Thursday, June 8, 2017

Justice! Westerns, Mysteries, and Annie Oakley with Cindy Brown

Jenn McKinlay: Last year I was on a panel at Left Coast Crime in Phoenix where I was lucky enough to meet Cindy Brown, who charmed me silly with her fantastic Ivy Meadows series. Smart and funny, these mysteries are not to be missed. And now here's Cindy to tell us more about her latest.


Justice! Westerns, Mysteries, and Annie Oakley


I grew up watching John Wayne movies with my dad. I love them—loved all Westerns—but couldn’t have told you why. I knew it wasn’t about the “shoot-em-ups:” guns have always made me uncomfortable. I was pretty sure it wasn’t about the action, or the cowboys, or even the horses (though lots of my girlfriends had horse crushes. Me, I crushed out on Peter from the Monkees).

Later, as a teen, I grew to love James Bond and superhero movies. Again, I couldn’t pin down the attraction (other than Roger Moore and Christopher Reeve—definitely crush-worthy). And though I read mysteries as a child, they were mostly the puzzle-plotted Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden types: It wasn’t until I started reading adult mysteries that I began to understand the root of my attraction to Westerns and superheroes: my desire for justice.

I want justice, for all. I know it’s a melodramatic statement and an impossible feat, but still, there’s a little person inside me who is outraged at every incident of injustice. I want the bad guys to get caught and the good guys to win, just like in the movies. Thankfully, I can satisfy my need through mysteries. I feel good every time a sleuth wraps up a case and puts the villain in his place. I feel even better when I get to write that happy ending. It’s a little bit of closure that life doesn’t often offer.

You’re probably wondering what Annie Oakley has to do with justice. When I was researching Ivy Get Your Gun, I learned a lot about this amazing woman. Not only did she single-handedly raise her family out of poverty when she was just a teen, but she maintained an impressive level of integrity throughout her life.  Even when she was the most famous woman in the world, she knew what she stood for, and stuck to her guns (couldn’t resist J). She once caused a kerfuffle when she ignored Prince Albert’s outstretched hand in favor of his wife’s. At the time she explained it by saying,” You’ll have to excuse me, please, because I am an American and in America ladies come first.” She later admitted publicly that the snub was intentional, since Prince Albert was a notorious womanizer and Princess Alexandria a defender of the poor. Annie had to defend her own reputation, too: In 1903, newspapers reported she had stolen a man’s trousers in order to pay for cocaine. The culprit was really a burlesque performer who went by the name of Any Oakley, but in order to restore her reputation, Annie had to sue 55 different newspapers. It was the largest libel suit in history.

As you can see, I sort of fell in love with Annie. So when I re-watched the 1950 movie, Annie Get Your Gun, I was incensed. I hadn’t seen the movie or the play in years, and only remembered the wonderful music and a spunky Annie. I didn’t remember that she was portrayed as a stupid, flighty, man-chaser. And I certainly didn’t remember the ending of the movie (and play), where Annie throws a shooting competition so that her man, Frank Butler, will love her (in real life, she won the competition with Frank, who fell in love with her, courted her, and was happily married to her for 50 years).

So in my new book, there’s justice for Annie. Like my other books, Ivy Get Your Gun is a humorous mystery, but it also tells the real story of Annie Oakley. One of my readers said it should be required reading for any high school putting on the play Annie Get Your Gun. Now that would be justice!

This is great, Cindy! Thanks so much for joining us today! Readers, Cindy is offering a e-book as a giveaway so leave a comment and she will choose a random winner!

Now, Reds, tell us what stories inspire you? Westerns? True Crime? Noir? Traditional mysteries? Other?






72 comments:

  1. Cindy, it’s too bad the film version of “Annie Get Your Gun” couldn’t tell the captivating true story. :(
    Ivy sounds like a perfect heroine . . . I’m looking forward to reading your books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! And I know the film was a product of its time, but grrrrr...

