Characters as Family

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Over a Cup of Coffee

Join me for a cup of coffee and the latest on my writing and life.

Characters as Family

I was recently contacted by Linda Chimzar, who had just read “Death of an Editor.” She wrote me a lovely email about enjoying the book. I wrote back and told her it was responses like hers that kept me writing. I met her at my book signing at Lake Country Booksellers in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, in August. She was wearing a T-shirt that said, “Emotionally Attached to Fictional Characters.” We had a good discussion about getting involved with characters in a book. She was saddened that I had completed the Cabin by the Lake Mysteries because she’d become so attached to Jamie and all her friends.

As an author, how do characters become family? When I created Jamie, it was like meeting her for the first time. By the fifth book, I knew her well, and I hope I created a good life for her and the people who joined her in the series. Finishing a series is like saying goodbye to friends.

I’m now deeply into Sheriff Red and becoming more acquainted with her and with the people who surround her. It’s been a journey, and there are times when I’d love to join her and her poker club in the back of Georgia’s Antiques for a beer and a game of Texas Hold’em—and times when I’d like to walk with her through the Hammergren Acres as she thinks about her life and her future.

Here's Linda joining me at the book signing!

The Pines Were Watching

And speaking for Sheriff Red, her next mystery in Pearsal County is coming out September 23rd. Here’s what First Clue Reviews has to say about it:

A mystery man with a green jacket, missing funds, and long-held secrets all play with Red’s sixth sense, making her feel that the solution is just beyond her grasp. Help comes from Red’s poker-playing buddies and Waltz, a crime scene tech, but her indomitable need to solve the crime is primary. This is a deeply atmospheric and compelling read. We can only hope for more from the series.

What the Fields Saw

And if you have enjoyed Sheriff Red, the third book in the series, “What the Fields Saw” will be out in March 2026. A sixtieth-class reunion dredges up a dark past in Lykkins Lake.

Up Next: Where is Linda Norlander?

On September 8th, I will be joining my fellow Puget Sound Sisters in Crime authors for a reading at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park at 7:00 pm. Come and hear an excerpt from “And the Lake Will Take Them.”

Book Clubs

I’ve had the privilege of speaking to a number of book clubs. With the wonders of the internet and even telephone speaker capability, I’ve been able to talk with clubs as far away as California. If you are in a club and would like to have the author of the book attend, let me know!

Authors Love Reviews!

Please feel free to write a review or give a rating to any of my books. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads. I appreciate that you took the time to do this. ☺

Enjoy the changing of the seasons and remember to hug your loved ones!

Best,

Linda