BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--WHEN MYSTERY AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH WRITES WHILE HUNGRY

Marilyn Meredith is the author of more than forty published books including the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, and writing as F. M. Meredith, the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

Including Food in my Mysteries

One thing that always bugs me when I’m reading a book is when the characters eat and nothing is said about what they ate, especially if they are eating in a restaurant. Lately, I did read a really good mystery where the heroine always ate the same thing. It worked because it was an important part of the story.

 

I enjoy reading about good food almost as much as I like eating really delicious meals either at home or in a restaurant. One thing I’ve learned is some of the best eating can be found in a small, locally owned place, often ethnic of some sort. 

 

And it follows, that I also enjoy writing about food. 

 

In my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, The Trash Harem, Tempe and her husband travel to the city of Temecula to help a friend, Jonathan Reynolds, who is the only suspect in a murder case. The friend and his wife host Tempe and Hutch while they are there. The wife, Samantha, is a great cook and of course I felt compelled to write about the meals she served, and there a lot.

 

Looking back, I can’t help but wonder if I was hungry when I sat down at the computer to write this tale. 

 

When Tempe and Hutch arrive at the Reynolds’ home, their first meal is lunch which consisted of a salad of crisp greens, chilled asparagus spears, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, mushrooms, garbanzo beans, and artichoke hearts, served with sliced sourdough bread and olive oil and vinegar for dipping. (Old Town Temecula, a shop is famous for their various olive oils and vinegars.)

 

Neighbors who might also be murder suspects are invited to dinner to meet Tempe and Hutch. Samantha has prepared Beef Burgundy to eat over rice, Chicken Alfredo with noodles, and crème brûlée for dessert.

 

One evening the two couples dine at a small restaurant in Old Town and enjoy clam chowder abd fish and chips, while Tempe chooses lobster tacos.

 

The Reynolds and their guests are invited to dinner at a winery restaurant by the son of the murder victim who orders the most expensive item on the menu a Bouillabaisse. The others enjoy Beef Bourguignon and Coq Au Vin.

 

The final get-together with all the suspects is a fancy luncheon that begins with a veggie tray and tomato bisque, followed by interesting sandwiches made with unusual breads, a variety of fillings such as thinly sliced chicken with cheddar cheese, avocado and bean sprouts, cucumbers and cream cheese, pimiento cheese and chives, and sliced boiled eggs with avocado. A cheese board, nuts, cookies and fresh blackberries and whipped cream are served while Tempe brings everyone up to date on her investigation, Agatha Christie style.

 

And of course, there were always beverages at these meals, sometimes freshly made lemonade, different fancy iced teas, and various wines.

 

I think I may be hungry when I’m writing, and going over all the food that I included in the book has made me hungry now,

 

My editor said she wouldn’t eat a lot of the food I wrote about. I’m just the opposite; I like to try anything edible. What about you? Do you like to read about food in the books you read? 

The Trash Harem

A Tempe Crabtree Mystery, Book 19

 

Deputy Tempe Crabtree has retired from her job in Bear Creek when friends, who once lived in Bear Creek and attended Pastor Hutch’s church, ask her to visit them in Temecula. The husband, Jonathan, is a suspect in what might be a murder case. The retirement community includes many interesting characters, any of whom might have had a better motive than Jonathan. There is also a connection to Erle Stanley Gardner as well as the Pechanga Old Oak. What is a trash harem? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

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MYSTERY AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH ON WHERE HER IDEAS COME FROM

Marilyn Meredith is the author of forty-plus published books including the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, and writing as F. M. Meredith, the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. Besides writing she enjoys spending time with her husband, children and the greats and grands. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

The Hatching of Ideas and Characters

“Where do you get your ideas for your books?” is probably one of the most asked questions of authors. Second, is “How do you develop your characters?”