      Delete
  2. Cindy, I grew up watching Westerns, too, and musicals when I was allowed to stay in the room. Haha! That refers to the time when my father sent me out of the room because Shirley Jones was pregnant in Carousel (I think I was 12, and, really, Dad, she was even married.) Anyway, I've always loved the Annie Oakley story, and I will definitely be reading Ivy Get Your Gun. I was so taken with your concept of this series that I had to go look up the books on Amazon, and I purchased the first, Macdeath, for my Kindle. Ivy sounds like a great character.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Woo-hoo! I think you will love Ivy, and of course, Annie. And, oh those scandalous musicals - I used to sneak a listen to the cast album of "Hair " when my parents weren't around :)

      Delete
  3. I love this! I grew up listening to the record of the Annie Oakley Musical, I guess. And i memorized all the songs. I can't wait to read your new book. The people who inspire me about Justice are the quiet Heroes, the people who run the soup kitchen or the women's crisis center in my town. They work tirelessly for people who have no one else to stand up for them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I so agree about heroes! On my website I decided to answer the Proust Questionnaire (made famous by Vanity Fair). One of the questions is "Who are your heroes in real life?" My answer: "You wouldn’t know them, because they go about doing the important work (like caring and teaching and advocating) quietly."

      Delete
  4. Cindy, how have I missed Ivy? I'm always happy to find some mysteries with humor--and who can resist Annie? She was an Ohio girl, like me! I'll be looking for your books.

    Who inspires me? Right now it's the Alt-NPS, EPA, Rogue-NASA--all these quiet people who were just going about their jobs, but decided to take a stand when it matters. And they stand to lose those jobs if their identities are ferreted out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you found us (me, Ivy , and Annie)!
      And I love those heroes, too. I think it's especially daunting and courageous to be a "small" person standing up against a big problem.

      Delete
  5. What a great story! I wasn't raised on westerns but Annie sounds irresistible. And so clever of you to find a character who hasn't been done to death (oops, pun not intended.) Tell us more about your series and how this one fits in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lucy! My books are madcap mysteries set in the off off OFF Broadway world of theater. Ivy is a part-time PI and and actor, who acts in a different production and place in each book (MACDEATH = a circus-themed Shakespeare production, THE SOUND OF MURDER = a dinner theater mash-up of "The Sound of Music" and "Cabaret," OLIVER TWISTED = "Oliver! At Sea!" aboard a cruise ship). IVY GET YOUR GUN takes place in a Western theme park, where one of the cowboy-actors is killed during a fake gunfight. It was inspired by a real-life incident in Tombstone, Arizona. Luckily, that actor lived.

      Delete
    2. I love Tombstone and their live Western shows - there really is no place like it. Glad the actor lived!

      Delete
    3. Someone really did die in Tombstone, Arizona because there was no stop light? Unless I recall a different town in Arizona? That happened years ago.

      Delete
  6. Cindy, I think you are absolutely right about wanting the good guys to win. Life certainly isn't fair and just so we read k, write and tell great stories where that does happen. Glad the truth, the real story of Annie has been told.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every time I read about a real life injustice, I want to write a story where it all turns out right in the end-sigh.

      Delete
  7. Hi Cindy! Nice that you joined JRW today. I also met you for the first time at Left Coast Crime and that is how I discovered Ivy. So much fun reading about her antics. I never these details about Annie Oakley, so thanks for sharing. I wasn't raised on watching westerns except for some Bonanza episodes. I began reading and then watching British mysteries on PBS in my pre-teen years and have broadened my mystery reading palette since then.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Grace! So nice to see you again, even virtually:) And I think Bonanza definitely counts as a Western. I loved Hoss, and of course thought Michael Landon was a dish :)
      As for the British mysteries, they're my favorite TV shows - period. Just finished all of "Shetland" (by Ann Cleeves). Wonderful!

      Delete
  8. Well, I'm glad you corrected Annie's story - so fascinating. She was a truly remarkable person, larger than life in real life. When I was very young I got to see Mary Martin playing the lead (with John Raitt as Frank Butler) in Annie Get Your Gun. I'd forgotten that she threw the contest but I went home singing Anything you can do, I can do better...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The music IS wonderful - who doesn't love Irving Berlin? And how cool to have seen Mary Martin! I grew up listening to her on the cast album for "South Pacific."

      Delete
  9. Oh, Hallie, what a great memory! Lucky Lucky Lucky you. I love that play, and once won a role in a college musical singing a duet of Anything you can do!
    Can you make a pie? No. Neither can I.


    Anyway, what a great story! Thank you for the reassuring history … The book sounds terrific.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would love to hear you sing that song, Hank! Maybe at next year's Malice :)?

