Cod deworming, Sable Island, and the dark underbelly by donalee Moulton

 

I belong to a group of mystery writers. We’re all women, and together we share the joys and the frustrations of trying to make characters toe the line, plots hold together, and suspense build with just a little push from us. We recently posed a group of questions to each other about the writing life. My answers are below.

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1) What type of crime have you not dealt with in your stories or novels?

I don’t do gruesome, at least I haven’t to date. That is partly because I dread having to do research into some of these topics. It’s also because I would prefer not to dwell on the dark underbelly. That said, I can see a time coming when the underbelly may demand a scratch or two.

2) What is the most interesting police procedural/investigator/researcher you have encountered?

Right now, and in keeping with the times, it would be AI and how AI can be used to provide information about a crime scene. I understand this is the tip of a very big iceberg.

3) Do you prefer amateur vs. professional sleuths?

At present, I’m leaning toward amateur. I have more freedom and flexibility with how my characters do things – and how they can mess up. But there is a shift in the wind. I have been writing stories with two new main characters: one is a lawyer and the other a private detective.  Mind you, the lawyer sells sex toys.

4) Most authors have a first unpublished novel or story cavorting with the dust bunnies under the bed or in the attic. Have you ever considered dusting off that first attempt and rewriting it?

My first novel was a joint effort with a friend. We had entered a 48-hour novel-writing contest. We had great fun, but the dust bunnies are well deserved.

5) Do you have a secret passion that has lain dormant for most of your life?

I would love to be a rock star. One problem: I can’t sing.

6) If you woke to find a genie sitting on the edge of your bed willing to grant you three wishes, what would they be?

I’m assuming I can’t wish for more wishes. I’d have to consider this opportunity carefully. I don’t want to make a wish I’d regret or overlook one I’d really rather have. In the end, my wishes will deal with health and happiness. And maybe a unicorn.

7) In terms of nature, what is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?

Sable Island, Nova Scotia, a thin crescent of shifting sand at the edge of the Continental Shelf that wild horses, grey seals, and one-of-a-kind plants, birds, and insects call home. There are also more than 350 shipwrecks surrounding this Graveyard of the Atlantic.

8) Name a profession you would not want to have and tell why?

Cod dewormer. Really, really don’t want to do this.