 

Ideas are everywhere. Sometimes a newspaper story sparks an idea for a plot or sub-plot, or it could be a place. The Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries began after I moved to a small foothill community, which is much different from the larger cities I’d lived in before. Most of the stories are based in and around where I live with some fictional changes. Tempe has also gone to other places, including the mountain town of Tehachapi which has the most wind turbines in California, and became the kernel of the plot for Spirit Wind. 

 

Three women gave me the idea for the Tempe Crabtree character. One was a female resident deputy in the town I lived in, the second, the only woman police officer at the time in the city closest to where I lived, and a young Native American woman I met. I had interviewed the deputy for a newspaper article. I went on a ride-along with the police officer, and she told me about her job and being a single mother. I was fascinated by the native woman, her appearance, and her stories. Together, these strong women became Tempe.

 

When I did a book signing in Crescent City, I met a Totowa native and she told me so much about her life growing up, stories about her people, and so much more. We became good friends, and she became two characters in Kindred Spirits.

 

My Rocky Bluff P.D. series is set in an imaginary beach town on the coast between Santa Barbara and Ventura and resembles the beach town I lived in for more than twenty years. My son-in-law, a police officer, fascinated me with his stories when he stopped by for coffee at the end of his grave-yard shift. I heard more tales from the several officers who lived in our neighborhood. And I have to admit, some of those men became the inspiration for characters in this series.

 

Ideas come from all around. As a writer, I pay attention to what goes on around me and take notice of interesting people, what they look like, what they wear, and I admit, on occasion, I eavesdrop on strangers’ conversations.

 

The latest offering in the RBPD series, Not As We Knew It, focuses on the officers and their families as they cope with Covid-19. My grandson, who is a police officer, gave me some insights into what might be happening in Rocky Bluff. I know my characters well enough to figure out how each of them would react to all the restrictions they face. Since the series is more or less in real time, I didn’t think I could ignore what is going on all around us.

 

Not As We Knew It

A Rocky Bluff P.D. Mystery, Book 16

 

The challenges come one after another for the Rocky Bluff P.D. to handle--from a missing woman to a fatal house fire. Detective Doug Milligan is faced with new and unusual problems to solve, some on the job and others related to his family. Gordon Butler isn’t too happy that his wife was chosen to train the latest new-hire. With the department shorthanded, Chief Chandra Taylor must make some hard decisions in order to protect the town of Rocky Bluff. Her romance with the mayor, which had been put on hold, is refreshed when she seeks his help.

 

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MYSTERY AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH ON TWEAKING REAL SETTINGS FOR FICTION

Tule River

Mystery author Marilyn Meredith has written more than forty books under her own name and as F.M. Meredith. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

How Much of The Setting of the Tempe Crabtree Mysteries is Like Where I Live?

It’s no secret that the area where Tempe Crabtree is resident deputy has a close resemblance to the town of Springville. Both are in the Southern Sierra*, however, Bear Creek is 1000 feet higher in elevation. My main reason for that was I wanted better trees and the chance for more changes in the weather. Weather often plays an important part in series.

When I moved Bear Creek higher into the mountains, I changed the main highway a bit to fit the stories I wrote. 

The Tule River runs through the place I live, but I call it Bear Creek, and the town is named after the river.

Both places are near an Indian reservation, and the real one is much like the one in my series.

In my town there is an inn like the one in Bear Creek, however the fictional one is a bit different than the real one, though the history of it is the same. Right now, it’s closed.  In fact, the main reason I didn’t use all the same businesses in my series is because they tend to come and go. Summer brings the tourists, but it’s hard for many places to remain open during the winter. And the virus isn’t helping.

In the latest book, a campground is featured. We have many campground and hiking trails, but the ones in End of the Trail are fictional. The surroundings are real. We have giant Sequoia groves in several places. 

As far as I know, no one living off the road to the reservation has a compound like the one I describe in this latest mystery. However, there is plenty of land where someone could build exactly what my fictional characters did. 

The town of Dennison is somewhat like the nearby town of Porterville. Any of my neighbors will recognize Main Street, the mortuary, and the library. (As a sad aside, the library burned down earlier this year.)

