Marilyn's Musings

As I typed the title of this post, I have to admit to feeling a little sad. For several reasons, I made the decision a few months ago to end my Malone mystery series with the fifth book, Marnie Malone. I already miss my characters because I’ve spent many, many years in their world and, to me, they’re almost real. I got the idea for the first book, Mixed Messages , in 1995 when I was going for a walk and spotted an old Victorian. From that moment on, the book and the characters were always on my mind. I began to jot down notes and eventually created a chapter-by-chapter outline of what needed to be included in each chapter. Of course, as I wrote the book, that changed many times. Seventeen years after taking that walk, Mixed Messages was published! I originally intended Mixed Messages to be a standalone mystery/suspense novel. Instead, it turned into a five book series. My characters had so much more to offer me (and hopefully my readers) than what could be told in a si...

Some of the best advice on writing I’ve ever gotten was to “write in the genre you love to read.” Since mystery/suspense novels have always intrigued me, I knew early on that that’s what I wanted to write. Like most writers, I hope to entertain my readers and offer them escape from their everyday world. But I have another reason for writing what I write; I have a message to deliver. There’s something I feel compelled to share and I choose to do that through my books because I know that fiction can often make a point in a way that non-fiction can’t. If the writer incorporates it into their story rather than belaboring the point. Another excellent piece of advice I got was to “write what you know.” And that’s exactly what I’m doing in my Malone mystery series. You see, David, Ann Kern’s husband, is an alcoholic and his ongoing struggle with alcoholism is a sub-plot in my books. I’ve known some wonderful people who happen to be alcoholics and I believe it’s important for everyone to l...

Patricia Gligor’s Responses to Marilyn Meredith’s Questions Patricia at the Launch for Mixed Messages 1.       What are your writing goals? My dream goals or my realistic goals? My dream goals include seeing my books on bestseller lists across the country and having them made into movies. My realistic goals are to continue to write books for my Malone mystery series and to write some standalone mystery novels. I have one in particular in mind. It’s based on a short story I wrote several years ago. 2.       Are there other goals you have – such as something on your bucket list – I’d be surprised to hear about? Yes. I love to travel and I love the Spanish language. Since I’ve already been to Puerto Rico and Mexico, my bucket list includes trips to a few Latin American countries. I’m also a lighthouse enthusiast and the ocean is my favorite place to go so, of course, more trips to the coast/s are on my list too. 3...

  Patricia : Olivia, please tell us a little bit about yourself.   Olivia : Well, Patricia, I’m seventy-nine years old. I own the old Victorian in Westwood that was built by my great-grandfather back in 1863. I’m confined to a wheelchair and have been since my accident. I’ve lived in the house all my life and I’ve seen a lot from my second floor windows. I’ve watched the neighborhood and the people change. I rent out the first floor apartment and I’ve had some interesting tenants through the years.  Patricia : I hate to bring up what must be a painful subject but would you please tell us about your accident?   Olivia : Actually, I think about it a lot. I try not to dwell on the negative aspects because I’m basically an optimistic person. I guess you could say I’m an optimistic realist. What happened, happened. You see, when I was seventeen, I was madly in love with a handsome young man named Jeremy. My father, who was a wonderful man but a strict, stub...