John M. Wills

Author Amy Bennett on “Keeping It Real: Using Actual Places In Fiction”

It sometimes unnerves me when people read my Black Horse Campground murder mysteries and ask if they’re based on true stories. If I knew that many murder victims (and, by extension, murderers), I would probably never leave my house!

The reason the question pops up so frequently is because I incorporate a lot of actual places in my stories. Locals who have read the BHC mysteries know exactly where the campground is located—even though it doesn’t exist—due to all the real-life towns and businesses I use to set the scene and give the stories a more true-to-life flavor.

In a way, it’s almost cheating to have real-life locales as the setting for a story. After all, you just have to visit the places to get the descriptions and “vibe” just right for the story, with actual details that make it ring true. But you have to know and even love the story’s setting in order to make it ring true, just as you have to know and love the characters to make them sound like real people.

In my fourth book, At the Crossroad, setting plays a major role in the story and mystery. J.D. Wilder, the newcomer from Houston, TX, is beginning to feel at home in Bonney County and develops a fierce sense of protectiveness of the place and people who inhabit it. Here is the blurb and a short excerpt: FC At the Crossroad

Trouble often comes in threes. It’s no different at the Black Horse Campground.

On his first day as detective with the Bonney Police Department, J.D. Wilder finds three cold case files on his desk—three women who have disappeared over a fifteen year period at five-year intervals. It seems that no one has ever taken the cases seriously… or even properly investigated them.

Then J.D. receives a visit from two former colleagues who inform him that he’s about to receive another visitor; a woman from his past who is in trouble and needs his help. Again. The timing couldn’t be worse, since he’s finally about to ask Corrie on a date, but then Corrie also has a visitor from her past show up… someone who’s hoping for a second chance with her. In the meantime, Sheriff Rick Sutton has his hands full dodging his ex-wife, Meghan, who insists on discussing personal business with him… business that has to do with digging up a painful past.

When three bodies are discovered that prove the missing women were murdered, J.D.’s investigation reveals that all of their visitors have some connection to the victims. But which one of them killed three women… and is prepared to kill again?

When trouble comes to Bonney County, Corrie, Rick, and J.D. band together to protect each other and their community. But can they solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again?

Excerpt from Chapter 14

J.D. returned to the Black Horse more wide awake than he had been in days. Amato’s words rang in his ears, while a voice in his head warned him that if he didn’t get some rest, he was going to be completely useless when the time came to have his wits about him and his energy. Still, a night spent in mostly inactivity wasn’t going to allow him to rest. He went into his cabin and changed into his running clothes. He needed to release some tension and energy if he was going to rest at all.

He slipped out of the cabin, casting a glance toward the campground store. It was almost six thirty a.m. and Corrie’s apartment light was on but the store’s lights were still out. He had missed the Friday night fish fry dinner, but he hoped to be back once she was open and be able to talk to her more. And get a decent breakfast.

He started out, following the path he’d taken a couple of days earlier. The cool morning air was amazingly refreshing, helping clear his mind while invigorating and relaxing him at the same time. His breathing eased as his strides became more purposeful. He was near a breakthrough in the cold cases. He could feel it. Officer Amato had information that could help reveal the truth about what happened to the three women. After that… he’d have to wait and see.

He rounded the curve where he had seen the small cemetery the last time he had run this path and he slowed to a stop. He had pushed it to the back of his mind and had all but forgotten about it until this moment. Now was as good a time as any to pay his respects. His run had already accomplished its purpose. He knew he’d be able to sleep when he got to his cabin and he’d probably stroll back to the campground after this. He allowed himself a grin as he left the path, picking his way through the tall grass and brush to where the grave sites were.

Unlike most small cemeteries he’d encountered, there was no fence surrounding this one. In fact, there were only three wooden markers, crosses, all of them uniform but in different stages of weathering. He stopped when he got close enough to make out the lettering and suddenly the breath rushed out of him, leaving him feeling weak and dizzy with shock.

The first marker, the most faded, bore the name Carla Sandoval. The second, Rosalie Edwards. The third, the one with the least amount of weathering and the least faded lettering, read Benita Rojas.

