The truth doesn’t stay buried forever.After losing everything, Mallory Grayson retreats to a quiet town, hoping a vintage shop and a fresh start will help her rebuild her life. But when the mummified body of her long-missing great-grandmother is discovered, Mallory is pulled into a mystery.
Clues hidden in heirlooms, a secret room, and a past lover’s return offer answers … if she’s willing to risk everything to uncover them. In a story steeped in secrets and history, her courage may be the only thing that can break the curse.
The past and present collide in MUMMY’S LOCKET, the first book in the Mallory Grayson Mysteries series by Nan S. Russell.
In May of this year, Mummy’s Locket arrived in my mailbox, just like it arrived online and in brick-and-mortar booksellers across this country and others. Its black cover, with large copper-colored lettering, is highlighted with an open locket and white roses. Clues, of course, in this traditional mystery peppered with cozy elements.
The feeling of its arrival doesn’t match the emotional exuberance I felt signing a three-book contract for a series of Mallory Grayson Mysteries. You see, while this is my sixth book, it’s my first novel, and self-reflections are emerging as I struggle to experience and understand its birth. Not about the writing of it, but about the writer.
For a decade, I wrote non-fiction books and at the time was convinced it was much harder than writing fiction. I was wrong. Fast forward six years that involved learning how to write fiction, then trying my hand at my favorite genre, mystery. During that time, I came to realize that writing a novel is hard. At least for me. Much harder than I expected, but way more fun!
It’s taken a few decades for me to understand that I am a writer. I’m not a writer because I write books, or articles or blogs, but because writing is how I “take-in” and process my world. As if housed in my DNA, writing helps me discover what I think or feel or dream. It helps me make sense of what happens or doesn’t happen. And as an almost off-the-chart introvert, writing enables me to express my thoughts and ideas.
But it’s more than that. Just like my musician father shared his soul through his music, writing gives voice to mine. Being a writer isn’t what I do, it’s who I am. That difference is more than words. I didn’t choose writing as my profession. Rather, it chose me as my expression.
Each of us processes and orients in our own way with our respective talents and gifts. Some people are runners, gardeners, singers, painters, dancers, crafters, organizers, teachers, inventors, designers, problem-solvers, caregivers, storytellers, nurturers. These may or may not be their profession, but it is how they experience their life’s zest and add their voice to their world. I add mine through writing.
However, being a writer is different from being an author. At least for me. Not because of being published, but because of being public. All my life I’ve been a writer. However, having people read my work and react is never easy. There is a raw vulnerability that comes with sharing. Still, I am eager to know if my words touched your heart, the story drew you in, a character was relatable, or you were entertained, solved the mystery, or closed the book with thoughts that stayed around, or you wanted to think about.
I realize that while I’m a writer alone, I’m an author because of others. I found my voice with their help. From my eighth-grade teacher who planted possibility seeds of what I could do, to my mother who painstakingly corrected my sloppy spelling and grammar as a child; from bosses who gave me opportunities to develop my skills, to friends and family who believed in my dreams; from readers who encouraged my attempts, to my husband who picked me up after many rejections and setbacks, and to publishers who said yes to my work.
I’m an author because people like you helped me become one. In the words of Althea Gibson, “No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helps you.” Thank you for helping me share my words during this “Great Escapes Book Tour.”
Writing a book is step one. Getting it published is step two. Having people read it is step three. It is the last step that, more often than not, determines how many books a writer writes. So, thank you for reading this post and getting to know me a little. If you like solving mysteries, I hope you’ll give Mummy’s Locket a read.
Where do my ideas come from? For me story ideas and character attributes are everywhere. So, I collect snippets, writing down something I find interesting, have experienced, or observed. It was a vacation trip to Ireland with family that sparked the idea for Mummy’s Locket. After viewing an exhibit of ancient bog bodies while visiting the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, the idea gnawed at me, ultimately evolving into a story where the past and present collide.
There is nothing more rewarding in my writing endeavors than hearing from readers. Not everyone will like my work of course. But, if you do, I’d love to hear from you through a posted review, a social media mention, or a message on my website (www.nanrussell.com). If you want to stay in touch so you know when the second book in the series, One Deadly Postcard, is released, you can sign up for my occasional newsletter or follow me on various social media platforms.
As I say good-bye for now, let me leave you with a favorite quote of mine from Stephen King: “Books are uniquely portable magic.” Or according to Baby Yoda (a.k.a. Grogu): “Read. This is the way.”
With both a bachelor’s and master’s in psychology, Nan S. Russell was fired from her first professional job. Taking a minimum wage position to pay the rent, sixteen promotions later, she decided to end a successful corporate career as a Vice President of a multibillion-dollar East Coast company, to pursue a life dream to live and write from the Rocky Mountains, first in northwestern Montana and now along the Front Range of Colorado. With a desire to help others live their dreams, too, she turned her real-world experience into writing award winning non-fiction career and business books and articles, and became a speaker and consultant on leadership, trust, and culture development. But she always knew she wanted to write fiction, too. That point arrived during the pandemic pause which provided the catalyst for rethinking her writing and its purpose, sparking the decision to move towards fiction with more time to study the craft, take online classes, hone skills and work on her first novel. Now, she is living her second dream: Writing mysteries. Mummy’s Locket is her debut novel and the first in her Mallory Grayson series. More at www.nanrussell.com.
.png)
No comments :
Post a Comment
PLEASE NOTE: I do not moderate comments, but some go to Spam anyway. Rest assured, I check regularly and will publish non-Spam comments shortly!