What’s behind the curtain?

Have you ever completed reading a book series and wanted to know more about the story behind the story? Check out my last post for more info on my latest work.

Usually, you can get this from the next book, but sometimes you get to the final book (or the book was a lonely-only) and you’re still scratching your head about some things.

Take my series for example. The Shannon Wallace Mystery series (Disk of Death, Yew to a Kill, and the short story, In the Shadows, now available for pre-order!) are caper mystery stories set in small town America. Or what’s my interpretation of it. It’s not a cozy mystery, though, even though it has two little old ladies in it and even though it has that country charm, in places. 

I get lots of questions about this town, South Lake. Mostly where certain mentioned locations are really located. Yes, some of it are real places, with the names changed. 

Series Setting

But what about the actual setting? The first book is simple – I live in Mississippi, but not in the big cities. Most people think all of Mississippi is rural, but it’s not. Most of the state is pretty flat, and highly agricultural, but this is NOT where I live. And where I live is where most of the these books in my series (Disk of Death)takes place.

My main character is a neurotic office-worker named Shannon. She’s mid-twenties, a little shy and emotional, and can be wild and unpredictable, too. This makes her perfect as far as characters go because she can be manipulated in so many believable ways, and she is a joy to write.

I got the idea for Shannon from reading cozies and watching zany detective movies and yes, even goofy things like The Three Stooges. Yes, she is definitely a mash-up of every mental patient in every humorous story out there.

In book two, Yew to a Kill, she’s determined to help out her sidekick, Dwayne Brown, and in this one she’s a little more compliant and agreeable with him, and their sexy, cop friend, Sal Ramirez. This prompts him to tell her: “You should be a detective, chica.”

You can start reading about Shannon’s adventures today by checking out In the Shadows, the new short story in the series, at Amazon for only 99 cents. When you’re done, leave a review on Amazon and let me know whether or not you think Shannon’s career should be put aside for more – detecting things!