Meet Connie Shelton
In this interview, Connie talks about her writing, her series, and a little about herself.
In this interview, Connie talks about her writing, her series, and a little about herself.
What made you decide to write mysteries?
I always read mysteries, from the Bobbsey Twins to Nancy Drew, onward to Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and Perry Mason. Then I discovered Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, Marcia Muller and some of the other strong women authors of more recent times. Although I've written a couple of other novels (family saga-type stories that were never published), mystery is really my first love.
This is really a cliché question, but where do you get your ideas?
Ideas are everywhere. I think writers are just more attuned to taking an idea to the next step. The idea for my third book, Partnerships Can Be Murder, came from a short item on the evening news. I began to play with ideas for how the incident might have turned out, although I twisted it all around before the plot for the book was finally done. Competition Can Be Murder came to me during a trip to the Scottish Highlands. My tenth book, Obsessions Can Be Murder, got its origins when I heard about a large house that exploded the day after its owner left town. Although I believe the original case was solved without a whole lot of intrigue, again, I took the basics from a true story and began to think, what if . . .
I developed my Samantha Sweet series after Sam appeared in the eleventh Charlie book, Gossip Can Be Murder. I loved the idea of her being a baker (you may have noticed that I have a real sweet tooth). Then I heard of another very interesting job--the USDA contracts people to clean and maintain properties that have been abandoned, until the place can be sold. I knew a man who did this job, and it really interested me. Again, playing "what if" I wondered what types of strange things Sam might find as she "broke into houses for a living." In the fictional world, she manages to hold dual careers and find mysterious things all around.
Describe your writing process--how does a book go from "idea" to finished?
Once I have the basic rough idea for a new book I spend a couple of days really developing the plot and fleshing out the scene-by-scene events (I use the same method that I teach in my novel writing course). As soon as I have a fairly comprehensive plot line, I start the actual writing. I try to get a first draft done with as few interruptions as possible--basically writing 6 to 8 hours a day, six days a week. I try not to schedule travel or anything else that will take me away from my writing during this time. In the past I'd written books in more of a "fits and starts" manner, but it was always very hard for me to get my head back into the work. Sticking with a story until I have the first draft done is what works best for me. This usually takes 4-6 weeks but depending on the complexity of the story might be 8 weeks or longer.
After the first draft is done I set it aside and take a deep breath. The draft needs a rest and I need a break from it by then. That's when my friends and family get a chance to see me with my hair combed, when the closets might get cleaned and when I get the chance to indulge in my hobbies or travel for a bit (if there's no travel on the horizon I might just start putting together ideas for the next book). I let the first draft of the manuscript sit, without really touching it, for about a month. Once I can look at it with fresh eyes I start in on the edits, and I will normally spend about a month on that before handing it off to my editor. After she has added her comments and caught most of my glaring errors, I edit again. I'll have a total of four or five drafts before it finally goes to production.
How did you develop the character of Charlie?
Charlie sort of evolved. In the beginning drafts of the first book, she was a lot tougher and tended to mouth off more than she does now. The longer we worked together, the more she became what she is today—a regular gal. (some people say she’s a lot like me) I’d done a lot of accounting work over the years, so I gave her that profession. I’m married to a helicopter pilot, so Charlie got one, too. Her experiences flying helicopters are mainly fictional. I’ve ridden along on a lot of flights, but never learned to pilot a rotorcraft. Of course, taking the liberty of writing fiction, Charlie is prettier, braver, and younger than I am.
What about your other characters? Are they based on real people?
Not really. I think all writers use human characteristics based on that which they’ve observed or experienced. But my characters are really not based on anyone I’ve known. With one exception—the character of Elsa Higgins, Charlie’s surrogate grandmother, is very much based on my own grandmother.
Your stories are set in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico. How did you choose that location, and are all the locales within Albuquerque accurate in the books?
