Old Cases, Cold Cases

 Many people are fascinated by old crimes. Think of Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper, The Black Dahlia, and think about the infamous Lindbergh Kidnapping. You can look back on them and wonder if things were really as they seemed. At one time it was said there’s new evidence in the Lizzie Borden case that indicates someone else killed her parents. Jack the Ripper? Do we really know, without a doubt, who he was? Do we have all the facts about the sinking of the Titanic?

What is it about old, cold cases that fascinates people? From a writer’s point of view, I think they’re somewhat easier to write about if the story is fictional, or at least partly fictional. I took stock of my own books and realized that several of my books involved crimes that took place in the past. It wasn’t something I did intentionally, but after thinking about it I realize, in their own way, cold cases are easier to write about – especially fictional old crimes that for some reason must be solved today.

I try to include some humor in my books, and it’s more difficult when writing about current times. There’s nothing funny about death, but you can find humor in the people solving the case and circumstances surrounding the event, especially if they’re trying to solve something from the past.

Does it seem too coincidental when a protagonist finds old letters or clues that have been hidden away for a century? It’s not, and I’ll tell you why.

My family has always loved taking photographs. My grandmother, thankfully, never threw any photos away. They date back to the 1800s. I have family photos galore. I have a relative who was in the Navy from 1904-1907. He took photos of all kinds of things, from the officers on his ship to the Great Wall of China.

Something unexpected happened. I was going through the family photos which fill a trunk, and something caught my eye. In the midst of the family photos was an unusual and disturbing one my relative took while overseas. It was a picture of a firing squad shooting people – not the kind of thing you expect to find in among pictures of Great-Great-Grandma. I can’t even imagine how he was able to take it. There was an officer on horseback with troops standing nearby. You could actually see the smoke coming out of the rifles, and… Well, I don’t want to be too graphic. My point is, you never know what you might find mixed in with family things. If I’d put that in a book, and the photo had significance in a case, no one would believe it. By the way, I had an expert look at the photo and according to him it involved foreign soldiers, not Americans.

Cold cases are different from current cases because you don’t necessarily think of them in the same way. Old crimes are more like a legend, and in some cases, that’s what they are. When telling the story, it’s almost like the crime is off stage somewhere, not just across town.

When writing about old cases the author has to do research. The reader needs to know what things were like in the “old days” to understand what those in the past were dealing with in order to solve a crime.

With today’s technology we can do a lot more with clues than they could back in the day. Imagine trying to solve a murder in 1880, or even 1926. You’d have to rely on circumstances much more than you would today. It could become very sticky. Today you can look at DNA, fingerprints, videos and so much more. The technology is mind-boggling.

So, again, what is the pull to cold cases? They involve looking back in time instead of looking over your shoulder. They involve more imagination. They involve a lot of “what ifs.” Things aren’t laid out in an A-B-C easy to read format.

Do you enjoy old cases? Do they stimulate your imagination more than current crimes? What case, solved or unsolved, has kept your interest over the years?

Until next time, look ahead, but look back, too. See if you can figure out some of the answers about Lizzie Borden or Jack the Ripper. Think about what you based your conclusions on regardless of what crime you’re trying to solve, even if you’re not sure you’re right.

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You might enjoy reading about Sandi Webster’s Great-Great-Great Aunt Sioux in The Accidental Gumshoe, or you might like to read about a deserted ghost town in Old Murders Never Die. 

 

 

 

Trying Times

Hi everyone! I haven’t written a post in a long time, and with our stay-at-home days, now felt like the right time. I sincerely hope you’re all well and that you’ve found things to fill your time.

I stocked up on chocolate, so I’m happy. Too bad I didn’t stock up on toilet paper and tissues. Has anyone noticed, in the middle of all the talk about hoarding toilet paper, that the facial tissues have disappeared, too? Cleaning products? Forget it.

I know that people are having a difficult time during the Covid19 pandemic. Some people are feeling fear and panic. Wasn’t it Franklin D. Roosevelt who said, in his 1933 Inaugural Address, “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself?” Be cautious, use your common sense, and live your life, even if it’s within the confines of your own home. Read a book, watch television, play games or do whatever holds your interest. I hear a neighbor outside mowing his lawn. I live in the far northwest corner of the United States. It’s still cold here and I wouldn’t be out mowing my lawn, but to each his own.

Because of a few health issues, I’ve made my last trip to the grocery store for a while. I’m not willing to take chances so I’m using my common sense and staying at home, looking for things to keep me busy. My writing keeps me busy. My housecleaning keeps me busy, too, but there’s only so much you can do. So here I am, writing a post after a very long time.

I’m a firm believer in humor keeping us going. My daughter has found several jokes online. Some of them are dark humor, but I have to admit that they can still make me laugh.

One of my all-time favorite movies is 1947’s “The Egg and I,” with Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. It’s entertaining and based on the humorous memoir by Betty MacDonald. As a newlywed, her husband wanted to start a chicken farm in Washington State. When she visited her family in Seattle, she related stories of her adventures, or misadventures, on the farm. Her sisters talked her into writing the book.

