

Her short stories appear in a variety of anthologies, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.

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. 

 

Superstitions around My Favorite Number 
by Heather Weidner

It’s my birthday, so I celebrate when it lands on Friday, the 13^th. I was curious about the superstitions around triskaidekaphobia, and not surprisingly, there are still a lot of mysteries and murders that swirl around the possible origins.

The earliest literary reference to the date is in the Revue de Paris in an article by the Marquis de Salvo in 1834. It is about a Sicilian count who killed his daughter on Friday the 13^th. In the same year, the play, Le Chateau de Carini made a reference to the date being unlucky. The date is not considered universally unlucky. In Spain, Tuesday, the 13^th is.

Many tie the superstition to the number 13. Twelve is considered the complete or “perfect” number while 13 can often represent imperfection, the introduction of evil, or even death. In Norse mythology, Loki crashed a banquet of 12 gods, and murder and mayhem ensued. The Code of Hammurabi omitted the thirteenth law, and high-rise buildings to this day usually don’t have a thirteenth floor or a room thirteen. As early as 1565, the Death card in a Tarot deck was numbered thirteen.

There are some Christian traditions that have been linked to the superstition, too. Like Loki, Judas is often considered the thirteenth guest at the Last Supper. Eve was supposed to have tempted Adam on a Friday, and Christ was crucified on a Friday.

Friday the 13^th also is a day tied to a variety of tragedies. In October 1307, King Philip arrested hundreds of the Knights Templar, and many were eventually executed. In 1888, Jack the Ripper killed his last victim on the thirteenth. The Germans bombed Buckingham Palace in September 1940. In November 1970, a cyclone decimated parts of Bangladesh, killing over 300,000 people. Tupac Shakur was murdered in September of 1996. Franklin Roosevelt was so concerned about Friday the 13^th that he refused to travel on that day. Friggatriskaidekaphoia is the term that was coined to describe the fear of the date.

Thirteen also appears in a variety of pop culture references. Thomas William Lawson’s wrote Friday, the Thirteenth in 1907, and the Friday 13^th horror movie franchise launched in 1980, making the serial killer Jason a household name. It also spawned its own cultural references in shows like The Simpsons, Highway to Heaven, South Park, Scream, and scads of video games. Countless songs reference the date or the serial killer, including those by artists, TuPac, Alice Cooper, Elvira, Eminnem, and Lynard Skynard.

The date never bothered me, and I was pleased to discover that people who were born on the thirteenth or celebrate a birthday on the date often feel immune to the superstition.

The tradition of “unlucky” thirteen has permeated our culture for years. Do you have a superstition or something that you regularly avoid?

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. 

Her short stories appear in a variety of anthologies, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.

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. 

An Interview with Heather Weidner by E. B. Davis

 

The Pearly Girls return to solve a high school reunion murder in this sequel to Murder Strikes a Chord.

 

Event planner Cassidy Jamison and her not-so-helpful sexagenarian staff of Roxie, Kate, Aileen, and Ruthanne are up to their elbows with a high school reunion committee’s constantly changing requirements for an event that must be the most elaborate and memorable at all costs.

 

When well-known reporter, Darcy Branch, and former cheerleader, Brittany Mahoney, are found dead on her property, Cassidy and the gang have to find the killer before the party’s over. And the more Cassidy and her Chihuahua mix, Elvis, dig for clues, the more deadly secrets they uncover—including one that changes everything she knows about her family’s history.

The Pearly Girls need to solve the case before the Class of 2009 goes down in Ivy Springs history as the deadliest reunion.

Amazon.com

 

Yesterday, the second book in the Pearly Girls mystery series, Murder Plays Second Fiddle, was released. I interviewed Heather Weidner about the first book, Murder Strikes a Chord, which can be found here.

 

The books are set near Southwest of Staunton, VA in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The main character, Cassidy Jamison, owns property that she has turned into a venue for various activities, such as concerts, parties, and, as is the case in the second book, reunions.

 

Unfortunately, she seems to be a magnet for murder, or at least her venue is. Fortunately, she has her late grandmother’s childhood friends to help her run the business and investigate cases. Although the Pearly Girls are her grandmother’s age, they aren’t exactly grandmotherly—more rabble rousers—and they can’t help but play matchmaker since Cassidy is single.

 

                                                                                                E. B. Davis

 

Is the Blue Ridge area in Virginia increasingly popular with tourists? Do they crowd the roads during leaf season?

 

It is. The Blue Ridge Mountains are such a gorgeous vista in autumn. The area gets really crowded during peak leaf season, and a lot of the roads are in rural areas are quite narrow.

 

Cassidy inherited the property from her grandmother. What happened to Cassidy’s parents?

 

Cassidy’s parents died in a car accident when she was in elementary school, and she went to live with her grandparents in Ivy Springs.

 

How did Cassidy get enough experience to be an event planner and know how to run a business?

 

She has a background in marketing, and she watched and helped her grandmother over the years. But after a little while, she realized it was a bigger job than she had imagined.

 

For a time, her grandparents ran a country western bar or honky-tonk on the property that popular musicians would visit since before Interstate 81, the road in front was the main one used to get to Nashville. Was the bar in the cave, which now stands empty, or was there a different structure and they saved the cave for illegal moonshine storage back in the day?