When Tempe visits another real place and I’ve used the name, I try to keep as true to what it is like as possible. However, when I write Bear Creek, I am happy that I can fictionalize what I’m writing about. It gives me many more opportunities for plot ideas.

*Sierra means mountains.

End of the Trail 

A Tempe Crabtree Mystery, Book 18

Deputy Tempe Crabtree joins the search for a missing hiker which results in a murder investigation, a near death experience, an unexpected rescuer, and an unhappy ghost. 

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AN INTERVIEW WITH MYSTERY AUTHOR F.M. MEREDITH'S SERGEANT RYAN STRICKLAND

Today we sit down for a chat with Sergeant Ryan Strickland from author F.M. Meredith’s

Rocky Bluff P.D. series.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

As a police officer, I was pretty carefree, and didn’t make the best choices for my life—resulting in dire consequences for others. I was what they called a publicity hound, loved to get myself into the news. 

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

That I had the capacity to change—though I have to give most of the credit to my wife Barbara. Being married to her has made me see things in an entirely different way. 

What do you like least about yourself?

The fact that I’ve kept a huge secret for all these years, a secret that I’ll never tell anyone.

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

Becoming a father to a beautiful little girl with Down Syndrome. I had no idea I could love someone so much as my daughter Angel.

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

Though at times I’d like to have a bigger role in each book, when what happened to me was the major plot, it wasn’t at all pleasant.

What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is that something bad might happen to Angel. I don’t want anyone to make fun of her, either.

What makes you happy?

Though I love my police work, being with my wife and family is the best part of my life—something I never imagined could be true.

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?

Definitely, I would like to change what happened in the first book, Final Respects, but if I did, I wouldn’t be in the life I am today.

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

For a long time it was Gordon Butler, a go-by-the book cop and one who managed to get himself into all sorts of awkward, dangerous, and sometimes funny situations. He’s now married, and he’s matured a lot.

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

I wouldn’t want to trade places with any of the characters. Right now I’m at the best place in my life I’ve ever been as a husband, father, being a sergeant on the RBPD, and my job as public information officer. 

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

F.M. Meredith (who is also Marilyn Meredith) has been writing the Rocky Bluff P.D. series and the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series for many years. She once lived in a small beach community like Rocky Bluff and that’s where she first became interested in writing about law enforcement. She’s also a member of two chapters of Sisters in Crime and on the board of the Public Safety Writers Association, and claims many of the law enforcement members as friends and research sources. Learn more about her at her website and blog.

What's next for you?

I have no idea what will be happening with Ryan Strickland in the months to come. Hopefully, I’ll be involved with an interesting case. Something unusual is always happening in Rocky Bluff.

Bones in the Attic

In a small town like Rocky Bluff, personal and professional often overlap, so Detective Doug Milligan is not surprised when his daughter Beth is the one who informs him a body has been discovered.

What is surprising is that the body is in a long-abandoned home that Beth and other students are turning into a haunted house as a fundraiser. The city granted permission for the project as long as it was limited to the downstairs for safety reasons. But one student, Mike Patterson, couldn't resist the temptation to look in the attic.

Detective Milligan stepped carefully a trunk and peered inside. Only a musty unpleasant smell emanated from the contents, not the noxious decomposition odor he'd expected. The skeleton crammed inside was still clothed in the remnants of what may have been pajamas.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--F.M. MEREDITH ON THE INSPIRATION FOR HER CHARACTERS

Marilyn Meredith, who writes the RBPD mystery series as F.M. Meredith, is the author of more than forty published books. She once lived in a small beach town much like Rocky Bluff, and has many relatives and friends in law enforcement. Learn more about Marilyn and her books at her website and blog.

What Inspired the Character(s)

In the Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series, there are multiple characters who have been in the series since or near the beginning. I’m going to write about the inspiration for a few of them, plus a couple of new ones.

