“So, what’s the story?” Have you ever asked anyone that question? Or has someone asked you the same thing? Chances are it wasn’t about what was happening at that very moment, but something in the past. The backstory.
Creating the kind of atmosphere that lets readers become totally immersed in a story—the setting—is very important in my writing. For me, setting is the one element that brings the characters, voice, and plot together to create a real sense of place. That’s what I strove for in Last Call: A Murder On The Rocks Mystery.
Suave, sophisticated, and savvy, professional Blackjack player Nick Donahue is one of my favorite characters to write. I created him when I wanted to write a story with a male protagonist and recalled the well-dressed men I’d seen playing Blackjack in a Venice, Italy, casino.
“You don’t get what you don’t ask for,” Marti always said, “but sometimes you get more than you wanted.” It was good advice from a mother who didn’t have much else to give, and I carried it with me as I moved through life. Although, right now, I wish I had understood it better.
A FEW FATES are worse than death. I should know. I’m living one right now. In a secluded villa high in the hills somewhere in the Czech Republic. A place where no one will ever find me should anyone care to look.
