I have decided to institute a monthly theme to my author's blogs. My theme for the month of March is female writers of (cozy) mysteries that have influenced my own writing in some way. This week I am talking about Joanne Fluke.
Fluke is the author of the "Hannah Swensen" series of cozy mysteries, as well as a young adult horror series under the pseudonym Jo Gibson, and a series of edgier mysteries (as Joanne Fluke) from Kensington Press. (Note: Kensington Press is in the process of reissuing many of these books.)
There are so many elements of Fluke's writing that I am drawn to. In the Hannah Swensen series we see a single woman running her own business (a bakery), and is owned by an adorable cat by the name of Moishe. The series is located in Lake Eden, MN (I am a MN native), and features the culture of that area. There is a food thread that runs through each plot, with recipies at the end of each book. This is old home week for me!
Fluke not only developes her characters well, but has them interacting with each other consistently. We are talking about small town america here, where everyone knows everyone, and anything can happen! The Hanna Swensen series is centered around family and community, and will bring out good memories for anyone that is from this area, or is familiar with it.
My hope is that in my books I can reflect the world that my characters live in accurately, as well as their lives, their hopes, and how their pasts can act as shadows.
Next week I will be talking about Susan Wittig Albert.
(c) March 2018 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.
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