Monday Morsels: Just Jenny

JUST JENNY

by Sandra Owens

~ Jenny ~


“What was your car doing at Road Dogs this afternoon?”

I set the scotch neat in front of my boyfriend, although he wasn’t going to be for long if he kept up this jealous, where the hell were you thing he’d been dishing out lately. “I’m working here, Chad. Drink this and then go away.” Road Dogs was a biker bar. Not my kind of place, which he should know by now.

“Careful, Jenn.” He sucked half the drink down his throat, then swiped a hand across his mouth. “Ben said he saw your car there.”

“Then Ben’s wrong. Ever think of that?” I walked away before I decided to punch my soon-to-be ex in the nose. I poured two glasses of merlot for the couple at the end of the bar, making small talk with them while trying to ignore Chad. The jerk was going to get me fired if he didn’t leave. I’d known for a few weeks that our relationship was on its last legs, but I’d put off making a clean break.

Unless you wanted to make the forty-minute drive east to Asheville, North Carolina, Vincennes was the place to eat—and be seen—in my neck of the woods. You couldn’t beat Angelo’s Italian food, and if you wanted to hear the latest town gossip, you came to Vincennes. I loved working here, but Angelo hated drama. I’d told Chad that numerous times, but he didn’t seem to care.

Blue Ridge Valley was a small North Carolina town close to the Tennessee state line, and good paying jobs were scarce. Many of my classmates had moved to Asheville or other big cities in North or South Carolina offering better opportunities, but I’d landed a waitressing job at Vincennes, where the tips were good. As soon as I was of age, Angelo had put me behind the bar, a job I loved and didn’t want to lose. I was too close to reaching my goal to have it snatched away now.

“Another,” Chad said, pushing his glass to the end of the counter.

Not happening. “That was not me. Go home now. Or go find some other woman to annoy. I don’t really care which, but if you don’t leave, I’ll never speak to you again. And if you get me fired, I swear to God I’ll kill you.”

“Not something you should be saying in front of witnesses, Red.”

My gaze swung to the man who slid into the seat next to Chad, and I did a classic double take. He had to be a figment of my imagination. No man that drop-dead gorgeous would ever walk into a bar in my small mountain town without some kind of hot-guy alert lighting up the phones, announcing his arrival.

Stupid Chad took one look at the newcomer and apparently decided to lay his claim by grabbing my hand, bringing my fingers to his lips for a kiss. What a toad. I almost told him off, but the lounge was busy. If I said anything to make him mad, there’d be a scene, and that was the last thing I needed.

“I’ll be back when you get off, babe.”

“Don’t bother.” Deciding the best thing to do was make myself scarce until he left, I headed for the kitchen.

“Jenn,” Chad called after me, but I kept going.

After loading up bread and salads for the two couples eating at the bar, I peeked out the oval window of the swinging door. Chad was gone. I let out a relieved breath.

He was a good-looking guy, and he’d been nice when we’d first started dating. That was two months ago, and sometime during the last few weeks he’d started acting like he owned me. He knew my plans, ones I wouldn’t change for any man. On our first date I’d made it clear that I wasn’t looking for a serious relationship and why. We were only supposed to be having a little fun for a few months.

“I’m not looking for serious, either,” he’d said. “My focus right now is on my career, on building my client list.”

It had seemed the perfect setup. Someone fun to date until it was time to go. The fun had stopped, though, and since cavemen weren’t my thing, it was time to break things off with him. I didn’t doubt he’d be sitting outside my apartment when I got home, which would put him in a pissy mood. He’d been asking for a key to my place so he could wait for me in the comfort of my home, but I’d put him off each time he brought it up.

How did I get myself in these messes? It wasn’t the first time I’d made a poor choice when it came to men. Once I got rid of this one, I was going to swear off the creatures. For a while anyway. I mean, what girl who loves sex—which I did—could live without them forever?

I pushed the swinging door open with my butt while holding plates of salad and breadbaskets. Once my two couples had everything they needed, I turned to the stranger who hadn’t gotten any less hot in the few minutes I’d been away from the bar.

“What can I get you?”

Eyes the color of dark Tennessee whiskey met mine, rested there a few lingering seconds, then moved to the bottles lining the shelves. “I’ll have a Green Man.”

“Good choice.” Green Man was my favorite beer. Not that it meant anything. Liking the same beer was probably the only thing we had in common.

