What We're Writing: Rhys on writing about war.

RHYS BOWEN: I am currently finishing my Venice novel, doing the final polish but I decided that  instead, like Hallie, I'd share a little of my essay in the anthology

Since I didn't have a dreadful family secret or even a mystery to share I decided to write about how World War Two has influenced my writing, even though it took me so many years before I actually dared to set a story in it.

This is how I sum up at the end of the article:

I believe that one of the reasons so many people seem to be attracted to reading about that war is that it was the last time we had a clear sense of good versus evil. Every war, every confrontation we’ve had since then has been colored in shades of gray: Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. During each conflict we have questioned whether we were doing the right thing by getting involved and sending young people into battle. Battles that were once between armies have turned into ugly skirmishes, rooftop snipers, civilian casualties. With World War II, everybody knew we must stop evil before it swallowed the world. Everybody was prepared to do his or her part, however small it was, and everybody had that great sense of purpose and togetherness. And of course, it is full of so many good stories because it was a time of heightened emotions, of heart-wrenching goodbyes, of ever-present danger. No corner of Europe was quite safe.

In times like ours, where there is division, uncertainty, terrorism, it is comforting to read about a period when we fought and the right side won. After 9/11, everything changed. We were no longer safe, even at home. These new conflicts that we call war are so different. Perhaps that’s why we turn to books. When war comes to small English villages, disrupting peaceful lifestyles, and even quiet and simple people do great and noble deeds, take great risks, make great sacrifices, we can relate. We like to be reassured that, in the end, good will triumph again.

This is all the more meaningful for us at this moment, isn't it? The reassurance that in the end ordinary humans will triumph and everything will be good and normal and safe again.

Stay safe. I love you all

Rhys

Real mystery stories from the folks who make them up

HALLIE EPHRON: I thought it was brilliant the moment I heard it: a collection of stories by mystery writers writing about real mysteries in their lives. When its editor Victoria Zackheim, approached me to contribute a piece, I knew exactly what real mystery I  wanted to write about. For decades I'd been puzzling over a dear friend's experience communicating with her beloved brother who'd tragically been killed months earlier. Writing about it was my own journey of discovery. Rhys wrote an essay for the collection as well, a fascinating piece about why she was destined to write about World War II. We're joined by an amazing roster of mystery writers.

I was especially thrilled to get a chance to work with Victoria, who's edited numerous wonderful anthologies.

The result, "PRIVATE INVESTIGATONS: Mystery writers on the secrets, riddles, and wonders in their lives" is just out this week and Victoria joins us.

Exciting news: the book is an Amazon BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH!

VICTORIA ZACKHEIM:  Dear Reds, I hope you and yours are safe, healthy, and out of harm’s way. And thank you, Hallie, for inviting me!

I’m just back from a 7am market run—love that one-hour, Seniors Only time slot—and was keenly aware when the guy at the meat counter wrapped my order…and he wasn’t wearing a mask. What to do? Cooking kills the virus, yes? When I arrived at the check-out area, I returned the package. Too careful? Is there such a thing?

This brings me to life’s mysteries, which we’re all quickly learning can…and will…appear at the most unexpected times. 

And, not so coincidentally, is a nifty segue into…

When I create an anthology and begin the process of editing the essays, no matter what their focus, I’m always driven into my own process of introspection. Whether the subject is body image or how we use humor to soften the pain after losing a loved one, the explorations of the authors launch me into my own journey.

Such was the case with Private Investigations: Mystery Writers on the Secrets, Riddles, and Wonders in Their Lives. I waited for the essays to arrive, expecting they would be fascinating. What I did not expect was that they would become a foot firmly placed in the small of my back, nudging and shoving until I was willing to look at my own life-changing mysteries. But…were they mysteries? Did these events shape me into the woman I am today?

The writers in this book have lived, are living, dramatic and life-altering experiences. Can I say the same? And honestly, what constitutes a mystery? Something that surprises? What about something that is the source of despair or joy? Falling in love, surviving illness, basking in the warmth of friendship. The expected and the serendipitous. Holding a newborn for the first time. For me, these are mysteries!

