Big Foot and The Bentley by Mary Lu Scholl

9/10/2022

Multi-volume, cozy mystery author, Mary Lu Scholl introduces us to the second book in the Nature Coast Calamities series, “Big Foot and The Bentley”:
"There are more things..." Life in Citrus County Florida, on the Nature Coast has Bernie scratching his head. There's no shortage of mysteries and an occasional murder. Bernie is Irish, and the mythology seems to have followed him. With the help of his brother and friends, he encounters Big Foot. Or does he?

This is a man's Cozy mystery - A Brozie - and will have you chuckling all afternoon.

I have enjoyed several of Scholl's books and this is no exception. I quite like it. She has some of the people from another series in this story, yet she keeps the focus comfortably on Bernie and his brother, Ralph. They get along like most siblings.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest I heard many tales about Big Foot, AKA Sasquatch. Even the few hints and incidental encounters add intrigue to this story.
A Bentley is a luxurious car and the mystery surrounding it makes this story even more fun.
I think you will love this story as much as I did. Enjoy!

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Foot-Bentley-Nature-Calamities-ebook

You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/MaryLScholl1
https://maryluscholl.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/maryluschollauthor/

My review of the fourth book in the Nature Coast Calamities, "Pu'ka and the Pirates": www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/puka-and-the-pirates

My review of the first book of the Trailer Park Travails series, “Camper Catastrophe”: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/camper-catastrophe-by-mary-lu-scholl
My review of the second book of the Trailer Park Travails series, “Mobile Mayhem”: Mobile Mayhem: Book Two of Trailer Park Travails by Mary Lu Scholl - Word Refiner
My review of the third book of the Trailer Park Travails series, “Birds, Bees and RVs”: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/birds-bees-and-rvs-by-mary-lu-scholl
My review of the fourth book of the Trailer Park Travails series, “Trailer Trauma”: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/trailer-trauma-trailer-park-travails-book-4
My review of the ninth book of the Trailer Park Travails series, "Fatal Philandering": www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/fatal-philandering

Tags: cozy, murder, mystery, Florida, pets, dog, cat, neighbors, fiction, action

Copyright © 2022 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

54 Comments

Mary Lu Scholl

9/12/2022 02:09:29 pm

Thank you so much for your kind words!

Mark

9/12/2022 03:05:21 pm

Welcome back to the Word Refiner channel, Mary. I have reviewed several of your cozy mysteries as our visitors can tell from the list just above. In that series, your protagonist is a grumpy, old woman named Patty. This new series is a departure from your previous series.

New questions.

Where did you get the inspiration to write a new series?

Why did you decide to write a brozie, a cozy mystery with a male protagonist and his brother?

9/12/2022 03:24:28 pm

I read a lot... The last couple of years I've read mostly cozy mysteries to keep up with trends. It's disconcerting how much they blend together. I wanted to be different.

I think Patty was different - bring older and grumpy. I ran across the word 'Brozy.' When I researched it, it really means 'broader cozy.' She fell somewhat into that category except no one knew what I was talking about when I used that reference.

Honestly, it just sounds like the popular abbreviation 'bro,' for something manly, with to further define a cozy.

I figured if I use it enough it will become a while new genre and I'll go down in history. What do you think?

9/12/2022 05:57:53 pm

I agree with your idea about 'brozy' I think it works well. I can't think of any cozy mysteries with male protagonists. I am sure you have read far more widely in that genre than I have. I like the term you have coined; it works well for me.

History will make that decision, but you certainly have my vote.

New questions.

Why did you decide to use some of the same characters from your other series?

Bernie doesn't live in the trailer park with Patty and the others. Where does he live?

9/12/2022 06:25:09 pm

Well, since I have your vote, that makes two of us and you're now my campaign manager!

Writing from the perspective of a man scared me. Connecting the two series gave me a comfort zone.
I will probably write a book nine for Patty, but I had pretty much used most of my experience, there. (With the exception of the murders, practically every situation came from my life some-when) Bernie inherited a Sears house, I looked up the models do I would have a floor plan in my head. The house is about a quarter mile from Ralph's mobility home in the trailer park. Close enough to walk - unless they get carried away with the beer and wine and cards! There's just woods with a sidewalk along one side between. (Did I mention the leprechaun?)

