R.Barri Flowers: Murder in Maui

R. Barri Flowers is an award winning, bestselling author of adult crime and thriller fiction, along with young adult mysteries. His recent titles include MURDER IN MAUI: A Leila Kahana Mystery, JUSTICE SERVED, STATE'S EVIDENCE, and DARK STREETS OF WHITECHAPEL. Recent teen mysteries include GHOST GIRL IN SHADOW BAY and DANGER IN TIME.

The author is a member of the American Crime Writers League, International Thriller Writers, Kiss of Death, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime writing organizations. He is on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, and CrimeSpace.


Barri, you're my first criminalist. I'm so excited to have you here. Tell us a little more about yourself.

Hi, Susan.
I'm a Pacific Northwest criminologist, crime and thriller novelist, as well as writer of young adult mysteries. I have been writing in one way or another ever since grade school, having the passion for it and drive to turn that creativity into published fiction and nonfiction. When not writing, my wife and I love to travel -- especially to Hawaii, our favorite destination away from home.

Who are your favorite authors?

There are many who fit into that category, but a few who come to mind and have been influential in one respect or another include Dashiell Hammett, Mickey Spillane, Thomas Hardy, Daphne du Maurier, Mary Higgins Clark, Thomas Thompson, and Kathleen E. Woodiwiess.

What are your writing goals, Barri?

My writing goals are (1) to reach the widest number of readers I possibly can that I can share my talents with to their utmost enjoyment, (2) to be amongst the best writers in my chosen genres, (3) to see some of my writings adapted to the silver screen or television, (4) to be a steady bestselling author, (5) to win an Edgar, Anthony, or other notable award for mystery writing, and (6) be paid commensurate to my talents on the road to financial independence.

What is your most rewarding experience during the writing process?

My most rewarding experience during the process of writing is when I get in a groove and everything is clicking and I know I've got myself a novel that readers will love!

It is also quite rewarding to reach the conclusion of a novel, where everything comes together and I am perfectly satisfied with the result.

Tell us more about Murder in Maui.

My latest book is a highly acclaimed medical mystery and police procedural original eBook, entitled, MURDER IN MAUI: A Leila Kahana Mystery.

My protagonist is Maui County homicide detective and composite sketch artist, Leila Kahana. The Hawaiian native, in following the footsteps of her grandfather who was the County of Maui police chief, and partner Detective Sergeant Blake Seymour investigate the execution-style murders of two prominent doctors in an upscale condominium on the island.

As a frequent visitor to Maui and a fan of such Hawaii based crime series as Hawaii Five-O and One West Waikiki, it inspired me to use my own criminology background and knowledge of the island to develop a mystery series.

This is the first book of series and it has gotten rave reviews from some of the top mystery and thriller writers around today.

Congratulations, Barri. Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?



MURDER IN MAUI is available in Kindle and Nook.

How do you determine voice in your writing?

This is a great question. I determine voice in my writing by taking a lot of mental notes when I am out and about among family, friends, and other people, as well as watching television, reading books; and having a keen eye for how people act, interact, and think, based upon years of coming to understand.
I use the above, along with an ability to create realistic, three-dimensional characters to establish my voice in fiction writing. This voice can vary with the character, setting, circumstances, etc.

As such, I am rather easily able to get into the minds of my characters, whether old or young, and go with it in telling the tale, keeping things moving along, and making the readers feel the voice is believable and entertaining.

After hours of intense writing, how do you unwind?

I like to unwind by watching movies and television series. I especially enjoy foreign DVD series that gives me a taste of life and living abroad, such as McLeod's Daughters, Bad Girls, Tangle, and Waterloo Road.
I also unwind by traveling often with my wife to Hawaii and other interesting places in the continental U.S. as well as Europe.

Exercising is another great way to unwind and stay fit at same time with walking, aerobics, stair climbing, and tennis my favorite forms of exercise.
I also enjoy reading for pleasure as a way to
relax and step away from the writer in me. I read mostly nonfiction and history books, thriller and literary novels.

