When I’m Feeling Murderous #OpenBook Blog Hop

 

Nov 18, 2024

Have you ever regretted killing off a character? Or not killing one off?

No one died in my first mystery.

When I wrote The Marquesa’s Necklace, I didn’t kill anyone. There wasn’t a dead body to be found anywhere. On purpose. I wanted the story to be true to the nature of small towns, and that means there isn’t a murder a week, unlike what TV shows would have you believe. (Unless you count George, Harmony’s old car, a blue Pinto, who died a natural age-related death. Yes, he went up in flames, but if you know anything about the history of the Pinto, you’ll understand why I can claim it wasn’t a criminal act.)

There were a few murders in other books in the series, but they were always off screen. It wasn’t until I wrote The Ranger’s Dog Tags, the last book in the series, was a death a main part of the story. I killed off several characters in that story. (Including Dolores, the car that had replaced George.}

But I had considered killing off a major character before that. Around book 4, The Contessa’s Brooch, I started to worry about growing “stale.” I didn’t want to repeat myself over and over again. By book 5, The Samurai’s Inro, I was really over-thinking the issue. Did I want to continue the series? If so, I needed to switch up the overall premise.

But I didn’t want to kill Eli, which is what I was considering. I decided my wisest move was to bring the series to a graceful end.

But the thought gave me the plot for the last book

Spoiler alert: I didn’t kill Eli, but I put him at risk for the entire story.

I did kill off Eli later. Much later. Like twenty-two years later. (In story time) And off-screen.

It was right for the book I was working on, The Rise of Jake Hennessey. Although the death was in the past, it became a major plot point. I shed a few tears while writing the scenes describing the event, but never regretting making it happen.

My new book started off with a bang.

I killed off a character on the first page. And another one halfway through the book. I don’t regret either death. Edwards Investigations – The Rimer File, is darker than anything I’d written before. Frankly, the murder isn’t the worst crime that happens. (Have you picked up your copy yet? If not, find out more about the book at https://www.pjmaclayne.com/?page_id=18282)

Now, there were a few characters in the story I wished I’d killed off, (they deserved it!) but didn’t. It made more sense to allow justice to follow its sometimes slow course. I worried about making Annie McGregor, my protagonist, too quick on the draw.

 

I don’t want to leave out my Free Wolves series. There’s lots of killing that goes on in the three books. But what do you expect from warring packs of wolves? (In my “world,” the humans who are wolf shifters take on some characteristics of their ‘”other” forms.)

Don’t forget to check out the posts from other authors on this hop. You can find them by following the links below. (Most authors post on Monday.)

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Nov 18, 2024

Have you ever regretted killing off a character? Or not killing one off?

 


Finding Inspiration #OpenBook Blog Hop

Nov 11, 2024

Share a place you go to for inspiration.

I don’t even have to leave home.

For many years, I drew inspiration from the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming.

This is small lake near Walden, CO. There’s ranch land on the far side, and what I think is BLM land behind me as I took this picture. There are no homes is sight as you stand on the edge of the water. It’s a great place to  sit and listen to the chatter of birds and relax in a gentle breeze.

On the way up to Red Feathers Lakes area in northern Colorado. we pulled over on the side of the road so I could capture the moment. The wind was catching fresh snow on the mountains and creating the ‘cloudy’ effect.

But I’m not in Wyoming anymore.

And that’s okay. My new home offers me a source of inspiration, right in my backyard. And every nearby road I travel on. It’s a beautiful area.

I’m lucky. The back half of my yard is what I would call a park-like setting. It features large maple and pine trees. (There are a few younger hickory trees on one border.) It would probably take four adults joining hands to wrap their arms around the trunk of the biggest one. The front half of the property that the house sits on offers a more traditional yard.

In the spring, it features an abundance of wildflowers. (I’ve counted over 22 varieties.) Many are small and easily missed if you aren’t looking for them. In the fall, the various colors of the leaves are glorious. I’ve been known to just stand at the edge of the yard with the sun filtering through the trees and let the beauty wash over me.

This is one of the trees in my backyard. (Not the biggest one.) It’s just the easiest to get a picture of.

In case you haven’t got the hint, I draw my creative juices and inspiration from Mother Nature. It doesn’t matter where I am. If I can touch the ground (not pavement or concrete) things get better. 

How about the other authors on this blog hop? Where do they go for inspiration? Find out by following the links below.

And, as always, please stay safe until next time.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Nov 11, 2024

Share a place you go to for inspiration.


Favorite Writing Quote #OpenBook Blog Hop

November 4, 2024

Do you have any favorite quotes about writing?

There are many good ones that encourage writers. “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” (Stephen King) A word after a word after a word is power. (Margaret Atwood)

But my favorite is one from Toni Morrison. I’ve seen the meme on social media many times. “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

I think that’s what most of us on this blog do. We’re trying to get the stories out that need to be told but don’t currently exist. The ones the characters in our head keep insisting need to be recorded. We hope we will earn some money from our stories, or at least break even on publishing costs, but we will write them no matter what.

At least, that’s my goal.

New York times

New York Times

Even writing these blog posts can seem like a thankless task if they don’t get the views we hope for, but several of us have been sticking with it for years.

Which is why I’ve already started writing the second book in the Edwards Investigation series, Annie McGregor, my main character, wasn’t satisfied with just one book. But I knew that before I’d finished the first book.

I guess this is a good place to remind you that the first book, Edwards Investigations – The Rimer File, is now available through on-line retailers. Here’s a link to the book’s page on this site.

https://www.pjmaclayne.com/?page_id=18282

Now back to the blog post.

When I’m out at various events, I frequently run into people who express their desire to write a book. Which reminds me of how many stories out there will be lost because no one ever wrote them.

Do you have a favorite writing quote? Feel free to share it in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the favorite quotes by others on this hop by following the links below.

In the meantime, as always, please stay safe!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


November 4, 2024

Do you have any favorite quotes about writing?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

Welcome to Edwards Investigations – The Rimer File

It’s finally here!

It’s been a long journey, but Book 1 of the Edwards Investigations, The Rimer File,  is finally live.

This story has been over a decade in the making. It started out as a romance, but many of you know that I don’t feel I’m any good at writing romances. This revision of the story is dark and gritty, set in Pittsburgh, PA in the mid 1980s.

Here’s the book’s description.

 

The 80s. Pittsburgh, PA. A man’s world.

All Annie McGregor wanted was to nail a cheating husband and prove herself worthy of being more than a glorified bookkeeper.

What she found when she opened the back door of the bar-of-the-night was so much more than she bargained for. A mutilated body that bore an eerie resemblance to her ex, and a stint in handcuffs.

Maybe becoming a private investigator wasn’t in the cards. Even with the guidance of her boss, Mike Edwards, and the other investigators of the Edwards Agency, Annie struggled to close a case. Add in her run-ins with the local cops, and things got messy.

Then bullets started flying. What really had her worried was that the next one wouldn’t miss.

I invite you to join Annie (C.T.) McGregor as she attempts to make a new life for herself, even if it means tracking down cheating spouses. Buy links are below.

amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1N4MJN

kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/edwards-investigations-the-rimer-file

B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/edwards-investigations-the-rimer-file-p-j-maclayne/1146485688

Apple https://books.apple.com/us/book/edwards-investigations-the-rimer-file/id6737480518