9/12/2022 07:12:58 pm

A leprechaun? No. I don't recall a mention of the wee folk. Is the leprechaun teaming up with big foot for some tag-team wrestling?

Your imagination is serving you well with a man as the main character and his brother for a sidekick.

As your campaign manager, I can probably add a new wing onto the mansion or double the garage space for my collection of Rolls-Royces.

The Sears house was a real thing from 1908 to 1940. It was sold as a kit and many thousands were sold in that period. That is a nice touch in your book.

New questions.

Action, dialogue, or narration; which is easiest to write?

Of the five senses which is the easiest to write and which is the hardest?

9/12/2022 08:28:19 pm

Definitely think dialogue is easiest. With dialogue and words at your disposal you can create a back story, you can delineate the present or propose the future. Cadence, vocabulary, as well as content can introduce a stereotypical character in just one sentence!

Smell is hard for me because I have very little sense of smell.

I am trying to make myself proofread these before I hit submit... I have a new keyboard on my phone and I use swype. Sometimes I get trigger-happy.

9/13/2022 07:01:49 am

Many authors agree with you about dialogue. Much of the action occurs in dialogue. Important information can be shared in dialogue without sounding too much like an info dump.

A lot of my sense of smell disappeared long before covid also. But smell is a powerful and often underrepresented sense. Many authors, by their own admission, struggle with portraying smells. Smells can trigger memories, good and bad. People with PTSD commonly report being triggered by smells that remind them of a past event or another person. Smelling smoke can alert a person to a smoldering fire before seeing any evidence of it.

I struggle a great deal with typing on my phone. I use dictation as much as possible to avoid the large number of mis-type mistakes I make so frequently. Auto correct introduces many errors also. It is easy to miss some of those errors. What is swype?

New questions.

Have you ever participated in theater in some way, acted, behind the scenes or written a play?

Have you ever thought of adding music to your books, like what the characters listen to or they went to a concert as a plot point?

9/13/2022 09:38:01 am

Swype lets you run your finger over the keyboard to tag letters without having to tap each one. Faster, less accurate, more artistic?

No theater. There was a class on writing for the local theater but it didn't fit with other responsibilities, maybe next time. The teacher is director for the local theater group.

I do love music. Haven't thought much about it. I do know about the local musician business. My third husband was a musician. Steel guitar and just about anything else you handed him. Maybe Bernie will become a groupie for someone in a couple of books...

He'll be outside on the water a lot in the next one. Music in the boat would be good... Hmmm

9/13/2022 01:31:48 pm

That Swype app sounds interesting. God knows I can barely type two words without having to fix at least one of them.

Writing a screenplay or a play provides another angle on story telling. There are many ways and formats to tell a story. A book is only one. An audio book is another, a graphic novel still another and a play or video even more different from a book but still telling a story. Each format has constraints within the format as to what works and what doesn't. I encourage writers and authors to take a class or two in screenwriting or playwriting.

Music is an integral part of life for so many around the world. Music carries its own message even without lyrics. I have known of authors who use song lyrics to title chapters or sub-chapters. A few authors share a playlist of music they listened to while writing the book or create a playlist for major characters or scenes in the story. Music or lyrics can be used for clues in a mystery, for example.

Your third husband was very talented.

New questions.

How did you know when your book was finished?

Did anything in the book come as a surprise while you were writing?

9/13/2022 02:10:28 pm

I rarely know who's going to get killed when I start out. Circumstances just seem to point out someone who has a variety of people with a grudge against them. They all have to have opportunity as well as motive. Once I've disclosed all of that, I have to start eliminating them. That often means going back and changing, or adding to, or deleting details. Once I'm down to one perpetrator in my mind, I have to set up a final conflict, hopefully not giving it away too badly ahead of time. The final conflict often takes me almost as long as the rest of the book. Knowing my characters, the dialogue just flows and takes the story with it. Ending it is tough.
One last smart line - and that's it.

Mostly I get surprised during research! Do you know what a 1961 Bentley is with? Or, that I could only find two companies in the world that would insure it? And in my next book, did you know Nessie (Loch Ness) is/was an eel?

I might have to bring Big Foot into future stories. I have received a surprising amount of feedback from people unhappy that I didn't definitively disclosure his existence. I thought that would spoil the story. Part of his appeal is his place in cryptozoology...