I chose Albuquerque because it’s where I grew up and lived much of my life, although I don’t live there anymore. That presents its own set of problems, writing a series in a place that I don’t spend much time and trying to keep it accurate. Every time I visit, they’ve changed the name of a street, or businesses have come and gone. Although I do use actual street names and the geography is basically all true, there are some locales that are completely fictitious. One notable example, that I am constantly asked about is Pedro’s restaurant. Sorry folks, it doesn’t exist—I made it up.
In my second series, Samantha Sweet lives in Taos, New Mexico. It's an area filled with a rich history (the Taos Pueblo is the oldest inhabited dwelling in the US, dating back to about 1000 AD). In addition to the ancient Indian traditions, there are also a number of paranormal phenomena in the area--ley lines and the 'Taos Hum' to name just a couple. Sam comes into possession of an artifact that seems to give special powers--it just seemed a natural to use Taos as the setting for all this.
For my third series, The Heist Ladies, I moved their home base to Phoenix, Arizona, although these ladies don't stay home much. Their capers take them around to the world to a variety of places. In the first two books alone, they've been to the Caribbean, to Switzerland, to China and more. They deal with thieves and con artists more than murderers, and they don't let silly things like jurisdiction get in their way. I'm having a lot of fun with these five women and their unique approach to solving crimes.
We hear that you’re also a hot air balloon pilot and hold a world record. Do you plan to use ballooning as a background for any future books?
I used to say “maybe.” Now I’ve done it! Balloons Can Be Murder combines a completely fictional murder plot with many of my own experiences during the early years of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. The character of Rachael in this book is a compilation of many female pilots I’ve known over the years, adventurous women who love to fly and to strive for new goals. The details of her altitude record flight closely mirror my own. It was fun to develop the plot for this one.
Your husband is quite a talented guy, isn't he?
Absolutely! In addition to having a long career as a helicopter pilot (he proofreads all of Drake's sections in my books), he's also been a musician all his life. He has such an innate understanding of music--the guitar in particular--that I'm just blown away by his talent. He plays a variety of styles, from flamenco and Latin rhythms, to soft jazz and Big Band era pieces. He loves complexity and will work on learning a new piece for months. On his albums he actually plays not only the guitar but all the other instruments that accompany him. All this is recorded in his home studio. If you'd like to hear a sample, his music is available here: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/DanShelton, at iTunes and at Amazon.com
And you've taught writing, as well?
Yes. I taught for 6 years with Long Ridge Writers Group, a great organization. My students lived all over North America and ranged in age from 16 to 86. I loved the chance to work with new writers of all skill levels. Many of them went on to be published, which is a great feeling for me. I still hear from several of them.
I had to leave Long Ridge in 2008 when my husband and I decided to live abroad for awhile. That was sad for me, but I've been able to continue to connect with new writers through a novel-writing course that I developed. It's called Novel In A Weekend because it's based on a plan where you can spend two days developing a complete plot outline, the main characters, and a strong first chapter. Most writers find that getting started is the hardest part, so this course is designed to get them quickly past that stumbling block. With a solid plan and regular writing schedule, a lot of writers find they can have a finished first draft in just a month or so. The techniques I teach are the same that I use in writing the Charlie books.
I'll take a second to give some contact information, in case there aspiring writers out there. I have a set of free writing tips that I send out by email, and anyone can get them--just click the link. And, for information on taking the course, here is a link to the page for it.
So, what exciting things are on the horizon?
What is it they say? . . . so many ideas, so little time? It seems that for every book I finish I come up with two or three new plot ideas. I definitely plan to continue writing both Charlie Parker and Samantha Sweet books. I've also started another series, The Heist Ladies, as well as a couple of stand-alone titles--now I just need to make the time to write the books!
I am excited about the variety of e-book formats available now, so we are constantly updating my website with links to additional vendors. We're making a push now to reach more Apple device users and continue our expanded reach to Nook and Kobo readers, in addition to the tried and true sites we've worked with all along. One exciting new program from Amazon is their "Matchbook" promotion. When readers purchase the paperback version of any of my books, they can get the Kindle version at a drastically discounted price. Since I'm an avid reader (paper or e-book) I love this idea!
