Murders -- Only on Paper

Someone asked me recently how many people I’ve killed off in books. I went back and checked my short stories, novellas, and novels, and I’m up to thirty-four. (Wow! Sounds like a serial killer.)

I write traditional mysteries and cozy mysteries where everyday people are the sleuths and the killers, so my characters use what’s nearby. Hardly any of the characters have military, medical, or law enforcement training. And I don’t write serial killer or predator books. So, I’m always on the lookout for new ways to stop an attacker or take out the victim. One of my sleuths (Jules in the Glamping series) detained the killer by hitting him on the head with an iron skillet.

Here are some of the ways, I’ve offed people in books besides poisoning, gunshot, and stabbing:

• Strangulation with a tie and a scarf

• Pushed off a cliff (two different stories)

• Insulin injection

• Snake bite

• Strangled with a strand of Christmas lights

• Crushed by a heavy piece of furniture

I have also had a couple of books where a caper was the featured crime, and there was no murder.

In another recent interview, someone asked if I had ever modeled the victim on a real person. I don’t usually do that. My characters have traits from several different people, and they’re not really based on a person. One time, in “Spring Cleaning,” I did kill an office worker who may or may not have been modeled on a real person who may or may not have gotten on my last nerve. The guy in the story was strangled and put in a rolling bin for documents that were sent off-site for storage. I enjoy it when friends try to convince me that they know who certain characters are based on.

I always tease with my team at work that they need to be careful, or someone will find them in a dumpster in the next book. I’ve had several people ask if I would kill off an annoying person in a book. Maybe I should run a contest and pick the best story for a character in an upcoming work. Hmmm.

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.

Behind the Scenes - The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

When we launched the Virginia is for Mysteries anthology, one of the requirements was that the stories needed to have a Virginia landmark. This was my first published short story, and I chose the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel that runs from Chic’s Beach (Virginia Beach) to Cape Henry on the Eastern Shore.

I grew up there, and it was always Chic’s Beach, though over the years, I’ve seen the spelling vary from Chick’s to Chix. As locals, this is where we went to avoid the hoards of tourists that descended on our city every summer. It’s a quiet neighborhood on the bay near the bridge. I was always fascinated with the bridge and what was on the other side of the bay. The bridge is really a series of bridges and tunnels that cross the Chesapeake Bay and spans about 23 miles. My parents’ first apartment when they were newlyweds was nearby, and my dad patrolled the bridge’s construction site as a young police recruit.

And it was the perfect setting for “Washed up.” The title takes on several meanings in this mystery, but the obvious is when a suitcase with a shriveled hand and a rusty gun wash up on the beach outside a struggling bar. The notoriety from the media exposure does wonders for the bar’s bottom line. But like in real life, not everything is as it first seems.

We live in Central Virginia now near a lake. It’s beautiful, but it’s not the beach that always holds a special place in my life. The restaurants and neighborhoods have changed through the years, but bridge tunnel is a constant. And I try to sneak in a visit every few months.

Check out “Washed up” in Virginia is for Mysteries.

Behind the Scenes - The Mill Mountain Star

When we were planning the second volume of Virginia is for Mysteries, I looked at the map in the front of the book and realized most of the stories in the first volume centered around Coastal and Central Virginia. The requirement for stories in the mystery anthology was to feature a historic or popular landmark from the Commonwealth of Virginia. I wanted to set my story in the western part of the state.

My mother grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, and I remember her and my grandmother talking about the star on the mountain top. I finally got to see it when I was in the third grade and later as an adult when we did a book signing in the downtown area.

The neon star beautiful and big enough to be seen from miles around. I did some research on the history, and it became the setting of my story, “Spring Cleaning.” In the story, it's a symbol for Douglas Weimer, who is having issues at work. He laments that he’s been demoted and forced to give up his office with a view of the neon star that’s been atop the mountain since 1949. Douglas, a medical records manager, gets more than he bargained for when he’s moved onto a new team and receives a project with a drop-dead delivery date. His assignment in Roanoke, Virginia, gives new meaning to work deadlines.

Check out Visit the Blue Ridge for more information on the star that started out a Christmas decoration commissioned by the local Merchants’ Association. The City of Roanoke’s website also has some history on the star and its lighting over the decades. At one time, the town used the color of the star to indicate fatal traffic accidents in the valley. The star can be lit red, white, and/or blue.

Volume three of Virginia is for Mysteries is slated for publication this fall. Look for my story, “Derailed,” about the Church Hill Tunnel disaster in Richmond, VA.

Check out Virginia is for Mysteries and Virginia is for Mysteries Volume 2 at your favorite book retailer.

Behind the Scenes - The Poe Statue in Richmond, VA

Yes, there is an Edgar Allan Poe statue in RVA (Richmond, VA), but I made up the one in GLITTER, GLAM AND CONTRABAND.

In my Delanie Fitzgerald series, Chaz Wellington Smith, III’s infamous strip club, the Treasure Chest, is located on the corner where The Southern Literary Messenger once stood (15th and Main Street). While Poe was an assistant editor at the magazine at that location, the Treasure Chest is made up. Parts of the real building were preserved and are part of the Shrine at the Poe Museum in RVA. This is a must-see spot if you’re in Richmond. The collection of artifacts is vast, and the staff are so knowledgeable on the author’s life and works. My favorites are the “Unhappy Hours” held in the Enchanted Garden in the warmer months. They also offer walking tours of Poe’s Richmond. And if you visit, you must meet Edgar and Pluto, the museum cats.

