Beverly Connor: Derrick is a good friend of Lindsay's and one of the great loves of her life. In the first book, they married, but the publisher didn't want a married sleuth, so I changed it.  

Is he out of the running? I don't know, so I guess that means no. I wanted Lindsay to have a normal life outside her career, but in a mystery I think the important part is the mystery itself, and a love interest often interferes with the story. I try to strike an even balance. John West (Lindsay's current love interest) started out as a minor character. However, as minor characters sometimes do, he wrote himself a bigger part. 

Crescent Blues: In Skeleton Crew, it was interesting to see Lindsay struggle with a new skill, in this case, scuba diving. You demonstrated Lindsay is not perfect, but gutsy. Will her character continue to evolve in this series? How will she grow or change in the upcoming novel? 

Beverly Connor: I think a character that continues to change and develop is more interesting and more realistic. In the new novel, Lindsay learns to deal with temporarily losing her memory and all the problems that entails. Lindsay's brain is very important to her, so the event is very traumatic and she must overcome the effects if it. 

Crescent Blues: When you set the third novel, Dressed to Die at the University of Georgia, what kind of reaction did you get from administration and colleagues? Based on your experience, would you recommend using real places as settings in fiction, or does this present complications? 

Beverly Connor: The reaction I'm getting from everyone I talk to who works at the university -- or any university for that matter -- has been very positive. Academia can be tough, and almost everyone in it has had difficult experiences at one time or another. My husband Charles is on the faculty in the College of Education at UGA. (He's the Coordinator of Distance Education for the College.) And no, he hasn't had any problems at all. Both of his last two deans read it and like it. 

Using real places as setting is a lot of fun for the writer as well as the reader. People who live here, get a real kick from reading about places they're familiar with in a mystery plot. I've had people tell me they went around campus pointing out to friends where various things in the book happened. So far, there have been no complications. I did create a building (Nancy Hart) that is not actually there. I mention that in the author's note in the book. That's also the fun of writing fiction -- making up stuff. 

Crescent Blues: Some mystery writers lament the problems of keeping each novel fresh and individual for those readers who haven't kept up with the whole series. It must be difficult to keep redundancies at a minimum for fans of the series, while providing necessary background for first-time readers. How do you manage this? 

Beverly Connor: I never construct a plot that depends on events that happened in a previous book. Obviously, to follow all the details of Lindsay's private life, you have to read the other books, but I make each book stand alone in terms of plot. If I bring in a character from a previous book, I simply explain who they are without giving a detailed account of his or her history with Lindsay. Sometimes I refer to some past event with another character, and though readers might be curious about it, they don't have to have read the other books to understand what's going on in the story. 

Crescent Blues: What is your writing method? Do you know whodunit before you start? 

Beverly Connor: I don't outline. Often I don't know who committed the crime, or who gets murdered, or why. I start with place -- the site where Lindsay is working. When I know where she is and the kind of site, I start filling it with characters.  

Usually I start Lindsay acting and "watch" who she meets and how she interacts with them. Obviously I do have some idea which way the plot is going and what the book is about, but any initial ideas are subject to change. After all, characters will do what they will do. I also surround my workspace with maps and pictures of the sites where Lindsay is working. 

Crescent Blues: What authors and books do you read for pleasure? Do you have a particular favorite or someone that has inspired your writing? 

Beverly Connor: I like many kinds of books. One of my favorites is Kathleen Neville (The Eight) and Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose). I've read and enjoyed most of the classical mystery writers (Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Arthur Conan Doyle). Mary Roberts Rinehart is a favorite. My all time favorite mystery series is Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series. I love the banter between Wolfe and Archie -- often more than the plots.  

I've been introduced to many new mystery series by meeting the authors at signings. I love Virginia Lanier's bloodhound series. Judy and Takis Iakovou (who are friends of mine, by the way) are also on my favorite list. Not because they are friends, but because I love the quirky sense of humor of their two main (married) characters.  

I also like science fiction, though I haven't read any in a while. I also like the Tarzan series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Other favorites are Jane Austen. I love Pride and Prejudice. I can read anything Mark Twain wrote over and over. I like John Steinbeck, especially The Winter of Our Discontent. I also read romances. All the books I've read have been inspiring in one way or another. 

Crescent Blues: Could you tell our readers something your preparation and where you look for information to make your novels so authentic and interesting? 

Beverly Connor: I read professional journals and texts in the field. I fortunately live close to UGA Library. I also do a lot of research on the Internet. One of the things I try to do to make the novel sound authentic and not sound like a text is to weave the research into the plot. I don't use nearly the amount of research I do for each book, so I do a lot of cutting. I also talk to experts in a particular subject. 

Crescent Blues: Lindsay Chamberlain has some interesting hobbies such as ballroom dancing, horses. Do you share the same hobbies? What do you do for fun? 

Beverly Connor: I don't dance at all. Wish I did. I do have a horse (a three-quarters Arabian) and have ridden (for pleasure) most of my life. I've never shown horses like Lindsay has, however.  

What do I do for fun? Besides writing? I read, teach my dog to track, go places with my husband, watch TV. Normal stuff. 

Crescent Blues: How has your life changed since you began publishing Lindsay's adventures? 

Beverly Connor: It has changed a lot. Most of the publicity for a book is on the author's shoulders. I'm lucky in that my publisher (Cumberland House) does a lot more than most publishers. But for the book to sell, I have to go a lot of places, do a lot of signings, mailouts, give a lot of talks, and meet a lot of booksellers. It was really hard in the beginning, because I'm a very shy person. However, I'm blessed with a shameless husband, and that helped tremendously. Both our lives are significantly busier now because of the books. We used to stay home more. Now we travel and I'm not quite as shy as I was. 

Crescent Blues: Most writers seek solitude. How do you feel about book signings and tours that force you to deal with large numbers of people for extended periods of time? 

Beverly Connor: I prefer solitude. But I've also found I enjoy meeting people. (Especially people who like my books!) In a way it's like being a shape-shifter. I pretend not to be shy for long periods of time. It's sometimes tiring. All in all, it's not a bad life by any means. However, sometimes it's hard to find time to write when so much time has to be spent publicizing the book. 

Crescent Blues: What advice would you give an aspiring writer on writing and publishing? 

Beverly Connor: Learn to write well. Work on it. Never think you don't need to learn more about writing. Don't ever give up, ever. A well-written book with an interesting plot and characters will get published. Even if you hate getting rejections (no one likes them), don't stop trying and don't take rejections personally. They aren't intended that way. Also read. I think good writers are also good readers. 

Crescent Blues: Is there anything you'd like to add? Soap boxes provided free of charge. 

Beverly Connor: OK. Great. How about some more advice and some promotion. First find a writer's group, one that is willing to work hard with you and you with them. You don't need one in which everyone tells you your work is great, nor do you need one where vicious criticism is allowed. The object of a writer's group is to help your writing. The group needs to be able to develop the critiquing skills that assist to that end. 

Go to writers' conferences and meet editors and agents, as well as authors and other pre-published writers. Treat your writing, even if you aren't yet published, as your job, and act professionally. My husband puts on the Harriette Austin Writers Conference at the UGA Athens, Ga., every year. This year it's July 14-15. He's in the process of putting up the web site. He doesn't have all the presenters yet, but some of the conference faculty are listed. 

Dawn Goldsmith 

Click here to learn more about Beverly Connor. 

Click here to learn more about the Harriette Austin Writers Conference.