9/13/2022 02:25:16 pm

I have interviewed a number of authors who say they write the story to discover how it ends. I think that is true for a lot of pantsers. You must be a pantser rather than a plotter. I find it interesting that you don't know who is going to die when you start writing.

Is that a 1961 Bentley on the cover of your book?

I am looking forward to reading about Nessie. You certainly have a cryptoid angle going on in this series if you write about Nessie. I love it.

New questions.

How long does the research process take before you start to write a book or do you do the research as you write the book?

How much time passed from when you got the idea to write your book; then actually starting to write the book?

9/13/2022 04:16:58 pm

This series, I hit the idea and promptly went out to learn about 'manly' things. I interviewed a boat captain, a fishing guide, found a book on regulations, talked to a rodeo organizer (that will come up in the future.) I went to two different car clubs to talk about cars, repair, sales, etc. I joined a big foot website. I researched leprechauns. I am researching mermaids (I live in manatee country.) I will take other activities as they come. I don't like golf or football, so Bernie probably will not, either.
Kayaking, maybe. Any other suggestions?

Yes. A baby blue 61 Bentley :)

So, I was thinking about this series for a month or so before I started. Planning at least the activities Gabe me a head start on the books. Three down... Started writing in April.

9/13/2022 06:18:40 pm

I didn't know there was a rule book for men. I want to see a copy of that, it probably has lots of spelling errors. ;-)

You did some good research. Bernie might be interested in speed walking; I do that because my knees complain when I jog. Olympic-style speed walking has the same calorie burn as jogging. Volks-marching is a slightly more sedate, group activity. He could collect bugs, bird watch, rock hounding, coin collecting or stamp collecting. He could also do old-fashioned film photography; he could do his own darkroom work also. A person can easily develop black and white film at home with a daylight developing tank. You only need a dark closet to load the film into the tank. A small, B&W dark room is not the hard to achieve. Something a little more manly could be finish carpentry or blacksmithing. He could build guitars or ukuleles, he could also make knives. Just a few ideas. Most any of these hobbies and activities could have been started when he was young, perhaps in the Boy Scouts. I earned several merit badges because of some of my hobbies.

New questions.

How long did it take you to write the first draft?

How many drafts did you go through to have a ready-to-publish manuscript?

9/13/2022 08:32:19 pm

Wow! Versatile is your middle name! I absolutely love the guitar building idea! Walking is good and easily incorporated. I like the bug identification; I've already established he's afraid of snakes (okay, wary.) Your knowledge of photographic accoutrements is impressive - life-long passion? I could work knife-throwing in...

It takes a few weeks to write the story, another week to change my mind and start over, another month to get it right. And then it still takes a week or two to end it. While I'm doing that, though, I re-read and edit repeatedly. Funny, it's the re-write process where I make the most errors. Final answer, three months, and I'm sticking to it.

InverNessie took two drafts because I had an initial chapter that detailed what happened to the hapless poacher. But I couldn't make it the first chapter, because then the reader knows the story, so what's the point? In order for the story to develop, though, I needed to validate findings. I finally broke it apart into page-or-so chapters, clearly predating the story, and scrambled them just a little to keep some suspense. Actually, that was another draft. Three drafts for that one, a record!

9/14/2022 07:11:08 am

My bio-dad was a professional photographer. I learned a great deal from him in my college years. Knife throwing might be a good idea. His parents were divorced and he ran away to join a circus as a teenager.

I have recommended to more than one author to write the last chapter first, then it's easier to make sure the red herrings are sprinkled liberally in the proper places. If you haven't already, you may want to read Rick Hall's guest blog elsewhere on my website here is a copy-and-paste link or hit the search box below: http://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/non-linear-writing He talks about the benefits of writing a story out of sequence.

New questions.

Do you get ideas for future books or stories while writing a book?

When does inspiration strike for you?

What do you do to preserve these ideas?

9/14/2022 07:32:00 am

I'll look up Mike Hall! Incidentally, my musician husband ran off and joined the circus when he was twelve. They didn't actually let him "join," just let him go with them for a few weeks until a cook took pity on him and bought him a bus ticket home.

Lots of times new characters bring whole new stories with them.

Inspiration comes along when least expected. Unfortunately, it's hard to make notes when driving, sleeping, showering. I know I've lost some good ideas in the interest of safety, dry phones, sanity.

When it's convenient, I have a file on my phone and another on my laptop for "future notes."

