The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!
Hi Elizabeth (E.E.)
It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?
I got interested in mushroom hunting when I lived in a small town in the redwoods in Northern California. Later I moved to the beautiful, but Mormon, mountains of Utah. The cooking and culture there are rather…interesting. (All the recipes in this story are real, though I don’t recommend making any of them.) Though I have lived there for years, it’s the only story I set there.
It’s so much fun to try to solve the mystery yourself ! And when you do discover the solution, hopefully at the end of the story, you say, “I GET IT!” and not, “Well, that wasn’t clear” or “That doesn’t make sense” or “Hey, the murderer wasn't introduced till the last page”.
Give us one classic mystery writer you admire, and one new talent (not from this anthology) readers ought to discover.
I love Raymond Chandler, not for his plots so much as his use of language and street rough poetry.
Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?
Actually, NO! My main Character, Eddie Evers, is the lead in two novels, with a third planned. He came into being in a short entitled, Electric Detective, where he is struck by lightning and learns to “speak” electric. The lightning supercharges his neurons, giving him the ability to see into other dimensions.
If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?
I would have, I do have, a mystery solving Black cat, Max, who works with me. He’s also in the Electric Detective novels. He too was struck by lightning and is a super cat! I’d also be a nail-biting vegetarian.
Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?
Yes, but I don’t want to give away who done it!
How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?
Setting is very important. Setting is a main character. It sets the mood and the feel of the story. I lived in Mexico for a few years and set many stories there. I’m from LA, the Hollywood Hills, where my detective, Eddie, is from, and I know the mean streets, golden hills and dirty alleys personally. In Christmas Potatoes, Alta and the Silver Fork Lodge are real places. So far this is my only story set in Utah. I have not lived everywhere I’ve written about, but usually I have. And if not, I do a lot of research.
What do you aim to give your readers?
It depends on the tale. Here, I really just want them to have a good time. Sometimes I want to change or influence their minds and hearts. I want to capture them with words. And despite best intentions there’s usually a not too hidden moral message. I can’t help myself.
What are you working on now?
I have a few novels, a Mexican Story collection, and a ginormous short story collection entitled, “Jack the Ripper’s Home for Wayward Girls.” But for the last few months I’ve mostly been planting coral and diving.
Where can we find you online?
Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!
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