Any current projects?

I have a number of current projects recently out or in the pipeline.
Just released in Kindle and Nook are my bestselling print legal thrillers, JUSTICE SERVED and STATE'S EVIDENCE; along with hardboiled mystery, DEAD IN THE ROSE CITY, and Jack the Ripper thriller, DARK STREETS OF WHITECHAPEL.

Also new in eBook are two young adult mysteries, GHOST GIRL IN SHADOW BAY (a haunted house mystery) and DANGER IN TIME (a time travel mystery). These are in Nook, Kindle, Google eBooks, and print.

And upcoming crime fiction and nonfiction out this summer, include Kindle and Nook eBook versions of my bestseller legal thriller, PERSUASIVE EVIDENCE, and top selling true crime book, THE SEX SLAVE MURDERS.

A mystery anthology I am editor of, MURDER HERE, MURDER THERE, which features bestselling, award winning mystery authors, will also be published this fall.

I expect to begin work later this year on the second book in my Leila Kahana Mystery series.

Wow! You're certainly prolific!
Where can folks learn more about your ebooks and events?

Readers can learn more about my titles, book signings, blogging, and other happenings at http://www.rbarriflowers.com/ as well as International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and CrimeSpace.

I also recommend to readers that they go to Amazon or Barnes and Noble's Web sites and look me up to get information on my books and often excerpts. many of my titles can be found as well at local and college libraries.

Learn more on his Web site at: http://www.rbarriflowers.com/         

 Barri, it has been a pleasure to have you on the blog. Continued success in all endeavors!

A Reader's Perspective

From a Reader’s Perspective…



I invited Shawna Locke over because I found her on GoodReads and she has 13000+ books on her shelf. I wanted to get her perspective on reading and, of course, what turns her on, for all of us authors. Sit back and hear what Shawna has to say. Feel free to ask her questions in the “Comments” section and she’ll get back to you. You other readers, please chime in your responses as well.

Welcome to the blog, Shawna. It’s an honor to have you.

Please introduce yourself.

Hi, Susan! Thanks for inviting me to be on your blog! I live near Pittsburgh, PA with my husband, Mike, and my beautiful 18 month old daughter, Maggie. I’m constantly struggling to find a balance between working full time, taking care of Maggie (and Mike), keeping up with the ever-present dust bunnies and mountains of laundry, and, of course, squeezing in a book or two along the way!

I know the feeling, but I do love books as well. When did you fall in love with books, Shawna?

From the moment I could read. My mother was an avid reader, and we would go to the library together and spend hours there. We’d both check out a stack of books. And almost every night throughout my childhood she would sit in her recliner and I’d curl up on the couch, both of us absorbed in our respective books. To this day, if given a choice between a book or a TV show, I will always pick a book. (Unless “Jersey Shore” is on, because my goodness, is that a trainwreck!?! But I’ll still keep a book in front of me while it’s on, you know, for show . . .)

I also rode the school bus with two older girls, both named Lori, who turned me on to the power of books. They were four years older than me, and the three of us were the only kids on the bus for an extended period of time each day. We were the only ones from our far-away neighborhood that attended the Catholic school in town, which ran on a different time schedule than the public schools. At their urging, I read Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret when I was in third grade. That was not on the recommended reading list at our school, by the way. The next year, they (double-dog) dared me to sneak my mother’s copy of Wifey from the high reaches of her bookshelf. Needless to say, Judy Blume was my go-to source for any questions that crossed my pre-pubescent mind!

Do you prefer certain genres over others?

I tend to stay away from sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal, but give them a try periodically. I have a soft spot for memoirs and historical fiction, and always enjoy a good mystery/thriller. I seem to go through phases. In January, I breezed through the A-List series by Zoey Dean and the Clique series by Lisi Harrison. I got my young adult fix with those books, and moved on to historical fiction in February with the Wideacre trilogy by Philippa Gregory (which is awesome!). Now I’m on a memoir kick. I’m open to just about anything!