9/14/2022 09:36:44 am

My little brother did the same thing after high school. He stayed on for a number of years and ran a lot of different games on the sideshow.

You are not alone struggling with the timing of inspiration. One author told me that her muse regularly woke her at 2:30 in the morning. She kept aa note pad and pen on her nightstand. She took lots of notes, over time. Sometimes she could even read what she wrote. Another author lamented she missed so many good ideas because her muse always showed up during her shower. I suggested she get a Fisher Space pen and a waterproof note pad. She appreciated the suggestion.

New questions.

A lot of new authors struggle with finding beta readers. Because, after the first draft is done, fresh eyes and feedback become very important.

Do you have alpha-readers and/or beta-readers to help you smooth out some of the wrinkles before publishing? If you don’t, why?

If you do, how did you find them?

9/14/2022 12:41:29 pm

My first answer is yes, I have first-readers who are happy to give me opinions. Unfortunately they are family or friends who would tell me they loved it if I misspelled every word, made up characters at the end, killed everyone they liked, and called it sweet romance. That's good, because they love me. Bad, because it's not very useful. Plus, my spelling, grammar and vocabulary are better than most. Frustrating when it comes to Scrabble, good when proofreading.

I did have two close friends who used to read them for me and were constructive. One got busy with grandchildren and the other quit writing herself and I hated to take advantage of either's time.

Recently i have met two others through Citrus Writers who might be willing - it's not like I write War and Peace type books...

Honest opinions are valuable and terrifying.

9/14/2022 02:37:29 pm

It sounds like you are a little short on beta readers. Click on the three dots under my banner picture on my Twitter page. Click on lists when the menu drops down, one of the lists is for beta readers, check their requirements carefully. You could also trade beta reading with another writer in your genre, though you might already have that process started.

New questions.

Do you ask the beta readers to read through more than one draft of the manuscript?

At what stage in your writing process do you bring in the readers?

9/14/2022 08:17:41 pm

It has never occurred to me to have more than one draft available. I save the newest one 'on top' each time.

In retrospect, having more than one draft would simplify changes. Hmm. I will check out your beta reader list. I'm too self-conscious to send it out until I'm at least mostly happy with it (and have edited.)

9/15/2022 08:27:36 am

I think waiting to engage your beta readers after the editing and rewriting are done is a good idea. At that point, you have solved the glaring errors. That is a good time for fresh eyes on the manuscript.

You can also trick your brain into thinking the manuscript is new material. You can create a fresh-eyes experience for yourself. Change the font style, size and color or highlight all of the words. Change the orientation from portrait to landscape on your monitor or printer. You can also change the background color or print on colored paper. Other ways include reading your manuscript aloud or have the computer read it aloud for you. MS Word has that feature built in now. You can also read it backwards, one paragraph at a time.

If I was a writer, I would save a draft each time I do a major edit. That way I could compare changes and find what works best.

New questions.

Do you give them an e-version like a PDF, access to Google docs or a hard copy you printed?

What kind of questions did you ask them to get the feedback you wanted, or do you let them provide feedback without particular questions?

9/15/2022 09:16:33 am

I usually create an ebook version anyway, so I paste a picture of the cover to the first page and send it that way.

The only time I asked for specific input was this last one with the backstory interspersed. I worried if it was hard to follow. I've read books where this worked and others where it didn't.

I wound up naming chapters with the POV character in bold, followed by the day and location of the chapter. Then I also changed the font on the backstory chapters.

Probably overkill. But I do write murder.

9/15/2022 12:20:37 pm

Including the cover is a good idea.

You are right. Too much backstory at one time will bore the readers. Many readers will close the book when bored. That is critical when a book is in Kindle Unlimited. Since an author gets paid a fraction of a penny for each page read. Depending upon the nature of the information I am not the best person to judge whether there is too much, just right or not enough. I am an information junkie. I loved reading the dictionary as a boy. Encyclopedias also.

The chapter titles are a great idea. I love that when I see it. I like chapter titles in general.

Yes, you do write murder.

New questions.

Do you reward the alpha/beta readers in any way particular or trade the favor with other writers?

Do you belong to any writing groups, virtual or otherwise?

