In a writer’s life there are two days which are simultaneously terrifying and exciting. The first is the day sitting down to stare at a blank page at the beginning of a project and the second is publication day.
In between, there are wonderful days and terrible days, as the story comes together, the characters take on a life of their own, and the finished first draft is nothing like you imagined (unless that’s just me).
I was lucky enough for the lovely people of Joffe Books to see some potential in my raw stories. They took my manuscripts and made them better. On Thursday, the first book was launched, with two more to follow soon.
Coffin Cove, the first in my mystery series set in a fictional town on Vancouver Island, was inspired by an argument on facebook between a fisherman and an environmentalist.
These arguments are nothing new in this part of the world, and my mind started working…..what if? I’ve tried not to come down on either side of the fence, and hopefully I’ve managed to convey there is no right or wrong, no true heroes or villains, just passionate people trying to do their best. Added to this is a murder mystery which I hope will keep the readers guessing until the last pages.
Coffin Cove is inspired by many different communities in BC; the good, the bad and the ugly.
I moved from London, UK to Vancouver Island in 2004. I had imagined living in a small town. I feel in love with the scenery, the space, the food and the people. After living in the busy-ness and anonymity of city life, I was pulled towards a simpler life, a yearning to live someone where “everyone knows your name”.
But after a while I discovered the grass isn’t always greener. Tight knit communities with “heart and loyalty” also harbour grudges. Although neighbours stick together through hard times, they’ll turn against a newcomer in an instant.
Andi Silver, my protagonist is a new lady in a new town. She needed a fresh start, but soon figures out it’s not as easy as she thought.
I didn’t start the series with any lofty ideas about themes, but after a while I realized I have two. First, people are the same the world over, there are good-ish people and bad-ish people who make up all communities. And my other theme? Geographical “cures” never work.
I hope you enjoy the start to my series and continue following Andi’s journey in the spectacular Pacific North West, the place I’m lucky to call home.