 

The honky-tonk had been in the family for several generations. Her great-grandfather built it, and her grandfather ran it during its heyday. Ivy Springs is on the I-81 corridor which used to be the main route to Nashville, and a lot of entertainers used it in their travels. The cave is just a feature on the property, and Cassidy is trying to find a way to incorporate it. Her family also had an illegal moonshine business going during Prohibition, and they used the cave and the root cellar in the barn to store the alcohol.

 

The honky-tonk burned down in a lightning storm. The charred remains are still on the property.

 

Were the Pearly Girls younger than Cassidy’s grandmother? They described going to the honky-tonk, but they were very young and hid their presence from their parents. Whereas, Cassidy’s grandmother must have been a co-owner if her husband ran the bar. Am I confused?

 

Cassidy’s family owned the honky-tonk that was a popular music venue. The Pearly Girls were younger when Cassidy’s great-grandfather owned it, and then her grandfather took it over when he married Cassidy’s grandmother.

 

Is there a culture of crafted moonshine up in those hills today that actually is sanctioned via taxes, by the state or is the illegal kind still prevalent?

 

There is a long-standing culture of moonshine in Virginia. Some of it now is legal. Some not. I invited an Alcohol Bureau and Control Board investigator to speak to our Sisters in Crime group a few years ago, and it was amazing how much illegal enforcement they still do. When my husband and I moved to Central Virginia (which is about an hour from the mountains), our county police officers had green uniforms. I asked someone once why there were so many park rangers in the county. It turned out that back in the 1920s the local police worked with the moonshine investigators, and they chose green to be more camouflaged in the woods. They have since changed to black uniforms.

 

Britt, former homecoming queen, and current influencer, is the head of the reunion committee. Why is she trying to get publicity from a journalist and in her online presence with a reunion? Aren’t reunions only of interest to those participating?

 

Britt loves to be adored and the center of attention. She has to have the biggest and the best, and she’s determined to make the reunion the most memorable in the town’s history. And she plans to take advantage of hobnobbing with the school’s famous alumnus to try to get herself some publicity.

 

Britt characterizes the reunion as a “mega-reunion.” Is that a term much like “supermodel?” Or was Britt organizing a multiple-class reunion?

 

Britt loves to exaggerate everything. Whatever she’s talking about, it’s bigger, better, or more fantastic than anyone has ever seen. And she will step on anyone who gets in her way.

 

One of the activities planned for the reunion is goat yoga. Have you or anyone you know ever experienced goat yoga? Couldn’t their hooves cause injury?

 

I have never tried it, but it’s on my bucket list. From the videos I’ve watched, it looks like not much yoga gets done in the play session. A goat yoga session just sounded like some over-the-top event that Britt would have to have.

 

Are CBDs and gummies legal in Virginia?

 

Some are. Most are sold in convenience or vaping shops. I listen to a great podcast, “Pick Your Poison,” and Dr. JP talked about gas station herbals. It was frightening to hear about how deadly some of these items are.

 

Cassidy finds that what she thought was the history of the honky-tonk wasn’t exactly the truth. Why were the Pearly Girls so reluctant to talk about the bar’s history? Their reluctance gives Cassidy the wrong impression.

 

Her grandfather fell ill with cancer and closed the honky-tonk during this time, and he eventually passed as a result of the disease. In all of the commotion, priorities shifted, and the honky-tonk took a backseat. Most of the players had forgotten that some of the secrets were preserved, and it was a surprise for Cassidy and the Pearly Girls.

 

Is knit bombing a thing?

 

It is. People decorate poles, posts, and statues. I’ve seen several here in Richmond, Virginia.

 

Cassidy has bought a new red jeep. What is the “Duck, Duck, Jeep” thing all about? Do you know how it started and why?

 

Cassidy loves her rugged Wrangler. And yes, Duck, Duck, Jeep is a thing. You’ll see Jeeps driving around with a row of rubber ducks on the dashboard. The internet gives the Canadians credit for starting the trend as a way to boost morale during the pandemic. I have friends with quite the duckie collections.

 

For a time in the book, Cassidy has two handsome and eligible guys around her, a bartender-Austin, and the Deputy Sheriff-Zac. But she then realizes that Austin must remain a friend. Why?

 

She likes the attention of both handsome guys. Zac has something that excites and frustrates Cassidy at the same time, and she’s drawn to him. She often mistakes his warnings for her protection as a scolding. Austin is adorable, but he is a hopeless flirt, and she just doesn’t get the vibe that he’s long-term boyfriend material. But Austin does play a big role in the resort’s new venue.

 

Are the Pearly Girls making up the attraction Zac has for Cassidy or does she miss his tells, which is out of character for her?

 

I think down deep she sees the attraction, but she is so focused on the murders that she mistakes his warnings for her safety as scoldings. She is a bright, independent woman who doesn’t like being told what to do, and I think that clouds her judgement sometimes.

 

What’s next for Cassidy and her dog, Elvis?

 

In book three, Murder Whets Its Whistle, Cassidy and the Pearly Girls welcome the Sip, Sip Hoorah festival on her property. Local vintners, distillers, and brewers gather for their organizational meetings and to showcase their wares to the public. All is rosy until one of the marketing specialists is found dead in a wine barrel.