Thanks for inviting me back to the Mysteristas!
It’s been fun reading all the collecting posts this month. I was at the beach last week—a writing retreat with a wonderful group of authors—and watched people stroll the beach, head down, collecting shells. Don’t get me wrong, I have quite an assortment of shells at home—whelks, sand dollars, scotch bonnets, conchs and shark’s teeth. Bits and pieces that remind me of places we visited and good times with our children.
That day I was looking for shells for a friend—another author who’d never seen a lions paw or auger, much less a lettered olive, the smooth shiny official state shell. Of course, she’s convinced an alligator is going to lumber out of the shallows or a shark will show up in the waters beyond our island cottage—but that’s a different story.
Except, when you think about it, maybe it is the story. Everyone at the retreat needed to write to meet deadlines—and because writing is what we do—we were also collecting memories, weaving new sections of a friendship tapestry. Those shells serve as a trigger—a remember when—to memories that nurture friendships. A network of friends sees you through the darkest—and brightest—times.
In my latest release, CYPHER, Cara Wainwright calls on her network of friends for insight into the deadly mystery surrounding Cypher, her family’s business. Although Detective David Morris wishes Cara would stay out of the investigation—and out of harm’s way—she can’t stand by and watch her family be destroyed.
My network of friends offers a different kind of support from brainstorming to cheering each stage of a new story. While I write stories where the plot twists and turns and everyone has a secret, I’m glad I’m not running from an assassin when I do it!
Originally posted here