      Delete
    2. I second the idea for Hank to perform that song, but I'd like to hear it at Bouchercon, too.

      Delete
  10. Cindy, I think that desire to "see justice done" motivates a lot of us writing mysteries. I'm glad you got the opportunity to correct Annie's story. And thanks to Hallie and Hank, now I've got that song stuck in my head. =)

    Writers who inspire me? Too many to list.

    Mary/Liz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's not a bad song to have stuck in your head :)
      And yes, let's press on for justice! I'm convinced that even justice in fiction can make a difference.

      Delete
  11. I love musicals but have never seen Annie, Get You Gun on stage or on film. Good thing. My inner tomboy would have had a stroke. Cindy, I adore Ivy Meadows and I can't wait to read Ivy, Get Your Gun. Good for you for "writing" old wrongs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jenn, for letting me tell a bit of Annie's story here ( & for adoring Ivy)! And congrats on your new romantic comedy series. Happy endings are a little like optimistic justice, don't you think?

      Delete
    2. That is a fabulous way to look at it!

      Delete
  12. Cindy,
    Welcome to Jungle Reds! We met at Malice Domestic in 2016. Did you know that Queen Alexandra was either hard of hearing or deaf? I remember reading a story about how she introduced a new at that time modern addition to surgery in England, which she brought from her home country, Denmark.

    To answer Jenn's question, I grew up reading Nancy Drew, which I received as a birthday gift (a year subscription to the Nancy Drew Book Club). I read Agatha Christie, which was a challenge to me in the 6th grade. I love traditional mysteries, especially cozy mysteries. Not a fan of graphic violence.

    I grew up watching Westerns on television. It had more action than Woody Allen type of films, which was IMHO more talking than acting.

    My library has two copies of Macdeath, finally!

    Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Diana! I didn't know that about Queen Alexandra - maybe she needs a story written about her:)

      I know what you mean about graphic violence. The images get stuck in my head. I've had to walk out of a couple of movies, just to save myself from nightmares later on.

      So glad your library is stocking my books!

      Delete
  13. Hi Cindy. The new book sounds delicious! Congratulations and pick me pick me pick me.

    (Settle, Ann)

    My father owned a little movie theater while I was growing up, and I saw every western that came through in the 40s and 50s. Nothing compares to "Django", which I own and watch over and over again.

    My inspiration comes from people who write wonderful stories for me to read. The list is too long to mention here, but you folks know who you are.

    Favorite book of all time, the one read over and over and over again?

    KRISTIN LAVRANSDATTAR BY Sigrid Undset, Nobel Prize for Literature 1928

    Ann in Rochester

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow - I now have a movie to see and a book I need to read! Though I love spaghetti Westerns, I haven't seen "Django" (I assume you're talking about the original) and have not read KRISTIN LAVRANSDATTAR, either. Thanks for the recommendations!

      Delete
    2. Actually, it is "Django Unchained", not for the faint of heart.

      Delete
    3. Maybe I can shut my eyes through the bad bits:)

      Delete
  14. "I want justice, for all."
    Yes! That's it!

    It's amazing how plays and movies get to play (!) around with real life people for the sake of the narrative. Case in point, Annie Oakley.

    Then you have dreadful storylines like Pygmalion becoming My Fair Lady.
    From Wikipedia: "Pygmalion was the most broadly appealing of all Shaw's plays. But popular audiences, looking for pleasant entertainment with big stars in a West End venue, wanted a "happy ending" for the characters they liked so well, as did some critics.[12] During the 1914 run, to Shaw's exasperation but not to his surprise, Tree sought to sweeten Shaw's ending to please himself and his record houses.[13] Shaw returned for the 100th performance and watched Higgins, standing at the window, toss a bouquet down to Eliza. "My ending makes money; you ought to be grateful," protested Tree, to which Shaw replied, "Your ending is damnable; you ought to be shot."[14][15] Shaw remained sufficiently irritated to add a postscript essay, "'What Happened Afterwards,"[16] to the 1916 print edition for inclusion with subsequent editions, in which he explained precisely why it was impossible for the story to end with Higgins and Eliza getting married."
    And in My Fair Lady having her get him his slippers makes me gag!

    Libby Dodd

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha - I think we are kindred spirits! Even before I knew the ending of "Pygmalion," I hated the slipper scene in "My Fair Lady." That said, I do love the music (and the costumes:).