When you walk into a bookstore or shop for a book online, what gets your attention first?

The bargain section . . .seriously! I’m always interested in getting a good deal on books. When I was younger I would read the same books over and over, to the point where I think I could STILL recite passages from Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock if I put my mind to it. As I got older and realized that there was a whole world full of books out there and there’s not enough time to read them all, I rarely re-read a book. So when I go to a bookstore or shop online, I usually check out the bargain section for books that I’ve never heard of that I may be interested in (but don’t want to pay full price for). Full-price purchases are reserved for books that I KNOW I’ll love and want to keep forever or would possibly re-read in the future. And of course it’s my dream to someday turn one of the rooms in our house into a library with built-in shelves, so I have to build up a stash of “keepers” for that, right?

What are the steps you go through before deciding to buy a book?

Price vs. “shelf-longevity” (addressed in the last question)

Bang for my buck. Is this a book my husband would be interested in reading after I do, or is there a friend I could give it to?

And, as cheap as I sound when it comes to buying books, I occasionally go on sprees. I have shelves and shelves full of books at home that I haven’t read, yet I’ll walk into Barnes & Noble and everything I pick up sounds so interesting that I just HAVE to have it. And I can’t decide what to leave behind, so I lug them ALL up to the checkout. And then come up with some rationalization to justify spending a lot of money on books . . . .(a) there are worse habits to have, (b) books are an INVESTMENT, (c) this is my hobby, (d) I worked really really hard this week, etc.

Have you ever put a book down, never to pick it up again? If so, what turned you off?

RARELY. And the few that I’ve put down have been because of their extremism. Over the past few years, I remember putting down a book that was wildly feminist and also a book on natural childbirth that wanted me to paint pictures of my fears associated with having a child. A little too off the wall for me.

At the same time, I’ve read SERIES of books that I didn’t like at all from the get-go. But I continued to read the next book. And then the next one. I’m not sure if I expected things to get better as the series went on, if I’m a glutton for punishment, or if my OCD tendencies were taking over and making me finish what I started.

Shawna, this is your chance to tell authors what you want in a book. Don’t hold anything back!

Reading is my escape—it always has been. I want to be so caught up in a book that I ignore the world around me. I want to have to tear myself away. I want to stay up until 3AM because HOLY CRAP THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD THAT I CAN’T PUT IT DOWN! I want to turn the last page, sigh regretfully, and then have the urge to call every single person I know to tell them that they HAVE to read this book. Is that too much to ask?

The books on my favorites list are varied. Sometimes a book becomes a favorite because of the writing style, sometimes because the plot is so original and/or cleverly executed, sometimes because of the non-stop action, sometimes because it relates so well to what I’m going through in my life at the time that I read it. But those are the books that stick with me, that I give as suggestions when people ask for “something good to read.”

Anything else you want to share?

My dirty secret is that I judge books by their covers. Silly, I know, but I constantly catch myself doing it. If I don’t like the cover, I have to force myself to read the synopsis. And, what do you know? I’ve found there are some really good books out there that just have ugly covers!

LOL. That's so true!

I’m also having trouble adapting to the technological turn that reading books has taken. I don’t have an e-reader, but I do have the free Kindle-for-PC and Kindle-for-Android apps. I hardly ever use them. I just can’t let go of the feel of a real book in my hand. Maybe my opinion would change if I traveled a lot, where an e-reader would make sense because of its versatility and because it’s a space-saver. Or maybe I’m just an old fuddy-duddy and want to sit on a rocker on my front porch, good book in hand, screaming at the neighbor kids to get off my lawn.

Thanks so much for interviewing me, Susan! This was fun, and made me think a lot about what I read and why.

Shawna, it has, indeed, been my pleasure. Happy future reads!