I remember sitting with my mother when she took her last breath. Nearly ninety, she had become increasingly angry that her final years were so difficult. An artist who could no longer paint, a political activist whose voice had been stilled, she felt locked within the walls of her home and her failing body. And then, finally, she was at peace. And still I struggled with the why of it. Oh, my complicated, brilliant mother. Who she was will always remain a mystery in my life.

In this collection, twenty exceptional mystery writers share their own personal secrets, riddles and wonders. Their…mysteries.

Let me offer a few examples. Hallie Ephron visits a spiritualist in the hope of understanding her friend’s claims to have spoken with her murdered brother. Sulari Gentill discovers an uncle in Sri Lanka whose existence was kept a secret, until she stumbles upon a family photograph. Rachel Howzell Hall is living her life balancing writing, family, and career, until a new word joins her lexicon: cancer. We often experience confusion and mystery when there’s violence in our lives. Connie May Fowler recalls her abuse at the hands of her mother, the social pressures she felt as a childless woman, and a recent illness that was frightening, yet reminded her of the kindness of strangers. Difficult experiences for all? Yes, but they persevered and thrived.

Life teaches us such varied lessons, some of which are cloaked in mystery, such as our quest for truth and how we respond to love and loss. This pandemic has certainly unearthed emotions—fears, questions about mortality, a new look at what matters in life—and is leaving many of us confused and on edge. Living in a time of war is frighteningly similar. And yet, at the same time, both pandemic and war remind us of our resilience and courage, even when we’re facing the unknown. 

As Rhys Bowen says in her essay about the human spirit in wartime, My world was filled with wonder, but also with change and uncertainty.

We often see mystery as we work to adjust to our place in the world. Ausma Zehanat Khan, an international human rights attorney, explores the mystery of her origins and her family’s long and complicated journey that brought her to America.

As you read these stories—I resist calling them essays, because the label suggests something impersonal, perhaps even cold, whereas these narratives are rich with warmth and intimacy, sharing and trust—you will hear each author’s voice, share each story. You might frown, sigh, laugh out loud. That’s the magic of personal essays: they’re so damn personal!

If a mystery is an enigma that we must unravel, then I have experienced many. As, I am sure, you have as well.

What are your personal mysteries? What have you seen, survived, and experienced that has made you who you are today? Perhaps the writers in this anthology will churn up old memories that make you smile, even weep. The point is, you will feel. And as you discover elements of yourself, you might also begin to understand how important all of us are…and the essential part everyone plays in this mysterious theater we call life.

Please share your mysteries! And above all, be safe and well!

HALLIE: What are your personal mysteries? Something that disappeared or was unexpectedly found? Something that happened that shouldn't have. Something you couldn't explain...

PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS edited by Victoria Zackheim,  published by Seal Press
In this thrilling anthology, bestselling mystery writers abandon the cloak of fiction to investigate the suspenseful secrets in their own lives. Contributors include Tasha Alexender, Cara Black, Rhys Bowen, Lynn Cahoon, Steph Cha, Jeffrey Deaver, Carole Nelson Douglas, Robert Dugoni, Hallie Ephron, Connie May Fowler, Sulari Gentill, Rachel Howzell Hall, Ausma Khan, William Kent Kreuger, Caroline Leavitt, Kristen Lepionka, Martin Limón, Anne Perry, Charles Todd, and Jacqueline Winspear.

Hallie kicks off What We're Writing Week with a real mystery

HALLIE EPHRON: Welcome once again to WHAT WE’RE WRITING WEEK!

Right now I'm focused on launching CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR... never mind that the pub date is months away (August, 2019).

It's exciting, but it's also nerve wracking. I've finished the final-final edits. Advance readers copies (aka ARCs) have gone out. And in the pool of silence that follows, insecurity breeds. It all feels very unreal until a box of advance readers' copies arrives. And here they are!!

To celebrate, today I'll be giving away an ARC to a lucky commenter...

