LUCY BURDETTE: When I noticed that my Facebook friend Terrie Moran had been chosen to continue the long-running series MURDER SHE WROTE, I figured there was a story the Reds would love to hear. Terrie will be stopping by to answer comments and questions--I know I have some... So welcome Terrie, and take it away!
TERRIE FARLEY MORAN: Nearly twenty years ago, my BFF, who for many years lived less than two miles from my front door in New York City, moved to a tiny town in South Carolina. We visited back and forth and took family vacations together but I still miss walks in the park on weekend mornings filled with gossip and laughter, shopping together for clothes and eating in our favorite places: breakfast in Slims on the service road of the Long Island Expressway, not to mention lunches and dinners in Cara Mia on Hillside Avenue.
So in 2019 when I was asked to participate in a wonderful event called Mystery in the Midlands that was taking place in—wait for it—Columbia, South Carolina, I called my BFF and said, “Want to hang out in Columbia for a few days?”
She, of course, had been to Columbia dozens of times but I was a newby, so we arrived early and roamed. One of the first things that caught my eye was a marquee opposite our hotel. It was a long red banner with gold letters, S. H. KRESS, which immediate launched memories of the Kress five and ten on Fordham Road in The Bronx where I used to buy popcorn on the way to the movies. I was surprised to learn it was actually the Cowboy Brazilian Steak House located in a former Kress five and dime. The entrance to the steak house is on Main Street but they left the side entrance, on Hampton Street, just as it was, banner and all!
Driving along the next day, we came upon Busted Plug Plaza which boasts the tallest fire hydrant in the world. It stands forty feet tall and weighs more than six hundred thousand pounds. See for yourself. Author Kaye George was kind enough to take a picture of BFF and me standing in front of the hydrant.
I had such a great time on that trip that when I was asked to become the next writer of the Murder She Wrote series, I knew instantly that the first place I wanted Jessica to visit was Columbia, South Carolina. And so she did in Murder, She Wrote Killing in a Koi Pond.
To celebrate that Murder, She Wrote Killing in a Koi Pond is available for folks to read, I am offering a copy to one commenter. In addition, this year’s Mystery in the Midlands featuring Kathy Reichs of Bones fame along with other talented mystery writers, took place this past weekend. I have a ticket that will access the video of the entire event for a second commenter.
So, if you were writing a Murder, She Wrote novel what location would you chose? (Spoiler alert: the next book Murder, She Wrote Debonair in Death takes place in Cabot Cove.)
Book description:
After traveling to Bethesda for a mystery writers’ conference, Jessica Fletcher decides she’s earned a vacation and takes a train to Columbia, South Carolina, to visit her old college friend Dolores, who has recently married her third husband, Willis Nickens, a wealthy and cutthroat businessman. They’ve moved into an opulent historic home with plenty of space for guests, and Jessica is ready for a week of shopping, gossiping, and relaxing at the grand estate.
But the morning after she arrives, Jessica discovers Willis facedown in the koi pond, and despite what the police think, she’s sure foul play is involved. She hadn’t known Willis long, but it’s clear to her that he didn’t concern himself with making friends. The question isn’t if her friend’s husband was murdered but by whom.
BIO: Terrie Farley Moran is co-author, along with Jessica Fletcher, of the Murder, She Wrote series. Murder, She Wrote Killing in a Koi Pond (June 2021) will be followed by Murder, She Wrote Debonair in Death (November 2021). She is the author of the beachside Read 'Em and Eat cozy novels, and is co-author of Laura Childs’ scrapbooking mysteries. Her short mystery fiction has been published in numerous venues. Terrie is a recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer awards. Find her online at www.terriefarleymoran.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/terriefarleymoran/
