Sorry Bigfoot Safari by Mary Lu Scholl

3/16/2025

Trailer Park Travails book 11

Multi-genre, multi-series, multi-volume author Mary Lu Scholl introduces us to her latest story, “Sorry Bigfoot Safari”:
This is the eleventh book of the Trailer Park Travails Series.
Patty Decker is a true curmudgeon. She just tries to get along writing her novels and living in polite southern society. Unfortunately, everytime someone dies unexpectedly, or disappears, she has to figure it out - she is a newcomer, you know.
Beliefs can be polarizing in a small community. The subject of Big Foot comes up. Then someone mentions UFOs. Before long the park is divided.
Then someone disappears. Aliens? Beasties?
Pick a side and enjoy this latest book.

I love the author's books. They are funny and fun to read. Cozy mysteries are my fourth favorite genre to read and Mary Lu's writings have played a big part in the ranking.
This book has a ghost, an untimely death that may or may not involve Bigfoot and UFOs! What's not to love! That's all I am saying because I am committed to not giving spoilers.
Get your copy of the book, buy all of her books if you don't already own them.
4.9 stars from me because I am particular about certain things.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Sorry-Big-Foot-Safari-Travails-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-sorry-big-foot-safari

You can connect with the author:
https://x.com/MaryLScholl1
https://www.facebook.com/maryluschollauthor
https://www.instagram.com/maryluscholl
https://www.amazon.com/author/maryluscholl

My review of “Rhiannon” Lady Leprechaun” is here:
https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/rhiannon-lady-leprechaun
My review of the fourth volume in the Nature Coast Calamities, “Pu’ka and the Pirates” is here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/puka-and-the-pirates
My review of the second volume in the Nature Coast Calamities, “Big Foot and The Bentley” is here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/big-foot-and-the-bentley
My review of the first book of the Trailer Park Travails series, “Camper Catastrophe” is here: 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” is here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/mobile-mayhem
My review of the third book of the Trailer Park Travails series, “Birds, Bees and RVs” is here: 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" is here: 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" is here: https:/www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/fatal-philandering

Tags: Florida, cozy, mystery, brother, fiction, action, UFO, UAP, cryptid

Copyright © Mark L. Schultz 2025, except for the author’s introduction

43 Comments

Mary Lu Scholl

3/17/2025 09:49:58 am

Thank you!

Mark

3/17/2025 10:51:29 am

You are welcome. But I should be thanking you for providing me so much reading pleasure.

A note to our visitors: this interview is continuing from the previous interview under the review of Rhiannon. The link is just above.

New questions.

Do you have a favorite book by another author or just favorite authors?

Has a book ever changed your mind about any particular topic?

[email protected] link

3/17/2025 11:06:43 am

Agatha Christie, Erma Bombeck, Nora Robert's, Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, James Patterson, Michael Crichton, Stephen King, PJ Braley, am I running out of characters yet?

I hate to admit I'm easily swayed by an intelligent argument...

3/17/2025 01:25:29 pm

What a stellar list. I have read a lot of sci-fi books when I was much younger. Christie was an amazing author. I have seen a lot of movies based on her books.

I am swayed by a good argument sometimes also.

New questions.

Did you have a favorite book as a child?

Can you read a book for the pleasure of reading or do you find yourself analyzing everything you read now?

Mary Scholl

3/17/2025 04:05:59 pm

Old Mother West Wind stories, and Tarzan stories! Also the Martian Chronicles...

Regrettably, I find it much harder to simply enjoy a good story. I do find typos and notice inconsistencies I would have overlooked before. That even goes for books I'm rereading. I find myself thinking 'well, that's just irrelevant' or 'I wouldn't have done that...'

3/17/2025 06:32:40 pm

I know Tarzan from the TV series starring Johnny Weissmuller, the Olympic swimmer who turned actor. He also made a bunch of movies. Regrettably, I have not read any of Edgar Rice Burroughs' books.

Many authors have lamented the same thing. Reading is no longer the pleasure that it was before they started writing. However, it is necessary for an author to read in their chosen genres to stay current with trends. I also think it wise to occasionally read books outside of favorite genres one never knows when something useful may be gleaned.

New question.

Which of your books is your favorite, and why?