I am fascinated with the Poe sites around Richmond, including his mother’s grave at the historic St. John’s Church (where Patrick Henry gave his famous speech).

Years ago, I read an article in the newspaper about time capsules in some of the monuments. I thought it would be interesting to have Delanie investigate, so I put a Poe Statue on the corner near Chaz’s business. He asks her to look into why someone is trying to dig around the statue. It turns out that there’s an online rumor of valuables hidden in the time capsule.

The real statue of Poe is located on the grounds of the state Capitol. The Father of the American Mystery is seated in a chair, and it was relocated to the other side of Capitol Square in 2017.

If you’re not able to visit, check out the Poe Museum’s website. There’s a wealth of information online. There are also lots of good blogs and podcasts about Poe’s time in RVA. One with lots of pictures is J.W. Ocker’s OTIS (Odd Things I’ve Seen). Gretchen Kelly’s “RavenTrekking” is also a good overview of the Poe sites.

Check out the adventures of Delanie, Duncan, Margaret, and Chaz in the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries wherever you buy your books.

Behind the Scenes - Sears Catalog Homes

I have been fascinated with the Sears Catalog homes for many years. Way before the days of Ikea and online shopping, people could pick out a house from a catalog and order it. All the pieces and parts arrived by railcar, and it was ready for assembly on your lot. It was a brilliant marketing plan for a retailer who sold household goods and appliances. They also dabbled in real estate and loans over the years. Check out the links for more information on the history of these homes, many of which are still standing in communities across America. From 1908-1940, Sears and Roebuck sold over 70,000 of these.

There are quite a few of these homes still standing in Hopewell, Virginia. We did a driving tour of the neighborhoods. The historic and nostalgic qualities of a bygone era are still apparent, while many have been refurbished for this generation. You can also find lots of groups on Facebook dedicated to preserving and showcasing these homes in a hosts of different states.

When I started my Delanie Fitzgerald series, I wanted her house to be interesting, so a Sears Catalog home, the 1939 Yates model was perfect. I needed a house for a single professional. In the novels, Delanie likes the historic details like the boards and building materials that are stamped with the model number and assembly codes. Delanie’s home is a two story, and the prominent feature on the front is the fireplace.

I took the liberty of putting Delanie’s house in the Winterpock neighborhood of Chesterfield County, Virginia. (I don’t think there are any catalog homes in the area.) A friend from church who is a retired state trooper did let me know after he read the book that there are some Sears homes in the Bon Air neighborhood of the county.

Check out the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries: Secret Lives and Private Eyes, The Tulip Shirt Murders, and Glitter, Glam, and Contraband. Delanie and her pals also appear in “Strut Your Mutt” in To Fetch a Villain.

Behind the Scenes - Renaissance Fairs

My sister and I went to our first Renaissance Fair in the nineties near Fredericksburg, Virginia. What fun. There were reenactments, jousting, crafts, demonstrations, and lots of singing. The venue had several vignettes that included a jousting ring, a Medieval ship on the pond, and a castle-like setting. I was amazed at the number of guests who arrived in costume. There were some theatre-worthy outfits.

Unfortunately, the fair we attended folded at that location. I’m hoping post-pandemic that the fairs and the fun will return. If you’ve never been, it’s an escape to another world with all kinds of characters and action-packed cosplay.

The RenList is a good source of information on schedules and events. This site also provides details on the themes and activities. The FaireFinder is also a wealth of information on Renaissance Faires, Pirate Festivals, Celtic Games, and Fantasy/Fairie Events.

I’m also fascinated by abandoned places. The Renaissance Fair near Fredericksburg, VA is listed on several of these type of sites. I love looking at the photos (especially of places I had visited). Renaissance Faires and the abandoned site made its way into one of my mysteries.

In THE TULIP SHIRT MURDERS, Delanie is investigating a lead on a stalker, and she meets a character who enjoys larping and Renaissance faires. Douglas Black, is very excited to share that he and his friends went on a quest to the abandoned site in Fredericksburg and pilfered artifacts and souvenirs.

Pop culture is always an underlying theme in my mysteries. Different activities, hobbies, and interests add flair to the characters. I also learn a lot during my research, and I end up adding things to my bucket list.

Behind the Scenes - Roller Derby

When I was little, I would watch roller derby on TV on Sunday mornings before church. Probably not the peaceful introspection my mom would have wanted, but I was fascinated with the game and the women athletes. I loved to roller skate in the seventies and eighties and thought it would have been so cool to try it. I’ve never been to an in-person jam, but it’s still on my bucket list after all these years. We have a local team, River City Roller Derby, and it’s definitely on my things-to-do-after-the-pandemic list.

In THE TULIP SHIRT MURDERS, sassy PI, Delanie Fitzgerald, tracks down a lead who is part of the roller derby scene. The skater agrees to answer Delanie’s questions if she’ll suit up and help the team out at practice when they are short a few members. And Delanie is braver than I am. After surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon, I may be relegated to the audience.

I had a lot of fun researching the sport. The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) site has a great overview (and anything you ever wanted to know about the rules). There’s a neat infographic and links to Roller Derby 101 videos.

I am fascinated with the jammers and the blockers. The jammers are the only ones who can score for their team, and they have the cool star on their helmets.

Check out the adventures of Delanie, Duncan, Margaret, and Chaz in The Tulip Shirt Murders.