Marilyn's Musings

This is another Tempe Crabtree mystery that is seeing new life. There are so many pluses about this book. It's set in one of my favorite places, Crescent City, CA. I've made several trips there to visit a good friend and speak at a couple of writers' conferences held there. I also had a book signing arranged by my friend where I met a wonderful, dynamic Tolowa native. She told me many stories about the Tolowa Indians and what they have suffered. I knew I had to include her in a book one day. Two of the main characters in the Crescent City part are based on her. When the book came out, we had a joint signing at a new bed and breakfast--a special event where both of us spoke--and signed Kindred Spirits. While doing research about Big Foot for this book, I learned about the Tule River Indians own version of this legend--the Hairy Man, who has now appeared in several of the mystery series. A couple of reviews: “Finished Marilyn Meredith's KINDRED SPIRITS, ...

Besides being big news--the fires in California touched me in several ways. Here in Springville we had our own fire. At the time we had no idea that so many other fires would follow. The smoke got so bad that hubby and I sent to Porterville to stay with friends for three days. The kids remained at our house determined to battle the fire if necessary, mainly because we had so many animals that would be impossible to move. It was scary, but we were so fortunate compared to those living in the way of the fires to come. Though the fire came close what saved us was the fact that we didn't have the horrible winds that fanned the flames in other areas wiping out whole neighborhoods. Ventura is a place close to my heart. We go there at least once a year, and the fire burned down so many homes. The fire began in Santa Paula and burned down a KOA we'd visited last summer. It surrounded the town of Ojai where an old friend of mine lives, and burned into t...

Kindred Spirits  is high on my list of favorites in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries. Not only are there many kindred spirits in the book, I met a kindred spirit who was the inspiration for this book. Junie Mattice, a Tolowa Indian, who hosted a book signing for me, told me all about the history of the Tolowa people, and became an instant friend. She has such a strong personality, I created two characters based on her in the Crescent City part of the book. Junie is no longer with us, but her spirit certainly lingers on.  Besides the history of the Tolowa, some of which is included in Kindred Spirits , she also told me about her knowledge and experiences with Big Foot. (This led me to learning more about the Big Foot legend and a similar character who lives on the Tule River Reservation, the Hairy Man. I'll write about him in the next blog post.) When the book came out, I had a wonderful book launch at a bed and breakfast in Crescent City. Junie and I b...

While at the Santa Barbara County Fair, I quite often explained to people who stopped by, that my Rocky Bluff P.D. series is set in a place sort of like Carpenteria. The real town of Carpenteria is located on the ocean side of the Pacific Coast, south of Santa Barbara and north of Ventura. There are other smaller towns perched on the hillsides here and there along the way. Rocky Bluff really is nothing like Carpenteria, except for the fact that it is a beach community located between Santa Barbara and Ventura. Actually, I've moved it closer to Ventura so it could be in Ventura County because I knew more about that county than Santa Barbara county. I also wanted the town to be smaller with more of the problems of a small town police department. Another thing that is quite different is the geography. Rocky Bluff has a yes, rocky bluff on the north side and where it gets it's name. The richer folks of the town have their houses up on the bluff, and the most popular of two Protesta...

I’ve enjoyed reading Marilyn Meredith’s work for a number of years, beginning with her “Two Ways West,” which was based upon the true story of the trek made by the Crabtree and Osborn families who ended up in Springville. From this historical fiction she branched out, with a range of titles including the Tempe Crabtree mystery series, set in the community of “Bear Creek,” which bears a resemblance to Springville. Marilyn and I have talked about writing from time to time. I told her once that my own attempts at fiction had been blocked by my failure to understand the concept of theme. “Oh, I don’t worry about all of that,” she told me. “I just write stories that people might like to read.” That’s true, and Marilyn’s prolific list attracts readers with online books and paperbacks. She’s also a teacher of writing and lectures at writer’s conferences throughout the country. I settled in one recent evening to enjoy Kindred Spirits, Marilyn’s latest novel, expecting a good read and to wonder...