Monday 27 April 2020

Crossovers on Country Roads


by Phillipa Nefri Clark


I’m a country girl at heart. Give me a wild ocean beach or a twisting mountain track and I’m happy. I write mystery romance in those settings, which become as much a character as the humans. River’s End, with its misty cliffs and long summers spawned six stories in a series about lost love.





In one of these books, an unsolicited character forced her way in. Charlotte appeared as a minor player and I had no idea why she was there. I tried to remove her but the local police officer refused to let her go. The next book began and there she was again, this time bringing enough of her past along to drive a sub-plot. This time I found a way for her to leave at the end. I thought it was clever to send her to work for the police officer’s mum in a town far away.


With a full slate of books to write – specifically stand-alone crime suspense – I was pleased to see her go. The police officer from River’s End had something to say about it though in the last in the series and before I knew what was going on, I’d commissioned three covers for Charlotte’s own story in Kingfisher Falls.

We all have characters who demand a bit, or a lot more attention. The comic relief who makes us see things in a different light or best friend with a strong backstory. How do we know when a minor character has what it takes to make them a lead character?

I enjoy writing strong female main characters. They don’t start off with obvious strength but have enough conflict and problems to deal with by the end of the book or series to show who they truly are. Charlotte was already a tough cookie. How to find her heart? Challenge accepted.





If Charlotte was important enough to make me spend money on three covers before writing a word, she had a story to tell. One I’d unknowingly begun in River’s End. I’d thought she was a distraction for Trev, the police officer. Instead, she was running from a difficult past and terrified of her future. There were hints and breadcrumbs already in place. She needed her story told. If I ignored her, the likelihood of writing anything else was small.





How to craft this new series? I began by rereading every scene involving Charlotte in the River’s End series. I studied Trev and his needs. Wrote notes about Charlotte’s background. I sketched Kingfisher Falls township and Charlotte’s home. As a panster, that’s as plotted as it gets for me.






Weaving the elements of both series together came naturally. I included enough of River’s End to make sense of Charlotte and Trev to new readers. The gorgeous valley setting and atmospheric waterfall is its own character. Although these are small town whodunits, they are also slow burn romances with an arc leading to happiness.







Buy link


Deadly SecretsBook 3 releases 31 May 2020

A trail of purple flowers guides psychiatrist Charlotte to an old shallow grave in bushland behind her home. Her instincts lead her to who she believes is the killer but when a missing person reappears, Charlotte's mistake puts those she loves at deadly risk.



Do you have favourite crossover books?

Love to love following my lifelong dream to write.

Love to laugh with my family as we spend more time together than ever.

Love to learn how other people think and feel.

Bio: Phillipa Nefri Clark lives just outside a beautiful town in country Victoria. She also lives in the many worlds of her imagination and stockpiles stories beside her laptop. She adores mysteries of any kind and always manages to include a puzzle in every book. From the fifty-year-old mystery of lost love in The Stationmaster's Cottage to the puzzling case of The Christmas Tree Thief, Phillipa loves keeping her characters - and her readers - guessing. With a passion for music, the ocean, nature and writing, she is often found in the vegetable garden pondering a new story.

http://www.phillipaclark.com/


   

16 comments:

  1. Ooh! I'm already intrigued by this latest story, Phillipa. Your small town whodunits are such a treat to read. Hope it goes gangbusters for you.

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    1. Thank you, Marilyn! I'm loving the genre and appreciate your support so much.

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  2. It sounds like a wonderful read ☺️ It’s interesting how some characters just take hold and won’t leave you alone!

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    1. Thanks, Jayne! And yes, characters have their own agendas at times.

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  3. Ooh, Phillipa, I love the way characters take on a life of their own, whether the authors want them there or not! What fun. Half the work done for the next book, but I do know it's not quite that simple! Congratulations on the release of Deadly Secrets! And may there be more characters who stand up and shout, Pick me!

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    1. I find myself there to do their bidding sometimes! Many thanks.

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  4. Setting as character can be so powerful. So, when you return to it again and again in a series it is like seeing an old friend.

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  5. I agree. Revisiting a location is wonderful and there is always something new to learn.

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  6. Such a good mix Phillipa - mysterious, but beautiful settings and strong characters who won't go away! Makes for excellent storytelling!

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    1. We are so fortunate to have such a variety of settings in Australia. The hardest part is selecting which! Thank you for such a nice comment.

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  7. Settings that grab you as strongly as the characters do make for the best stories, don't they, Phillipa? Add mystery and, wow, a fabulous story! I live being intrigued.

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  8. I agree! The landscape or seascape is every bit as enthralling as any story. Many thanks.

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  9. This latest book sounds great Phillipa. Congratulations! I know exactly what you mean about characters who won't leave you alone. I planned The Formidable King with one heroine in mind and she didn't even make it into the story as another heroine pushed her way in and refused to get out of my head even when I promised her a story of her own!! Good luck with the new release.

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    1. I think our characters know exactly what they want!

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  10. Thanks for sharing insights into your writing processes, Phillipa. I look forward to reading your novels.

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    1. I so enjoyed writing this piece and would love to know your thoughts when you do read them. Many thanks.

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