Marilyn's Musings

Today I’m interviewing Muriel Reeves from Frank, Incense and Muriel , written by author Anne K. Albert. The story takes place the week before Christmas when the stress of the holidays is enough to frazzle anyone’s nerves. Tensions increase when a friend begs Muriel to team up with a sexy private investigator to find a missing woman. Forced to deal with an embezzler, kidnapper, and femme fatale is bad enough, but add Muriel’s zany yet loveable family to the mix and their desire to win the coveted D-DAY (Death Defying Act of the Year) Award, and the situation can only get worse. Marilyn - Tell us a bit about yourself, Muriel. Where were you born and raised? Muriel – I grew up in and around Niagara Falls, New York, and still live there. Marilyn – So does Frankie Salerno. I understand you weren’t exactly thrilled when he showed up at your front door one cold December morning. Muriel - It’s not that I don’t like Frankie. It’s just that he complicates things. ...

What inspired you to write Frank, Incense and Muriel? It wasn’t so much inspiration, but rather a personal challenge to see if I could write a book similar to those I love to read - cozy mysteries and sweet romantic suspense stories that keep me guessing and make me smile. I wanted to take readers for a ride. I wanted to introduce them to memorable characters that walked off the page. I also wanted to tie up all the lose ends, ensure that good triumphs over evil, and the villain gets his comeuppance. And because I avoid stories with violence, strong language, and graphic sex, I was determined to follow those same rules with my own creation. I’m proud to say I accomplished those goals! Do you have a favorite writing tip? Two, actually. I’ve always had difficulty with the ‘write what you know’ concept until I read W.P. Kinsella, author of Shoeless Joe (on which the movie Field of Dreams was based) said ‘you don’t have to commit suicide to write about it’. That resonated with ...

A conversation with Anne K. Albert: It’s a pleasure to visit with you today, Marilyn. When we first chatted, you asked what inspired me to write FRANK, INCENSE AND MURIEL, first book of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The short answer is snakes. The long answer, well, the long answer will take at least the rest of the week, but I’ll try to keep it short! When my husband retired, we downsized and moved out of the city to a quiet condo complex near a lake, aimed specifically at seniors. The first year was wonderful. Then, the neighbor from hell moved in next door – literally. Only our shared living room and upstairs bedroom walls separated him from us. In his early 30s, with shaved head, tattoos, two massive guard dogs and a surly attitude, we soon realized he was involved in the drug trade. As bad as that was, he delighted in telling everyone about his assortment of 40 large snakes and a few hundred rats (the snake’s food). It is truly amazing how one unscrupulous individual can turn...