Happy Dip and Chip Day!

I decided to have a little fun with this unusual holiday and invite writers to share their favorite dips and chips. I hope you enjoy these delights while you check out their sites or read a copy of their books;-+

Fruit Dip


1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 pkg (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding

1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple VERY well drained
1/3 cup coconut

Combine sour cream, milk and pudding. Blend until smooth. Add pineapple and coconut. Mix throughly. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 cups. Use for dipping with strawberries, apples, kiwi and even carrot sticks.

Martha Cheves

http://marthaskitchenkorner.blogspot.com (A Book and A Dish)http://stirlaughrepeat.blogspot.com/

http://marthaatkitchenkorner.blogspot.com/

http://marthasrecipecabinet.blogspot.com/

http://stirlaughrepeatcookbook.blogspot.com/
 
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Party Dip



8 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz. Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
5 oz. green olives, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
1-4 oz. can sliced mushrooms
6 green onions, diced
1 cup black olives, sliced (1/2 for mix, 1/2 on top)
2 cups mayo of choice (I use Miracle Whip)
Pepperoni slices to taste


Mix above ingredients except Pepperoni and 1/2 of black olives. Spread in
oven safe dish. Top with Pepperoni and remaining black olives. heat for 6-10
min. until cheese is melted. Serve w/corn chips.

Betty Gordon


Murder in the Third Person
Deceptive Clarity
Short stories for all seasons, The Magic of Christmas.
Short stories in L&L Dreamspell anthologies
Valley of Obsessions Coming Soon
(http://www.bettygordon.com/)
 
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Dessert Dip


1/2 cut any tart fruit juice (key lime, lemon, tart orange, kiwi, etc.)
8 oz. sweetened, condensed milk (may be fat free or even substitute condensed unsweetened milk and sweeten with non-sugar sweetener)

For the healthy choice person, use silken tofu and sweeten with honey.
Tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, sugar free cookies, graham crackers, etc.
Use a wire whip to gently stir the milk into the juice until it thickens. If all ingredients are chilled, it will thicken faster. Cool in the refrigerator.

Center a pretty bowl of the dip, decorated with thin slices of the chosen fruit, in a pretty tray of bite size cookies or sweet crackers (such as graham crackers).


D.K. Christi
 http://www.dkchristi.com/
 http://www.redroom.com/

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Zippy Dip




11 1/4-oz can condensed chili beef soup
3 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 TBSP water
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

In a medium saucepan, heat soup and cheese, stirring constantly until cheese melts. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Heat thoroughly. Transfer dip to heat-proof serving bowl or small chafing dish. Serve warm with tortilla or corn chips. Yield: 2 cups dip


Jo A. Hiestand
The Taylor & Graham series
The McLaren Case Mysteries
http://www.mclarencases.com/
http://www.johiestand.com/
 
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PIZZA DIP

1 8 oz. Softened cream cheese
Small jar of Ragu pizza sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 cups of cheddar cheese grated
1 small package of pepperoni (chopped in food processor)
Black olives (chopped or sliced)—sprinkling


Layer as indicated above with softened cream cheese on the bottom. Fits in x 8 casserole dish.
Bake in 350 degree oven about 20-25 minutes. Serve with Frito scoops.
Can make it day before take it out of refrigerator and bake before you go.

Linda Lovely

DEAR KILLER, Coming June, 2011
Publisher L&L Dreamspell
A mystery set in the South Carolina Lowcountry

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Roasted Corn with Black Beans and Mango


1 Tbsp veg oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)(in winter I use thawed frozen corn)
2 c. diced peeled mango (peaches or cantaloupe also work)
1 c. chopped red onion
1 c. chopped red pepper
1/3 c. lime juice
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or equivalent dried
salt to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 canned chipolte in adobo,chopped and drained (I usually replace this with a few red pepper flakes)
2 15z. cans black beans, rinsed and drained.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add corn, garlic and onion. Cook and stir until corn is well browned, 8-10 min. Place in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and gently stir well. Serve with tortilla chips or over salad greens.