I wrote the first book in this series when my son-in-law became a cop and came to my house every morning after his shift for a cup of coffee. He always shared what had gone on the night before, including tidbits about his co-workers. Of course a lot of what I heard spilled over into my books and the characters who inhabited them.

Detective Doug Milligan has been one of the main characters since the beginning. He was inspired by the police officers I knew at the time—young, married, and with children. Because these men were neighbors and I was friends with their wives, I had some insight into how what was going on in the families affected the job, and what they experienced on the job affected their families. Of course a lot of this became part of other characters.

Officer Gordon Butler has become the favorite of many of my readers. He’s had a rough time of it, both as a police officer and in his private life. He was inspired by one of the local cops who knew all the laws, operated by the book, worked hard, but bad and often humorous things happened to him.

Abel Navarro begins as an officer and becomes a sergeant as time goes on. From Mexican descent, he and some of his family members are loosely based on one of my sons-in-law. No my son-in-law is not a cop, but the dynamics of his large family has provided a lot of inspiration for ongoing characters. 

One of the newer characters is the police chief of the Rocky Bluff P.D., Chandra Taylor. She’s African American and tough. No, I don’t know any female police chief’s, but I have a friend who I see in my mind’s eye when I write about Chief Taylor. My friend once worked in prison as the assistant to the warden. Taylor is like my friend, shaped by the adversities in her life, but intelligent and capable, able to handle most anything--except romance.

Another new character is the daughter of the Rocky Bluff mayor. Kayla Duvall is a teenager who didn’t know her father until her mother, dying of cancer, sent her to live with him. I borrowed her looks from a darling boy who attends our church and who has an African American mom and Anglo dad. Like Kayla, he has blond curly hair.

For many years, I’ve been a member of the Public Safety Writers Association that is made up of many law enforcement officers. Of course I’ve made friends with many of them and some of them have also inspired characters in this series.

Bones in the Attic 

In a small town like Rocky Bluff, personal and professional often overlap, so Detective Doug Milligan is not surprised when his daughter Beth is the one who informs him a body has been discovered.

What is surprising is that the body is in a long-abandoned home that Beth and other students are turning into a haunted house as a fund raiser. The city granted permission for the project as long as it was limited to the downstairs for safety reasons. But one student, Mike Patterson, couldn't resist the temptation to look in the attic.

Detective Milligan stepped carefully a trunk and peered inside. Only a musty unpleasant smell emanated from the contents, not the noxious decomposition odor he'd expected. The skeleton crammed inside was still clothed in the remnants of what may have been pajamas.

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--TACO SALAD FROM MYSTERY AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH

Marilyn Meredith, who writes the RBPD mystery series as F.M. Meredith, is the author of more than forty published books. She once lived in a small beach town much like Rocky Bluff, and has many relatives and friends in law enforcement. Learn more about Marilyn and her books at her website and blog.

Kayla Makes Taco Salad

In the latest mystery of the Rocky Bluff mystery series, Bones in the Attic, teenager, Kayla Duvall makes a taco salad to serve to her father and his guest, his romantic interest, Chandra Taylor.

We have Taco Salad a lot at our house and it gets made many different ways depending on who decides to put it together, and what ingredients happen to be on hand.

The basic ingredients are:

Lettuce, shredded, Iceberg or Romaine

Tomatoes, cut up—or grape tomatoes.

1 can black olives

1 can kidney beans, black beans, or pinto beans. (My family prefers pinto beans)

Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 red onion, chopped

Tortilla or taco chips, crumbled into fairly large pieces.

1 lb. lean ground beef, cooked. (Could add taco seasoning when cooking.)

(Any kind of dressing, whatever your family prefers—or use taco sauce)

Mix it all together and top with sliced avocados if you like.

And you can have sour cream available to dollop on top. 

Best if eaten right away. 

When my grandson makes it, he always uses Thousand Island dressing.

My daughter-in-law likes to add chopped cilantro and use mango salsa for the dressing.

