Right minded, but left of center – It’s a mystery

Just over a year ago, my sister, Kate Flora invited me to be a guest blogger on a new website she helped create, http://mainecrimewriters.comhttp://mainecrimewriters.com. Kate, a former Maine assistant attorney general, has been writing mysteries and true crime for more than 20 years and is a past president of Sisters In Crime International. With twelve books published, she knows how important publicity and exposure are if you want to be a successful author, hence the creation of the Maine Crime Writer’s site. She thought it would be good to have me post every month on the 15th about what was out there for juvenile and young adult mysteries. Frankly, I’ve had a great time with my monthly cameo appearance. It has also forced (hardly a burden) me to read a lot more than usual.

As a regular guest, I’ve gotten in the habit of checking the site every morning to see what interesting insight the poster of the day has to share. Here’s the gang of suspects who post regularly: Kate Flora, Gerry Boyle, Sarah Graves, Lea Wait, Vicki Doudera, Paul Doiron, Haitlyn Dunnett, James Hayman, Barbara Ross and Julia Spencer-Fleming I bet you had no idea there were so many really good mystery writers living in Maine. Better yet, new mystery writers appear regularly as guest bloggers, so it’s a neat place to discover who in Maine is emerging in this very popular genre.

There are giveaways, columns about favorite places the authors have in Maine, insights into writing, writing conferences and the challenges of things like editing, as well as unexpected gems about experiences the members have in daily living that get incorporated into their work. As a writer myself, I can’t tell you how many times a snippet of conversation or a tale of woe overheard lends itself to the creation of a short story or new character in a book.

Today for example, Gerry Boyle writes about the curiosity generated while he rides through rural Maine on his bike and shares how a unique street sign ‘Goah Way’ got him to create an imaginary character who lives at the end of that road as the ride progresses. If you want to read books by someone who describes the part of Maine tourists never see better than anyone, Gerry is your man. He has two series; the longer running one features former newspaperman Jack McMorrow who lives in a fictional town set along the Kennebec/Waldo County line. I’ve read them all and pre-order each new one as soon as I know it’s coming out. Gerry and my sister Kate have newer series that remind me of a couple of crime bosses sitting down to carve up a city, in this case, Portland. Gerry’s Port City series, featuring Brandon Blake is a perfect match for Kate’s Joe Burgess police procedurals. Both are gritty, pedal-to-the-metal books that give you plenty of action and insight into the ugly reality of daily cop life, while telling terrific stories. They are great reads. Because there are so many interesting things to share about the site, I will continue the topic next week. In the meantime, please check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

About the Author

John Clark

John Clark is an author, freelance editor and librarian. He lives in Hartland where he is constantly amazed by the social scenery. If you’d like to contact him, send an email to songthresher@gmail.com.