My third
Granite Cove Mystery, Laugh 'til You Die,
was published this summer. The book's setting, the "sleepy fishing
village" of Granite Cove, was inspired by Gloucester, Massachusetts.,
America’s oldest working seaport, where I grew up—with the smell of fish sticks
in the air. Here is a brief synopsis:
It's midnight
in Granite Cove. Only the sea clams are open. Rose McNichols, reporter for
the Granite Cove Gazette, moonlights
as a stand-up comic at Shady Nook Retirement Home. There she meets Mabel
Smithwick, former Boston socialite. The elderly woman claims she witnessed a
drowning at her Hemlock Point pool last summer. Mabel, however, is partial to
gin and tonic and is not a credible witness. But when she turns up dead, Rose
wishes she'd paid more attention. Before long, Rose herself is a target . . .
They say “write what you know.” In this case I know
nursing homes, having worked as an Occupational Therapist in various
facilities. This evolved—or, devolved—into doing stand-up comedy for the
residents. I’d had experience in this field. Thus I polished my act and
traveled the retirement home circuit. On the whole, I don’t advise this as a
career path. The nursing home population can be brutally honest. If they don’t
like your act, they’ll get up in the middle of it, say “Bah!” and walk out.
Like my
protagonist, I wrote for a weekly newspaper and continue to write a humor
column. Additionally, I draw cartoons for a Boston newspaper. An art school
grad, I’ve illustrated the covers of my books.
The
first book in the Granite Cove Mystery series, A Nose for Hanky Panky, was originally published by Mainly Murder
Press, a New England publisher. When my contract with Mainly Murder Press ran
out and the publishing rights reverted to me, I published it under the imprint
Neptune Rising Press. The book was later translated into German by Amazon
Crossing.
Laugh ‘til You Die was a global effort: My
copyeditor was from England, the text-formatter from Australia, and the graphic
designer from India. Thanks to the Internet’s “global village,” everything came
together, although in different time zones.
I tend to be a late bloomer, going to college in my
forties. Later I got an MFA in writing at Bennington. At home I’m VP of Friends
of Beverly Animals, a non-profit. My husband helps watch over our cats and
Sampson, an elderly rescued Lab-mix.
Every
time I finish a Granite Cove Mystery (there are 3), I’ll say, “That’s it.”
However, a few months go by and I find myself nostalgic for that sleepy fishing
village and its denizens. I’m sure this time will be no different.
Thank
you for letting me introduce myself to the readers of your lively blog.
Sharon
Love Cook