9/15/2022 01:08:43 pm

My mommy gets a book! My sister gets a book! The one author that read mine, I read hers as well, but she has moved on to painting. (A loss to readers for sure) The other woman that used to read mine is married to one of the most brilliant men I know. He took up writing as a project to prove to himself he could write to market with instant income. And he did. Two books later he was bored and began sculpting with a metal-clay of some kind. Then he took up camping. They lived on a boat for a while. Now I don't know what he's doing... (California)

I belong to Citrus Writers, to Florida Writers Association, and apparently to Rocky Mountain Writers because I'm still on their email list. :)

I recently discovered there's a writers group in Ozello. Twelve people live there and eleven of them are writers. Slight exaggeration, but an amazing percentage of a small community.

9/15/2022 05:04:32 pm

That guy is amazing. It sounds like he needs multiple outlets for his creative energy.

Ozello is a small town, no question about that.

New questions.

Do the local groups have physical meetings or is it all Zoom?

Are different genres allowed and represented?

Is everyone that attends published?

9/15/2022 06:20:19 pm

We have physical meetings now. We didn't for a year or more. Then we required maasks and lost at least one member in protest.

Not all of us are published. Greg Younger is prolific and writes mostly coming-of-age boy stories. He makes a significant living that way - all ebooks.

We have two historical authors, a couple of memoirs.

One adult science fiction author. Another with a couple of time travel romances. And poetry... There's even a western. Barbara Cairons writes children's books.

We're a pretty diverse group. Publishing an anthology this year.

9/15/2022 07:00:51 pm

In-person meetings are nice. I didn't realize how much I missed meeting and talking with people, even the really annoying ones, until the restrictions were loosened. Now I treasure those times.

There is a nice mix of genres in the group. It sounds like most are published.

You know that science fiction is my favorite genre, time travel stories are my favorite within the genre.

New questions.

Is the anthology something that will have a contribution by each member?

Are the memoirists contributing also?

9/15/2022 08:15:42 pm

It's a themed book - adventures on the nature coast. As a prompt, if needed, there was a lead in regarding a natural arch and a graveyard. Most of the submissions are 'other.' For example a day on the river, the makings of a captain of a fishing boat in the early 1900s, a ghost story at a museum, the problems of a boat being a money-pit... A story about Rosie the Manatee...

Probably half have contributed. Entries closed today. I did not, for two reasons. The higher-principle reason is that I'm editor and it wouldn't be fair, and the more realistic reason that I'm too long-winded. (5000 word limit) one member wrote two pieces, 4995 and, I think, 4600?
One of the guys included a story about releasing his wife's ashes - I believe his are usually memoirs.

Should I have tried to squeeze a banshee story into 5000 words?

9/16/2022 08:31:35 am

Those stories sound good. I think you made the right choice for the right reason.

New questions.

Is the anthology going to be printed and sold by the group?

What kind of marketing is going to be used to sell it?

9/16/2022 10:56:46 am

It will be printed, yes. The contributors each get several copies; one to keep, more to sell. A couple of the places I'm selling - we will also sell them. No idea what the price will be (or printing costs.) No further plan past that. I mind editing or compilation, but will leave the rest to the others.

9/16/2022 11:28:11 am

That sounds good. Print on demand, POD, has come a long way. Printing costs have always been a problem for traditional publishers. If they know their markets well, they can make a pretty good estimate of how many books will sell. Then they order a bigger run to lower the cost per copy, knowing that some of those copies will likely sell for much less than retail. If they overestimate the print run a lot, then the secondary market will buy them for pennies on the dollar. Some wholesalers, such as Big Bad Wolf, hold huge sales of English language books overseas and sell hundreds of thousands of books, sometimes millions, in the course of a ten- or twenty-day event.

Here is a copy-and-paste link for more information about POD: https://blog.bookbaby.com/2021/04/basics-of-print-on-demand or you can hit the search box below.

New questions.

Going back in time, did you do any kind of creative writing, even back in grade school?

How early was it that you realized how powerful words can be?

9/16/2022 02:53:24 pm

Growing up, I was ALWAYS the new kid and the class nerd, teachers' pet. That meant when I was bored (a lot) I would ask for extra credit assignments. Usually this meant reports or essays. Words bought me positive reinforcement. English classes were aced. Poetry (epic poems)(anonymous poetry puzzles) short stories... Fake news (sand worms - think Arrakis - causing sink holes.) I wrote letters to the editor. I wrote to the government in Tijuana with suggestions to improve their roads (in Spanish.) They were polite. I studied up on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and wrote new hiring protocols based on it. Was told it was unconstitutional to know that much about your employees. (Really? Unconstitutional?)

