What inspired you to write Murder, She Glamped? Did your own glamping experiences influence the story?
Absolutely my own glamping experiences influenced the story! I am frequently out camping with a group of lady campers, and when I leave the clubhouse after an event, sometimes alone, the darkness of the campground spooks me a bit. Most campgrounds are not gated, so anyone could enter and pose a threat to anyone there.
Murder, She Glamped is set in the Texas Hill Country. Why did you choose that setting, and how does it reflect your own love of travel and nature?
I chose the Texas Hill Country because this book is part of a larger series, The Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, written by a group of twelve authors known as the Underground Authors. A new book in the series is released every month by a different author in the group. Murder, She Glamped is book number 34. As a camper, I enjoy being outdoors and in nature, but only if it isn't too hot outside! I am a retired science and English teacher, so I naturally have a love of nature and animals.
Mamie West seems like a strong and resourceful protagonist. How did you develop her character, and does she reflect any aspects of yourself?
Mamie's character was actually written to be very similar to myself. Like me, she is a retired teacher who has lost her husband, has a Boston terrier, and owns a vintage camping trailer. She's a bit younger than I, though, hopefully appealing to the cozy mystery reader.
Ellie and the Alphabet Zoo is a children’s book, quite different from your mystery novel. What inspired you to branch into children’s literature?
I wrote a previous series of books, The Keeper series, about a group of zookeepers who work at night. That series was inspired and encouraged by my husband, who was a night zookeeper supervisor for over 24 years. The children's book takes a character from the series, along with her pet hedgehog Freddy, and hopefully attracts a wider range of readership for the series.
How do Ellie and the Alphabet Zoo tie into The Keeper Series, and what message do you hope children take away from it?
Please see the answer to the previous question. I hope the book educates children not only about the alphabet but about zoo animals.
Many of your books incorporate Christian themes. How do you weave your faith into your stories without overshadowing the plot?
I wondered myself how to do that at first, but I try not to hit the reader over the head with spiritual talk in my books. I just let prayer, speech, and thought come naturally through my characters. In my novel Keeper II: The Storm, the main character Jolie was raised in a Christian home, and her parents took her to church regularly, so she is a believer, and her thoughts, words, and most of her actions reflect that. However, my characters are also human, so their lives are not perfect; in fact, Jolie does something that the Bible says is wrong, so she grapples with guilt and getting right with God.
What challenges do you face when writing mysteries that also carry a message of hope and faith?
My characters are as close to human as I can write them; in fact, they become almost alive to me. I weave my faith and hope into their personalities, or sometimes not, if the character isn't Christian or is a villain in my novel. Since I am a person of faith myself, it would be hard for me to ignore that aspect of my characters' personalities. I also ask the Lord to help me come up with ideas or solutions if I get stuck, and I also ask Him to bless my writing every day.
Do you plan to continue writing in both adult mystery and children’s literature, or do you see yourself focusing on one genre more in the future?
I do have plans to write at least one more mystery with Mamie West as the main character. I would also like to write a children's book or chapter book for my grandchildren. I haven't decided what I will work on after that, although I would like to write about my husband and his struggle with early-onset Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
After thirty years in education, what was the transition like from teaching to writing full time?
It was wonderful to be able to set my own schedule. I have always wanted to be a writer, but God led me in a different direction. Every time I would ask Him to let me quit and be a stay-at-home mom, he would send a student to me to tell me what a difference I had made in his or her life. I do miss the kids, but I don't miss the politics, state and federal mandates, the testing, and the discipline problems. I wouldn't say I write full-time now, either. I have other responsibilities and opportunities that take much of my time. I'm thoroughly enjoying being retired.
What lessons from your years as a teacher do you find most helpful in your writing process?
I would say that getting to work with so many different student and staff personalities has helped me immensely in creating my characters. My years teaching grammar and literature and science have also been beneficial. You can't teach without learning yourself. One student once told me when I replied that I didn't know the answer to his question: "You're a teacher. You're supposed to know everything." Teachers don't know everything. Teachers facilitate learning, and often the teacher is learning as much or more than the student.
How does your background as a mother and grandmother shape the stories you tell and the characters you create?
I like to have at least one child in my novels, so I think raising children and being around my grandchildren has definitely helped me with shaping those characters. I also have mothers and grandmothers in my books, and I can create their worlds because I have lived it myself. It's so much easier to write about a certain age child (or even adult) when you have one in your life.
Do you ever draw inspiration from your travels or glamping experiences for your plots? Can you share an example?
Yes, I do draw inspiration from my travels and glamping experiences. For example, Mamie, the main character of Just Dying to Glamped and Murder, She Glamped, is a middle-aged single widow who buys a vintage camping trailer and brings her dog along with her on her camping trip. This character is modeled after myself and many of the ladies in my camping groups. I created the campground using various campgrounds that I have visited. As for the danger, I imagine when I am actually camping how easy it would be for a person up to no good to enter the campground and inflict harm on the campers. That's why I carry protection!
As a Christian author, what do you believe sets your work apart from mainstream mysteries and children’s books?
My books are clean with no graphic violence or language or sex, and the Lord is mentioned throughout.
What do you hope readers feel or learn after finishing one of your books?
I hope readers will feel that the endings of my books are satisfying and that the characters are believable. I also hope the reader will be entertained and more knowledgeable about the inner workings of a zoo, and about glamping and owning a camper. From my latest novel, Murder, She Glamped, the reader should learn a lot about hedgehogs!
Would you recommend All Author to fellow authors, and if so, what services or tools on the platform have you found most useful in growing your business?
Yes, I would recommend All Author to other authors. I have used the Twitter/X posts as well as the graphics mockups to promote my books. This interview is also something I appreciate from All Author, and it will be used for promotion. I also appreciate the followers I have gained through All Author.