Nikki Andrews

Another great review for Sin Creek!

"Over the course of her investigation into the death of local college student  
Maeve Smoltz, North Carolina SBI Agent Logan Hunter learns that the young

woman used her involvement in the porn industry to pay for her education. Worse

yet: as Hunter questions other co-eds to learn more about Maeve’s gruesome

murder, she soon discovers that her victim wasn’t the only one forced to trade in

filth for funds. Before long, Hunter finds herself struggling to navigate through an

insidious labyrinth of raunchy twists and turns as she strives to learn the real truth

behind Maeve’s untimely demise, take down a nefarious porn ring, and keep her

marriage to Agent Chase Railey from falling apart...all in a day’s work for the

fearless crusader...

A taut, engaging suspense thriller, Sin Creek is quite the eye-opening read.

Anyone even slightly familiar with college life knows of the various traps that

await naïve, unsuspecting students at every turn, but author Susan Whitfield

presents the reader with a brand new world of vice and debauchery throughout

the pages of her riveting new mystery tale. Far from innocent, Maeve Smoltz is

nonetheless the victim of a depraved, twisted culture, and as her investigation

deepens, both Hunter and the reader’s eyes are opened to the startling new reality

of life on the modern college campus. Rife with one page-turning development

after another, Sin Creek is a gripping, well-crafted thrill ride sure to hold your

interest from beginning to end. Equally disturbing and compelling."  Apex Reviews

A Special Thank You to Followers

Wow! It is great to see the numbers of followers growing! Thanks to all of you who drop by to see what's going on at Susan Whitfield's Blog...not a catchy title, for sure, but it seems to work. I am enjoying the interviews with other authors and a few industry experts and readers sprinkled in for different perspectives.

If you have suggestions for the blog, please feel free to leave a comment or email me at ssn.whitfield@gmail.com I'd love the feedback. If any of you are libarians or bookstore owners, I'd love to get your perspectives on signings and general information authors need to know.

I'm in the process of setting up signings with Barbara Arntsen, author of SOS, who lives near me. We hope to sign at wineries around the state (North Carolina) and call the events "Read Between the Wines", Barbara's idea. I jumped on board and we invited a third mystery writer to join us. This should be fun! For more information and events, check my web site at http://www.susanwhitfieldonline.com/
or follow me on Facebook or Twitter.

I hope your day is outstanding in every way! HUGS!

Shawn Lamb's Heir Apparent

Shawn Lamb, author of Heir Apparent is my guest today. Welcome, Shawn. Tell us a little about yourself.


Thank you, Susan. I’m the author of the YA fantasy series ALLON. Before writing fiction, I did freelance writing for TV animation back in the 1980s. The series was called BraveStarr and put out by the same studio responsible for He-Man and She-Ra. In fact, my husband Rob, was a staff storyboard artist and writer for He-Man, She-Ra and Fat Albert.

Cool!

What is your most rewarding experience during the writing process?

Actually, it occurred during the beginning draft of the first Allon book. The whole thing started when my daughter asked me to write her a fantasy. She was in high school at the time. When I agreed, she told her friends, who became very intrigued at learning her mom was writing this ‘big, epic fantasy,” according to my daughter. Now, I had to live up to the billing.

Her friends came over to the house to discuss the story. Nashville has becoming a city of immigrants and refugees, so most of them were from immigrant families, like Iraqi Kurds, Somilia, Laos, Kenya, Egypt. They crossed the cultural, ethnic and religious spectrum. The conversations turned personal and they asked direct questions, wanting to know what Americans thought, why Christian believed different. And they wanted direct answers. But mostly, they expressed the desire and need for hope. Coming to America was somewhat disappointing and they struggled to find what they believed was hope and a better life. Those conversations and expressed needs motivated me and the one book turned into a series in an attempt to provide answers and hope.

