Welcome to Help from my Friends Friday. In October 2020, I interviewed Author M.E. Browning who was making waves with her novel Shadow Ridge. https://donnellannbell.com/author-interview-with-m-e-browning-shadow-ridge/
She added a tsunami to her author resume when Shadow Ridge won The 2021 Colorado Book Award. M.E. is back with book two in the series, and she’s here to answer my questions about her soon-to-be released Mercy Creek, which is now available for preorder! Please welcome M.E. Browning.
Donnell: Thank you for joining me, M.E. Just between you and me and my readers, I almost started to relax until you pulled the proverbial rug out from under me. Mercy Creek not only begins with a different season, the story seemed to take a different tone than your opening in Shadow Ridge. Agree? Disagree?
Author M.E. Browning
M.E.: Thank you for your kind invitation to visit, Donnell! Yes, I agree. It’s so easy to fall into patterns when writing that I make a conscious effort to keep things fresh. Unlike Shadow Ridge which starts at a wintery crime scene, Mercy Creek finds Detective Jo Wyatt pulling an extra shift at the Echo Valley Fair which marks the end of summer in the valley. That first chapter flits around the fairgrounds and we see snippets of who is doing what that really sets the story in motion. Unlike many procedurals, readers are privy to information that Jo doesn’t have initially. It was fun and challenging and served the story well.
Donnell: Do you consider yourself plot driven or character driven? Or somewhere in between?
M.E.: I start with a germ of a plot, but then spend considerable time getting to know the characters who populate the story. Only then can I move forward with the plotting as each character has a significant say in how the story progresses based on what motivates them. I selected settings to complicate their progress, reinforce a particular mood, or to amplify character emotions. Writing is like baking a cake. One starts with separate ingredients, but by the time it’s finished, it’s impossible to separate its original elements.
Donnell: In Shadow Ridge, Detective Jo Wyatt is on the case of an apparent suicide. Although we learn some about Jo’s past, the story focuses on the crime(s). In Mercy Creek, she is thrust into a gut-wrenching missing child episode, complete with people who grew up with Jo. As a reader, I thought this was an ingenious way to learn more about your protagonist’s past. Was this setup deliberate on your part?
M.E.: I knew from the earliest planning stage that I wanted Jo to investigate a crime involving people she knew from childhood. Echo Valley is a small community and people know each other—which from a investigator’s standpoint has pros and cons. As Jo mused in Shadow Ridge, she often knew where the bodies were buried, but everyone expected her to let them get away with murder. I wanted to expand upon that notion by turning the spotlight on Jo, herself. It cracked open a lot of opportunities to explore character dynamics and in the process revealed plenty of Jo’s background without compromising the pacing.
Donnell: I love multiple points of view in a story of this magnitude. In addition to Jo’s, you have Galena Flores and her family members. One of the oft-preached suggestions on craft is to keep a tight rein on POV. Do you think it depends on genre? For all the writers/readers reading this interview, I’d appreciate your thoughts on this topic.
M.E.: I think POV needs are a function of story rather than genre. This is my second foray into a multi-POV story, but I’ve long been a fan of Jodi Picoult novels. She’s an absolute master of creating distinctive characters and giving many of them a megaphone in her books. The lesson is to use as many viewpoints as you need and no more. So, to answer your question, I don’t think it’s a matter of reining in the number, but being certain to distinguish characters from one another and to make darn certain they have something unique to provide to the story that no other character can do.
Donnell: Hope is monumental in this story. You address a parent’s worst nightmare. Did you as the author plot the book, and know the outcome from start to finish? Or did your muse and years of law enforcement guide you along the way?
M.E.: I’m not an outliner. I generally know the outcome of the novel from the start but not the specifics of how to get there. I find that knowing a few key milestones keeps me from straying too far into the weeds while still allowing enough leeway for those serendipitous detours that so often change the path of the story. Erle Stanley Gardner (of Perry Mason fame) once said to plot from the point of view of the antagonist, but write from the point of view of the protagonist. That axiom has served me well from the moment I discovered it. I always start with the crime. The story follows.
Need a witness to talk? But, of course, run the bleachers.
Donnell: One of the reasons I enjoy reading M.E. Browning is the emotion that fills the pages. You are adept at character development, not only in creating secondary characters, but using them to show Detective Wyatt’s character as she interacts with them. I have to share with readers my favorite scene in the book – the bleacher scene. No spoilers. But you must check it out. Any thoughts on character development you think are important?
M.E.: Thank you! I work hard to add dimension to my characters. We are all the hero of our own particular story and I’ve discovered that it’s much easier to allow other characters’ observations to bridge the gap between how characters perceive themselves and how they are perceived by others. I find those different opinions the most enjoyable aspect of using multiple characters to tell the story.
Oh, and the bleacher scene was fun to write!
Donnell: Your books always teach me something. In Shadow Ridge I learned about gaming. In Mercy Creek, I learned about a part of social media popular with artists. Did you know about Threads before writing Mercy Creek?
M.E.: That’s so nice of you to say that I’m reluctant to admit …Threads is completely a figment of my imagination. But now I’m wondering if we should create a new social media platform for fashion influencers!
Donnell: The acronyms, lingo and jargon you use in the book are inserted seamlessly and explained easily for reader understanding. Zero Dark Thirty and other use of military time give the story an authentic feel. In one scene a German shepherd is used to search for a missing child. You write, “She could only imagine what it [Marisa’s perfume] was doing to the hundreds of millions of scent receptors in Artemis’s nose. Do you still have to research gems like this, or is this knowledge part of your makeup now?