Beside the one for Benita Rojas was an open grave. A plain wooden cross lay nearby. Both looked recent. Only a few days recent.

J.D. stumbled back, afraid that his eyes were playing tricks. He fumbled for his cell phone and let out an expletive when he realized he’d left it in his cabin when he changed his clothes. He reached the path and took off at a dead run back to the Black Horse Campground.

He’d been right; there had been more to the disappearances than what was common knowledge.

He hated it when he was right.

Author Bio

Amy Bennett’s debut mystery novel, End of the Road, started as a National Novel Writing Month project in 2009. It went on to win the 2012 Dark Oak Mystery Contest and launched the Black Horse Campground mystery series, followed by No Lifeguard on Duty and No Vacancy, which have both been awarded the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval. At the Cross Road is the fourth book in the series.

When not sitting at the laptop actively writing, she works full-time at Walmart of Alamogordo (not too far down the road from fictional Bonney County) as a cake decorator and part-time at Noisy Water Winery in Ruidoso (where you can find some of the best wines in the state of New Mexico, including Jo Mamma’s White!) She lives with her husband and son in a small town halfway between Alamogordo and Ruidoso. Visit her website at and The Back Deck Blog at http://amymbennettbooks.blogspot.com

A Girl With A Cape

Amy Logan has created a terrific book, ostensibly directed toward young girls. However, once I read this wonderfully written and illustrated story, I realized it transcended all ages.

A Girl With A Cape resembles a fairy tale, but it’s so much more. It’s an instructional manual, if you will, telling us how, one by one, we can make a difference. In Amy’s words—“We can change the world.” How? By doing simple common sense things we should have been doing all along. Things like, telling your family you love them. Simple, right? But the person who hears the words, “I love you,” is impacted in a hugely positive manner for the rest of the day and beyond. The words become infectious, causing a chain reaction empowering others to be kind and gracious.
The cape, which is included with each book, is emblematic of a superhero. However, it’s an atypical hero, not one that can fly or see through walls. Rather, the superhero in Amy’s book is able to change the world merely by using kind words and gestures.

I’d recommend this book for the holidays, but the reality is the story is appropriate for every day of the year. Kind words and a loving heart send a powerful message to friends and foes alike, one that says—I care about you. Every one of us can all easily become superheroes and make our world a better place. Amy Logan’s work can make a difference in your life. Give it a chance.

Apostrophes, What You Need To Know

I’ve taken the following information directly from the

“Editorial Inspirations Newsletter,” by April Michelle Davis.

Most writers know that an apostrophe shows possession for a noun; the omission of some letters in a word or numbers in a year; and the plurality of single letters, numbers, and abbreviations. But the apostrophe has other uses as well that may not be in the forefront of our minds when we are writing. Refresh your knowledge of the apostrophe by reviewing its other uses below.

Double possessive (double genitive): use of and apostrophe s in the same phrase

a friend of Mary’s

Joint possessive: use an apostrophe on the last item in a series when the subjects own an item together

Frank and Sue’s house (they share one house)

Bob, Tim, and Fred’s sister-in-law (they have the same sister-in-law)

Possessives of possessive names: do not use another apostrophe s if the name of a company or thing is already possessive; recast the sentence or use the original possessive name again

Mary and Mariah love going to Friendly’s. The fries at Friendly’s are the best, they say.

Possessives of inanimate objects: use an apostrophe when the object is singular

The car’s engine is overheating.

The laptop’s hard drive is broken.

Set phrases: use apostrophe s in an idiomatic way for a couple of set phrases

mother-in-law’s car

anyone else’s book

Units of measurement: use an apostrophe when the unit modifies a noun

15 years’ experience

two weeks’ notice

4 yards’ worth of fabric

The omission apostrophe: use an apostrophe when making contractions

don’t

wouldn’t

po’ boy

The plurals apostrophe: use an apostrophe when making single letters, numbers, and abbreviations plural

Robert got all A’s on his report card.

Disco was popular in the 1970’s.

The CEO’s are meeting after the VP’s.

Note that whether or not an apostrophe is used to form plurals depends on the style guide you are following. The above examples follow the rules of the New York Times. For example, the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, recommends the following:

Robert got all As on his report card.