Once, when visiting my grandmother, I saw the book sitting on her shelf and she gave it to me. I’m afraid it’s been sitting on my own bookshelf since the late 1980s. On a whim, I picked it up this morning and started to read it. I’m only a few pages into the memoir and I can already see the humor in it. I have a feeling when I sit down this evening, with the book, that I won’t be able to put it down.

I believe she wrote the book in 1945. In those days no one had ever heard of political correctness. She’s honest in her feelings, and she’s funny. Set aside the PC attitude and enjoy a good story.

So instead of watching a drama on TV, or reading a horror story, try picking up something with humor. Look for the humor around you.

One of my dogs, Sugar, has a “thing” on her neck. It looks awful. I called the veterinarian yesterday and they had me send photos of this “thing.” It seems she probably scratched or cut her neck and it’s turned into a bacterial infection. I drove to the vet’s office (and it felt so good to get out of the house) , parked, and called them on my cell phone. They have a little table outside, by the front door. A young woman stepped outside, set Sugar’s medications on the table, and scurried back inside. I then left the car and picked up the package. Nothing funny about this so far, right?

I brought home antibiotics and a spray for her neck. After I sprayed her neck, my other dog, Murphy, was so excited and wanted to sniff what I’d sprayed on her. Knowing him, he probably thought I did it just for him. One sniff and he made a fast U-turn and ran out of the room. Oh, yes, the spray has a pungent odor. Murphy’s reaction was one of those things you had to see to recognize the humor in it. Sugar is probably thinking, “Spray me again so he’ll leave me alone.” He does act a little pushy from time to time. By the way, Murphy is a very large Yellow Lab trying to run on a hardwood floor. His exit was not graceful.

My whole point is, try to stay busy, use your common sense and look for something that will make you laugh. At the very least, you want something that will put a smile on your face.

My thoughts are with you all and I pray for all of us every day. God bless you and I wish you good health!

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

(Sorry, but my website is a thing of the past. If I ever work up the courage, I may build a new one in the future.)

The latest Sandi Webster mystery is titled, “No One Will Find Me” and you might find a touch of humor as you get into the story. How do you combine a serial killer, suspense and humor? It can be done.

Choices

From time to time we talk about life getting in the way of work, and that’s what’s been going on over the past couple of weeks. I caught the “Ick,” whatever that is, but things are getting back to normal. Sorry to have deserted you.

This week I’m here to talk about choices in books. We have hardcover books in both regular typeface and in large print. The same goes for some trade paperbacks and we have regular paperbacks. Of course, we have ebooks which seem to be pretty popular right now. I wonder what will come next. And, we also have audio books, which is my subject this week.

        

 

 A Well-Kept Family Secret and Bubba’s Ghost (both Sandi Webster Mysteries) are available in audio format now, and have been for a while. Coming up? Prudy’s Back!, another Sandi Webster Mystery. By the way, the reason there’s an exclamation point in the title is to indicate that it’s not about Prudy’s backside. It’s about her return. She was a private investigator back in the forties and fifties, and she wants Sandi to help her solve the unsolved case that meant the most to her. She just can’t let go of it.

After a narrator (in this case Viv Williams) puts the book in audio format, the author must proof the product. That means listening to the narration while reading along in the book. It’s time-consuming, but kind of a treat. Prudy’s Back! was released in 2009. After its release I moved on to other projects and didn’t give it much thought. Now that I’ve proofed the story, I remember how unique and how much fun it was to write. Sometimes looking back can be a good thing.

Prudy was based on a woman I met through someone my daughter worked with back in the day. Well, she was based on her in that she was a P.I. a long time ago. Her daughter remembered her wearing a long fur coat, cowgirl boots and smoking a long, black cigarette. When I spoke to the woman she laughed because other than the boots, her daughter’s memory was quite faulty. I liked the memory and presented Prudy as the daughter remembered her mother.

However, why would someone choose an audio book when so many other formats are available? Why would someone want to listen to Prudy? Many people like to listen to a story while they’re on a road trip and they certainly don’t want a story that will put them to sleep while driving. My mother-in-law had vision problems and she loved books. Audio stories made her day. I can think of several reasons to enjoy an audio book, like if you’re working out you can listen, but those of you who enjoy them already know why they’re your choice.

My husband and I used to listen to audio books while we traveled, and I have to make a confession. When the narrator was male, and he read female dialogue, it made me snicker. It was simply difficult to take a male voice trying to sound like a female too seriously. The reverse is true for female narrators. It’s a quirk of mine, and I can’t help it. However, I thought Viv Williams did a pretty good job of it with Prudy and the other characters, including the men.

So, if you’re looking for choices, you’ve got plenty in today’s market. I still prefer a paper book, but I find myself reading more ebooks simply because of the convenience (and the cost).

Prudy’s Back! should be released over the next two weeks. I’ll let you know when it’s available.

In the meantime, I’ve been lax about promoting my books and it’s time for that to change. I just need to come up with a new and unique idea. Yeah, like that’s gonna happen. I’m not sure there are any new ideas. Oh, well… Time will tell.

Until next time, give audio books a try. They make great gifts, too. Remember my mother-in-law. She might have had vision problems, but her hearing was fine.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Remember, People Lookin’ Half Dead – A Bogey Man Mystery is waiting for you. Think massive heat and homeless people disappearing.