I think that's why not much scares me. The right words win.

9/16/2022 05:14:25 pm

Poetry, sand worms, Tijuana and the MMPI! What a fun selection! Words are not just your friend they are your closest relatives it seems! Knowing the right words make a lot of difference. If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, you can baffle them with polysyllabic bullshit.

New questions.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have ever received from another writer?

What has been the biggest surprise in your writing journey?

9/16/2022 05:36:58 pm

Love that - I never inserted the polysyllabic - you can bet I will now!

Probably two pieces of advice. Don't quit. Write what you know. I skirt the second one by research sometimes.

My mom and I went to Ireland on a bus tour. Everyone was very friendly, mostly European. My mom mentioned I wrote books and no one would talk to me anymore. Someone finally told me they wanted to tell me something but only if it didn't put them in a book. Could have pushed me out of the bus with a four-leaf clover.

9/16/2022 06:52:42 pm

Both are good pieces of advice. So many do quit too soon. Yes, research will fill in major gaps and imagination can provide the color and texture necessary for a good story. Much of what we know about ourselves, and others transcends time and space. We humans have not changed much at all, only our tools and our toys.

That is a funny story. What a difference in culture. So many Americans are begging and dying to be noticed.

New questions.

What are common traps for beginning writers?

Do you think a strong ego is an asset or liability for a writer and why?

9/17/2022 11:35:21 am

Good questions. There's a lot of emphasis on quantity in some genres. I admit I feel the pressure to produce.
When I first started writing it re-read everything I'd written everyttime I opened the manuscript, to make sure it was okay and that I was on track and hadn't missed anything. By the time I had done that, I never had time to write anymore. Finally started saving each chapter separately so I could just open what I was working on.

Ego. I guess you need to have enough ego to stand up to haters. There have been a couple reviews that hurt. I can see someone being crushed and writing. On the other hand, you have to be humble enough to take the critics on and learn from them...

9/17/2022 12:34:30 pm

Having more than one book available to buy is a good idea. The more books the better and multiple series is better still. A lot of people seem to like knowing that if they love the first book there are more to read.

Yes, there is pressure involved sometimes but in the long view the author and the author's estate have the opportunity to benefit for many decades. The last I heard according to American copyright law; the author's estate can hold all of the copyrights for 75 years after the death of the author. Without active advertising and marketing the chance of something financially spectacular happening for the heirs is pretty slim. But keeping a long-range view doesn't hurt.

Chapter by chapter is a good idea. I read about an author that was a pantser like you, he did his outline after each chapter was written. It made finding certain details and events much easier. I think that is a good idea.

You are right again. There is a balance that needs to be found, the author's skin needs to be thick enough that the trolls can be ignored easily and thin enough to consider the validity of reasonable criticism. I find trolls to be quite disgusting and I pity them. They seem to have such a miserable life that they can only find a pittance of pleasure by trying to bring others down to their level.

New questions.

What is your writing Kryptonite and how has it affected you?

Do you struggle with writer's block, if so, how do you overcome it?

Mary L Scholl

9/17/2022 12:44:03 pm

Family drama. Cannot be humorous with drama around me. Unfortunately I have a couple of people... If I continue to write everyone dies.

If I'm stuck in a story I just start a new chapter or start a new project.

9/17/2022 02:27:05 pm

I think every author would agree with you about family drama. Family is the one place, above all else, where we are supposed to feel safe. If something upsets that applecart, we are thrown into survival mode. There is no room for anything else when survival mode has been activated until we feel safe.

I think that is a good solution for writer's block.

New questions.

Are there any issues that are particular to writing this genre that might not apply to other genres?

Do you think it important to read books in the genre you write in?

9/17/2022 03:51:22 pm

An issue for me, maybe not other people, is good and evil. Murder is wrong. It's extreme. I struggle to believe in evil, however. You've read enough of my books to know that there is always a reason for my murders. Jealousy pushed to an extreme. Desperation at losing an identity you have created for yourself. Misplaced compassion. Accidental. I try to show the picture from the other side, not add an excuse, but at least a reason the character finds all-consuming. In that way, I carry the non-gory, non-sexy, no bad language to an ultimate cozy with no evil. That way a reader can safely identify with whatever character they want. They can laugh and not feel guilty. Does any of that make sense? I do have to be in the right frame of mind to do that (going back to your last questions.)