Disco was popular in the 1970s.

The CEOs are meeting after the VPs.

Try It!

Determine which word in italics is correct using the New York Times and/or the Chicago Manual of Style style guides.

1. A friend of Beth’s/Beth came with us to the movies.

2. John and Sally’s/John’s and Sally’s house has three bedrooms.

3. Susan and John like T.G.I. Friday’s’s fries. / Susan and John like the fries at T.G.I. Friday’s.

4. The book/book’s pages are crumpled.

5. My brother’s-in-law/brother-in-law’s truck is red.

6. I decided to give my two weeks notice/two weeks’ notice today.

7. I wont/won’t go to bed until I brush my teeth.

8. Rebecca got all B’s/Bs in her English class.

9. The Beatles were very popular in the 1960s/1960’s.

10. The VPs/VP’s are meeting after lunch.

Answers:

1. Beth’s; 2. John and Sally’s; 3. T.G.I. Friday’s; 4. book’s; 5. brother-in-law’s; 6. two weeks’ notice; 7. won’t; 8. B’s (NYT), Bs (CMS); 9. 1960’s (NYT), 1960s (CMS); 10. VP’s (NYT), VPs (CMS)

Depending on your grasp of grammar, this is either an excellent lesson or handy refresher. Many thanks to the author for her expertise!

Rescuing Finley by Dan Walsh (Kindle edition)

Rescuing Finley is a refreshing, comfortable story, one that leaves the reader with a good feeling about society and the inherent goodness in people. Chris Seger, a former Marine, lost a leg while serving his country in Afghanistan. But he suffered more than just physical pain—he developed PTSD—a condition that interferes with his ability to interact with people in a normal manner.

Amy Wallace has her own troubles. Drug addiction and a few brushes with the law resulted in a prison sentence. Her behavior caused her family to reject her. Now she finds herself alone and scared in an environment that is both dangerous and potentially violent.

A very special dog, Finley, has suffered his own trauma. Finley’s master, Chaz, was killed while serving in the Middle East. Chaz’s mother was watching Finley while her son was gone, and now she’s stuck with a dog she can’t control while she grieves her son’s death. It becomes too much for the woman, and she finally brings Finley to a shelter.

Finley is chosen for a special prison program that trains dogs and matches them with military members suffering from PTSD. Amy becomes one of the inmate dog trainers in the program, and draws Finley as one of the dogs picked to participate. Chris accidentally discovers the dog-training program through a friend, and learns that adopting one of the dogs is possibly the answer to his PTSD problem.

Rescuing Finley is a delightful story suitable for all ages. It’s a tale of despair, hope, love, and more importantly, redemption. What’s unique about this novel is that Dan Walsh gives Finley a voice, one that rounds out this character driven narrative. As we see the story unfold through the eyes of the dog, we come to better understand the compassion and love these animals have for their caretakers. It’s a beautiful account that will warm your heart.

Writing For Halloween

It’s that time of year again, Halloween, a time when scary stories are most welcome—even sought after. How do you figure out what might scare people? How about focusing on the things that scared you?

All of us have had things that frightened us when we were children, things like insects (spiders for me), darkness, imaginary creatures in closets or under beds. How about getting lost in a bad area and not being able to find your way home? Or perhaps the fear of heights or of flying? All of these fears can be the basis for a great Halloween story, since many of our childhood fears follow us into adulthood.

Can you recall a time when you were scared? Maybe when you were out running and a stray dog snarled and almost attacked you? How did it make you feel? Frightened, nervous—were you sick to your stomach, pulse increase, did you begin to sweat? All of these responses are the perfect way to involve the reader in your story and have them feel the same way.

Have you ever had a confrontation with someone who wanted to harm you? Perhaps you experienced the “fight or flight syndrome.” You may have been scared to death, but your fear helped you overcome the situation. An instance such as this can be the basis for an exciting frightful tale.

If you involve a likable character, one the reader can accept, and then involve him or her in a tension-filled situation that evolves slowly, you will have a killer story for Halloween. Make sure you leave some room for imagination. Sometimes things left unsaid are the scariest, for it leaves the reader to imagine the worst.

Good luck!