We have a houseful of family all the time and I love it. Makes for great times around the table.

Bones in the Attic 

In a small town like Rocky Bluff, personal and professional often overlap, so Detective Doug Milligan is not surprised when his daughter Beth is the one who informs him a body has been discovered.

What is surprising is that the body is in a long-abandoned home that Beth and other students are turning into a haunted house as a fund raiser. The city granted permission for the project as long as it was limited to the downstairs for safety reasons. But one student, Mike Patterson, couldn't resist the temptation to look in the attic.

Detective Milligan stepped carefully a trunk and peered inside. Only a musty unpleasant smell emanated from the contents, not the noxious decomposition odor he'd expected. The skeleton crammed inside was still clothed in the remnants of what may have been pajamas.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH DETECTIVE DOUGLAS MILLIGAN FROM F.M. MEREDITH'S ROCKY BLUFF P.D. MYSTERY SERIES

Today we sit down for a chat with Detective Douglas Milligan from author F.M. Meredith’’s Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

Being a police officer is the most important thing in my life. I lost my first wife because she wanted me to give up my job—something I don’t ever want to do.

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

I never give up. When I’m trying to find the bad guy, I’ll do whatever it takes to track him or her down.

What do you like least about yourself?

Lately, I’ve allowed family problems to distract me. But I’m not convinced that’s such a bad thing.

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

In this book, it has to do with what I mentioned about a family matter distracting me. Never before while in the midst of a murder investigation, have I let something happening in my family take my mind off an investigation. However, in this case, I believe it was justified.

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

I wouldn’t call it arguing, but I do let her know what I will and won’t do. After all, I’ve dedicated my life to protecting the citizens of Rocky Bluff, and I’m not going to let her forget that.

What is your greatest fear?

Losing one of my family members and not being the best husband and dad possible.

What makes you happy?

#1 has always been solving a case. However, with what happened recently, I have to say knowing my family is safe.

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?

Years ago, when I first started out, I would have liked to been able to save my best friend from dying.

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

In the past, I would have said Officer Gordon Butler. He was such a dufus at times. However, he’s matured, and a lot of the credit goes to his wife Lizette. In this particular book, a change in my daughter Beth bugs me the most.

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

No one at the moment. In most ways, life is good. I love my family and my job.

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

Marilyn writers this series as F. M. Meredith. She once lived in a beach town much like Rocky Bluff. She has relatives and friends in law enforcement. She’s a member of MWA, three chapters of Sisters in Crime and serves on the PSWA Board. The number of books she’s published is pushing 40. You can find more about her at her website and blog.

This is the final blog stop on Marilyn’s tour for Tangled Webs. She hopes you enjoyed following along.

What's next for you?

I plan on continuing my career in law enforcement. I can’t imagine doing anything else. My family and I have no plans to leave Rocky Bluff. When the next murder comes along, I’ll do my best to find out who did it. With two children in my home, one a teen, I can’t even guess what might happen next. Whatever comes along, I’ll take care of it the best I know how.

Tangled Webs

Too many people are telling lies: The husband of the murder victim and his secretary, the victim’s boss and co-workers in the day care center, her stalker, and Detective Milligan’s daughter.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR MARILYN MEREDITH

Marilyn Meredith (aka F.M. Meredith) claims she’s has had so many books published, she’s lost track of the count, but it’s getting near 40. She lives in a community similar to the fictional mountain town of Bear Creek, the big difference being that Bear Creek is a thousand feet higher in the mountains. Learn more about Marilyn and her books at her website and blog.

When Fiction Comes too Close to Reality

That’s what happened to me with my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Seldom Traveled.

I’m a combination of a plotter and a “pantser”. When I begin writing I’ve already decided who the murder victim will be and why, along with a few ideas who might have done it, where and how it happened.  An actual murder in a mountain community that I read about in a news clip is what got me started, however not much about that murder ended up in my story.

