When Fiction Becomes Reality

 Today, fellow author and friend, Amy M. Bennett, describes what happens when fiction becomes reality.

 

When an author releases a new book, it’s usually a time of celebration. It was what I anticipated when I released my latest Black Horse Campground mystery, In The Heat of the Moment.

Little did I know when I wrote the fictional story that the events I described would soon become a terrifying reality.

Anyone who has lived in New Mexico for any length of time knows that wildfire season occurs whenever the combination of dry conditions and high winds meet in areas with plenty of fuel for flames. Since we have been in a drought for most of the last few years and since late winter/early spring brings the strongest winds, the Lincoln National Forest, where I live (and where my fictional campground is located), has become a high-risk area for fires.

When I started writing the book a year ago, I recalled the high emotions that accompanied the tragedy of the Little Bear Fire of 2012. This wildfire burned over 44,000 acres in roughly the same area. I used this event as a springboard for the story and figured nine years would be enough time to process it all. I wrote how the fire affected the village of Bonney, the people in the village, and the areas around it, displacing people and destroying property and homes. It added heightened tension to the other, more personal, events taking place in the book. I also wrote how the village came together to help. As Corrie says to J.D. in the book, “When people help when they’re struggling, that’s not just help. That’s love.”

Two weeks after the release of In the Heat of the Moment, the McBride Fire erupted in the village of Ruidoso, a real town near the fictional town of Bonney in my books. Within two days, the fire spread to over four thousand acres and destroyed many homes, including the home of my employer and fellow co-workers. Suddenly, all the emotions I poured into the book came rushing over me, and I felt a horrible dread, almost as if I had been responsible for bringing this tragedy upon my friends and our hometown. Of course, an event as common as a wildfire isn’t something triggered by a writer describing what happened before, but the feelings are there.

What is also there is the reminder that the community has emerged like a phoenix from this type of tragedy before and will rise again, with the help—the love—of those who are struggling as well. This is, fortunately, not just fiction.

In the Heat of the Moment

Things are about to heat up in Bonney County. While winter winds aren't blowing snow, a different storm front brings cold, hard truths to Corrie Black, Sheriff Rick Sutton, and Detective J.D. Wilder. A lack of guests threatens the future of Corrie's campground. Rick's ex-wife, Meghan, now owns the company that carries Corrie's insurance. The person with shocking proof from Meghan's past ends up dead. To what lengths will Rick go to secure a future for Corrie and himself? And where does J.D. fit in all of this? Tempers flare until a raging inferno jeopardizes the Black Horse Campground and the lives of those connected with it.

Amy M. Bennett is the author of The Black Horse Campground mystery series. She currently works as a cake decorator in Alamogordo, NM and a "vino slinger" with Noisy Water Winery in Ruidoso, NM. End of the Road, her first Black Horse Campground mystery, started as a project for National Novel Writing Month in 2009. It won the Oak Tree Press 2012 Dark Oak Mystery contest. This book and her second book in the series, No Lifeguard on Duty, were both awarded The Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval.

She and husband, Paul, currently reside in Bent, New Mexico, with their son, Paul Michael, who grew up believing that having a mother who writes mystery novels is normal.

Visit her website at: http://www.amymbennettbooks.com/ and The Back Deck Blog at: http://amymbennettbooks.blogspot.ca/

Writing About Pandemic

Today my friend and one of my favorite authors, Marilyn Meredith, and I talk about writing about the pandemic.

 

Lorna: My latest book, Romance in the Time of Social Distancing: A COVID-19 Short Story, began as most of my books do with a question: How can single people meet during a pandemic? What made you decide to include the coronavirus in your latest book, Not As We Knew It (Rocky Bluff P.D. Mysteries Book 16)?

 

Marilyn: I could not write the next Rocky Bluff P.D. story without including the virus and what is going on in their community because of it since the books are more-or-less in real time.

 

Lorna: There are lots of different approaches to working during the virus. My single characters work from home. How do your characters deal with work? Do they have to make accommodations? Many are police officers, so most of them can’t work from home can they?

 

Marilyn: My grandson is a police officer, and on a recent visit, I asked him what the rules were concerning his department (big city). He said everyone has to wear a mask. And of course, being in law enforcement, the cops are out in the community. He also told me since it was my department, I could do what I wanted. One of the officer’s wives is a teacher, and of course she is teaching from home, via Zoom.

 

Lorna: You have lots of characters in your books. I don’t have very many. I decided not to include the various views about the recommendations to remain isolated. My character’s sister has decided to have some fun while in isolation by having virtual cocktail parties. How did you decide to present the different attitudes about remaining separate and wearing masks?