I do think it's important. It's important to stay similar to the ones that are selling - BECAUSE they're selling. It's also important not to too closely duplicate a storyline; surprisingly easy to do.

9/17/2022 06:40:17 pm

I like that. Your characters are real and fully dimensional. I believe that a well-written antagonist thinks he or she is the hero in the story. I understand that. relaxation is key for the muse to flow.

You nailed that! Similar but new and different! That is key.

New questions.

Do you ever read books in other genres? Why or why not.

Are there any writing styles or genres that you disliked at first but soon came to like?

9/17/2022 07:10:25 pm

The last couple of years, of course, I have read mostly cozies. In the past, however, I read horror, medical and political drama. I grew up with science fiction. Everything from Podkayne of Mars to Dune. Fantasy, like Piers Anthony was a favorite. Tolkien. Silverberg. Then there was Sherlock Holmes and Poirot, Marble.

I was never too impressed with most biographies. There have been some I, quite frankly, didn't finish (horrors.) But there have been a few recently that were not only well written, but interesting.

I used to read a lot of comic books, but mine were not traditional superheroes. Richie Rich, Little Lotta, Casper, Donald Duck...

9/17/2022 08:50:56 pm

Science fiction is my favorite genre and fantasy is a close second. I read almost all of Herbert's Dune books. I lost interest after reading what his son wrote to continue the series. It wasn't the same. I was introduced to Tolkien's LOTR series and The Hobbit in junior high. I loved the high fantasy. I read the series 3 times before I graduated from high school. During my college years, I discovered C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia and read several other books by him. He wrote a sci-fi series called Out of the Silent Planet. I loved it and discovered that Lewis had patterned his protagonist after his good friend, JRRT.

I read a lot of comics also, including those as well as superheroes.

Biographies and memoirs are tricky to write. Some are great and some fall flat.

New questions.

Do you think reading, watching movies or listening to music help you be a better writer?

At this time, do you read books for entertainment or just research homework?

9/18/2022 05:58:35 am

I really think all experiences improve someone's writing. With constraints of time, money and obligation, second-hand experiences, while less complete, still are valuable. When the author of the experience includes personal observation, it also provides alternate realities to choose from. I tend to use my own experiences, since even with faulty recall they would be more complete. I've been lucky enough to have lived several "lives."

I haven't been enamored of recent science fiction. I'm sure it's not completely true, but in recent years the thrillers have seemed to only find inspiration with more graphic and gory, creepy death. I frequently get the urge to pick up done of my favorite books, but my attention span right now seems to be shorter than it used to be. I hope that doesn't last - there are many good things about rereading very good books.

How about you? I suspect you have a deluge of books you have to choose from. I am grateful you have chosen my less-sophisticated offerings. I have looked through your reviews and you have a wide variety... What criteria do you use to pick a new author or new book?

9/18/2022 07:46:19 am

I agree with you, every experience contributes something to the vast body of knowledge an author holds within. Good or bad, all experiences are a part of who we are. Almost all experiences are common to at least a few people and most are shared by all people. Just as our blood vessels bring nutrition to every cell in our body those common experiences bind all humans into one family.

I shy away from the overly graphic and gory stories. In one sense, I prefer the sizzle to the steak. My favorite topic within the sci-fi genre is time traveling stories.

My Kindle is getting pretty heavy because it has so many books loaded on it. I enjoy almost any book that is well written, including your books. It's much easier to describe the books I don't read. I don't read erotica of any kind, the graphic description of sexual acts of any kind do not please me, also the graphic description of torture or killing is not an enjoyable experience for me.

I used to read science fiction exclusively, as a teenager. Now, I look for good writing and the genre is a secondary consideration. Cover, title, tag line and blurb. If it looks interesting, I will probably read it. I am reading a rom-com right now, Porch Pirate Love by Irene Woodbury. It's cute with some dark edges. I am about 3/4 of the way through it. I was attracted by the unusual premise.

New questions.

What type of book is your favorite guilty pleasure to read or listen to for fun or what books do you reread for fun?

Have you ever read a book that changed the way you look at writing?

9/18/2022 07:17:31 pm

Wow. I almost cried when you included me in "well written."

