Anne C Franklin

I haven't been posting on my blog, but I have been writing. 'Evil Irish Lies' will be finished this summer. This is the third book in the ‘Meg and Janet Vacation Murder Mystery’ series. This time, the girls find murder and intrigue on the Emerald Isle.

Vacationing and holidays have put me way behind where I wanted to be with this book, but it's always that way. If I just sat and wrote eight hours a day, five days a week, it would have been done months and months ago. Anyway enough of the excuses, it will be finished this summer, maybe June or July, but in 2015 for sure.

Joleene Naylor, book cover extraordinaire has done another fantastic job. I just told her I wanted green and a shamrock, which my daughter, Kitty, drew, right in the middle. And of course there had to be some blood. I always get Joleene on the case, when I'm about three quarters along. It gives me that extra push to the end. When I see her cover, it becomes a book, not a document.

I remember a long, long time ago when I first started writing 'A Winter Murderland', I had never even tried to write a full length book, it was daunting to me. I didn't think I could actually do it. But paragraph after paragraph led me into a real book. About half way through it, I decided I should get a professional to give me advice. So I did, and I got a very good critique on the first six chapters, which helped me. But, there was one piece of advice that I didn’t take. She told me I had too much description of foreign places. “After all,’ she said, “you’re writing a mystery book not a travel book.” I gave this a lot of thought and finally decided to not take this bit of advice. When I first decided to write I wanted to write about thinks I knew. I am visually impaired, so my protagonist is also. I have traveled to all the places I write about, so I know them well, and I love a good mystery, I grew up reading Agatha Cristie. And, boy, have I met some kooky people along the way.