Disorderly Conduct is the fourth mystery in my Maggie McDonald Mystery series featuring a Silicon Valley professional organizer and her side-kick golden retriever.
How did you develop your character and choose your location?
I initially thought of my story as a way to cope with a divisive local issue plaguing the school system in my community. Residents were choosing sides and vilifying those who disagreed with them. “What if…” I wondered. “What if people really were as evil as everyone is saying? What would that mean for our town? How would we fix it? Is it even possible?” The story quickly morphed into a murder mystery but then shifted focus away from the real-life situation I felt I was too close to. Real people are seldom interesting enough to make good characters in fiction. I wanted my fictional town to be filled with people who were more nuanced than the way adversaries were referring to one another in the real town on which Orchard View is based. Silicon Valley, where I’d lived for more than 30 years had become a popular subject in the news, movies, and television dramas. But those media tended to portray the mega rich, and I wanted to reveal the world of ordinary people.
Every day is a little different, depending on the demands of the rest of my life, but I typically have breakfast and read the paper, then work on my work-in-progress for at least an hour without interruption. Once I’ve done that, I may extend the writing period or work on promotion or schedule for the rest of the morning. In the afternoon I do my workout. The life of a writer can be very sedentary, and I try to log at least 10,000 steps and some weight training to balance things out. Afterwards, I may go back to the computer, especially if I’m close to a deadline. I try to wrap things up by 5:30 pm and spend the evening with my husband, but that doesn’t always work out according to plan.
Do you belong to a writers group or are you in touch with other writers? How does that help your writing?
I’ve belonged to writers groups online and in person, but don’t currently write with others. I do get together with a group of mystery writers in Santa Cruz County (Santa Cruz Women of Mystery), but it’s more about drinking coffee and sharing tips on the business of writing than it is a writing group. I’m also a member of Sisters in Crime, particularly the Guppy Chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and the Authors Guild. Writers need other writers, and the internet has been a boon to us, because we can still work in isolation while still having an instant connection with others.
Do you model your character after yourself or any one you know?
While friends tell me that the recognize me in the character of Maggie, I think of her as totally different from me, but maybe she’s an idealized version of me (younger, thinner, more organized). It’s difficult for any of us to view ourselves objectively
Who is your favorite author?
Most days it’s Louise Penny, but I also love all of Madeleine L’Engle’s books, the Lincoln Rhyme books of Jeffrey Deaver, the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt, and the books of Anne Cleeves. I’m a promiscuous reader and will read any well-written book regardless of genre.
How do you keep track of character details from book to book so they are consistent?
When I started the series, I made collages for all the main and secondary characters with their likes, dislikes, favorite quotes, their car, and some of their physical characteristics and quirks. I posted those collages to the walls of my office where they were handy for easy reference. But then I moved. My new office is tiny with no room for the collages. So far, I’ve had luck with a spreadsheet outlining my characters, their details, backstory, and reasons for wanting the victim dead, along with where they were and what they were doing when the murder occurred. But I’d be in deep trouble without the sharp-eyed copy editors employed by Kensington.
As far as physical characteristics go, though, I tend to under-describe the people in my books because I think their appearance is the least interesting thing about them. I know exactly what they each look like, but none of those details tells me anything about their motivation, goals, friendships, personality, strengths, fears, and flaws.
If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?
I’ve become fascinated with the natural world surrounding my new hometown on California’s Central Coast. Known as the Serengeti of the Sea for the richness of its wildlife, Monterey Bay is a national marine sanctuary. The wetlands on the shore and the redwood forests team with wildlife, some of it rarely seen by humans. I’d love to know much more about the geology, natural history, and life of the region, and hope to take a naturalist course next year. The fifth book in the Maggie McDonald series, Cliff Hanger, will release in June 2019, and takes place on Monterey Bay.
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