As I wrote, more and more ideas about who might have killed this person and why began to bounce around in my head. As I’m writing the story on the computer, I always have a notebook and pencil at hand to jot down all the new ideas so I don’t forget. This is an exciting process for me and part of why I enjoy writing so much—even after all these years.

Something else real that I included was a fugitive who managed to get away from the law and fled to the foothills where I live. Despite using dogs, law enforcement was unable to find this man. (I don’t know if he ever was apprehended because nothing more was ever mentioned in our local news.) For me, though, this was a great starting point for Seldom Traveled, and my fugitive plays a major part in the plot.

As I continued with the writing, I knew that a forest fire would play a major part in the plot. To make things accurate, I spent a lot of time asking a friend who is a firefighter many, many questions. He supplied me with the answers and made suggestions.

Remember, that a book is written long before it comes out. You probably all know that forest fires have plagued California this summer and into fall. When the book came out, several forest fires were burning around the state. Though I knew I had nothing to do with the fires, I couldn’t help feeling a bit of guilt.

When I sent the book to the publisher and answered the questionnaire about what I wanted the cover to look like, I mentioned the forest fire and a bald eagle that also plays a big part in the ending. My heroine is an Indian (she prefers that to Native American) so there is always a bit of Indian mysticism in the series. The artist did a perfect job. Take a look and see what you think.

Seldom Traveled

The tranquility of the mountain community of Bear Creek is disrupted by a runaway fugitive, a vicious murderer, and a raging forest fire. Deputy Tempe Crabtree is threatened by all three.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR F.M. MEREDITH

Wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother F. M. Meredith, who is also known as Marilyn Meredith, is nearing a staggering 40 published books. Though the Rocky Bluff she writes about is fictional, she lived for over twenty-years in a similar small beach town. Many of her family and friends are in law enforcement, giving her plenty of resources when researching her books. Learn more about F.M. at her website and blog. Today she joins us with some very important advice about social media in general and Facebook in particular. 

Big Mistakes People Make Using Facebook

Facebook is great! I post on it first thing in the morning and often several times during the day.

I have lots of friends and love reading what they are doing, how they think, and seeing photos of them, their children and grandchildren and their activities. However, I also see things they should never put on Facebook.

Never, never complain about your job or your co-workers and most especially not your boss. Even if your boss or none of your co-workers are your friends on Facebook, a comment you or someone else makes on the post could be sent to someone you didn’t want to see what you said. I’ve known people who’ve lost their job because of this.

The same goes for telling about your heavy drinking or picking up someone of the opposite sex, or revealing too much about your love life.  Jobs have been lost over this—the boss finds out you aren’t the person he/she thought you were.

Don’t complain about your spouse or make fun of him or her publicly unless it’s kind-hearted jesting. Even if your spouse doesn’t do Facebook, someone will be sure to tell him or her about the unflattering or demeaning remarks. Unless you want to get rid of your spouse, don’t do this.

Authors, try your best not to misspell or use bad grammar in your posts or when you’re blogging. I’ve been guilty of it—I know that even when you proofread, mistakes are overlooked. If you find something has slipped by you, fix it, or if you can’t fix it, acknowledge it.

Also for authors, don’t bad-mouth your industry professionals publicly. They all know each other and you might not have such an easy time finding a new one if you become known as a troublesome writer.

Don’t write nasty stuff about people who don’t believe the same way you do, whether it’s politics or religion. You can’t convince anyone to change to your way of thinking by a post you write on Facebook, and chances are you may alienate half your friends.

Since I put all these negative things down, here are a few things I think you should do:

Write positive posts when possible. If you’re going through hard times or going to have an operation or are sick, it’s fine to ask for prayers. I do it a lot for people, usually for relatives —though there are times it may be better not to identify the person by name.

It’s fine to tell what you’re doing, where you’re going, what’s happening while you’re there—and yes, include photos. (Anastasia stepping in here: It’s never a good idea to post where you are when you’re away from home. People have come home from vacation or a night out to find their house has been robbed because they let the world know they weren’t home.) Personally, I love to know what people are cooking or ordering in restaurants. Tell me about your kids accomplishments and the new babies that are born.

