Campaigning Can Be Deadly
by Charlotte Stuart
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GENRE: Mystery, Female PI
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BLURB:
What begins as a prank ends in murder.
The campaign for the U.S. Congressional seat was referred to in the press as “Mr. Smith goes to Washington versus the carpetbagger.” The popular local candidate gets the majority of endorsements, but his opponent’s wealthy, out-of-state family is willing to do whatever it takes for him to win.
Penny-wise Investigations, a discount detective agency located in a mall, is hired to find out who is stealing the local candidate’s political signs. Two of their investigators, Cameron Chandler and Yuri Webster, not only catch the thieves in the act, they find a body next to a pile of stolen signs, proving that Campaigning Can Be Deadly.
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Excerpt:
Shortly after the evening news, it happened. An event that would change our lives.
A barking dog shattered the silence of early evening. It barked and barked, right outside our front door. Under normal circumstances I would have simply gone out to see what was happening. But for all we knew, it was a trap. What kind, I wasn’t sure. Jason and Mara both wanted to take a look. Then Mom came down to complain, and I finally got up the courage to see what the commotion was all about.
When I opened the door a crack, a black, moist nose tried to pry the door open more. The barking changed to whining.
“It’s a dog, Mom,” Jason said. “He wants in.”
That much was obvious, but why?
“Oh, just open the damn door,” Mom said. She grabbed the doorknob and a medium-sized black and white dog came bounding in and ran right into Jason’s outstretched arms. I was staring at Jason, trying to figure out what was happening, while he rubbed the dog’s head and buried his face in the dog’s neck fur. That’s why I didn’t notice the dark figure looming in our doorway until Mom said, “You might as well come in. The damage is done.”
When I saw Yuri standing there, all I could think of to say was, “You didn’t.”
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From The Author:
Why I Write Mysteries
I have a whole shelf devoted to Rex Stout mysteries. I find
their humor and formulaic structure satisfying. Yes, they are dated, and yes
there are much better writers, but somethings you need the written comfort equivalent
of macaroni and cheese. Also, I’m impressed with the story about why he started
writing mysteries. After managing to make enough money to retire and write the
great American novel, Stout discovered he didn’t have the necessary talent to
achieve his goal. So, he turned to writing mysteries featuring Nero Wolfe and
Archie Goodwin and quickly made a name for himself as a mystery writer.
Did I ever aspire to write the great American novel? No. But
I find Stout’s history reassuring. My takeaway? You don’t need to feel like a
failure if you aren’t nominated for a Man Booker award. I will feel fulfilled if
I can write mysteries that have interesting plots and make people smile. But
that doesn’t answer the question of why mysteries?
I’m an eclectic reader and belong to three book clubs, one for
nonfiction, one for “literature,” and one for mysteries. I also read science
fiction and thrillers, revel in adventure books, and often try new genres or
sub-genres when a book is recommended. I guess I just like to read. But, like
so many women, I was weaned on Nancy Drew mysteries and have never lost my love
of a twisty plot and strong female characters.
My particular interest is in the humorous mystery. I’ve done
considerable research on what makes us laugh and why individuals respond to
different types of humor. I’ve even created a matrix to categorize mystery
writers by the level and type of humor they employ. I began that process to
answer the question often asked by publishers, “What authors write comparable
books to yours?” What I discovered is that the authors I like to read don’t
actually share my written sense of humor. When I sit down at my computer to
write, what comes out is unique to my experiences and values. And I can’t seem
to fake it. I’ve tried. When I wrote what I thought was a traditional cozy, my agent
had to do a lot of editing. She found softer equivalents for my already modest
profanity and advised me to “bring that cat back to life.” I hadn’t realized
that you never put animals in danger in cozies and definitely didn’t want to
have one taken out by a coyote. (You will be pleased to know that the cat lives
on, even though my cozy isn’t as cozy as it should be--.)
But…I still haven’t directly responded to the main question
– why mysteries? Here’s why for me:
·
I like researching topics for underlying themes.
Each mystery can have a different theme. For me they’ve included survival
camps, chimera research and the illegal human organ trade, the controversy over
wild animals in populated areas, and competing interests in political
campaigns.
·
Since I have to live with the protagonist during
the writing process, I want it to be someone I like, someone I can empathize
with, and someone who is grounded in positive relationships with others.
·
In addition to the main protagonist, mysteries
can be filled with a wide range of recurring characters. I prefer mine to be
flawed and a bit quirky.
·
Although I’m not outrageously funny, I still
want to incorporate enough humor in my writing that readers will find solace
and distraction from the harsher real world.
·
Finally, I may not be able to promise every
ending will provide complete closure, but in the mystery genre most loose ends
are tied up, with, at the least, perhaps a couple of strands trailing off into
the reader’s imagination.
In short, I write mysteries because they offer a platform
for writing series with strong, likeable female protagonists and happy endings.
And if I find myself smiling while I write, perhaps my readers will smile too.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
In a world filled with uncertainty and too little chocolate, Charlotte Stuart has a passion for writing lighthearted mysteries with a pinch of adventure and a dollop of humor. Her first discount detective mystery, Survival Can Be Deadly, was a Foreward INDIES finalist. Why me? Chimeras, Conundrums and Dead Goldfish was a semi-finalist for the Chanticleer Murder and Mayhem contest before it was published. She began her career in academia with a PhD in communications. Then, she and her husband decided to build a commercial boat and go fishing for salmon in Alaska. Currently she is the VP for Puget Sound Sisters in Crime and lives and writes on Vashon Island in Washington State’s Puget Sound. She spends time each day entertained by herons, seals, eagles and other wildlife.
Charlotte Stuart – social media
website: http://www.charlottestuart.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/quirkymysteries
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlotte.stuart.mysterywriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19305587.Charlotte_Stuart
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clzstuart
Campaigning Can Be Deadly -primary online
purchase links:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/campaigning-can-be-deadly-charlotte-stuart/1136403993
https://www.amazon.com/Campaigning-Deadly-Discount-Detective-Mystery/dp/194044232X
https://www.bookdepository.com/Campaigning-Can-Be-Deadly-Charlotte-Stuart/9781940442327
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781940442327
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51074737-campaigning-can-be-deadly
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Charlotte Stuart will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
RAFFLECOPTER:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
