Marilyn's Musings

                Marilyn, thank you for letting me appear on your blog!  You asked about the spark that created the idea for A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS . It was more like an explosion.   I don’t remember where or what, but my ideas come like that. It was a news program about a gas explosion but what caught my interest was how the first responders took precautions in the post-911 climate.   I wanted to show that. Make people remember how 911 changed everyone--took our innocence away.   I try not to get too heavy with themes but tried for a light touch. Did I succeed? The other key part of the plot is about relationships.   In A CASE OF HOMETOWN BLUES , my main sleuth, Mitch Malone, went home and faced some truths about his childhood and how he handles life. I wanted him to grow a bit more than he had in the past, so I gave him a date.  The opening scene is Mitc...

Grand Jury Testimony. W.S. Gager, author,   for the prosecution. Docket number 12-3-2012 for A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS. The launch date of this proceeding is February, 2013. WSG:   For the record, please state your name. PP: Patrenka Peterson. WSG: Your occupation? PP: I’ve been many things, a reporter, mistress, cat burglar, take your pick. WSG: Don’t you have a more official capacity in this matter of an explosion at All Star Realty? Someone died in the blast. Doesn’t that deserve a straight answer? PP: I knew the dead woman. Gave her instruction and tried to keep her safe. It didn’t work and she didn’t follow my advice. WSG: Is it true that you helped her get the job at All Star Realty? PP:   Yes. But she didn’t follow the plan. WSG: What plan? PP: She was supposed to get the goods on her boss. Instead she got herself killed. WSG: You are not being very forthcoming with information Ms. Peterson. Can you tell me a...

            Can setting really be a character in a book? A year ago I would have said no, at least not in my books. I’m a minimalist when it comes to setting. You won’t find long paragraphs of description or colorful prose. I try to layer elements of setting among dialogue and action scenes. My goal, if successful, is to have a line or two or description and then the reader’s imagination fills in the blanks. That’s what I want to happen because when I’m reading I skip long passages of description. With such small bits and pieces of places, how could a setting take on a bigger role? You create a town that is out to get you main character. In doing so, I’ve had to revise my view on setting a bit. In A CASE OF HOMETOWN BLUES the town itself rose from the pages and seemed to be attacking my sleuth, Mitch Malone, at every turn. To understand this, I need to give you a bit of the plot. Mitch is forced to return to his hometown to tea...