 

Marilyn: While writing, I used all the many different feelings and attitudes I hear from my relatives and friends concerning masks and isolation. Believe me, they are all very different. I have one friend who has remained completely isolated except for family members who live on the same property. Another includes family members who wear masks when out in public but go about their business much the same as always.

 

Lorna: My characters remain separated and online, so none of them are exposed, but I know you decided to have one of your characters catch the virus. How did you decide which one and what the outcome would be?

 

Marilyn: Someone I know caught the virus, was hospitalized, and recovered. I contacted her, and she gave me the details. I used what she told me in the story. I chose the person who I thought might be most vulnerable to be a virus victim.

 

Lorna: Other than staying isolated, none of my characters is otherwise affected by the disease. You have one character who is a nurse, so she is well aware of the issues with it. How did you decide to deal with her extreme concern for her family and friends?

 

Marilyn: I have a lot of relatives. Two granddaughters are nurses. Of course, I talked to them and used what I learned in the story.

 

Lorna: My book is a romance, and it is short (actually, a long story or short novella). Yours is a full-length mystery. What do you think are the differences, advantages, disadvantages of the two genres when writing about something as impactful as a pandemic?

 

Marilyn: To be honest, I could have gotten even more detailed about the pandemic, but I didn’t want to depress my readers. I think I did a pretty good job of keeping things upbeat. I wanted people to enjoy reading what was going on with the folks who live in Rocky Bluff, the police officers, and their families.

 

Thanks for taking the time to share. As you know, I adore all your books and had the privilege of editing them—including Not As We Knew It (Rocky Bluff P.D. Mysteries Book 16).

Marilyn: And I want to thank you for all you’ve done for this series.

 

My latest book is Romance in the Time of Social Distancing: A COVID-19 Short Story.

How can two people meet when they are both stuck at home? How can romance bloom when folks are separated? Love always finds a way, but it isn't always easy.

 

Marilyn’s latest book is Not As We Knew It (Rocky Bluff P.D. Mysteries 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.

MARILYN MEREDITH is the author of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series and the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series (under the name, F. M. Meredith). She has also written several stand-alone novels, and other books.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Sierra, much like the place where her heroine, Tempe Crabtree, lives. She once lived in a beach community, which resembles Rocky Bluff.

She loves to hear from readers who have enjoyed her books.

Visit her webpage at http://fictionforyou.com, and follow her blog at https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

 

REPUBLISHING ACHES AND PAINS

This week, my dear friend, Marilyn Meredith, writes about the republishing process. In the past several years, she has now republished almost all of her books as self-published.

It all began when my good friend, Lorna, urged me to self-publish the Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series. She and her husband had already done the same for my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series when the publisher closed its doors. Lorna and I both re-edited every book in the series, and her husband, Larry, redid the new covers for publication. And of course, Lorna did the actual job of putting the books on Amazon as trade paperback and for Kindle.

When the publisher of the RBPD series passed away, another publisher picked up the authors’ books, including mine. However, I had so many, the republishing process was slow. I’d already experienced the advantage of the Crabtree series being self-published because of my ability to actually see what books were being purchased, and if the promotion of a particular book worked.

As with the other series, the process began with Lorna editing each book and then my going over it, too. This was an eye-opener. These books had first been heard and critiqued by my writers’ group, re-edited by me, edited by the first publisher, then the second publisher, but Lorna discovered many mistakes, and then, I went through them, too. Not only did I find more mistakes like simple typos, but also character’s name changes, and a few discrepancies. Despite all that work, I’m sure we still missed some errors.

Larry redid all the covers, each one in a different color, with a wonderful RBPD badge on each one. An entire set of the books creates a wonderful rainbow.

The whole series is now available on Amazon.

This may sound easy, but it was a lot of work. At times, I wondered if it would be worth it—and I’ll bet there were moments when Lorna wished she hadn’t urged me to switch to self-publishing.

I must say, I wasn’t up to doing this myself. I’m at a stage in life where I have trouble learning how to do new things. None of this would have happened without Lorna’s and Larry’s expertise, and I’m forever grateful.

If you’d like to start at the beginning of the series, here’s the link to Final Respects:

https://tinyurl.com/y8ggfa4r

However, each book is written as a stand-alone. There are continuing characters, but the crime or crimes are solved by the end of the book.

One of my favorites is Murder in the Worst Degree.

https://tinyurl.com/yagpv3hq  The Kindle version of this book will be FREE from today, July 24, through the 28th. If you downloaded the old version, you may want to try this one. See if you can find any differences.

Marilyn writes the RBPD series as F. M. Meredith. She is the author of over forty published books. She lived for over twenty years in a beach town with many similarities to Rocky Bluff. She’s a member of two chapters of Sisters in Crime, Public Safety Writers Association and other writers’ groups.

Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com

Blog: https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/