Mary Scholl link

3/17/2025 09:09:39 pm

I almost always like the newest best. In Dirt, Drugs and Disaster, I was especially tickled at coming up with 'emotional support dirt.' In Motorhome Motives I poked a little fun at romance, and discovered Fox Squirrels. That was fun. In one of Bernie Murphy's books, I found the Loch Ness Monster, over here in Tsala Apoka Lakes and named her InverNessie after the biggest town in Citrus County (Inverness). I do have a lot of fun writing.
As VP of Citrus Writers I make an effort to read at least one of each member's books. I'm the only one who writes Cozy Mysteries, so I have read a huge variety of books the last couple of years. Even with some being books I would never have picked out on my own, I have enjoyed most of them, and learned from them all.
Fortunately for me, most Cozies are also offered in Kindle Unlimited, so I can keep up there.

3/18/2025 07:54:46 am

Have I ever mentioned that I love the alliteration of your titles? I do.

You have quite a few books in Kindle Unlimited. That must be working well for you. A lot of readers subscribe to KU and they love finding more books by an author they enjoy!

Speaking of Citrus Writers, I apologize for spending too much time on homophones and other quirks of the English language. I never made it to being a writer on X.

New questions.

What about your own books, do any of them make you emotional?

If you could ask every person, who has read one of your books, only one question what would you ask them?

Mary Lu link

3/18/2025 09:09:06 am

KU is about 1/3 of my royalties.

I'm not brave enough to write anything that might make me emotional.
What if people disagree?
What if they're mean to me?
What if I make them cry and they'll hate me?
What if they understand what makes me tick?

I would ask... "Did you laugh?"

3/18/2025 11:47:09 am

That's a nice number of pages read. Sometimes I wonder if KU is self-supporting. It pays out millions of dollars in royalties to authors annually. Granted they are paying a fraction of a penny per page read but that adds up over time. I don't even know what they charge readers to belong to KU. Do they have more than one tier of membership?

Those are all valid fears. Comedy isn't supposed to make the reader cry.

That is a good question for readers. Most authors want to know if the reader has been impacted in one way or another.

New questions.

Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?

Since a copyright in America lasts for 75 years after the author's passing, do you have a plan for all of your books and the royalties in your will?

3/18/2025 12:42:32 pm

I'm not sure about KU. It used to be 9.95 a month, but I think it's 14.95 now. I do know you were only allowed to have about five books in your queue when I started but it's increased now.

I think it's energizing.

I have used it for catharsis. I once modeled a man I knew into a bad guy and fed him to an alligator at the end of the book.
Felt good!
I didn't realize it was that long after death. Everything I own goes to my daughter. Easy. I may have to leave instructions on how to access and continue advertising as long as they are self- sustaining. My daughter suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2011 and has limited short term memory. Only the fact that she was brilliant has kept her able to cope, and develop new strategies all the time to have a normal life. Married, adult children, active in the church, gardens and is an awesome artist.

3/18/2025 03:08:44 pm

$14.95 a month for all you can read. Quite a deal! As long as Amazon makes a profit it will continue.

Your daughter sounds amazing! The two of you will figure out the best way to transfer your knowledge to her. Whether videos, notes in outline form or a flowchart. There must be something that will prove to be useful. Her art is quite good. I saw some of it.

New questions.

Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?

What reality show, current or not, would you like to be on?

3/18/2025 04:39:27 pm

Unless it's a manual of some kind, I don't see a reason to read a book that doesn't engender some emotion. I see the point of reading to be experiencing some volatile situation safely. Other wise, you would simply go do it. Which leads to your next question.
I've never watched a reality show.
I'm old and fat, so 'Naked and Afraid' simply isn't going to happen. I don't like cold, so Canada is out. Stranded on a tropical island is a possibility. I visited French Polynesia once. You would really have to put some effort in to starve or get cold. And if that's true, why try to escape or get rescued? They have hundreds of visitors there who simply haven't left. Yeah, I think that's my style!

3/19/2025 08:50:00 am

You make a good point. Reading fiction is a vicarious pleasure. Non-fiction has other uses but primarily to gain knowledge.

George R. R. Martin is reputed to have said, A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, a non-reader lives only one.

Reality shows are out for you and me. I could never be on them but Battle Bots and Forged in Fire are two that I have enjoyed a great deal.

New questions.

Are you an under-writer or an over-writer?

