kshughart47

In our area of upstate New York, county sheriffs’ offices, local police departments, and our state police work tirelessly to protect our citizens. They also do a whole lot more.

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Last fall, our sheriff’s office invited citizens to participate in a comprehensive, eight-week course about their programs and services. If interested, all we had to do was complete a simple application form and pass a background check. I was delighted to be among those chosen.

Each session lasted about three hours, and then we were treated to lunch and a Q&A. One week, after touring the jail and observing inmates working with staff to help them, once released, take their places as productive members of society, we ate exactly what the inmates ate! Another beautiful, sunny, autumn day, we stood outside to observe officers working with the German Shepherds that comprise the K-9 crew.

But that wasn’t all. We also learned about the drug task force; how officers issue warrants and make arrests; handle domestic violence, hostage, and terrorist situations; do criminal investigations; work in tandem with other law enforcement agencies; and provide a myriad of broad-based community outreach programs to families, schools and senior citizens.

I gained a huge amount of knowledge that helped make Ed DeCleryk’s criminal investigation in Murder in the Museum: An Edmund DeCleryk Mystery https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Museum-Edmund-DeCleryk-Mystery/dp/1946063509/ more authentic, but I also had specific questions that were not addressed in class.

The sheriff, deputy, one of his undersheriffs and I met for almost two hours a couple weeks after the course ended to address those questions, much to my pleasure and satisfaction. To a person, I found these folks professional, approachable and warm.

It was for me, in the final stages of writing my mystery, an invaluable experience. The women and men who work at our sheriff’s department, as well as those from other state and local law enforcement agencies, commit to serving their communities and sacrificing their own lives, if necessary, to protect the citizens they serve.

Our communities offer many resources to those of us who write mysteries, among them criminal justice agencies, medical personnel, historical societies, district attorneys and prosecutors. For our readers, having access to these professionals and organizations helps add a level of authenticity to our stories.

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My first novel, Murder in the Museum, was recently published by Cozy Cat Press, and I must admit it was a real labor of love. It’s the first (at least I hope it is!) in a series of Edmund DeCleryk Mysteries that takes place in Lighthouse Cove, NY, a fictional village located on the southern shores of Lake Ontario. If you know anything about the seasons in the Great Lakes, you’ll understand why I chose late fall and winter for my series’ debut. Brrrr! Lots of dark and blizzardy nights with lots of howling wind, along with stunningly gorgeous seasonal vistas.

I’ve been published before, non-fiction, and have worked as a journalist and newspaper columnist, but this was my first venture as a fiction writer. So how did I do it?

The idea: For whatever reason, I envisioned my sleuth as a retired police chief who lives with his wife, Annie, the head of the historical society, in a small lakeside community. Ed, also a retired Navy SEAL, is hired to investigate murders when there’s an oversized work load for the village police.

The structure: Like many novelists, I began with a plot outline, list of characters, and lots of hand-scribbled notes. But I’m not good with much structure and probably wouldn’t have followed a strict outline anyway, so I let the plot meander in whatever direction made sense. I like puzzles, and this was like solving one.

The drafts: After completing my first draft, and several others, I realized I wasn’t even close to being finished. The book needed lots of work. I was writing like a journalist, using as few words as possible to make a point. Not a good way to go with a novel.

The rewrites: I rewrote the prologue so that it would capture readers’ attention from the get-go, expanded character development, enhanced description and created bridge narratives to link one part of the story to another. I added some twists and turns to keep readers a touch off balance, and to keep them guessing about “whodunit”. My book grew from 30,000 to 66,000 words; at last, a novel!

The critics: When I was minimally satisfied with my creation, I invited three close friends to serve as my readers (my patient husband had already read it multiple times). I knew they would be brutally honest about what they liked and disliked. Their excellent feedback and suggestions made the book much better.

The publisher: Finally, I researched publishers and came up with a list of those I hoped would be interested in Murder in the Museum. Cozy Cat Press has been a good fit.

The moral: Writing a novel isn’t easy, the process can take time, and it’s smart to have others read and critique your book before submitting it to a publisher. Was it worth it? You bet!