#GuestPost: Author Anna St. John, Author of "Clocked Out"

Hello everyone. 

On my blog today, I am welcoming guest author, Anna St. John, author of her cozy mystery, "Clocked Out".  Find out more about the author and her book at:

Author Links Website    

Purchase Link – Amazon

What an adorable cover!  Take it away Anna.

~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

Inspiration in a Pickle Jar?

By Anna St. John

Frequently I’m asked where I find inspiration as an author. The

answer is a simple one: I write about familiar subjects, or topics

that interest me. Every day, I search for inspiration for the next

chapter, or the next book. It would be so nice if we could

purchase it in a jar off the grocery shelf whenever we needed it.

Because I grew up during the days when exercise consisted of

“jumping jacks” and water came from the faucet (free), I am

fascinated by the complexities of today’s society. Who knew we

needed “goat yoga” classes and bottled water in every

backpack? And don’t even get me started on coffee shops where

you can order an oat milk pumpkin spice latte. All of these

things inspire me to write about them.

I once took a picture of a jar of pickles at a farmer’s market in

Oregon, because I thought it might be perfect in a future cozy

mystery. The sales message on the jar proclaimed: “Dill Death

Do Us Part.” Can we think of this as “pickled” inspiration?

It takes time to research and write a book. One way to assure the

story connects with a reader is to keep it authentic, with details

that ring true. So, when I decided to write cozy mysteries, I

thought first about some of the things I enjoy most in my

everyday life – where I live in a small town, play a friendly

game of mahjong each week, and own an Old English sheepdog.

It wasn’t a stretch to imagine a cozy mystery with an amateur

sleuth who owned a fluffy dog and joined a group of friends for

mahjong on Wednesdays.

Then I thought of Nancy Drew’s roadster and chose a little red

convertible for my sleuth, Josie Posey, to drive. The car is

important because it makes a statement about Josie’s desire to

stay young and active, in defiance of her recent retirement. And,

while you might also find a vintage red convertible in my garage

at home, Josie’s is much newer – with all the modern features,

like seatbelts and a radio.

Once I had the setting and the primary characters in my mind,

the similarities between real life and the fictional world came to

an end. Nothing in my past could have prepares me to choose a

victim or devise a murder weapon. For those important aspects,

I was free to imagine all kinds of possibilities.

Here are some of the small things that inspired the Josie Posey

series:

1. Ballet. I’ve always loved ballet and thought it offered an

opportunity to bring something exotic into the little

village -- including a beautiful dancer with a mysterious

past, a former dance partner, and her overbearing

husband. The friction between the ex-partner and the

current husband provided an interesting situation for

book one, Doomed by Blooms.

2. Naked Ladies. These flowers bloom in our yard every

summer. They inspired me to consider how similar they

are to a dancer, with a slender stem and a tutu of

blossoms. I thought they would be a natural compliment

to the story – particularly when my research indicated

the blooms could be poisonous.

3. Clocks. While I knew nothing about how to build a

clock, I was fascinated with time as a topic. I hoped

readers might find it interesting, as well. After a little

research, I was inspired to use the world of luxury watch

manufacturers as a central theme for book two in the

series, Clocked Out.

4. Blacksmith Shop. Near our local library, I noticed a

working blacksmith shop where “metal artisans” created

all kinds of interesting tools. Their dedication inspired

me to create my own blacksmith shop in the Josie Posey

series.

Because we are encouraged to “write what we know,” authors

generally draw from their own person experiences and

preferences for inspiration. I am convinced this is why so many

of us include bookstores and libraries as locations, and dogs and

cats as characters.

Regardless of where we find inspiration, authors work hard to

entertain their readers. To me, the best ideas are the ones that

are simple, but memorable. I want the details of the story to

create an emotional connection between my readers and the

story. I hope readers will fall in love with the characters, root for

them to succeed, and celebrate with them when they do – and

perhaps find a little inspiration of their own, in the process.