When the first draft is done, do you need to add more to flesh it out or do you have to cut material because there is too much?

3/19/2025 09:29:55 am

Hmmm. Good question. I write lots of scenes I like, one after. When I start writing I just move all of it down the page and write in front of it. Then, when I get to a good place for a scene, more-or-less, I skoot down, cut and plug in the whole page(s) so I can just keep going without losing momentum. That means I have adjustments after. Making sure the same characters are present, no references to other scenes are wrong or ill-timed...
Somehow nearly all of my books are about the same length. I have a novella-length attention span?

3/19/2025 11:03:09 am

I like the way you write. It makes a lot of sense to me. It mirrors the concept of non-linear writing perfectly. Write the easy stuff first, then assemble and polish. Perfection. Here is a copy-and-paste link or hit the search box below. http://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/non-linear-writing

New question.

What type of material seems to need the most massaging in your stories: descriptions, dialogue or action?

Mary Lu Scholl link

3/19/2025 11:51:51 am

Definitely description. I get called on it all the time. I have such a clear picture in my head of Pu'ka sitting and blowing smoke rings, or Patty running away from a suspect, description just seems to slow me down. Our writing group does exercises once in a while to see if we include all the senses, so I know how important they are.

Still, when my beta reader looks at me sideways and says "What kind of trees? Are there squirrels?"
I heave a sigh and contemplate the scent of ink mixing with the antique-smell of the cedar wood desk drawer as I fumble through the dust and clutter to find my favorite pen. I nick my finger on the bejeweled letter opener from Morocco and pull my hand out quickly. The rattle of the dwarf rattlesnake my butler planted there to kill me was just loud enough to warn me. The waft of warm air from the grimy but open window drew my attention and I pitched the entire contents out of it. The snake writhed and twisted and called out in a panic, "No! I'm your bewitched fiance'" as he fell to the verdant greenery that surrounded my middle-of-two centuries ago manor house.
Maybe I need a little help in action scenes as well...

3/19/2025 04:18:30 pm

Wonderfully pungent prose not pithy and potentially petulant. You wrote a lovely bit there, save that for your next, nervous beta reader. There is a time and place for everything under the sun.

Action requires a fine balance to prevent the scene from bogging down in excessively flowery descriptions.

New questions.

Have you ever used other acquaintances as the basis for a character, to the point they have recognized themselves in your book?

If you used a close friend or family member in a book, would you tell them or make sure that they wouldn't recognize themselves in the story?

3/19/2025 07:04:51 pm

Thank you for your approval!

I don't think anyone will recognize themselves in my books. I go to extremes, changing gender, age, situation, to keep anonymity. Once, long ago, I used a characteristic that identified my relative. I thought it was an endearing, cute, quirk.

They did not.

I have only used a real person twice since then. One was at her request. The other one I fed to an alligator - and he didn't know me anyway. I suspect he has died of something else by now.

Oh, and two husbands, both deceased.

3/20/2025 11:32:51 am

You are a wise writer. You never know when a person will take exception to something a character says or does when that character is based on them even in a small way. If the person thinks the character was modeled after them without being consulted the storm can be worse.

New questions.

What do you do to flesh out the characters for your stories?

Which is more fun to write, the protagonist or the antagonist, and why?

3/20/2025 04:42:31 pm

I subscribe to characters having flaws. I also like the side stories - they help establish motives. I read so many stories where the protagonist is flawless (implausible and boringly self-righteous). My protagonist is easy, I (we) have lots of flaws. I'm not usually rude, though, so I have to stick the occasional zinger in there. Antagonists are more fun. I have trouble with anyone being all bad. You may have noticed that most of my murders are murders of passion, desperation, or accidental. I try very hard to present their side of the story to the point when they have no choice. Because they are only in the series for one book, I have a freer hand with their history and personality.

3/20/2025 05:14:22 pm

I agree with you, there are no perfect people walking on this earth. Some of the nicest folks have the darkest secrets. That happened only once a long time ago.

I loved the accidental death that happened in one of your stories! I was shocked because there always seems to be one person angry at another person and somebody must die nearly every murder mystery I have read or watched.

New questions.

What is one thing you hate about your protagonist and one thing you love about the antagonist?

Which is more important to a story pace or flow? How do you control it?