I write a lot about what I plan to do for the day because it helps me to actually do it.

Writers, I do want to hear about your new book, great reviews you’ve received, places you’re going to be for book signings and other appearances.

What kind of posts do you not like to see on Facebook?  What do you like?

Contest: Once again, the person who comments on the most blogs during this tour, can have a character named after them in the next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery. Tomorrow you can find me here:

http://seritastevens.org/?cat=1

A Crushing Death

A pile of rocks is found on a dead body beneath the condemned pier, a teacher is accused of molesting a student, the new police chief is threatened by someone she once arrested for violent attacks on women, and Detective Milligan’s teenage daughter has a problem.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR F.M. MEREDITH

F.M. Meredith, AKA Marilyn Meredith, is the author of over thirty published mysteries and police procedural novels. A frequent visitor to this blog she sits down today for an interview. Learn more about her at her website and blog. 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

Since I was in grammar school.

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

After several false starts, my first book was published in 1982. However, it received nearly 30 rejections before I received an acceptance. (In between, I did much rewriting.)

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

I’ve been published many ways, but right now I have two mid-list publishers.

Where do you write?

In my home office usually, though if I’m on a trip, I may do some writing wherever I can.

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

For me, silence is golden—or as silent as it ever is in my house.

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

Some of my plot ideas come from news stories I’ve read—though they mainly spark the idea and I go from there. As for characters, many of them are composites of people I’ve met during my life. No one ever recognizes themselves, thank goodness.

Describe your process for naming your character?

I collect names from graduation programs and anywhere else. I match up one first name with a different last name. Of course the name has to fit a character. I also look up ethnic names on the Internet.

Real settings or fictional towns?

Rocky Bluff is a fictional beach town in Southern California with many of the characteristics of a beach town I lived in for over 20 years. Surrounding it are real towns.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?

One of the favorite characters in the RBPD series is a police officer who always goes by the book, but still has things go awry, so much so, that he is often the object of his fellow-workers’ jokes. However, in Violent Departures, things have begun to change for him.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

Do we really recognize our own quirks? I don’t know how quirky it is, but I like to accomplish things. I don’t like to just fool around and do nothing.

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?

Perhaps, a book similar to Wm. Kent Krueger’s Ordinary Grace. This book really impressed me, especially how well he got inside the young main character.

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?

Many of the big mistakes I made as a young woman. As for writing, I wish I’d had the time and money to learn more about the craft of writing earlier in my life.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

People who don’t do what they say they will.

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

A good study Bible, matches, something to write on.

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

Working in an auto parts store—I was totally out of my comfort zone.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

I’ve read so many and loved many. The one I read over and over was Gone With the Wind and it’s been years since the last time.

Ocean or mountains?

I loved living by the ocean and visit there often. Now I live in the mountains and love being here.

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

I grew up in Los Angeles, but now live in a dinky little town, definitely in the country. (I do miss big city living at times. Having to drive 1/2-hour to shop or go to the movies is a pain—but then again, the traffic isn’t bad like it is in the city.

What’s on the horizon for you?

Who really knows what the future holds for sure? But right now, my plan is to keep writing and promoting.

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

Because it has been popular on my other blog tours, once again I’m offering the chance for the person who comments on the most blog posts during this tour to have a character named for him or her in the next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery.

Or if that doesn’t appeal, the person may choose one of the earlier books in the series—either a print book or Kindle copy.

Tomorrow, I’m headed over to http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/

The question I’m answering is: How do you keep up with your characters and what’s happened?

Violent Departures

College student, Veronica Randall, disappears from her car in her own driveway. Everyone in the Rocky Bluff P.D. is looking for her. Detective Milligan and family move into a house that may be haunted. Officer Butler is assigned to train a new hire and faces several major challenges.

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