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Friday, October 9, 2015

A Dog Is A Slueth's Best Friend In My New Cozy Mystery SWEET BETSY

I like including pets in my mysteries, be it a cat or dog. We've had a cat(s) in our household since we got married. When I was a kid, I grew up with dogs for the family pet. At any rate, Isabel and Alma Trumbo, the ace sister sleuths in my first cozy mystery series, have taken in a beagle Isabel named Petey Samson (yes, she chose the two names, a long story). Petey Samson has played a larger role in the more recent books, including my new title Sweet Betsy. He's a lovable and mischievous pet, but his keen nose has come in handy on their various cases. Isabel absolutely adores him while Alma is a little suspect of his motives since he always expects a doggie treat as a reward for his assistance. Their interactions provide a source of humor throughout the stories. If you're a fellow dog lover, then you'd probably enjoy reading about their different antics.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Welcome To The Small Town In My New Cozy Mystery Sweet Betsy

The town I set my first cozy mystery series in is a small one located in the rolling, green hills of the Virginia Piedmont. I call it [book:Quiet Anchorage|10530870] which is also the first title in the coy mystery series. I keep a picture of its streets and shops alive in my imagination to draw upon when I'm writing the next title in the series. I don't know if you've grown up in or lived in a small town for any length of time. but it's different than life is in the suburbs and city. I've lived in both places, so I can make the comparisons fairly easily. Quiet Anchorage is a quiet and pleasant town, a nice place to visit and live, if you like. I emphasize the nice things about it, and don't even mention the not-so-nice things. My new title (#5) is [book: Sweet Betsy|26542593], and I had as much fun writing it as I did the early books. The characters grow on me just as much as the town where they all live does. The town drugstore with its marble soda fountain is probably my favorite hangout. So, welcome to the small town in my new cozy mystery. I hope you'll drop by and enjoy your stay.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Enjoy the Fun and Humor in My New Cozy Mystery SWEET BETSY

I've always tried to write funny scenes and dialogue in my commercial novels. It wasn't until I took up writing cozy mysteries that I could write more humor in my long fiction. One of my favorite comedy bits is the one with Tim Conway as the dentist taking care of a patient with a sore tooth played by Harvey Korman. It ran on one of the Carol Burnett TV shows, and I believe you can find it posted on YouTube by using the search function. At any rate, I bet a lot of it is Tim Conway ad-libbing in the bit just to make Harvey Korman laugh. Another comedy inspiration I've found is the old Marx Brother movies, especially with the scenes involving Harpo. Some of their work is over-the-top and silly, but I get a laugh out watching them. In [book: Sweet Betsy|26542593], Alma digs up a bone in their flowerbed, and she believes it's human. Meantime, Isabel swears up and down it's a dinosaur bone. An earnest but lighthearted debate follows. I don't know if the humor works, but it's the silly situation I use to kick off their new murder mystery. You can read the scene through the Goodreads Preview button located just beneath the front cover on the [book: Sweet Betsy|26542593] Goodreads page.