Tell us more about Heir Apparent. Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

Allon Book 3 – Heir Apparent is a continuation of the series. Most of the characters from the previous 2 remain, with new ones added as the family grows. This one is based more around family issues, although not losing any of the fantasy elements.

Each book is self-contained, and I try not to leave ‘cliff-hangers’ but clues can be found to what may come later. It is available in print on Amazon. We are working on converting the series to e-books, and they should be ready shortly.

Do you think your writing has improved since your first attempt? If so, in what way?


Yes, there should be a natural improvement and progress as any author writes. To go from script to prose, I studied for 3 years. Where the course taught me about the mechanics of writing, it wasn’t until after the publication of my first book that I really grew as a writer and author. Baptism under fire, if you will. Not just the review factor, but being suddenly placed under the microscope of the public.

Were any of your books more challenging to write than the others? If so, why?

Actually, this one – Heir Apparent. If I say too much, I may give the story away. So I’ll just say, putting familiar characters you’ve lived with for so long through certain things isn’t easy.

You're so right, Shawn. I can relate.


Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

Great question. I addressed this issue in my blog recently in a two-part post about free flow writing vs. flash card or plotting. I’m the free-flow type, I rarely make notes, keeping everything is in my head. Sounds difficult with a series, but I cringed at those lessons of plotting or writing character traits and scenes on flash cards then arranging them to form the story. It was too confining and frustrating.

Describe your ideal reader.

Funny, if you asked me this question when my first book came out, I would have describe the ideal reader different then now. I wrote for older teens, high school to college - but middle school kids have really grabbed onto the series. Kids as young as eight have read my books, even up to 88 year-old adults.

I tend to keep my stories clean of language and sex, although there is romance, danger and consequences to actions. So I would say, anyone who wants a good fantasy in the tradition of Narnia and Lord of the Rings is the ideal reader, regardless of age.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

I have both a blog and a website. The website is http://www.allonbooks.com Visitors will find access to all kinds of activities, an interactive map, character pages, excerpts, links to videos, FaceBook, Twitter. I have an email subscription list for the first alert of upcoming events, releases, special discount, etc. I do make announcements on the website in the New & Events section for the public.

The blog http://allonbooks-thekingdomofallon.blogspot.com/ is where I post about writing and publishing industry. I also encourage and accept private email from aspiring writers of all ages, and a few from across the global are picking my brain.

Thanks for letting us know more about you Shawn, and continued success!

Frank Scully's Resurrection Garden

My guest today is Frank Scully, author of Resurrection Garden. Good morning, Frank. Please tell us a little about yourself.

Thanks, Susan. I’ve been around a bit longer than I want to admit. I was born at the end of World War II and remember when radio provided the entertainment in the evening. Jack Benny, Amos and Andy, and the Shadow. Black and white TV came along with very few channels and an antenna on the roof. Jack Benny made the transition and Ed Sullivan ruled Sunday nights. Elvis and the Beetles made their big TV debuts there. Sputnik was a part of the very real Cold War as was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Then along came the Vietnam War with its bloody toll on TV news every night. I got through college and law school and spent my time in Southeast Asia before I got my MBA and started a career which I have been working at ever since. I am currently a Contracts Manager for a major aerospace company.

What are your writing goals?

I have no aspirations for literary greatness. I simply want to write a good story that will entertain the reader. I want to get the reader immersed into the story so they see it happening in their minds as they read.

Tell us about Resurrection Garden. Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

Resurrection Garden is my first published book. It is available as an eBook from the publisher, MuseItUp Publishing, or from Amazon, Barnes &Noble, Smashwords and most online eBook retailers.