      Delete
    2. Yes! I hated the slipper scene, too. I didn't know about Shaw's reaction to the changes in his play - that's some nice theater history there.

      Delete
    3. As an English professor of mine in college, an avid Shaw fan, called it "that cute little musical."

      It was not a compliment. LOL

      Mary/Liz

      Delete
  15. I've been a fan of Annie Oakley since I was a little kid in the 50's, enthralled with any and every kind of horse or Western show. She was from here in Ohio, and died here, as well, about an hour from Cincinnati.

    If you ever get a chance to visit Cody, Wyoming, a must-see is the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum, which has an entire area devoted to Cody's Wild West show era. Annie Oakley was part of it, and there are some really cool exhibit items about her.

    How have I missed Ivy Meadows so far? This dire situation must be remedied immediately!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't been to Wyoming since college. I may have to put it on my travel list, because I would LOVE to visit the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum (and not just for Annie - I'd love to see all of it)! And then we could head to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone...

      Delete
    2. It's one of my favorite museums. They also have a wildlife area, a weapons area, several galleries of Western art, and an entire wing of native American art and artifacts. Plus, it's a beautiful place, with lots of amazing sculpture. Cody is a cool little town, and the closest airport to Yellowstone.

      Delete
    3. I would love to go back to Yellowstone. The last time I was there, I was probably 11. I saw a bear by the side of the road while we were stopped in traffic, and got out of the car to take a picture. My brother didn't say anything, so my parents drove on without me :)

      Delete
  16. If you have missed Ivy, you really must fix that today. They are fabulous! (And yes, I've read this one, so no need to enter me in the contest.)

    ReplyDelete
  17. So many different things can be inspiring -- a line overheard, a bit of history. I can't wait to read this, Cindy. Don't enter me in the contest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And found items (like those in garage sales :) can inspire great stories! I once heard about a guy who bought a cane at an estate sale. He didn't realize it had a sword hidden inside until he went through security at the airport.

      Delete
  18. Hi Cindy, My sister played Annie Oakley in a junior high production, and I can still hum most of the songs! I've never seen the movie, and I'm glad I didn't! I think most mystery writers and readers are looking for justice. There's something so satisfying about righting wrongs, particularly when it can seem so hard to do that it real life. What western do you recommend to viewers who haven't watched one before?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good question! I love "The Magnificent Seven," about a Mexican village that hires seven gunfighters to defend them from bad guys (now there's some justice for you); I'm very fond of the remake of "True Grit" - especially Jeff Bridges and Hailee Seinfeld, who plays the young Maddie; and also love the TV series "Deadwood," even though some of the language is very blue (and probably true to the time - I heard a great interview with Director David Milch (NYPD Blue) where he talked about it)

      Delete
    2. Ingrid, I'm partial to The Searchers for "old-time" western movies. And if you ever want to invest a more significant amount of time, check out the 8 hour miniseries Lonesome Dove with Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, it is an amazing piece of work, especially Duvall's performance.

      Also, Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven or the very underrated Open Range with Duvall and Kevin Costner.

      And Deadwood is fantastic (Ian McShane steals the show), but like Cindy says, the profanity is amazing. I remember when the show was still airing, a site broke down the swearing from ONE episode and the audio file was 7 1/2 minutes long!

      Delete
    3. Thanks for the suggestions! I can handle the language, so I might have to check out Deadwood!

      Delete
    4. Ooh, Jay, you hit a few of my other favorites, especially "The Searchers" and "Lonesome Dove." And yes Ingrid, I bet you'll love "Deadwood." BTW, Milch said that in the old West, especially in lawless places, foul language was used as a warning, sort of like a dog growling before it bites you.

      Delete
  19. Now I have a new series to add to my TBR pile! I will have to run down a copy of MacDeath so I can start from the beginning. (I hate starting a series in the middle). My dad was a big Wayne fan and we watched the Westerns and the War movies. Musicals were my mother's love and we watched those together. (bit of movie trivia, Judy Garland was supposed to star in the movie but due to her health issues had to drop out) I was always a little annoyed by the ending but figured it was Rogers and Hammerstein so there had to be a happy ending. I have been reading mysteries for so long that I'm not sure what was the first. I do know that I tried Nancy Drew but, being a tomboy, couldn't see how she could do all that in a dress and heels and not mess up her clothes as I was in a perpetual state of disarray and scabby knees. The Hardy Boys were more my style and then I discovered Sherlock Holmes and the rest is history.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Guess what? That bit of movie trivia about Judy Garland made it into the book! Glad you found me and Ivy - I hope you like the books!