“No mug, Jenny,” he said when I pulled one from the small freezer under the bar.

I slid the opened bottle in front of him. “My friends call me Jenn.”

“He called you Jenn. I’ll call you Jenny.” One side of his mouth curved up. “Or Red.”

### 

Jenny Nance has a plan—save enough money to tour the world. The desire to traipse the globe is a dream she once shared with her twin sister. Jenny made a deathbed promise to her sister that she would go to all the places they had fantasized visiting together. Nothing will entice her to break her vow to Natalie, not even the sexy new Blue Ridge Valley police chief . . . No matter how attracted she is to him.

Dylan Conrad left the Chicago Police Department to accept the position as Chief of Police in Blue Ridge Valley. Burned out and haunted by a tragedy of his own, he needs to get away from the memories tormenting him. He’s hoping to find peace in the small mountain town, but the quirky residents, an infamous moonshiner, an errant prized bull, and a feisty redhead by the name of Jenny weren’t quite what he had in mind.

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Meet Mystery Novelist D.M. O'Byrne

Today at The Write Way Cafe, D.M. O'Byrne tells how she taps into a wealth of experiences to write cozy mysteries.


When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a mystery?
It was an interesting journey. My first mystery, Dangerous Turf, began as a sports novel called The Finish Line, written for the “high-low” market—books for adults written at a grade-school reading level. I was teaching in an adult education program at the time and had had a math book for that program published by New Readers Press. But they passed on the novel. So I put it in a drawer and forgot about it. About fifteen years later, I rewrote it as a YA novel, and it won third prize in a writing contest. But I couldn’t find a publisher for it. So, back in the drawer it went. Several years later, after reading loads of mysteries, I got the idea to turn the book into a mystery. I added the mystery plot to the original story, renamed it Dangerous Turf, and pitched it to Black Opal Books, who snapped it up. That led to the sequel, Three to One Odds, and my latest series beginning with Death in Trout Fork.

What was your path to getting Death in Trout Fork written and published? What type of research did you do?
After writing Dangerous Turf and the sequel, I began thinking the audience for horse-y books was limited and thought I would try writing a mystery with a broader appeal. I concentrated on the “cozy” mystery genre (no sex, violence, blood and gore, f-bombs) because that’s the kind of book I like to read. Black Opal Books was delighted to publish it, along with the sequel, The Mountaintop Murders, which is scheduled for release in May, 2019, and the third book in the series which is 2/3 finished. As for research, I had to scour the internet for information on various types of crimes and murders.

Where did the idea for Death in Trout Fork come from?
The setting was inspired by an actual place not 50 miles from my home. My husband and I were riding our bikes in the area and stopped for lunch at the little café. As I sat there watching the patrons and enjoying the scenery, I asked myself, “What kind of people live here? Who stops here? Where are they going and what kind of secrets do they have?” That started the mental ball rolling. I’m often asked where my ideas come from, a topic I covered in an article on my website: http://dmobyrne.com/where-do-you-get-your-ideas/.

Why did you pick the setting you did?
As we sat at that little café, I realized it would make a perfect setting for a cozy mystery. It’s a small closed community that appears very much like the description of Trout Fork in the book. There are four stores under one roof, including the café which I named Alma’s in the book. The place is at the intersection of the two rivers I name in the book and the surrounding mountains and forests are very much the same. The characters are NOT taken from anyone in the real town, however. I’ve never met any of the residents.

Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself?
I have never written a character based on anyone I know. I think I would find that too stifling. One thing that helps me create memorable characters is to write extensive biographies of each one before I begin to write the book. I do an in-depth (two or three pages) description of each person—his/her physiology, sociology, and psychology. Most of that information will never appear on a page, but it helps me to know how they will speak, think and act. It makes it so much easier to write about them. For many scenes, I have no idea what the characters are going to say. I just kind of put them in a room together and listen to them talk! I go into this technique in depth in a post on my website: http://dmobyrne.com/let-your-characters-write-your-novel-for-you/.

