I want to welcome Marilyn
Meredith. First I’d love you to introduce yourself.
I’m the author of two mystery series, The Deputy Tempe Crabtree series
and the Rocky Bluff P.D. series that I write under the name F. M.
Meredith. My husband of many years and I
live in the foothills of the Southern Sierra (CA) with two inside cats, a dog,
and too many outside cats plus the occasional bear and mountain lion.
Tell us about your latest
release.
Not as it Seems is the latest in the Tempe Crabtree series. Tempe and
her husband Hutch go to Morro Bay for their son’s wedding and a much needed
vacation. Upon their arrival, they learn the maid-of-honor has disappeared and
soon learn she has been murdered. At her son’s request, Tempe begins an
investigation. Her quest is complicated by too many suspects and spirits from
the past.
Now I have a few questions for
you – I have found readers do like to know fun things about us writers.
1.) Who is your favorite author?
That changes from time to time, but
right now I’d say William Kent Krueger. I love his mystery series, but my
favorite is his stand-alone, Ordinary Grace.
I hope that I do as well on description of place as he does.
2.) What was your favorite book
growing up?
Again, I had many, and yes, I read Nancy Drew—but I also read my
mother’s book of the month books and my favorite was Gone with the Wind.
3.) Are you a plotter or a
pantser and why did you choose that method?
I’m a pantser, though I do some initial planning ahead of time such as
who is going to die, why, what method, and who are the folks who’d like to see
this person dead and why. I begin to build on those ideas and usually start
with something happening on the first page.
4.) Do you consider writing a
career or a hobby? Why?
A career because I spend so much time writing and promoting—however, if
I had to decide because of the money I make from my writing, I’d have to say it
wasn’t much of a career. However, no matter, I am compelled to write.
5.) What are you working on now?
The next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery. I’ve finished the latest Rocky
Bluff P.D. novel, but I’m still reading it to my critique group. When they’ve
finished, I’ll go over it again and then send it off to my editor.
6.) What one piece of advice
would you like to pass on to an up and coming author?
Read the kind of books you want to write. Too often I have people tell
me they are writing a book or want to write a book but tell me they don’t read.
If you don’t read, you aren’t going to be successful as a writer.
7.) If you had the ability to
time travel and your first visit was to see a younger version of yourself what
would you say to that younger self?
I’d tell myself to get started writing earlier and learn as much about writing as I could
through books, writers conferences, and finding a good critique group.
8.) You just got a million
dollars, whether it’s from an inheritance, the lottery, or a sweet book deal
doesn’t matter. What would be the first thing you would buy for yourself?
That’s not easy to decide, but with a million, I might hire an
assistant to do the all the promotion that takes so much time.
9.) If you could un-invent one
thing in the world what would it be?
I have no idea. Some of the modern inventions like the computer and
Internet have made life so much easier for me as a writer.
10.) What is your favorite
movie/TV Show? Why?
I like many TV shows—mainly mystery. As for favorites, they change as
new ones pop up. But probably the one I like best is Blue Bloods. I think it
usually is the most realistic police show—and besides, Tom Selleck is in it.
Excerpt from Not as it Seems:
Tempe and
her husband, Hutch, traveled to Morro Bay for her son Blair’s wedding. Blair
asked Hutch to officiate at the ceremony, and both he and Tempe looked forward
to meeting Blair’s fiancée and her family.
Soon
after checking into the Bay Cottage Inn, on one of the main streets of Morro
Bay leading toward the beach, Blair arrived.
Her son’s
anguished expression alarmed Tempe.
“Oh,
honey.” She hugged him. “What’s wrong?”
Blair
sank into a chair at the table in the small room. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to
keep anything from you. Amaresh’s best friend is missing.”
“What do
you mean?”
“No one
has heard from her and we’ve talked to everyone who knows her and she doesn’t
seem to be anywhere. Amaresh is so upset I don’t know whether or not we’ll be
able to go through with the wedding.”
“You have
gone to the police, right?”
“Of
course. They were reluctant at first to even take the report. The desk sergeant
went through the rigmarole that Kathy, that’s her name, Kathy Welling, is an
adult and has the right to disappear if she so desires.”
“Amaresh
became so angry I was afraid of what she might say. Though her eyes blazed, she
explained carefully that Kathy is one of her best friends and was looking
forward to being the maid of honor in her upcoming wedding. Finally the officer
took down all the information, but I don’t think the police are doing much
about it.”
“Oh,
honey, that’s terrible. Have you checked with her family and all of her
friends?”
“Of
course, Mom, but no one knows anything.”
“What do
you want me to do?” Tempe asked.
“I was
hoping you’d ask. Do you think you could see what you could find out?”
Tempe
glanced at Hutch who ran his fingers through his already mussed auburn hair and
frowned.
He said, “Don’t
you think it would be better if the investigation was left up to the local
police department?”
Blair
shook his head. “No, I don’t. They aren’t going to work fast enough for
Amaresh. What do you say, Mom?”
Despite
the fact that Blair was now a broad-shouldered, muscular man with his blond
hair cut short, when he spoke to her like that, she couldn’t help but think
about the slim boy with the corn-silk hair who managed to talk her into doing
almost anything for him. “Of course I’ll help. But I’ll have to speak with
everyone who knew her. Remember, I have no official status here so what I can
do will be limited.”
Thank you so much, Barbara for hosting me today.
ReplyDeleteLove you--and your books--as always. I point you out to other struggling writers as someone to read and learn from.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lorna. I still struggle too.
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