The Church Hill Train Disaster and VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES 3

My story, “Derailed,” appears in the third edition of Virginia is for Mysteries. In it, sassy, private investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, gets more than she bargains for when sleezy strip club owner and her best, cash-paying client, Chaz Smith, hires her to find out who’s blackmailing him and his buddies. She and her partner, Duncan Reynolds, have to find out what happened one summer evening twenty years ago and what it has to do with the Church Hill Tunnel cave-in. While trying to figure out the connection to the spooky, abandoned site where the train and several victims lie buried beneath a busy Richmond neighborhood, Delanie discovers the origin of Chaz’s mysterious teardrop face tattoo.

I have been fascinated with the Church Hill Disaster for years. The train and several of the crew were walled inside the tunnel when it became too dangerous to continue recovery efforts. It lies beneath the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond. Both ends of the tunnel have been sealed, and you could drive by them and not ever realize what lies within. Today, one end is in the courtyard of an upscale condominium community, and the other, several miles away, is in an overgrown, forgotten area covered in weeds, debris, and standing water.

The events of 1925 have spawned all kinds of ghost stories, legends, and theories. People who live atop the hill talk about the characteristic “Church Hill Lean” that some of the structures have because of shifts in the tunnel below, and there have been cases of building collapses through the years.

In my story, I added another body to the tragic memorial. In my fictious account, readers learn how sleezy strip club owner, Chaz Wellington Smith, III acquired his infamous, teardrop tattoo.

Virginia is for Mysteries III launches February 16, 2022. It is available for preorder in paperback, hardback, or ebook.

Location! Location! Location! Setting is Key

Setting is key to your story or novel. In some cases, it can even be a character in its own right.

I write where I know. I’ve lived in Virginia all my life, and I love sharing the food, culture, history, beauty, mountains, and beaches with my readers. I use many places, street names, cities, and businesses in my stories. However, if it’s the site of a crime or murder, then I make up the place name.

Google Maps (Street View or Satellite View) helps me find neighborhoods and street names. In my Delanie Fitzgerald novels, she is a private investigator who does a lot of stake outs. I look on the online maps to find her places to park to watch suspects. The online maps help me get an idea of what the area looks like. I look for houses and other buildings. Many of the street views have photos on the site of the neighborhood.

In my short stories in the Virginia is for Mysteries and Deadly Southern Charm anthologies, I use historic areas or landmarks as settings (e.g. Mill Mountain Star in Roanoke, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Shockoe Bottom, and the Church Hill Train Cave-in). I love using these interesting sites as a backdrop to my mysteries. In my novels, my PI visits a lot of places in Central Virginia. At the end of each book, there’s a list of the sites to let readers know which places are real.

My new cozy series, the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, is set in a made up town, Fern Valley, located near Charlottesville, Virginia in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

I also keep an idea file when I hear about neat events or places. I jot them down for future stories.

Locations and details about them are important to your story. You need to get the culture, customs, and typography of the region right. I actually do a lot of research on setting and locales. People like to escape with books, and they love to find out about new places.

20 Things I Learned about Specialized Law Enforcement in Virginia

Recently, Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia hosted a specialized law enforcement panel with officers from CSX Railroad, the Virginia Alcohol Beverage and Control Board, and the Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries. Their jobs and jurisdictions are unique, and I picked up some good information for future mysteries. Here are a few things I learned.

1. The railroad police began with the Pinkerton guards. Allan Pinkerton was also the Father of the Secret Service.
2. All of these law enforcement agencies work closely with other local, state, and federal groups. They are often involved in special task force efforts.
3. Railroad tracks are on private property. If you're on them, you're already trespassing.
4. A lot of modern shipping (retail, HAZMAT, and military) goes by rail.
5. Train riders (stow-aways) often tag the railroad cars to leave messages for others in their community. Hopping trains is illegal. If caught, you could receive a ticket or be arrested.
6. If you have an issue or an emergency at a railroad crossing, look for the blue sign at the gate. It has a contact number. If you're stuck on the tracks, notify the railroad authorities on that sign. They can notify any oncoming trains.
7. Technology helps with safety (e.g. camera on trains and sensors on the tracks).
8. It takes time to stop a train. A train hits a car with the force that a car would hit a soft drink can. If you get stuck on the tracks, get away from the car.
9. Trains are quieter now (except for the whistle). If you're on the tracks (and if you have headphones on), you might not hear it.
10. Virginia prohibition enforcement began in 1934.
11. Currently there is an exhibit on alcohol and Prohibition at the Library of Virginia. It's called "Teetotalers and Moonshiners." It runs through December 2017.
12. In the past ABC officers were called revenuers.
13. If you're interested in the history of moonshine, check out the National Geographic's documentary. A lot of it was set in Virginia.
14. Game wardens became Conservation Police Officers in 2007 in Virginia.
15. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries uses science to determine the wildlife populations across the Commonwealth. They decide if hunting/fishing numbers need to be increased or decreased to protect natural populations.
16. Virginia's Game and Inland Fisheries just celebrated its centennial. For more information, check out its YouTube channel.
17. Curtilage is the maintained area around a house. This is usually the boundary of where they can search unless there are special circumstances.
18. Baiting for hunting is illegal in Virginia. Often you will see corn on the ground (deer) or peanut butter on trees (bears) to attract animals.
19. Blaze pink will be an official safety color in addition to blaze orange.
20. Coyotes are not native to Virginia, and there are no bag limits on them. If you hunt and fish in Virginia check their publications or website for licensing and restrictions.