Resurrection Garden is a mystery set against the backdrop of the settling of the North Dakota prairie at the turn of the 20th century. Life on the North Dakota prairie in 1904 was still raw but modern times were coming with every new homesteader. Railroads and the telegraph were changing transportation and communication. The pace of life was speeding up. The land was filling up with settlers.
Jake Turner, a scarred veteran of the charge up San Juan Hill, has been a lone drifter through much of the settling of the west. Opportunity was growing out of the newly turned sod of the North Dakota prairie in 1904 when he stopped to take a part time job as a Deputy Sheriff, expecting to move on again when the dark parts of his past catch up to him.

An investigation into a murder of a man hated by everyone has threads that lead to his best friend, Isaac. Jake is ambushed and almost killed, but is nursed back to health by Isaac. While Jake follows the clues into a labyrinth of hatred, sordid crimes and missing money he becomes attached to an eight year old orphaned boy named Andy and falls in love with Isaac’s sister, Alice. After being alone for so long with no hope or care for what tomorrow might bring, Jake finds it difficult to accept these new emotional attachments.

Jake believes in Justice, but before he had only his own life on the line. When Andy is kidnapped and almost killed, Jake knows the killers will do anything to stop him. In order to protect Alice and Andy, he must break their hearts and leave them and North Dakota behind.

Jake knows he’ll be back. So do the killers. Trap and counter trap are laid. Jake knows there will be graves. He just doesn’t know who will be in them.

Do you think your writing has improved since your first attempt? If so, in what way?


My writing has undergone a major change from my first attempt. In the beginning, my work was a bit derivative. A style mish mash of many of the authors I had read and enjoyed. It lacked originality in voice. That came with practice and much more writing as I developed my own distinctive writer’s voice. While I can say now I have been influenced by certain writers, I am not imitative.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

Certain events seem to pop up that spark my imagination. It might direct me to write a story about the Savings & Loan mess that happened in the 1980’s and I will need to build a plot around that. From the general background I will develop a theme. The theme will guide me in developing the characters and the plot. I don’t outline a book as some do. I find that I can’t work that way. Once I have my characters fleshed out, the crime defined, the background and backstory in my mind, as well as the end I am working toward, the story falls into place as I write. Sometimes the characters take off in directions I didn’t plan but they have to stay true to themselves and the story. Once I get into a story it is like a movie is running in my head and my job is to get it down so I can show it to the reader.

After hours of intense writing, how do you unwind?

Generally, after a long intense session of writing, once I stop I will still have ideas and scenes floating around in my head, and I will need to take some notes so I can pick up the thread again when I start writing later. After that I will need to decompress by getting away. I may go for a walk, spend some time in the garden or yard if it is the summer, do some chores I have been putting off or anything else that allows me to get away from the story for a time. Some people read someone else’s novel, but for me that doesn’t work. I find myself being critical of the way the other author wrote something. A comedy, either a movie or TV show, is one of the best ways for me to relax after a long, intense writing session.

Any current projects?

I am currently working on the seventh book in my Decade Mystery Series. When I started writing I had so many ideas for stories floating around in my head I had to somehow sort them out and decide which I would work on first. It turned out to be a mystery set in 1957. The second was set in 1995. The third was in 2004. And then came Resurrection Garden set in 1904. I began to see a pattern here. Murder mysteries set in different decades and locations. This was the genesis of my Decade Mystery Series. At least one book set in each decade from the beginning of the 20th century to current time set in different locales with both continuing and new characters. There is something unique in each decade that marks it as separate from what went before or what follows. I like to research and explore aspects of what is unique as it is expressed in the locale chosen and how it affects the culture, characters and the tenor of the times and yet also see the common humanity that never changes. While the larger characteristics of the decade provide the background against which the story is told, I like to find certain lesser known events and circumstances that signal significant shifts around which to build the plot. The stories will not be written in any chronological order.

