Edith here, happy to welcome Ellie Alexander to the 2021 blog. She has a new Bakeshop Mystery out, and she’ll send one lucky commenter a signed copy of Chilled to the Cone.
Take it away, Ellie!
Blurring Facts and Fiction
Thanks so much for inviting me on the blog today as we step into this new year. I don’t know about all of you but last year feels like a strange blur, like a mashup of fiction and reality, which in many ways parallels my writing and that of so many other mystery writers. When we sit down to pen a new story we have to set aside some semblance of reality. After all, what’s the likelihood that a pastry chef (or any other cozy sleuth) would ever be invited on a crime scene or for that matter be able to piece together the gruesome clues of a murder before the professionals? I’m going to say quite unlikely. But, isn’t that the gift of escaping into a cozy? We get to set aside the real world and venture into quaint villages and charming locales while helping our favorite amateur sleuths bring right to the world. To me that is exactly the salve for the soul that reading provides me.
One of my favorite parts of writing mystery series is getting to bring touches of fact into my fiction. My Bakeshop Mysteries are set in the very real Ashland, Oregon, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival where the stunning Siskiyou Mountains stretch as far as the eye can see and where it’s not unusual to find someone dressed in pantaloons quoting Shakespeare in the center of the plaza or spot deer frolicking in Lithia Park.
Writing about a real place provides me with endless inspiration, from the artisan shops and restaurants to the Elizabethan theater, the welcoming community, and the gorgeous landscapes of the lush Rogue Valley, I’m never at a loss for ideas. And, I enjoy getting to bring the place that I call home to life on the page and introducing the beauty of Ashland to readers.
There is one glaring error when it comes to blurring the lines of fact and fiction though, and that is the murder of course. The 12th book in the series, CHILLED TO THE CONE just released and in the two years since Juliet Capshaw (my pastry chef turned crime solver) has been home the body count has piled up. Sweet, little Ashland is murder central. If I were writing about a purely fictional place that might not be a problem, but since Ashland is indeed real I feel like my books should come with disclaimer that explains that while Ashland is even more charming than I could possibly describe, the murders are one-hundred percent fiction.
If you come visit there’s a good chance you’ll see flocks of wild turkeys or bump into an actor dressed in Shakespearean garb, but you don’t need to worry about crazed killers lurking in dark alleyways or have to fear that your latte might be laced with poison.
So here’s to a new year of cozy reading filled with an abundance of fiction and a few fun facts mixed in.
Readers: What about you? Do you enjoying blurring facts and fiction when reading? I’ll send one of you (North America only) a signed copy of Chilled to the Cone and a cone sticker!
Ellie Alexander is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research. She is the author of the bestselling Bakeshop Mystery and Sloan Krause Mystery series. Ellie loves hearing from readers and interacting with them on social media, you can connect with her and find her on social media here: http://www.elliealexander.co
Yes, I like when the setting is a real place that I can learn facts about. Of course I understand that although the setting might be an actual place, the story is fictional.
I think the blurring of fact and fiction is fine—I actually like knowing if the location is based on a real town, though. Because usually I’d like to visit someday once I enjoy a location in a book. legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com
Yes. I get so involved in the books that I read that I believe the characters are real. They feel like friends. I want to keep in touch with them after I have finished the book.
Love this series, and now I want to LIVE in Ashland! Those photos!
Speaking of mashups, my fictional setting of Fair Harbor on Cape Cod is a combination of the town (and its waters) where I spent my childhood summers, some helpful additions (like a municipal pier) from other nearby towns, and a few bits and bobs (mostly restaurants, since my heroine is a foodie) from my own fevered imagination 😉 I don’t think I could write a completely fictional setting — I need to know when my characters should turn left onto Main Street!
I love the Bakeshop Mysteries! Thank you for adding to the delights in my life with your writing.
I enjoy when a story has enough reality to hold you in its grip but enough fantasy to let your mind and heart travel to any realm. To me, if the characters are dimensional, not flat and transparent, the entire story can take on otherwise unbelievable scenarios without losing my attention. When I’m reading a crazy fun plot and the people in it are enveloping I’m only wanting to know what happens to them next; it’s only after I’ve put the book down and gone back to reality that I judge the unlikeliness of its events.
I think blurring them is fine in reading.
Awesome! Our Zoom Mystery Lovers book club started looking for a cozy mystery series to start reading now that we are anxious ly awaiting the last book by our wonderful current author Barbara Ross. This will be the perfect fit.We all love baking and frequently exchange recipes and photos of our successes and failures 🙂 I will recommend we befriend Juliet Capshaw!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your talents Ellie! Maybe you could honor us by joining one of our Wednesday Zoom sessions after we start reading your series. Blessings!
I love when fact and fiction are mixed together..as long as I can still separate them after a quick google search 🙂
I don’t mind it in books. It’s nice to learn a little when I read.