We are all writing mysteries, so there is a bit of an ominous note in our novels. But nevertheless, our characters have fun. Wickeds, how do your characters have fun in your different series?
Liz: I love this question Julie! We don’t think about having fun enough, in my opinion. In my Cat Cafe series, Maddie James is a closet singer – she’s got a talent for sure, and it manifests itself in her constant quest for the right musician boyfriend. When she starts dating Lucas, the dog groomer/musician, she gets an opportunity to show off her talents for the first time at one of his shows and she has a blast. She’s probably going to need to start having regular singing gigs to balance out the murders in town 🙂
Edith: Late 1880s Quaker midwife Rose Carroll has fun with her pal, Bertie Winslow. In one book, Bertie lends Rose a pair of bloomers and convinces her to ride their horses (astride, not sidesaddle) to Salisbury Beach for the day. Other times they take a picnic to the lake, or eat a meal together. In the Cozy Capers Book Group series, Mac has a great time with her little niece, Cokey, who can brighten up any scene. And Robbie Jordan has fun riding her bike with her friend Lou and doing hard crossword puzzles!
Sherry: Sarah, as you all probably know, has fun going to garage sales and running them. She’s so lucky to have a job that she thinks is fun! In The Gun Also Rises she’s really excited to be pricing a collection of mystery books for a wealthy widow. She always complains about going to karaoke with Stella Wild but to tell you the truth I think she secretly enjoys singing. Sarah also likes to spend time with her friend Carol at Paint and Wine or as Sarah calls it Paint and Whine. Overall, she has a pretty positive outlook on life even with all the adversity Sarah has faced.
Barb: In Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody, Jane’s good friend Phyllis has decided Jane should vet her internet dates and has created a combined dating profile. About it, Jane thinks, “In combination, she had to admit she and Phyllis were quite the catch. Phyllis had listed their interests: gardening and travel (Jane’s), along with gourmet cooking and golf (Phyllis’s) and, of course, bridge (both). She’d left off a few hobbies, such as watching trashy daytime television (Phyllis’s) and butting into other people’s lives (now apparently Jane’s).”
Julie: Liz, I agree with you. Fun is underrated! In my Theater Cop series, Sully Sullivan has fun hanging out at the Beef & Ale and testing out the latest fries concoctions her friend Gene has come up with. Sully is still a bit of a workaholic, so she needs to work on fun. Of course, she works in theater so fun is built in a bit. In the Garden Squad series, Lilly, Tamara, Ernie and Delia have fun doing the guerrilla gardening projects they decide to tackle. This answer makes me think I need to add more fun for them!
Readers: What do you do for fun? What do you think of fun in your mysteries?