Murder in Southern Italy, Book 3
Mystery/Suspense
Date Published: Nov 4, 2021
Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing
Antiquities expert Annalisse Drury and tycoon Alec Zavos revel in a love affair peppered with treasure hunting, grand adventure, and the occasional dead body.
It’s autumn when Alec arranges a getaway from them to visit is mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy—a no-drama vacation to transfer his car company to a rival. But before they can depart New York, murder makes its familiar reappearance.
Accompanied by detective friend Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father—linking him to the Mafia. An ancient rosary propels Annalisse down crooked paths to expose the truth as they uncover answers none of them are prepared for.
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
Thank you for having me in your interview!
I tend to accentuate flawed characters because
all of us are imperfect human beings. The people in my books may have money and
material things, but they are no better off than the rest of us. Even though
the stories take place in destinations most of us won’t visit during our
lifetimes, the characters portrayed manage to stay real and deal with more
trouble than any couple should have thrust upon them! Message: You don’t
need excess wealth to be happy with what God gave us all.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Pushing myself to remember that I can’t please
everyone who reads my work. I pay a lot of attention to reader reviews. The not-so-flattering
ones, especially. With each new book, previous reviews are fresh in my mind as
I write, and I’m careful not to make the same mistakes twice. Writing is
subjective, and readers have their preferences. Because I have mixed the
mystery genre with adventure, suspense, and some romance, most find the nuances
refreshing, but sometimes an occasional naysayer jumps out at me. Coloring
outside of the lines is what I do. It’s a challenge not to get too far away
from the mystery genre.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
Counting the memoir that began my journey, I’ve
written a total of five (5) full-length books. Since one of the works is a
children’s picture book about a lamb we raised in our laundry room, I would
have to say that I have two favorites. The children’s book, Mia and Nattie:
One Great Team, because I tell the true story of Natalie, the only lamb to
live in our home for two months. She was a special sheep, and everyone seems to
like the fact that the book tells of actual events.
As far as fiction is concerned, I have to say my
vote goes to the recent release, Scattered Legacy, book three, as the favorite
of the series so far. The opening scene mistakes in book one was behind me— the
eight long years to get Stolen Obsession into print were rough. I had a
few editor issues with the first two books when it dawned on me that some of
the critics were citing errors that pointed to the need to find a more suitable
copy editor. In Scattered Legacy I did just that. The prose flows more
smoothly and dialog issues of the previous books disappeared. The editors I’ve
used were all professional and excellent, but not every editor works for every
author. The editor needs to be a good fit. Scattered Legacy was a
pleasure to write and I like the end result.
If You had the chance to cast your main character from
That is an easy answer. Anne Hathaway. One of my
favorite roles for her was when she played opposite Meryl Streep in The
Devil Wears Prada. Anne’s character as Andrea reminds me of Annalisse Drury,
the pretty brunette in my series. Andy’s smart and tries a little too hard to
please, only to get in trouble with her peers and the boss. That’s until she
picks herself up and goes after what she wants—landing where she started—on her
original career path. Annalisse is making her own mistakes even though the
characterization has similarities.
When did you begin writing?
On a dare, parents in our 4H group asked me to
write a book on raising sheep. We have had sheep since I met my husband in 1979,
remarking to the club how much training they still needed with their animals.
Many of the parents had been involved in other clubs for five years. I was
shocked at the lack of sheep knowledge the kids had.
The memoir was published in 2009. I had so much
fun writing this silly book, I decided that writing fiction was my next
adventure. Ha! I look back on that now and laugh. I had no idea what was
involved, and had to begin from the beginning. Reading everything I could get
my hands on that involved crafting well-written fiction. I laid out about a
year just to research the subject. Like I mentioned earlier, it took me eight long
years to publish that first work of fiction. A book that’s won some prestigious
awards!
How long did it take you to complete your first book?
The book about raising sheep took me
approximately two years to complete. It’s easier when the text mentions skills
that we already had. Writing non-fiction came much easier to me than using my
imagination.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
No. On the contrary. I was an artist and
photographer, never dreaming of writing anything! Part of my early writing
issues stemmed from not reading enough. I had it in my mind that if I read
another author’s work, I would tend to plagiarize them. What I’ve found is just
the opposite. The more one reads, the easier it is to write.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
The research! I love history and incorporate
historical events and descriptions into my books. The Annalisse character is an
antiquities valuator which I use as a segue into the past. I have an admission
to my readers... None of the places I write about have ever met my eyes in
person. I purchase history books and travel guides to be sure that the
information written in each installment is accurate. I don’t use the internet
for research unless I’m searching for actual photos of vacation spots. People
on vacation tend to show actual location pictures.
A word of caution; using the Google listings for
research…is researcher beware. The internet is loaded with opinion and hearsay.
Wikipedia is nothing more than a compilation of people’s beliefs and opinions
blended with facts. The internet is generally a landmine wasteland to navigate
through.
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
THE TRUTH HAS CLAWS
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the
future for your writing?
Sure! In book four, Annalisse and Alec will be
taking a break from each other. The ending in Scattered Legacy will
explain their issues, but I won’t spoil the end of the book here. Book four
(unnamed as of yet,) takes place on the South Island of New Zealand at a sheep
station, where Anna meets up with a past character or two from a previous book.
Anna and Alec’s relationship is tenuous in the next novel, but don’t give up on
the couple yet! I’m currently researching the differences between the way we
manage sheep here in the US and what stations do with their animals down under.
My hands-on sheep experience will come in handy. The story is currently in the
outline stages. January 2022, I hope to start the first chapter and get to work!
About the Author
Marlene M. Bell is an award-winning writer and acclaimed artist as well as a photographer. Her sheep landscapes grace the covers of Sheep!, The Shepherd, Ranch & Rural Living, and Sheep Industry News, to name a few.
Marlene and her husband, Gregg, reside in beautiful East Texas on a wooded ranch with their dreadfully spoiled horned Dorset sheep, a large Maremma guard dog named Tia, along with Hollywood, Leo, and Squeaks, the cats that believe they rule the household—and do.
Contact Links
Twitter: @ewephoric
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nice interview
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