Celebrating the release of my latest book! Virtual cake, anyone?

By Lonnie Cruse

This weekend my latest mystery book, FIFTY-SEVEN TRAVELING featuring Kitty and Jack Bloodworth and their trophy winning '57 Chevy, Sadie, debuts from Five Star Publishing. Yipieeeeee! It's been a long road to this weekend. I turned in the manuscript early in 2008, but there were company transitions, edits, this 'n that to be done, so the book had to be delay-scheduled for July 2010. Long as it comes out, I'm happy.

I enjoyed writing this book because it's set in Pigeon Forge, TN, and I have very much enjoyed spending time researching there, in the Smoky Mountains. I used sights and sounds from several trips to write this book, places we saw, people we met, etc. Writing about it was like being there again.

I guess that's why I can't write thrillers, particularly from the point-of-view of the killer. I don't want to spend time there. Inside that person's head. Too dark. I do enjoy writing about Kitty and her hubby, spending time with them. I enjoy spending time in the settings of the books. I enjoy the process of writing . . . well, at least when I'm not obsessing at the end of chapter one as to how I'm going to fill the next two hundred more pages. Sigh.

Writing is tough. Getting published is tougher. This is not a business for sissies. Yet, I frequently encourage others to write, whether a full-scale novel, or a daily journal of thoughts that might or might not ever see the light of day or be run through a printing machine. Because writing gets our thoughts and feelings out. It clarifys them. It helps us deal with stuff we might not otherwise be able to deal with. It's cleansing? Whatever you want to call it.

Sooo, you want to write a novel? Go for it. What do you have to lose beyond the time it takes and possibly/probably your mind? Sit down and start typing/writing. See what happens.

Meanwhile, FIFTY-SEVEN TRAVELING will soon be available at your local library (or you can request they get it and I'll owe you BIG time) or at Amazon or the usual book stores (might have to order it from them, and again, I'll owe you.) In this book, Kitty and Jack are on their way to Pigeon Forge to an annual car show, and hopefully to find Kitty's (dare I say, and mine also?) dream car, to restore for her to drive. I'm drooling all over my keyboard just thinking about that car. Where was I? Oh, yeah, the book. Kitty and Jack find the right car, but do they find the wrong stranger somewhere along the way? Someone not afraid to kill?

One big difference to this book (which caught hubby and maybe others too by surprise) is that I wasn't able to drop a dead body on the first page or even in the first chapter. Kitty and Jack are in a new area where they don't know anyone except the other car club members. I had to get them acquainted with various people, to mix and mingle, before I could bump anyone off. It was a bit of a challenge as I'm used to dumping the body first and dealing with the details later. I hope you'll grab a copy from wherever you can and I hope you'll enjoy it!

As always, thanks for stopping by. We appreciate each and every one of you! Happy reading!