The best ways to keep up with what's new will be to subscribe to my newsletter and to follow my blog. I'm going to do my best to post somewhat regularly so that I can always answer that perpetual question--when is the next book coming out?
I always read mysteries, from the Bobbsey Twins to Nancy Drew, onward to Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and Perry Mason. Then I discovered Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, Marcia Muller and some of the other strong women authors of more recent times. Although I've written a couple of other novels (family saga-type stories that were never published), mystery is really my first love.
This is really a cliché question, but where do you get your ideas?
Ideas are everywhere. I think writers are just more attuned to taking an idea to the next step. The idea for my third book, Partnerships Can Be Murder, came from a short item on the evening news. I began to play with ideas for how the incident might have turned out, although I twisted it all around before the plot for the book was finally done. Competition Can Be Murder came to me during a trip to the Scottish Highlands. My tenth book, Obsessions Can Be Murder, got its origins when I heard about a large house that exploded the day after its owner left town. Although I believe the original case was solved without a whole lot of intrigue, again, I took the basics from a true story and began to think, what if . . .
I developed my Samantha Sweet series after Sam appeared in the eleventh Charlie book, Gossip Can Be Murder. I loved the idea of her being a baker (you may have noticed that I have a real sweet tooth). Then I heard of another very interesting job--the USDA contracts people to clean and maintain properties that have been abandoned, until the place can be sold. I knew a man who did this job, and it really interested me. Again, playing "what if" I wondered what types of strange things Sam might find as she "broke into houses for a living." In the fictional world, she manages to hold dual careers and find mysterious things all around.
Describe your writing process--how does a book go from "idea" to finished?
Once I have the basic rough idea for a new book I spend a couple of days really developing the plot and fleshing out the scene-by-scene events (I use the same method that I teach in my novel writing course). As soon as I have a fairly comprehensive plot line, I start the actual writing. I try to get a first draft done with as few interruptions as possible--basically writing 6 to 8 hours a day, six days a week. I try not to schedule travel or anything else that will take me away from my writing during this time. In the past I'd written books in more of a "fits and starts" manner, but it was always very hard for me to get my head back into the work. Sticking with a story until I have the first draft done is what works best for me. This usually takes 4-6 weeks but depending on the complexity of the story might be 8 weeks or longer.
After the first draft is done I set it aside and take a deep breath. The draft needs a rest and I need a break from it by then. That's when my friends and family get a chance to see me with my hair combed, when the closets might get cleaned and when I get the chance to indulge in my hobbies or travel for a bit (if there's no travel on the horizon I might just start putting together ideas for the next book). I let the first draft of the manuscript sit, without really touching it, for about a month. Once I can look at it with fresh eyes I start in on the edits, and I will normally spend about a month on that before handing it off to my editor. After she has added her comments and caught most of my glaring errors, I edit again. I'll have a total of four or five drafts before it finally goes to production.
How did you develop the character of Charlie?
Charlie sort of evolved. In the beginning drafts of the first book, she was a lot tougher and tended to mouth off more than she does now. The longer we worked together, the more she became what she is today—a regular gal. (some people say she’s a lot like me) I’d done a lot of accounting work over the years, so I gave her that profession. I’m married to a helicopter pilot, so Charlie got one, too. Her experiences flying helicopters are mainly fictional. I’ve ridden along on a lot of flights, but never learned to pilot a rotorcraft. Of course, taking the liberty of writing fiction, Charlie is prettier, braver, and younger than I am.
What about your other characters? Are they based on real people?
Not really. I think all writers use human characteristics based on that which they’ve observed or experienced. But my characters are really not based on anyone I’ve known. With one exception—the character of Elsa Higgins, Charlie’s surrogate grandmother, is very much based on my own grandmother.
Your stories are set in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico. How did you choose that location, and are all the locales within Albuquerque accurate in the books?
I chose Albuquerque because it’s where I grew up and lived much of my life, although I don’t live there anymore. That presents its own set of problems, writing a series in a place that I don’t spend much time and trying to keep it accurate. Every time I visit, they’ve changed the name of a street, or businesses have come and gone. Although I do use actual street names and the geography is basically all true, there are some locales that are completely fictitious. One notable example, that I am constantly asked about is Pedro’s restaurant. Sorry folks, it doesn’t exist—I made it up.
