Respect thy Neighbor

I’ve had editors question why I don’t use first names for every character. For instance, Mr. Wilson who is Eleanor Mason’s beau. If you’ve read my first book Armed and Outrageous, you’ll know, but for those that haven’t, I won’t throw any spoilers your way. That’s the hardest part, not saying too much about my books. Sometimes I just want to burst. 

My neighbors consist mainly of senior citizens, which is great. Who needs a neighborhood watch with the neighbors I have. They are a fussy bunch, but they are nice as pie. While many of them are friends, the other neighbors are always referred to as Mr. or Mrs. So and So. This is the basis for Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Barry, and the bird sisters Mrs. Peacock and Mrs. Canary. It’s a respect thing. This part of society will not last forever, but it’s nice to see it has its place now.

I feel that I have a good mix of quirky characters in both my Agnes Barton mysteries and my Kimberly Steele romance novella. So much so that I had to combine the characters in a crossover mystery series, or as I call the Agnes Barton/Kimberly Steele mystery series. If you think I’ve been challenged in the past, just imagine how more challenging it is to write about a six month pregnant sleuth. Both Agnes and Kimberly have their limitations, but I hope to show them in a new light. You aren’t simply crippled because  you’re senior aged or pregnant. Not unless you choose to act that way, health problems aside that is.

I hope to be able to entertain my readers in the future with more Agnes Barton books and a new series being developed featuring a sassy type of girl straight out of the Bayou. Stay tuned for further updates.