3/20/2025 07:32:28 pm

I like that Patty is basically good-hearted. She just lacks filters...

The ultimate 'bad guy' in this book, whom I can't name here, was just trying to get along and afraid.

Pacing helps the flow, for me. I could easily just write chapters of my characters picking on each other or sticking up for each other for days on end and get nowhere. Knowing that I need to kick it up a notch at regular intervals keeps me on track. I have to refine the dialogue to fit the next step in the story.

3/21/2025 09:07:45 am

What Patty lacks in filters she makes up for in shields. She has been hurt and the scars are tender. I don't blame her for keeping others at arm's length or more.

I thought I knew who the perp was in the scene where the woman falls off the trail and is hanging on a fallen tree. But her cause of death made me rethink my theory. I confess that I am quite unsure who caused her death.

Few, if any, modern authors can get away with endless pages of dialogue. I have read literary fiction that seemed to have endless pages of description interspersed with moments of dialogue or movement of some kind.
There was one story that was written in first person POV and was mostly one-sided dialogue from a vampire explaining to his subject who couldn't talk about why the subject was in the predicament he was in. It was unusually entertaining and rather chilling for me. I cannot recall the name or the author.

New question.

What is your writing routine when you sit down to write?

3/21/2025 12:54:43 pm

I both hate and hesitate to admit I first play a game of solitaire Free Cell. I'm NOT going to admit what level of expert I'm because that would raise your eyebrows at the amount of hours I've wasted.

Usually I reread the last chapter to orient myself in the story. It took serious discipline to stop rereading from the first page every time I opened it. Not only do you make edits you undo the next time, but after reading, you've run out of time :( to write.

3/21/2025 01:07:32 pm

Free Cell is a pretty good game. I play a pretty standard version of Solitaire. It is made by the same people who made Free Cell, I see it advertised in my game.

That is a good lesson in time management. I bet you didn't learn that one until your third or fourth book. Here is a tip I like, resist the urge to write the entire chapter if your writing session is about to end. Stop writing in the middle because you already know what comes next. If there is a smidgen of doubt, then a short note or two will let you easily finish the chapter.

New question.

Did your writing process change much from your early books to your current book or did it stay the same?

3/21/2025 03:45:45 pm

That's a good idea. It may take me a while to 'just not finish' a chapter, though. Patty comes by her specific tendencies honestly.
My granddaughter was visiting one time and adjusted the volume on the television to a weird number. It bothered me so badly (and I couldn't admit it) that I went to bed (said I was tired.)

No. My writing process is pretty much the same. I've tried changing it up but it doesn't work...

3/21/2025 05:25:54 pm

We are creatures of habit. It gives us and our characters an illusion of control. I don't know about you, but I am quite comfortable with the habits and routines I have created. Though, I have learned that if I want to keep a good habit It requires frequent use and reinforcement.

That makes sense to me. An unusual volume level could be disquieting. The porridge is too hot or too cold.

New question.

Now that your book is published, is there anything about it you would like to change?

3/21/2025 08:30:22 pm

Apparently I need to make the killer clearer! It's a fine line between a surprise killer and 'cheating' by introducing people or plots at the very end.

The best thing about self-publishing is how easily and quickly you can make changes after you decide on them.

3/22/2025 08:14:43 am

I am not good at guessing who the perpetrator is most of the time. Occasionally I get lucky just like a blind squirrel finds a nut every once and a while.

There are many advantages to self-publishing and that is a big one.

New questions.

What do you do to launch a new book when it is first published?

How long is the period of time for launching a book in your mind?

3/22/2025 11:27:50 am

I have all the patience of a charging rhinocerous. I've only managed to have a preset publish date twice. Usually I hit 'Publish', throw my hands in the air and do an embarrassing happy dance. Then I order some and gift them, then I watch KDP reports anxiously!

I would love to have a launch party, but, the patience thing, I'd probable eat all the cupcakes before anyone came.

I think I read Amazon keeps it listed as new for 90 days... I was really pleased to find out I was 'advertised' to several colleagues this time. (This was one time I waited. )

Now it's history.

I've started a new book and have three events happening soon.

There are sales of this one almost every day on Amazon, though!

