Guest Blog: Mystery Author Victoria Thompson

Today’s post is, as promised, by a former professor, current bestselling author Victoria Thompson. She is writing a series of cozy mysteries called the Gaslight Mystery Series. This is the 15th, wow, 15th novel in that series. Check out the first one here.

Victoria Thompson

Gaslight Mystery Series

MURDER IN CHELSEA, Berkley Prime Crime, May 7, 2013 release.

WRITER TO THE RESCUE

So what does an author do when she’s written herself into a corner and can’t for the life of her figure out how to get out of it—all while thousands of fans are clamoring for her blood?  That’s the situation in which I found myself last year at this time.

If you are a fan of the Gaslight Mystery Series (Berkley Prime Crime), you know that Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy of the New York City Police and Midwife Sarah Brandt have been solving mysteries and gradually falling in love over the first 14 books in the series.  Unfortunately, I had started the series by creating insurmountable barriers to their ever getting together, never realizing that the series would become so successful or that readers would become so invested in Frank and Sarah’s lives.

Now let’s face it, how many mystery writers are lucky enough to have a series that runs for 14 books? I count my blessings every day. But in the spring of 2012, I realized that if I didn’t take care of Frank and Sarah’s relationship, readers probably would not keep reading. But how to do it without ruining the dynamics of the series? I was getting desperate, so I vented to my classmates.

Classmates?  Yes, I was just finishing up my master’s degree in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University.  One of my classmates, David Wilbanks, who writes Science Fiction and had at that time never read anything I’d ever written, took my challenge and sent me a list of about 20 things that could happen.  Unlike me and my fans, Dave was unencumbered by knowledge of the characters involved, so his solutions didn’t have to be feasible or even sensible.  His ideas were outside the box.  Some of them were even outside the Universe.  But one of them was the perfect solution to Frank and Sarah’s problems!

If you’re expecting me to tell you what that solution is right here, I’m sorry.  I write mysteries, so I’m not giving away anything that might  spoil the book for you.  I will say that in MURDER IN CHELSEA you will finally get to see Frank Malloy propose to Sarah Brandt. Of course they also solve a couple murders and locate the birth parents of Sarah’s foster daughter into the bargain.  This is a mystery series after all! And to thank Dave for his help, I named a major character after him in MURDER IN CHELSEA.

So this is how a fellow writer rescued me, saving me from the wrath of frustrated readers!  You can see how he did it by reading MURDER IN CHELSEA, a May 2013 hardcover release from Berkley Prime Crime.  It’s also available in all electronic formats. Please let me know if you like the solution by contacting me though my website, www.victoriathompson.com or liking me on Facebook at Victoria Thompson Author or following me on Twitter @gaslightvt.

A place for cheap and free books

As a writer, one of the most important things I must do is encourage others to read. I find that getting new people to read is more important than anything. Sure you can be a writer without having readers, but what is the fun in that? Along with being a reader and writer, I find that I am also in need of saving some money. So, with that, I offer you this. It is called ebookbargins. It is a place to find discounted books, sometimes free.

I have no personal stake in this website. I just want to pass it on to you. http://www.emysterybargains.com/?ref=GRRdJ

The purpose of this blog

This is my first blog. I haven’t written anything like this in a very long time. I am going to do my best to update it on a regular basis. As a writer of suspense and thrillers, I like everything that is connected to them. So I will be reviewing books and movies and I will talk about the suspense in them, or lack thereof. I may occasionally talk about writing, but it will not be overwhelmingly writing centered.

Warning: I will probably add random stuff that I am thinking or stuff that interests me. I will do my best not to bore you and I am sorry if I have.

I am just here to meet new people, let people in on the writing side of my life. If you have a suggested topic, I’d love to hear it. Welcome.