Digital Death, the book I am working on now, is set in the 2005 timeframe. Alec Carter, the son of a Vietnamese mother and an unknown American soldier and a survivor of the boat exodus, is on the case of a missing person. The missing person is an Indian computer software expert. The case will lead Alec to Bangalore and other places around the world as he discovers that the case is deeper and deadlier than a missing person. Terrorists, government agents, corporate titans and mobsters are after the same man who holds the key to something everyone wants.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

My website is at:
http://www.frankjscully.com/

It is still a work in progress but I welcome all to come by and visit. I also have a blog there and welcome comments. Also my publisher has a lot of information on my forthcoming books at:

http://www.museituppublishing.com/

Well, Frank, it has been a pleasure to have you over. Continued success on your writing career.

Thank you so much for allowing me to guest on your blog today, Susan.  

You betcha! Readers, please check out the reviews and an excerpt before you leave:

Reviews for Resurrection Garden:
I found myself enthralled with this tale. The mystery was well developed and had a very satisfying resolution. It was very heartwarming to watch as Jake learned to shed his past and move forward into his future. The book moved along at a good clip and I found myself clicking the button to turn the pages on the Nook so I could read what happened next. Mr. Scully's writing style was spare and perfectly suited the tale and time in which it was set. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed getting to know them. Broken Teepee Reviews

* * *
As most good mysteries do, this one begins with a dead body. The big difference is this tale is set in 1904 and starts in North Central North Dakota, making it an historical western mystery. Before I tell much more, I have to say I loved everything about this story. Deputy Jake Turner is a reluctant hero, a single man who knows something is missing in his life despite his faithful horse, dog and cat.


The historical details are perfect and enhance the action—of which there is plenty. Deputy Turner is wounded more than once while tracking down the clues to find the identity of the murderer and all the other complications and revelations that develop. The relationship between Jake and an orphan boy, Andrew, is realistic and heart-wrenching, as is Jake’s friendship with a dying man.
Before the book is over, a romance develops—one that doesn’t seem to have a happy ending in sight, but you’ll have to read it to find out what happens.
Author Scully has done a fantastic job in creating this very realistic mystery in a by-gone era. I loved this book and I highly recommend it to all mystery lovers and those who enjoy a good Western.
--Marilyn Meredith

Excerpt:
The sheriff joined me in my contemplation of the body. It wasn’t pretty. Thor had never been handsome and the ravages of being frozen under the snow for the winter and having birds and other animals picking away at the skin as the snow thawed and exposed the body made what was left of him downright disgusting.

One thing was evident though. He hadn’t died easy. Freezing to death is relatively painless. Wander out in the cold, get lost, fall asleep and don’t wake up. That wasn’t what happened to Thor.

“What do you think? Shotgun, maybe?” the sheriff opined.

“At least,” I answered. The hole in his chest was big enough to put a fist through. “But why? He musta been dead already when he was shot.”

“Yeah, first someone beat him to a bloody pulp, then gutted him and slashed his throat. And then shot him. Ain’t that what you said, Doc.”

“Looks that way to me,” Doc answered. “Can’t tell you much more until he thaws out all the way.”

“Somebody wanted him deader than dead,” the sheriff shook his head.

“Takes some hate to do all that,” Doc commented. “Got any suspects?”

Doc and the sheriff both turned to face me.

I let out a deep sigh. “I suppose you want me to find out what happened to him.”

“Seems as how you should. After all, you found him, and you’re my deputy up there,” theSheriff answered.

I stared at Thor and wondered when I would be able to sit down.

Doc came up behind us and commented, “Jake, you might ought to get some new britches or something. You’re hanging out your back end. Probably scare the ladies and kids if you went out in public like that.”

I reached around and felt bare skin crisscrossed with stitches. “Damn, just got these new this Christmas.”

“I’m sure one of the widow ladies you’ve been helping out will be happy to lend you some spare pants.” Doc grinned. “And I’m sure these new scars will get you lots of sympathy and special care.”

“Speaking of widows,” the Sheriff interjected. “You’ll need to tell Mrs. Thorsgaard we found her husband.”

And that’s when the real pain started.