      Delete
  20. Why have I not heard about you before? I am addicted to cozy mysteries that are well-written, such as those by Jenn McKinlay, Kate Carlisle, Ellery Adams, Miranda James, and on and on. I also believe in justice, and grew up watching Gunsmoke, and Bonanza. Ivy sounds enchanting. You are now on my list of "must read" authors!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! So glad to be added to your TBR pile. I think you'll like the Ivy books (& I think they're well-written- MACDEATH was nominated for an Agatha for best debut novel:)

      Delete
  21. Cindy, how have I missed Ivy??? Going to correct that immediately, and will start at the beginning.

    Perhaps oddly for a Texan, I didn't grow up watching Westerns, but I do remember reading about Annie Oakley. What a great character and a role model for women! (Even now. Or maybe especially now...)

    As for heroes, I do love the quiet ones, but having seen Wonder Woman on Monday, I have a new female superhero:-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't wait to see Wonder Woman! I think we all could use some great female role models right about now. Here's hoping for a "GIRL POWER" summer!

      Delete
    2. Deborah,

      I discovered Ivy books by Cindy Brown at the Malice Domestic 2016 conference.

      Diana

      Delete
  22. Thanks for setting the record straight. Why should a woman have to play dumb to get a man? Ridiculous. I'm sure everyone can look back in their own families and find women who kept the family going in hard times. Mom has talked about my grandma hitching up the mule to plow a field when Grandpa was hurt or sick and couldn't do it himself. And I still remember her armed with a hoe in case she ran across a rattlesnake when she was out and about. I loved the first two Ivy books! Got to catch up on the series.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat, the story about your grandma reminds me of a cowgirl poem by Georgie Sicking called "Housewife" (I read it at my launch party). The first couple of lines are about going to a bank to ask for a loan for the ranch, and the banker calls the narrator a housewife. Here's the rest of it:
      "Now, when I'm calvin' heifers and haulin' and doin' other chores,
      to call me "just a housewife" is enough to start a war.
      I've got cows to move and fence to fix, gotta doctor that ol' bull,
      and that balky tractor it won't start without a pull.
      Now, the ranch work is important, so the house will have to wait.
      I'll cook supper for my husband because he's workin' late.
      I've been a rancher's daughter, I've been a rancher's spouse,
      But never was I ever married to a house."

      Delete
  23. And now that we all have "Anything You Can Do" stuck in our heads, enjoy John Barrowman and Ruthie Henshall in this great duet.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJvPjelxxj0&list=RDaJvPjelxxj0#t=18

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love it! And wow, Ruthie can really hold that note!

      Delete
  24. Debs - That totally made my day. Barrowman and Henshall are delightful!!! Any note you can sing I can sing higher... :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh, I can't believe I forgot to tell you this, Cindy. One of my favorite birthday presents when I was growing up was an Annie Oakley outfit. I have a picture of me in it outside in the February snow. And, I still have that outfit!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh, I wish there was a way to add photos to this post - would love to see it!

      Delete
    2. I'll try to post it on Throw-back Thursday on FB next week.

      Delete
  26. Hi, I just loved MacDeath--and it was so funny! Just the thought of Ivy's leotard makes me itch! I'll have to catch up on the rest of the series. And this new one sounds just wonderful. Thanks!
    -Melanie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay- so glad you liked MACDEATH (& Ivy's leotard:) I hope you'll like the rest of the series, too - I think the books keep getting better.

      Delete
  27. Hubby and I saw "Annie Get Your Gun" musical a long time ago and loved it! This sounds like a fun series!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love the music ,especially "No Business Like Show Business" and of course "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" (both songs are parodied in IVY GET YOUR GUN:)

      Delete
  28. This is wonderful, Cindy! So glad I didn't miss this neat post. I love the required reading idea! :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wouldn't that be awesome?! Thanks for stopping by - XXOO!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sue Keefer, you're the winner of the ebook. Email me at jennmck@yahoo.com and I'll connect you to Cindy so she can hook you up!

    ReplyDelete