This week my friend Jean
Henry Mead is my guest and she’s interviewing one of her characters, Sarah
Cafferty. I got a kick out of this interview, and I think you will, too. I
enjoy the Logan and Cafferty books and it was fun getting to know Sarah a bit
better. Welcome, Jean!
Protagonist Revolt by Jean Henry Mead
Like Marja, I include humor, romance and murder in my
mystery/suspense novels, so I decided to interview one of my protagonists, who,
after six books, seems like old friend that I eavesdrop on during the writing
process. Sarah Cafferty is one of two senior
amateur sleuths who hasn’t been her usual cheerful self since
completing her latest adventure in Murder at the Mansion.
Author: Sarah, why are you so cranky? You’ve shown
good humor in my previous Logan and Cafferty novels. You're too old for PMS.
Sarah: Cranky? What do you expect? First you
destroy the mansion. Then you send us flying off to Texas to escape the killer.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, you allow a questionable character to talk us
into hiding in a mountain cabin in the Alaskan outback, which is even more
dangerous.
Author: I’m sorry, Sarah. I know it was traumatic,
but you have to admit that it was suspenseful.
Sarah: Where were you when we nearly froze to
death in the tundra? Sitting in your comfortable chair thinking up ways to get
us into deeper trouble?
Author: That’s my job. Would you prefer that I replace you
and Dana with younger sleuths?
Sarah: Dana and I are only in our early
sixties. Not some elderly widows with walkers. We can do everything that
younger sleuths do.
Author: Well—
Sarah: With the possible exception of skateboarding and scaling tall
buildings.
Author: If that’s true, I think I’ll have you
bungee jump in the next novel.
Sarah: Unless you’re joking, Dana and I are taking a hiatus from your
mystery series.
Author: What about our readers? You don’t want to disappoint them, do you?
Sarah: Haven’t we done enough? In The Village Shattered you send a
serial killer after us. In Diary of Murder a
vicious drug gang. In
Murder on the Interstate you
have a homegrown terrorist group kidnap us while they’re planning to take down
the entire country. And if that wasn’t enough, you have a wolf killer cause us
to wreck Dana’s Escalade and then stalk us on Gray Wolf Mountain. (Taking a deep breath.) Then you send us to
Texas in Murder in RV Paradise where
you have me wading into a lake to retrieve a woman’s body, only to be suspected
of the murder. I don’t call that paradise.
Author: I’ve got some ideas that will knock your
socks off.
Sarah: That settles it! You can email us in Argentina.
That’s where we’re going on vacation. If we don’t answer, you’ll know that some
other novelist has decided to adopt us and treat us fairly.
Author: You’ll be bored within a week and out of a
job in a month. Novelists who are nice to their protagonists don’t last long in
the publishing business. Readers want suspense as well as mystery.
Sarah: I’ve got a great idea. You take my place
and I’ll write you into some mysterious and suspenseful situations. You’ll love
bungee jumping over a crocodile pit or waking up with rattlesnakes. I can think
of lots of exciting scenarios to place you in.
Author: Point taken, Sarah.
From now on we’ll concentrate on mystery and go easy on the suspense.
Bio: Jean Henry Mead is a former news reporter and
photojournalist. She’s the author of 21 books, half of them novels, which
include the Logan & Cafferty series, Hamilton Kid’s mysteries, Wyoming
historical novels, and nonfiction interview and history books, one of which
served as a college textbook. She has also served as a news, magazine and small
press editor, contributor to the Denver
Post, and has been published in magazines domestically as well as abroad.
Visit Jean’s website at http://www.jeanhenrymead.com/
You can read her blogs at:
Mysterious
Writers http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com/
The View from My
Mountaintop http://theviewfrommymountaintop.blogspot.com/
Murderous Musings http://murderousmusings.blogspot.com/
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A Well-Kept Family Secret – A Sandi Webster Mystery is available
in audio format. Try it, you might like it. Don't forget How Now Purple Cow - A Bogey Man Mystery.
This is SO amusing ...I am still laughing...! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for such an interesting interview, Jean ...I am really looking forward to reading your books now...! :-)
I'm happy you enjoyed the interview, Ramia. I hope you enjoy the series as well. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteJean, I loved your interview with Sarah and I thoroughly enjoy your Logan and Cafferty mystery series. Maybe next time you can interview Dana. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat. I'm glad you enjoy the Logan & Cafferty series. I've had fun writing it. I enjoy your books as well.
DeleteThank you, Marja, for hosting Sarah and me. While Sarah and Dana are vacationing in Argentina, I'll be working on a standalone novel set in Wyoming.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you and Sarah could stop in, Jean. The two of you brightened my day.
DeleteThat was a fun interview, Jean. I haven't read any of the novels in this series, but now after reading this interview,I'll have to make them a priority on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteOh, I almost forgot. While Sarah and Dana are in Argentina, I hope they meet up with my protagonist, Charlotte Ross, who happens to be in the resort town of Bariloche, in search of her errant fiance. :)
DeleteI'll tell them to look Charlotte up, Evelyn. : ) Thanks for the kind words and for leaving a comment.
DeleteWhat an entertaining "interview"! I've read one of the Logan and Cafferty novels, The Village Shattered, and am looking forward to the others.
ReplyDeleteYou've made my day, Palmaltas. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series.
DeleteI love the Logan and Cafferty novels and I understand how cranky a character can get when she doesn't like what the author does to her. Funny how uppity these gals can get when you make them work a litte to find a killer! Great interview.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Lesley. I can't say I blame them. Thanks for the kind words. I've enjoyed your books as well.
ReplyDeleteDeepest condolences for Marja and family on the sudden death of her husband, Al. I know she appreciates your prayers.
ReplyDelete