3/22/2025 01:26:25 pm

You're improving, getting better with age. You are going to be so good at this when you are grown up. I hope I can keep up with you when I grow up. ;-)

There are many ways to stimulate sales and interest. Here is a copy-and-paste link to a blog that might be useful or you can hit the search block below: Create The Biggest Audience For Your Book https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2022/07/18/reach-readers-book-marketing
@thecreativepenn @beckyrbnsn Joanna Penn is one of my favorite bloggers. I have many links on my Highly Regarded Blogs page to her blog because they are informative. She writes fiction and non-fiction.

New questions.

Have you ever participated in a book blog tour, why or why not? Here is another copy-and-paste link for our visitors who may not understand what I am referring to: https://storyempirecom.wordpress.com/2022/05/04/mktg-14-book-blog-tours

What kind of marketing has worked the best and the least for your books?

3/22/2025 03:00:59 pm

Face to face is great. Amazon Ads work for me. I'll look up the links. I have to grow up some day...

3/22/2025 03:57:25 pm

Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

Many authors struggle with Amazon ads. The algorithms change frequently and requires an author watch the results carefully. Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur.com has drilled deep into the algorithms and the results. He tests frequently and shares his findings with authors. His blog is worthy of a subscription. He advocates changing keywords as often as necessary, among other things.

New question.

What is the one thing you hope readers will remember from your book?

3/22/2025 04:59:00 pm

It's said that people will forget what you said, but not the way you made them feel. I hope my readers come away with a new perspective on others' points of view, and a warm glow from a good laugh.

3/22/2025 07:16:01 pm

That is a worthy objective. Your stories show real people and real people are a mix of good and bad, noble and base. Patty frequently doesn't agree with nearly everyone in the trailer park, but she bites her tongue quite a bit and practices the adage, if you can't say something nice don't say anything. She does that quite well.

I certainly love the endorphin rush that follows a good laugh.

New questions.

Do you have a classical author or poet you admire?

What popular modern author has influenced you the most?

3/22/2025 08:13:45 pm

I'm so glad you like Patty!

Is Agatha Christie classical? I made it a point last year to read all of her books again - in between others. Finished in November.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Joanne Fluke (she doesn't know me, but she used to work for my dad)

3/23/2025 07:58:19 am

I do like Patty.

AC is classical if you choose. I have not read any of her books but I watched a lot of movies based on her books with Mrs. Word Refiner. Her plotting skills show even in the movies. I would like to read at least one of her books one of these days. Which one would you recommend?

I discovered Sherlock Holmes at a pre-teen age. I was fascinated by his powers of observation and deduction.

I don't know who Joanne Fluke is. Perhaps I should look her up.

New question.

What software do you use to write and publish your books, and why do you use those?

3/23/2025 04:53:17 pm

And Then There Were None, was Agatha Christie's classic that has been adapted into several movies (Ten Little Indians).
I mentioned Fluke because she was one of the first Cozy Mystery writers I read. One of her series has become a staple of the Hallmark Channel.

I use Microsoft Word because that was what the Postal Service used when I was a manager. (Have I mentioned how much I dislike change?)

3/23/2025 05:02:35 pm

I will be reading that book, And Then There Were None. I just bought it. Thanks for the suggestion. As far as I know, she started the cozy mystery genre.

MS Word has a huge installed user base in many different countries. There are many different contry-specific versions of English available.

Last questions.

Are you a plotter, a pantser, or a hybrid, which some call a plantser?

How do you keep track of all the characters and events in your books?

3/23/2025 05:07:04 pm

Plantster! I like that. I know someone's going to die and I know what contemporary conventions I'm going to poke fun at (for example - politics in this last one). Who did it? I just have to see who confesses. Except I know it won't be Bernie, Patty or JJ. So fans of those three can rest easy

3/23/2025 05:17:09 pm

I was worried about JJ. I will sleep better now. Thank you. I guess Bernie can't die because he has his own series in a new genre, Brozie Mysteries.

Thank you, Mary, for hiring me to help promote this book. I hope more people buy this book and love it so much they want to read all of your books.

You have been a wonderful guest on Word Refiner. Until next time, keep on writing.

3/23/2025 06:18:13 pm

Thank you, Mark! You make me think I'm a real writer! You're reviews and interviews have brought new readers to me every time!

Sorry Bigfoot Safari by Mary Lu Scholl

Trailer Park Travails book 11

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