by Karen Shughart
“A drowned reporter. A long-dead rumrunner. A small town with secrets. In Murder at Chimney Bluffs, Edmund DeCleryk and his wife Annie (head of the local historical society and museum) unravel a chilling mystery that spans generations. Karen Shughart masterfully blends historical intrigue with present-day suspense in this twisty, richly written installment of her beloved series.” Patricia Rockwell, Author, Essie Cobb Senior Sleuth Mysteries.
Whew! It’s been a long journey. The fourth book in my Edmund DeCleryk cozy mystery series is finally finished and awaiting publication, but it took more time than I expected. When I was just weeks away from completing it, my publisher decided to close shop. After agonizing about what to do, I obtained the rights to all the books and decided to create my own imprint, Silver Waters Press. Then I hired a company to proof, edit and format the new book and design covers for it and the existing ones, which I was required to do when I obtained those rights.
When I started writing again, I decided to make some changes, despite being close to the end. It’s how I work. Some authors are very structured, they start with a detailed outline, a list of the characters and a defined story line and pretty much stick with it. While I create a similar blueprint, instead of strictly adhering to it, I typically follow the story where it leads me. Like Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken, I have no fear of choosing the road less traveled.
I admit I enjoy trying new things. For example, many novels begin with a prologue. For my second book, Murder in the Cemetery, I decided to write two, the first to introduce the historical backstory-and the reason for why the victim was killed-and the second to describe the seasonal setting. With the third book, Murder at Freedom Hill, I continued with the two prologues and added a subplot related to the backstory. In Chimney Bluffs, archived photos appear below newspaper articles dating back 100 years.
What keeps me awake at night is making sure all the details are correct. I’m disconcerted when I read a book with multiple errors, it’s distracting and disengages me from the plot, even if it’s a good one. Granted, many books have an error or two, even those written by best-selling authors. I expect mine do, too, but the fewer the better. That’s why it’s essential to have Beta readers (volunteers who provide feedback on the story, characters, pacing and overall enjoyment), and proofreaders and editors as part of the team.
I began creating Murder at Chimney Bluffs more than two years ago. Despite the challenges, I had fun writing it, and it certainly helped get me through the cold, dark and snowy days of a Finger Lakes winter. Now that the weather’s warm and the days are long, I plan to take a breather; that is, until I start writing the next book in the series in the fall.