Did you face any blocks while writing Death in Trout Fork, and if so, how did you handle them?
Writer’s block is a very real occurrence in the life of most writers. As I say in a post on my website, the only way (at least for me) to deal with it is to write something, even if it’s terrible and never finds its way onto the page. When I feel “blocked,” I revert back to a philosophy I adopted many years ago that applies to any difficult situation: “Do something, even if it’s wrong. At least you have something you can fix.” That has been a helpful mantra for me in many of life’s trials. Too many people are immobilized by fear of failure or of making a mistake. They are plagued by “what ifs” and imagine all sorts of possible dire consequences to any action they might contemplate. The problem with that plan is that it produces inertia. Of course they’re right in believing if you do nothing, you can’t make a mistake. But doing nothing also produces nothing and for a writer, that is career-ending. If you do something and it turns out badly, you can always fix it or re-do it. But if you do nothing, you have nothing to work with.

What have been surprises you've encountered while writing Death in Trout Fork and after?
I honestly don’t remember anything surprising me while writing. I guess I’ve been most surprised by the reactions of readers to the descriptions of the town of Trout Fork and the surrounding area. I don’t see writing descriptions as a strong point for me.

What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world; about local detectives, writing a travel column, and journalists?
I learned the way small town police departments function and the roles of detectives vs. beat cops. There were other things I had to research, but if I mention them, they would give hints about the murders and killers in the next two books which would be spoilers.

Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you.
I have several places I like to settle in to write. In the summer, my favorite place is on the deck in our back yard where I can listen to the birds and watch the squirrels and rabbits play in the grass. It’s peaceful and very Colorado-ish, which helps me create the ambiance of the Ryn Lowell Colorado Mysteries series I’m writing. One day last summer, a bobcat was walking along the fence that separates our yard from the neighbor’s. He stopped and we stared at each other for a while, then strolled off down the fence and disappeared. In the winter, I either hunker down in my living room or go to the local Panera Bread where I sit by the fireplace.

What are some of your favorite books and why?
My two all-time favorites are Jane Eyre and David Copperfield. I’ve read both at least four times. Oddly enough, even though I write cozy mysteries, I never read them. In fact, I rarely read any fiction written after 1920. I have a list of classics from the library and have been working through the list. I find that reading good literature improves my own writing and expands my ability to plot and create characters. There’s a reason why those books are still in print, some hundreds of years after they were written. How many books written today will endure that long? Most will never even get to a second printing. In the mystery genre, my favorite is the Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane series by Dorothy Sayers. I am inspired by Sayers to try to write the best novels without the use of sex scenes, profanity, or sensationalism. I’m convinced if I can do that, there are still enough readers out there who will want to read my work.

What are you working on now?
I’m almost finished with the third of the Ryn Lowell Colorado Mysteries series, entitled A Killing in Vail, in which our heroine tries to solve a murder in the famous ski town. I think it’s my best so far. In fact, in this series, each one seems to be better than the previous one. Let’s hope I can keep that up!

Would you like to try your hand at writing a different genre? Which one and why?
Actually, I’ve already written in other genres before turning to mysteries. Under my real name, Dolores Kimball, I have had two nonfiction books published in the Christian women’s self-help genre, both published by EP Books, a UK publisher. I also rendered into modern English a book of John Bunyan’s called The Holy War, which was published by Ichthus. All are still in print. I tried writing YA, but wasn’t very good at it. Too far removed from that age group, I suspect. I think I’ve found my niche with cozies and will most likely remain there.

If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be?
Writing IS my dream job! I’ve waited decades to be able, like Ryn, to “escape the stifling confines” of offices and sit at home with my cat on my lap and let my mind build the fictive dream. What could be better? Of course it helps to have a hubby who goes off to work each day and pays the bills until my dream job actually starts to pay off!

What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble?
Marketing! I hate it with a passion. But it’s part of the business today. Publishers, even the big ones, aren’t going to do all the marketing for a writer, so we have to accept that we’re responsible for the success of our books. In the actual process of writing, descriptions give me the most trouble. I’m not a visual person, so describing people and places is something I have to really work at. The flip side is that plotting is easy for me because I’m a sequential thinker. 

Who is your favorite hero/heroine, either in books you’ve read or in your own writing?
Jane Eyre is my favorite fictional heroine. She is smart, resourceful, literate, incredibly loving and forgiving, and always manages to overcome obstacles while maintaining her personal standards. My favorite hero is Lord Peter Wimsey in the series by Dorothy Sayers. I love the way Lord Peter uses his wits to solve mysteries while maintaining his cool, unflappable good manners.

