Sunday, September 2, 2012

I SEE MYSTERY EVERYWHERE by Marilyn Meredith



Yes, I really do see mystery everywhere. The question, “What if” is always forefront in my mind. I think “what if” when I’m reading any intriguing article in the newspaper. When driving down the road, a gathering of vehicles, someone getting a ticket, lots of tents at the campground, an interesting conversation at a nearby table in a restaurant, something someone tells me, and I could go on and on.

For my Rocky Bluff P.D. series, I’ve gotten ideas from law enforcement professionals who’ve spoken at my Sisters in Crime chapter. I’ve also been piqued by things I’ve seen or heard when visiting the coast. (RBPD mysteries take place in a fictional small beach town.)

For my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, other things will trigger a story idea. When I first began thinking about the plot for Raging Water, which didn’t have a title at that time, it was raining a lot where I live. Tempe lives in Bear Creek which is much like the place where I live, though 1000 feet higher in the mountains. Locals were discussing how much the river was rising and remembering past flooding. 

As the rain kept coming down, mud slid down and blocked parts of the road that leads to town. H’mmm, what if after lots and lots of rain, not only would the river flood and send folks who lived along the river finding shelter elsewhere, but a mud slide could make it impossible to leave Bear Creek.

All that could certainly make a mystery interesting, but I needed a murder.

Not too long ago two women who went to our church died under what I and a few other considered suspicious circumstances but our local law enforcement did not. Our deputies are also deputy coroners and can pronounce someone dead. In the case of these two women, both with serious chronic illnesses, no autopsies were performed. Both women were poor and didn’t have any family to demand an autopsy. I decided to include their deaths in the book. 

One more ingredient came along. A good friend of mine and a fan of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries asked if I’d put her in one of my books. I agreed. Though the character has a new name, I used her physical description and some of her personality attributes—though I’d rather say that it is her essence in the character. I did use her two dogs though, including their breed and names, and they become quite important to the plot.
Raging Water Blurb: Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s  investigation of the murder of two close friends is complicated when relentless rain turns Bear Creek into a raging river. Homes are inundated and a mud slide blocks the only road out of Bear Creek stranding many—including the murderer.

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Raging Water from Mundania Press. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel us No Bells, the forth from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. This is the first stop on her blog tour for Raging Water.

Contest: The person who leaves comments on the most blogs on Marilyn’s tour will have his/her name used for a character in her next book — he or she may choose a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery or a Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel.

Visit Marilyn at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

28 comments:

  1. I am thrilled to begin my blog tour here on Pat's blog. Though we've never met in person, I feel like she is a good friend. Thanks, Pat.

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    1. Marilyn,
      It's wonderful to have you back. I enjoyed your "Getting to know you" post back in April. And, I agree, I feel like you're a good friend too!

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  2. Good post, Marilyn. You do what all good writers do: you mine the world as you experience life, and then you turn what you find into dramatic plot and fascinating characters. A good eye and a good ear are invaluable, and then comes the alchemy of imagination.

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  3. Thanks, John, you always say things so eloquently. Could it be because you are a writer?

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  4. My first creative writing teacher said that there are ideas for stories everywhere - most people don't have a clue how to see them, but writers do. For instance, I went to an open house at a local cemetery last week. It's not open every day - it's VERY old, so it was fun go wander around and read headstones (hey, I'm a writer - I'm allowed to be weird). I grabbed the notebook I always have in the back pocket of my jeans, and jotted down about 10 story ideas. I will NEVER be able to write all the stories I want to tell.

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    1. Carlene, I love old cemeteries too! You're right, the what if questions comes up a lot when reading headstones.

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  5. The story behind the two church women who died under mysterious circumstances whets my appetite to know more--makes me want to read this book and see what you came up with.

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    1. Cora, those deaths should have been investigated but weren't. One of the ladies was a fan of my books, and I had to do something.

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  6. I so agree, Marilyn, the "what if" question is sooooo powerful...

    Madeline

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    1. Mary Higgins Clark was the first author I heard talk about "what if", but it is what we all do, isn't it? "Hi", Madeline.

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  7. Very good post, Marilyn. An example of how our mystery writer minds work--always finding a place or reason for a murder.

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  8. Once those ideas begin popping into your head, they can flood your brain. I tell folks who take my writing class when they ask how to get ideas to PAY ATTENTION. Ideas are everywhere. Congratulations on Raging Waters and have fun with your tour. See you in a few days on my blog.

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    1. Hi, Kathleen, yep ideas are all around us. Looking forward to my visit over in your neighborhood.

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  9. I love hearing about how you came up with this idea, Marilyn. I enjoyed reading this story and look forward to hosting you later this month.

    Wishing you the best,

    Cheryl

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    1. Cheryl was among the first to read the book, glad to hear you enjoyed it. I'll be popping by to see you soon.

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  10. I love hearing where you get your ideas from, Marilyn, and now you've roused my curiosity about the two women from your church. I'm also curious about what made the circumstances suspicious, so I guess I'd better read the book.
    Marja McGraw

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    1. And Marja, thanks for stopping by. Actually there was a lot that made the two deaths suspicious--too much coincidence for one.

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  11. Very interesting. The question 'What if?' is the usual starting point for our stories as well.

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    1. And Lorna--what if works well when your brainstorming which I know you and Larry do a lot of. I brainstorm with hubby too.

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  12. Like you, Marilyn, I see mystery everywhere. The other day while on a hike along a dirt logging road I spotted a discarded blanket. The first thing that popped into my head was "a body could be under there!"

    Btw, I've just begin reading Raging Water and love how the bodies keep piling up. Plus, I feel like I'm visiting old friends. Tempe and Hutch are a great couple!

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  13. Hi, Anne, and have you seen your name yet? Anne won last year's contest to have her name used in one of my books--and she's an important character.

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  14. Very informative, interesting blog. I've never done it - but I just may have to write a mystery one of these years!

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  15. Always enjoy your posts. Thank you.

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  16. Nice post. Ideas really are everywhere, aren't they?

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