So back to what I'm writing. Last month I finished polishing an essay for an anthology (spring, 2020) entitled  Private Investigations: Mystery Writers on the Secrets, Riddles, and Wonders in Their Live. Our challenge from anthology editor, Victoria Zackheim, was to write about something mysterious that really happened.

This turned out to be harder than I expected. I’ve not had a very mysterious life. No unsolved murders. Or thefts. Or even things that went bump in the night. Growing up with alcoholic parents

had its share of drama and trauma, but none of it was mysterious. In college I had a roommate who wanted to kill me, but it never came to that.

But I did have a friend whose brother was murdered. There was no mystery about who did it. The killer was arrested and tried and found guilty. Decades later, he’s still in jail. What was mysterious was what happened to my friend in the aftermath of her brother’s murder. She had experiences for which there is no easy explanation. (I call the essay "Ghosted.") If I didn’t know her as well as I do, I’d have written them off as hallucinations and delusions. So I wrote an essay about that, and my own struggle to understand what it was all about.

My first attempt at writing a novel was based on that friend’s experiences in the aftermath of her brother’s murder. I called it EXIT WOUND. Excavating through saved files, I found transcripts of long conversations I had with my friend after the murder, as well as the manuscript of a novel that I tried to write about it. Looking at it with fresh eyes, I realize it’s not as bad as I thought it was. I also understand why it wasn’t snapped up by an agent.

Here’s an excerpt from the day of the murder, a morning when my friend had stayed home from work to take her son Josh to see the doctor. She got an emergency call to come into the office of the family business to deal with what she thought was a car accident in the parking lot. 

I drag Josh out of the house and we race to the office. The first thing I notice is that there are a lot of flashing lights—more than I expected. I thought I’d be going in the ambulance with someone, so I expected to see an ambulance. But I didn’t expect to see so many police cruisers. Then I see a newspaper reporter who I know. A newspaper reporter at a parking lot car accident? This makes no sense. 

I walk over to Bill who works with us and ask, “What happened? What kind of an accident?”

He says, “There’s been a shooting.”

Then I know immediately it’s something terrible.

He says to me, “David has been shot.”

I ask, “Is he okay?”

He answers, “David is dead.”

This is the part I don’t remember. Afterwards they tell me that I hit him, smashed my fists against his body, screamed and yelled. My pocketbook went flying.

This huge cop comes over to me. When there are murders, they have special cops to deal with people. This guy is big, well over six feet. I start banging him on the chest, too, craning my neck to look at him and saying, “Tell me that this isn’t true. Tell me that this is some stupid joke.

He puts his hands on my shoulders and presses down. “Sorry. I’m sorry.”

I keep banging and banging him. All this time, Josh is still sitting in my car just watching. He gets out and walks over to where I’ve thrown my purse and picks it up. He hugs it to his chest. Then he waits.

 

I never sold that book. The writing is, as you can tell, not fully developed. But in the process of flailing, I discovered that drama and suspense are my sweet spots. I learned that murder, even a fictional one in a murder mystery, should never be reduced to a plot point.

I also learned that when it comes to my writing, I should never throw anything away. What I wrote twenty-five years ago doesn’t smell nearly as bad as I thought it did when I wrote it, and it still has the power to inspire me.

Have there been any real mysteries in your life, or even riddles and wonders that you're still pondering? 

COMING, spring 2020 from Seal/Hachette " Private Investigations: Mystery Writers on the Secrets, Riddles, and Wonders in Their Live," personal essays written by top mystery writers.
EDITOR: Victoria Zackheim

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS: Tasha Alexender, Cara Black, Rhys Bowen, Lynn Cahoon, Steph Cha, Jeffrey Deaver, Carole Nelson Douglas, Robert Dugoni, Hallie Ephron, Connie May Fowler, Sulari Gentill, Rachel Howzell Hall, Ausma Khan, William Kent Kreuger, Caroline Leavitt, Kristen Lepionka, Martin Limón, Anne Perry, Charles Todd, and Jacqueline Winspear.