It’s my pleasure to welcome back one of my favorite mystery authors,
F.M. Meredith.
F. M. Meredith lived for many years in a small beach community much like Rocky Bluff. She has many relatives and friends who are in law enforcement and share their experiences and expertise with her. She taught writing for Writers Digest Schools for 10 years, and was an instructor at the prestigious Maui Writers Retreat, and has taught at many writers’ conferences. Marilyn is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and serves on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She lives in the foothills of the Sierra. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/
MY EXCITING LIFE AS AN AUTHOR
I’m sure there are many authors—and I even know of a few—who have most romantic or exciting lives. However, I am not one of those.
However, over the years I have had some exciting times, mostly connected to writing conferences.
Writing and mystery conferences are held all over the country and back when I was up to traveling, I had the pleasure of going to many places I’d never have gone to otherwise, sometime with my hubby and sometimes solo from New Orleans to Alaska, Hawaii, Madison and Milwaukee Wisconsin, Austin, Plano, and San Antonio, Texas, Washington DC, Tampa and Orlando Florida, Seattle and Bellingham Washington, and many wonderful cities in California, Arizona and Nevada. I’ve probably missed a few.
My first trip to Alaska was for Left Coast Crime where I not only got to see moose wandering around downtown Anchorage, but I met two young Native women and became friends with them. I also visited a small village to speak to school kids and to get there I rode with the principal on the frozen river. (Yes, that was an adventure and a scary one at that.)
On my second trip to Alaska was to attend Bouchercon, and afterwards I stayed with one of the young Native women I’d met on my first trip and had wonderful time which included speaking to every class in the grammar and middle school in Wasilla and visiting the Anchorage Museum.
I was fortunate to be chosen to be an instructor for the prestigious Maui Writers Retreat which meant I spent five days in Maui working with new writers. My husband came along and spent his time sightseeing.
During this time I’ve met so many wonderful people, writers and readers. Though I no longer fly to exotic and faraway places, I still attend book and craft fairs and give talks in places where I can drive.
But what I’ve mentioned are really only some brief events in my life—what I’m really proud of is that I’ve been married to my husband going on 66 years, we raised 5 great kids, are grandparents to 18, and have 18 great grands, and 2 great-greats. Our offspring have brought great joy to our lives.
F.M. aka Marilyn Meredith
Unresolved
Rocky Bluff P.D. is underpaid and understaffed and when two dead bodies turn up, the department is stretched to the limit. The mayor is the first body discovered, the second an older woman whose death is caused in a bizarre manner. Because no one liked the mayor, including his estranged wife and the members of the city council, the suspects are many, but each one has an alibi.