In my second series, Samantha Sweet lives in Taos, New Mexico. It's an area filled with a rich history (the Taos Pueblo is the oldest inhabited dwelling in the US, dating back to about 1000 AD). In addition to the ancient Indian traditions, there are also a number of paranormal phenomena in the area--ley lines and the 'Taos Hum' to name just a couple. Sam comes into possession of an artifact that seems to give special powers--it just seemed a natural to use Taos as the setting for all this.
For my third series, The Heist Ladies, I moved their home base to Phoenix, Arizona, although these ladies don't stay home much. Their capers take them around to the world to a variety of places. In the first two books alone, they've been to the Caribbean, to Switzerland, to China and more. They deal with thieves and con artists more than murderers, and they don't let silly things like jurisdiction get in their way. I'm having a lot of fun with these five women and their unique approach to solving crimes.
We hear that you’re also a hot air balloon pilot and hold a world record. Do you plan to use ballooning as a background for any future books?
I used to say “maybe.” Now I’ve done it! Balloons Can Be Murder combines a completely fictional murder plot with many of my own experiences during the early years of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. The character of Rachael in this book is a compilation of many female pilots I’ve known over the years, adventurous women who love to fly and to strive for new goals. The details of her altitude record flight closely mirror my own. It was fun to develop the plot for this one.
Your husband is quite a talented guy, isn't he?
Absolutely! In addition to having a long career as a helicopter pilot (he proofreads all of Drake's sections in my books), he's also been a musician all his life. He has such an innate understanding of music--the guitar in particular--that I'm just blown away by his talent. He plays a variety of styles, from flamenco and Latin rhythms, to soft jazz and Big Band era pieces. He loves complexity and will work on learning a new piece for months. On his albums he actually plays not only the guitar but all the other instruments that accompany him. All this is recorded in his home studio. If you'd like to hear a sample, his music is available here: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/DanShelton, at iTunes and at Amazon.com
And you've taught writing, as well?
Yes. I taught for 6 years with Long Ridge Writers Group, a great organization. My students lived all over North America and ranged in age from 16 to 86. I loved the chance to work with new writers of all skill levels. Many of them went on to be published, which is a great feeling for me. I still hear from several of them.
I had to leave Long Ridge in 2008 when my husband and I decided to live abroad for awhile. That was sad for me, but I've been able to continue to connect with new writers through a novel-writing course that I developed. It's called Novel In A Weekend because it's based on a plan where you can spend two days developing a complete plot outline, the main characters, and a strong first chapter. Most writers find that getting started is the hardest part, so this course is designed to get them quickly past that stumbling block. With a solid plan and regular writing schedule, a lot of writers find they can have a finished first draft in just a month or so. The techniques I teach are the same that I use in writing the Charlie books.
I'll take a second to give some contact information, in case there aspiring writers out there. I have a set of free writing tips that I send out by email, and anyone can get them--just click the link. And, for information on taking the course, here is a link to the page for it.
So, what exciting things are on the horizon?
What is it they say? . . . so many ideas, so little time? It seems that for every book I finish I come up with two or three new plot ideas. I definitely plan to continue writing both Charlie Parker and Samantha Sweet books. I've also started another series, The Heist Ladies, as well as a couple of stand-alone titles--now I just need to make the time to write the books!
I am excited about the variety of e-book formats available now, so we are constantly updating my website with links to additional vendors. We're making a push now to reach more Apple device users and continue our expanded reach to Nook and Kobo readers, in addition to the tried and true sites we've worked with all along. One exciting new program from Amazon is their "Matchbook" promotion. When readers purchase the paperback version of any of my books, they can get the Kindle version at a drastically discounted price. Since I'm an avid reader (paper or e-book) I love this idea!
The best ways to keep up with what's new will be to subscribe to my newsletter and to follow my blog. I'm going to do my best to post somewhat regularly so that I can always answer that perpetual question--when is the next book coming out?
