Tuesday, November 13, 2018

AUTHOR D.J. ADAMSON ON MUSES AND IMAGINARY FRIENDS

D. J. Adamson is an Award-winning author D.J. Adamson writes mystery and science fiction novels. She is the editor of the book review newsletter Le Coeur de l’Artiste. Her L’Artiste blog offers authors a venue to write on craft, marketing, and the creative mind. D.J. also teaches writing and literature and serves on various writing organization boards.  Learn more about her, her books, her newsletter, and her blog at her website

A Muse? An Imaginary Friend? Or someone real recreated?

Why can’t an adult have an imaginary friend?  I started writing tonight about my muse and realized that I don’t have a MUSE. No one muses my head. I have visitations. Okay, I said it. Visitations. The main character comes and tells me what has happened lately. Lillian Dove complains to me about her mother, her desire for Detective Leveque but that Chief Charles Kaefring might be a better choice on the boyfriend carousel. When she came upon Dr. Conrad out on the street with blood on his clothes telling her his family was inside the house, hurt, she came and told me. Does that sound strange? Why is it I totally understood the movie HARVEY? Anyone else have “ visitations”?

Lillian Dove came to me through my aunt. My sister said my personality was very much like my Aunt Lillian, someone I had never met because she’d been estranged from my family due to her over-indulgence with alcohol (although, I generally don’t imbibe more than a glass of wine.) At the time, this over indulgence was not understood as an illness and possibly a genetic trait. Thinking of writing a series, Lillian Dove came to me and said, why not give your aunt recovery? After all, the Mormons save people after they have passed. However, I didn’t want to write another “alcoholic detective.” There are already so many in past history and current mystery books.

I wanted to follow my character’s recovery as she took on life without taking a drink. All of us have addictions (quilters, you know you have loads of fabric in your closets; readers, stacks of books; collectors, statues and photos of cats, dogs, angels, etc; chocoholics, candy stuffed everywhere). 

Lillian has more addictions and compulsions than Absolut vodka. All of her bad habits are also who makes up who she is as a person. What is difficult for Lillian is taking on life as it is; getting her nose into trouble with murder cases; and her self-discovery without any expectation she is perfect.

I think that has been what is so likeable about Lillian and why she has become a great friend of mine. She is honest in her journey, and while some of it is not overly cozy—is murder ever truly a cozy subject?—she takes on crime and life with humor and a reckless energy of never giving up. In a word, she is “everywoman.”

Let Her Go
A Lillian Dove Mystery, Book 3

Murder. Betrayal. Love Gone Wrong.

Dr. Conrad’s family is attacked. His wife is murdered. He and his son are seriously injured. Teenage daughter Peyton is missing. When Lillian Dove finds herself involved in the police investigation, she realizes Peyton Conrad holds the key to unravel who killed her mother.

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