by
Kate Collins
 |
Yesterday
I killed someone. I planned it, executed
it, and then covered it up. Then I began the search for me, following the clues
to track down an exceptionally tricky killer. Ahem.
Today I
interviewed four people who had the means, motives, and opportunities to commit
murder. None of the interviews were easy because people lie, get angry, and
behave suspiciously when they think someone believes them capable of committing
a dastardly crime.
Tomorrow
I will narrow down my suspect list and focus on the two who seem most likely to
have done the killing. It might get dangerous. Desperate people do desperate
things, so I have to be prepared for surprises.
Today,
as Abby Knight, I also ran a cozy little flower shop named Bloomers. I made
flower arrangements, delivered them, and fretted over my finances. Then I
hopped down the street to become Marco Salvare, the macho owner of Down the
Hatch Bar and Grill -- concocting drinks and listening to my patrons’ woes in
addition to using the Internet to do some background checks on my suspects.
Today I
was also a crazy artist, a shallow fashionista, a Brit with a flair for tea and
homemade scones, a middle-aged mother of teenaged quadruplet sons, and a
millionaire cad, all characters that populate the Flower Shop Mysteries.
By the
end of the writing day, the author me is exhausted.
But then
I have to step out of my make-believe world and start thinking about what to
make for dinner, and what bills to pay, and do I have time for a load of
laundry? Oops, forgot to schedule a hair appointment, renew my license plate,
and take out the trash. Too late now. I’ll have to squeeze it in tomorrow.
When I sit
down to work on my latest book, I exit my stressful world and enter one where I
can make everything go my way – or nothing. I can bring out the sun, travel to
another place, invent new friends, and catch bad guys without leaving my desk. Not
that it’s easy to describe a three-dimensional world using two dimensional
words -- and make it all seem real. But, boy, is it rewarding. This was brought
home to me the other day.
I teach
a creative writing class at a local women’s shelter, where I lead women of
various ages in exercises that enable them to get out of the business/left side
of their brain and shift to the right/dream side. This isn’t something they
take much time to do, so it’s like a mini-vacation. This past Monday, I had them do right brain
exercises that allowed them to see the creative process at work. At the end of
the hour, a young woman thanked me for my efforts and broke into sobs. She said
she had just been released from a year in prison and while there, learned the
joys of losing herself in books. She’d never read much before and had now gained
an appreciation of what it took to write one. She said she devoured every book she could get
her hands on in prison and truly felt they kept her sane. What happiness it
gave her to immerse herself in a place where everything turns out right,
justice is served, and good people live happily ever after.
Creating
a world like that is one of the greatest joys of being a writer. What makes it
worth all the hours of hard work is knowing you’ve touched at least one
reader’s heart.
Kate Collins is the author of the national
best-selling Flower Shop Mystery series. Her books have made the New York Times
Extended Bestseller List, Barnes & Noble best-seller lists, the Independent
Booksellers best-sellers lists, as well as lists in Australia and England. Kate’s
latest mystery, SEED NO EVIL, #14 in the Flower Shop Mystery series, hit
bookstores August 6, 2013. All of Kate’s mysteries are available in print,
digital, and large-print editions both in the U.S. and in the UK. Kate’s
historical romances are also available in digital format at Amazon, B&N,
and other e-book sellers. For more information, visit Kate at: www.katecollinsbooks.com. Kate’s blogsite is www.cozychicksblog.com.
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