Pantser vs. Outliner

I’m what’s called a Pantser as far as writers go. I think of an idea for a story and I run with it instead of doing an outline. It seems like once I come up with an idea, each scene leads to another idea and scene. I know, in general, where the story is headed, but I often change direction midstream. If I wrote an outline, I’d end up having to rewrite it and rewrite it until I found myself out of story writing time.

It works for me, although others have a different strategy – they outline and do things the right way.

Gin Mill Grill was inspired by a newspaper story from a vintage newspaper. I started with a basic premise and built on it, keeping two word notes so I wouldn’t forget little details later in the story. I guess I’m about as unorganized as you can get. Again, it works for me.

Someone once suggested using a board and writing each idea on a small stickie note and placing it on the board chronologically. I tried that and ended up with so many stickies that I couldn’t keep track of anything. Try it. Maybe it will work for you.

Someone else said they use an oversized calendar and write brief notes on each day. I tried that, too, and it didn’t work for me because of changing directions so often. Again, it might work for you.

I’ve written two books where life got in the way and I had to set the manuscript aside for a long while. Because I didn’t have an outline to refer to, I had to read the entire story to figure out where I was. An outline might have been easier, but in these cases I was able to pick up on some flaws before I started writing again. It worked to my benefit and saved me time later in the process.

Sometimes as I write, something insinuates itself into the story that I hadn’t expected. I can surprise myself at times and then I wonder where the idea came from. Every story idea is not cut in stone, at least for me. One simple idea leads to something more involved.

I’ve even been known to think of a title and then write a story to fit that title. One of my favorites is the last book, Gin Mill Grill - A Sandi Webster Mystery. The story idea and the title seemed to come simultaneously. A cold case from the 1930s? How appropriate to include a speakeasy.

Well, those are a few thoughts for today. If you’re a writer, what’s your process? If you’re a reader, what first grabs you and encourages you to read a book? Title? Book cover? Word-of-mouth? As a reader, word-of-mouth is high on my list of enticements. If I’m shopping with nothing in particular in mind, the title usually catches my attention. The cover would be next, and then comes the back cover blurb.

Curious minds (and some authors) want to know what floats your boat.

Until next time, share the title and author’s name of a book you've recently read with friends. Word-of-mouth works.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

A New Book (Coming Soon) - A New Cover

I’ve read that titles initially draw the attention of readers, and covers often come in second. If the books are facing outward, generally the cover will grab my eye first. If not facing outward, I scan the titles.

The title of Sandi Webster’s latest adventure will be, Gin Mill Grill – A Sandi Webster Mystery. It’s not quite finished yet, but the gist of the story is that someone wants Sandi to solve a murder from the early 1930s which indirectly involves an old speakeasy from the Prohibition era.

A few huge surprises await Sandi when she begins looking into the cold case. As often happens, things aren’t always as they appear. Additionally, why would someone from a younger generation be taking an interest in the old crime? Yes, Sandi’s in trouble again.

In the 1930s, a man was murdered and his brother disappeared. The police are pretty sure they know who committed the murder, but how did the brother disappear so completely and without a trace? Did he really take his brother’s life? Why?

There’s more to Horace and Harley Glosser’s story than anyone might suspect.

Like I said, that’s the gist of the story. However, there’s more to a book than just the story itself. A book cover would be nice. This is a “friend of a friend” situation. Dori Pendergrass is a friend of a friend, and now my friend. She’s also an artist, and she agreed to paint the cover for this latest book. Here’s a preview:

 

Yes, that’s a mummy sitting in a chair with a small Chiweenie on his lap. (Dogs do the darnedest things.) I’d explain, but you’ll want to read the book when it comes out to understand the dynamics.

The exciting part to me is that I have the original painting hanging over my fireplace.

I normally create my own book covers. I’m certainly no expert, but I sure have fun putting them together. Once in a while, I’m able to use photos I’ve taken myself, like the black butterfly, which visited in my own backyard. These are my personal three favorites:

And now I have a Dori Pendergrass painting to add to my list of favorites.

I’ve also created a few Book Trailers that can be found on my website on The Books Page. Those were a lot of fun to put together, too.

But then there’s the dreaded marketing and promoting. Some authors love this part of the process. I’m not one of them. To me, those are the most difficult parts of getting a book “out there.” Wouldn’t most of us just love to write a book, have it placed on a shelf, and move on to the next story? It doesn’t work that way, and I’ve been quite lax about the process for the past couple of years.

I kept writing, but life got in the way of the process. Well, life goes on, and so do I. It’s time to start thinking up some new promotional ideas. Maybe I should go back and read some of my old blogs. I offered advice to others but failed to follow my own advice.

Anyway, now you know a little about the story and you’ve seen the cover. Other than writing the book, what part of the process do you find to be the most fun or most fulfilling? The curious want to know.

Until next time, do something book-related this week and enjoy yourself. Read a new book, write a new book, browse at the bookstore or online. (I still enjoy a brick and mortar bookstore, but that’s just me.)

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website (I will update it soon.)

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com