My guilty pleasure is science fiction. I have a couple of go-tos that I can almost re-write from memory (shades of Fahrenheit 451.) Anne McCaffrey, Kay Hooper and Andre Norton.

Certain books have changed the way I looked at the world, but I honestly can't think of any that changed the way I look at writing. Writing IS world-changing. The Giving Tree. Animal Farm. Dune.

9/18/2022 07:43:01 pm

I enjoy your books a lot. I like McCaffrey quite a bit. I read at least 4 volumes of Dragon Riders of Pern. Time traveling dragons was a marvelous device. I may have read the others a few decades ago, I don't recall.

Writing changes the writer, reading changes the reader. many are changed.

New questions.

Would you agree or disagree with the statement: suffering is a requirement to be a good writer, and why?

If a new writer asked you for one piece of advice to be a good writer, what would you say?

9/18/2022 09:16:29 pm

I think someone needs to experience (to some degree) what they write about. I have been a caregiver to people who have suffered. I loved them, so I suffered as well.

If I chose to just write sunshine and cinnamon rolls, I wouldn't need to know anything about suffering. Or would I?
For contrast?

I don't know.

Advice? Me giving advice negates my answer. I have not considered myself a good writer, and constantly try new things to improve. I would say the best I really hoped for was "entertaining"

9/19/2022 07:30:27 am

I think we all experience suffering. It is a common factor in the human experience just like death and taxes. If we are smart, we learn from our mistakes and suffering is minimal but most of us aren't wise enough to learn from our mistakes much less the mistakes of others. So, we suffer a lot. Not all of our suffering is due to our choices, sometimes we suffer due to the choices of others. Another example of how closely we are all linked in the human family.

I think most of us have greater appreciation for the good things in life because we have suffered the lack at one time or another.

A few generations ago, people thought that a writer or an artist needed to suffer to fully express their artistic impulse.

I think your quest to improve your writing is one of the marks of a good writer. I have no doubt that a new writer could benefit from your experience.

New questions.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer to enhance your career?

With the explosion of different streaming services, these companies are scrambling for content. Writers are going to be sitting on the top of the heap soon, because they are content providers. Have you considered shopping your content to these companies or an agent?

9/19/2022 03:42:27 pm

The best investments I've made in my writing is advertising (including, here, new covers, because they're the first impression in an ad).

I would probably die happy to have Patty on the Hallmark Channel. I had an agent once... It's hard to go there again because of all the disappointment. I might put on my big girl clothes one more time if I knew someone on Hallmark. But for right now, I'll settle for the euphoria of selling another book on KDP every few days and seeing how many countries are reading them on KU.

9/19/2022 04:13:42 pm

Covers are crucial. Some authors put up a new cover at least once a year to stimulate interest and find the style that works the best. We have been cautioned most of our lives to not judge a book by its cover; I think that applies to most things except books. We do decide whether or not to look at a blurb or tagline based on the title first and the cover second. With a million or more books published each year, readers have no choice but to scan quickly until something catches their eye. I do it, you do it, we all do it.

Yes, to stand out in a crowded field advertising is necessary. Authors can't rely solely on word of mouth any longer, though that is very important.

Patty and Bernie would do so well on the Hallmark channel. I think Patty would do better at first. That would be fun.

Last questions.

Who would you want to play the character of Patty on the Hallmark channel?

An ebook is only one form that a good story can be consumed in. Have you considered licensing large print, graphic books, plays or audio books? Audio books, in English and translated, are exploding worldwide also.

9/19/2022 05:46:26 pm

Who would play Patty? Me. Betty White. Judy Dench. Jamie Lee Curtis... If you know any of them put a bug in their ear...

All of the Patty books are ebooks, print, large print and Audible (last one is in production). Large print has sold a few. I honestly don't advertise Audible like I should. Maybe I'll make that a New Years Resolution... I looked into the library audio system but haven't gotten anywhere with Libby...

You're fun to talk to.

9/19/2022 06:12:25 pm

All are good choices to play Patty!

You are doing well in getting your story out into the world in the popular formats.

Mary, I want to thank you for being a marvelous guest on the Word Refiner channel. I love your books.
I have another promotion starting tomorrow so I must bring this one to a close.
Until next time, keep on writing.

Big Foot and The Bentley by Mary Lu Scholl

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