She should have known when she fished that Pink Floyd T-shirt out of the creek that it belonged to that waitress, the one who disappeared…

Kathryn “Ryn” Lowell has escaped the stifling confines of her office at the New York travel magazine she writes for and pulls into Trout Fork, a tiny fishing hamlet in the Colorado Rockies, to write an article about the town. She hasn’t been there long, when along with her orange tabby cat, Jack Kerouac, she discovers a T-shirt in the local creek that belonged to the missing waitress. Now foul play is suspected, and Ryn, who has fallen for the quaint mountain town, is determined to find the killer and give her new friends closure. Teaming up with the local police detective, who seems to want more than Ryn can give him, she puts it all on the line—her heart, her job, and her life.

Death in Trout Fork Trailer

https://youtu.be/jUwnL-ic5vE

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About D.M. O'Byrne:

     D.M. O'Byrne's first job was as a waitress. Now she's a writer of mystery novels. In between, jobs included English teacher, racehorse exerciser, jockey, accountant, golf resort assistant manager, writer, and editor. Her places of residence ranged from the Jersey Shore to a lengthy sojourn in California, and finally to the Colorado Rockies. Each profession, each location was rife with life lessons, fascinating characters, potential plot lines, and wide-ranging experiences. Sooner or later, they will all end up on the written page.

     D.M. lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and their cat, Warnie. They spend much of their time riding bikes and enjoying the scenery. Warnie spends his time watching the bunnies out the window, lounging on the sofa, and trying to catch his tail.

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An Interview with Rena Koontz

Today, The Write Way Café would like to welcome Crimson Romance author Rena Koontz.

How long have you been writing?
I think I’ve been “writing” all my life. I used to leave long notes for my mother on the elementary school paper with the two wide lines and the dotted line in the center – remember those? When I was a teenager, I received a one-year diary as a Christmas present but I ran out of pages in May because I wrote so much. I wised up and got a job as a newspaper reporter. They paid me to write!

How long did it take you to write Love's Secret Fire?
About one year from beginning to end but I kept going back to revise it as I received feedback from beta readers and contest entries. My first chapter was actually Chapter Three in the original draft.

What did you draw from to write the book?
This book is loosely based on a real-life arson case I covered as a reporter in PA. I was assigned to ride along with a fire captain one night – the fire and police were patrolling the streets and alleys trying to catch the arsonist. So we crept down back alleys and side streets with the headlights off hoping to come upon him. It was scary and memorable. I’m glad that night wasn’t the night he was caught.

Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself?
Some of the characters are based on real people, especially Jimmy, Bud and Chester who were three of my favorites in the Beaver Falls Fire Department. Hence the name of my fictitious city, Benton Falls. Readers will find an insight into the relationship between twins when they read about my heroine and her twin brother. There is a lot of me and my twin brother, Ron, on the pages.

Do you face any blocks while writing, and if so, how do you handle them? If not, what's your secret?
Some days the words just flow and others, I find myself straightening the papers on my desk, playing with the dog – he’s always right by my side – and generally doing anything but writing. But every day I sit at the computer and type something. That action sometimes opens the floodgates. Other times, it screams delete.

What have been surprises you've encountered while writing the book and after?
I think the biggest surprise has been people, especially a few husbands of my friends, who read my book. I expected my girlfriends to read it but not their spouses and I’m beyond flattered that they did. I’m honored. Even better, they liked it.

What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world, your characters?
I’ve learned so many things along this path to becoming published and I’m still learning. I knew nothing about writing the proper query, writing POV or getting published. I wrote my first book in single-space – I learned that’s a no-no. I’ve still got a lot to learn.

What are some of your favorite books and why?
I lean toward the suspense. I’m a John Grisham, James Patterson fan because I love the workings of a courtroom and as a reporter who covered lots of trials, I’ve been to the inner sanctum. I am a Brenda Novak and Suzanne Brockmann fan because their women are strong. And when all else fails, I pick up my dog-eared copy of “The Flame and the Flower” because the love in that book is so intense.

What are you working on now?
I recently finished another romantic suspense that I hope to publish. It’s about a woman who witnesses a murder and runs from the shooter, who is mob-connected. She runs into the arms of a police officer. I have the utmost respect for police, fire and law enforcement officers and I hope my books can pay tribute to them. This story also is loosely based on a real-life case.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
My high school aptitude test showed I should pursue a career as a skilled mechanic.

For more information about Rena, please visit:
Website:  http://www.renakoontz.com/

Blog:  http://renakoontz.wordpress.com/renas-ramblings/
Love's Secret Fire is available from Apple iBooks, Amazon, B&N, and other e-retailers.