M.E.: There are so many specializations associated with law enforcement that despite twenty-two years of experience and hundreds of hours of training, I still need to look some things up. Case in point is the example you gave. I was never a K9 handler, but I’ve worked with K9 teams enough to know that dogs have far more scent receptors than humans. I was stunned to read it was in the hundreds of millions. Fortunately, I’ve accumulated a personal library of training notes and textbooks over the years that I can refer to, and I know who to call when I need something outside my bailiwick.
Donnell: Despite having great knowledge of police procedure, I’m guessing you still have to do considerable research. You have gambling scenes, veterinarian scenes, carnival scenes. Do you research before you write, or fill in the blanks along the way?
M.E.: A bit of both. I have a habit of writing characters who are either smarter than I am or who possess skills that I know nothing about. I do a lot of my character research before diving into writing so my characters act properly. Occasionally I’ll decide that the setting I’ve chosen requires research—either regarding the setting itself, or the people you would find there. For example, I was well into the novel before I decided to set a scene in a casino. I can pull a slot handle, but I’ve never played the table games. Most people know how to play poker, and I wanted something different. Blame James Bond films. I chose roulette. That’s all it took for me to go down the rabbit hole of research. And therein lies the rub. I love to learn new things. The hardest part is knowing when to stop and get back to writing.
Donnell: Readers, I hope I haven’t spoiled Mercy Creek for you; instead, I hope I whetted your appetite for a sensational read. I’ve already read Net Galley’s version, but I’ve just preordered my copy for my husband who doesn’t own an e-reader. Best wishes, M.E., and thank you for joining me today.
M.E.: Thank you, Donnell! The pleasure is mine!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/673679/mercy-creek-by-m-e-browning/
NOTE: If you are an Amazon affiliate, here’s the Amazon specific link: https://www.amazon.com/Mercy-Creek-Jo-Wyatt-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08SVMSNXG/
About the Book: In an idyllic Colorado town, a young girl goes missing–and the trail leads into the heart and mind of a remorseless killer.
The late summer heat in Echo Valley, Colorado turns lush greenery into a tinder dry landscape. When a young girl mysteriously disappears long buried grudges rekindle. Of the two Flores Girls, Marisa was the one people pegged for trouble. Her younger sister, Lena, was the quiet daughter, dutiful and diligent–right until the moment she vanished.
Detective Jo Wyatt is convinced the eleven-year-old girl didn’t run away and that a more sinister reason lurks behind her disappearance. For Jo, the case is personal, reaching far back into her past. But as she mines Lena’s fractured family life, she unearths a cache of secrets and half-lies that paints a darker picture.
As the evidence mounts, so do the suspects, and when a witness steps forward with a shocking revelation, Jo is forced to confront her doubts, and her worst fears. Now, it’s just a matter of time before the truth is revealed–or the killer makes another deadly move.
About the Author: Colorado Book Award-winning author M.E. Browning writes the Jo Wyatt Mysteries and the Agatha-nominated and award winning Mer Cavallo Mysteries (as Micki Browning). Micki also writes short stories and nonfiction. Her work has appeared in dive magazines, anthologies, mystery magazines, and textbooks. An FBI National Academy graduate, Micki worked in municipal law enforcement for more than two decades and retired as a captain before turning to a life of crime fiction.
Thank you again, Donnell! It’s always great to be among friends!
Good morning, Micki! I would never argue with Erle Stanley Gardner. Nine out of ten mystery readers agree, start with the crime 😉 And it blew me away that Threads isn’t a real social media site. That’s how convincing your writing is. Thanks for being my guest today!
Love it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and processes. Is multi-POV becoming a thing? I started out writing multi-POV and was told it was not acceptable and only the “big boys” such as Nora Roberts could get away wit it, but I truly love that form of writing.
Great interview, Micki and Donnell! Congratulations on your award, Micki, and thanks for giving us a peek into your next mystery. Sounds terrific!
Great interview. Loved the first in the series, Micki. Look forward to reading Book #2!
Thank you, C.F.! I honestly don’t know if it’s a thing. ButI I tend to shy away from advice that dictates what you can and can’t do as an author in such large strokes. For me, multi-POV has been inspiring and a way to bring out more in the stories I want to tell. I don’t think I would have been able to explore the nuances of family and character without bringing in opposing viewpoints. Good luck in your writing!
Thanks for the kind words, Margaret! You are most welcome!
Good morning, ladies! A very good interview. I chuckled over James Bond.
Hi Marilyn! Thank you! So glad you loved the first book–and I hope you enjoy Mercy Creek even more!
Good morning, Vicki! Thanks so much. Daniel Craig is his own source of inspiration…
Hi, Micki, Loved reading this book on NetGalley, and your readers are in for a wonderful trip! Good luck.
Thank you so much, Susan! I really appreciate your early review!
Great interview! Love your thoughts about multiple POVs, M.E. And why you chose roulette. 🙂 Congrats on the Colorado Book Award!
Barbara, she was in SUCH stellar company! xo
Thank you, Barbara. Donnell is spot on, I was honored to be in a group that included you!
Terrific food for thought, Micki. Thank you, and thanks, Donnell. Can’t wait to read that bleacher scene!
Thanks for stopping by, Scott! The bleacher scene was a hoot to write!
Great post. Micki, I’m looking forward to reading Mercy Creek! Congratulations on your newest book!