This week I’m welcoming Susan Holmes, author of the
Waterside Kennels Mysteries. I’ve read Deadly Ties, the first in the series.
Not only was I entertained, but I learned a bit about working with dogs. I
think you’ll enjoy Susan’s post about… Well, read on, and welcome, Susan.
A
Twist on an Old Rule
The
Golden Rule of “write what you know” is embedded in my DNA. That’s my only
explanation for how I came to write “Three Little Bears Visit New York City”
before I hit kindergarten. It seemed perfectly reasonable to me; after all, if
people go to the woods on vacation, why wouldn’t a bear go to town?
And New
York City was a place I knew something about. My maternal grandfather had been
a photographer in New York, and my father talked about how different “the big
city” was from upstate New York where he’d been born. I used to watch my dad doing the New York
Times crossword puzzle (in ink!). So the
name, the place, was embedded in my consciousness early on.
Honoring
the “write what you know” rule served me well for years, until I had an idea
for a mystery with an amateur sleuth who runs a boarding kennel. Just one
problem: the only thing I knew about kennels was from the customer’s point of
view. Then it hit me: the “rule” was just a starting point. And thus “write
what you can know” became my mantra.
My
fictional kennel was constructed using everything I’ve learned about real
kennel operations, with the addition of some nice extras. In real life, kennels
are often run on shoestring budgets, while mine features many of the “bells and
whistles” kennel owners had on their wish lists. The kennel owners I worked
with were generous with their time and knowledge and let me follow them through
their daily routines. As a result, I saw behind-the-scenes action customers
wouldn’t typically see, which helped me better appreciate the hard work that
goes on in a well-run boarding kennel.
The
kennel is the physical “anchor” for the series. The story plays out across the
region, which allows me to bring in the wonderful people and places of the
Ozarks: Eureka Springs and its art galleries, the largely unpopulated area
around Beaver Lake, and the folk tales handed down from one generation to the
next. The inclusion of the Ozark treasure legends was inspired by conversations
with the folklorist Phillip W. Steele. (Who can resist a treasure hunt?) If I’d
stuck with the old rule to write only what I know, this series would never have
made it to print.
Whether
you’re writing about old stories or new problems, there’s something liberating
about starting a project you know little or nothing about. You’re not
constrained by what you know, or even what you think you know. So next time you
get a wild idea about something, let it fly and see where it takes you!
Thank you for some wonderful insights, Susan. I hope you'll come back one day.
*
Dogs.
Family. Friends. Treasure. Stories and rumors from the past. Secrets and lies.
They’re all at the heart of this story. When trouble begins at the kennel,
Maggie will have to dig into the past for answers if she wants to have a
future. Because her search just might lead to murder.
Read the first five chapters: http://dogmysteries.com
Links:
Website: http://dogmysteries.com
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/luva72t
Facebook Author Page:
http://tinyurl.com/ozk3uja
Find me on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7302683.Susan_Holmes
Follow me on Twitter:
@dogmysteries https://twitter.com/dogmysteries
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