People ask me this question often. I always provide the same cheeky answer: I think I have something to say.
Embedded throughout my books are glimpses into the sea of humanity in which we find ourselves. I reveal human conditions a reader may never have encountered in their day-to-day life.
The Stella Kirk Mystery Series sits comfortably inside the cozy mystery genre. Stella Kirk is the amateur sleuth. She partners with a police detective who was her first boyfriend in high school. She runs a seasonal RV park peppered with unusual residents and non-traditional employees. Her park manager is her lover and nine years her junior. Stella’s father has dementia, and her sister is her polar opposite.
Although each book follows the recipe of a cozy, the themes are somewhat darker than expected because they're gathered from my professional experience in mental health social work and home care / long-term care assessment. Each book, as most books, has a theme. Book 1 - No Visible Means - speaks to the issue of childhood abandonment. Book 2 - Didn't Stand A Chance - focuses on family love pushed to the extreme. Book 3 - Sand In My Suitcase - addresses the concept of reverting to old habits despite wanting to change. Book 4 - Fictional Truth - focuses on the paranoia which comes from years of guilt. Book 5 - Mallory Gorman Won't Be Buried Today - addresses the issues which confront the frail elderly - those with limited cognition and decision-making skills, who may be running out of funds for their care, or who are without familial or friend support. Public versus for-profit institutions and lack of government oversight both play roles in the quagmire of long-term care. I suggest to my readers that in this book, murder may or may not have been committed. They can judge for themselves.
In Book 6 - Fate Deals The Cards - hopefully available for pre-order this month, I wanted to address issues surrounding domestic violence and the hidden consequences for children.
You can easily see where my background and training has led me, but don't lose heart. There are funny and quirky characters, a dog named Kiki, and a setting which will make you dream of summers in coastal villages.
Part 2 will be posted next week.
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