By Marilyn Meredith
When asked if I’d like to join in on this discussion, my first thought was eliminating those pesky words and phrases that pop up almost unintentionally in everything I write—so, that, just, as, and any unnecessary adverbs and adjectives.
But instead of talking about them, I thought I’d like to bring up my darlings I don’t want to kill off.
I love writing about ghosts and spirits, and in nearly all of my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries one or two make an appearance. (Oops, I guess I couldn’t really kill them off because they are already dead.)
In my latest offering, titled Spirit Wind, there is indeed a ghost, and something else that travels on the wind. Unfortunately, it isn’t available yet because I haven’t finished it.
In the most recent published tale, A Cold Death, the ghost of a young girl seeks Tempe’s help.
The one before that, Seldom Traveled doesn’t have a ghost, but there is definitely something supernatural watching over Tempe as her life is threatened by fire and a murderer.
I can’t imagine writing about Tempe and not including a ghost, spirit or something not quite of this world. Besides the fact that I like imagining what it might be like for Tempe to be confronted by these other worldly specters, it’s great fun to write about her encounters and weave them into the story plot.
To end this, I don’t want to write what everyone else is writing about. Keeping my darlings, in this case, ghosts and spirits, “alive” in Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s world is what I plan to do.
–Marilyn Meredith
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Bio: Marilyn Meredith is the author of over nearly forty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. She lives in the foothills of the Sierra with her husband, grands and great-grands, and numerous animals. Under the name F. M. Meredith, she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series. She is a member of MWA, three chapters of Sisters in Crime and on the board for Public Safety Writers Association.
Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/
Latest books:
A Cold Death
Seldom Traveled
In the beginning, my sister helped me connect with a critique group because I couldn’t locate one where I lived. She read my chapters and reported the problems and suggestions to me. My sister has been a great support to me in many ways.
’s wonderful to talk about the writing life and share ideas with people who understand. Yes, the writing life is solitary, but it’s important to get away and mingle with others, including readers.
By Marilyn Meredith
Marilyn has had so many books published, she’s lost track of the count, but it’s getting near 40. She lives in a community similar to the fictional mountain town of Bear Creek, the big difference being that Bear Creek is a thousand feet higher in the mountains. She is a member of Mystery Writers of American, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, and is a board member of Public Safety Writers of America.