Written Musings
  • Home
  • Our Authors
    • Tina Wainscott
    • Jackie Weger
    • Jerri Hines
    • Carmen DeSousa
    • Melinda Colt
    • M.J. Kane
    • Nanine Case
  • Genres
    • Mystery
    • Historical Fiction
    • Romantic Suspense
    • Women's Fiction
    • Paranormal
  • FREE BOOKS
  • Reviewers
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Submit

AUTHENTICITY IN CRIME FICTION: "A PLOT DOESN’T NEED TO BE POSSIBLE; IT NEEDS TO BE PLAUSIBLE." MELINDA COLT

8/23/2021

2 Comments

 
Picture
Most of us read fiction books to escape into new and exciting worlds from the comfort of our own homes. We love following great detectives or private eyes as they connect clues, and we love to hate most of the villains that skilled writers portray in their books. Being part of the chase and trying to figure out the whodunnit is a delight to the mystery reader, just as the thriller reader loves to be completely enthralled in the heads of the characters and living vicariously in their fictional worlds.
​
But even when it comes to fiction, authors need to keep a degree of accuracy, especially if we’re talking about crime fiction. My mantra as a fiction writer: “A plot doesn’t need to be possible; it needs to be plausible.” It works, up to a point, and as a young reader, I enjoyed many books that were extremely entertaining and well written. However, now I find flaws in many of them. Why? Because back then, I used to read any genre. Now, as a crime fiction reader and writer, I analyze every detail in a story.
Picture
As for my books, I work diligently to offer my readers the best possible experience in my detective mysteries, The Irish Garda Squad. I can honestly say that researching these books has taken longer than writing them, and before I started writing Dare Game, the book that starts the series, the first thing I did was contact An Garda Síochána – Ireland’s police force – and ask them to assist me with my research. The sergeant I spoke with was quite helpful, and even though it was impossible to answer all of my questions and scenarios (I hadn’t even plotted book one yet), I got the basic information that I requested.

Another stroke of luck was meeting detective Simon McLean — retired cop, author, and active member of LEAP Scotland, who was extremely patient while answering all my questions. Being a civilian with no crime-fighting background whatsoever, I can assure you some of my questions were pretty dumb.

My publisher, my editor, and my husband, aka Mr. Walking Encyclopedia, were incredibly helpful, as were the Cops and Writers Facebook group led by Patrick O’Donnell. All of these constitute a treasure of knowledge, and judging by the reviews, led to an authentic experience for my readers.
​
As I prepare to release the next book in the series, Silent Strike, I am confident that I’ve done my homework, and I’ll deliver a story my readers will love!
If you haven’t started the series, find the first book, Dare Game, at your favorite retailer!
 
Kindle ● Play ● iBooks ● Nook ● Kobo​
Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments

Researching a Romantic Thriller in Arizona by Tina Wainscott!

8/18/2021

1 Comment

 
​This was a "Wow, what an amazing world we live in!" moment, standing on Doe Mountain after a long hike up...
Picture
It was hard to put myself into a thriller mindset, wondering what I'd do if I were living out here and saw a plane go down. Imagining myself doing a good thing and finding myself in a life-and-death situation with a sexy, mysterious guy I wasn't sure I could trust...but the other guys were pretty darn clear about trying to kill us both.
Ever slept outside in the desert?
Picture
I have! Well, I cheated. I rented a little guest cottage out in the boonies and enjoyed some creative time, some quiet time, and the experience of being out in the wild, so to speak. I wanted to get a taste of what Claire and Quade felt and saw and smelled while having to spend the night in the wilderness. I heard animals rustling and saw so many stars it was if I were looking at a different sky. Thankfully, I wasn't hiding from bad guys who were out to kill me, so there's that!  
Picture
I absolutely believe that our souls are infinite, and that our experience here in this life is because our souls long to feel everything: love, joy, and yes, even grief and pain. My new romantic bestseller ONE LAST PROMISE explores all of these, and especially hope.
​ONE LAST PROMISE is a book of my heart, with action and a gut-wrenching love story...and an HEA that my peeps have to work hard for. And this week only it's on sale for the first time ever!
One Last Promise is a Stand-Alone Story - No Cliffhanger!
Romantic Thriller - Supernatural Suspense
Picture
Sometimes danger—and love—crash into your life when you least expect it…

When Clare Decker sees a plane go down in the desert behind her remote home and goes to assist, the sexy pilot, Quade Bonahan, kidnaps her. Since the men who downed his plane are shooting at them, she has no choice but to go along with Quade, at least until she can escape . . . ​LEARN MORE
​Kindle ● Series ● Play ● iBooks ● Nook ● Kobo
Picture
Connect with Tina and stay up-to-date on New Releases and Specials!
Newsletter - BookBub - Amazon

Subscribe

* indicates required

Written Musings will use the information you provide on this form to share new releases and specials from your favorite authors.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

1 Comment

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    August 2019

    Categories

    All
    Action & Adventure Romance
    Action & Adventure Stories
    Adventure Fiction
    African American Women's Fiction
    Alaska Series
    Alpha Hero
    Audio Book Deal
    Award Winning Author
    Award Winning Novel
    Based On Real Events
    Bestselling Series
    Binge Worthy Series
    Biographical Fiction
    Black Women's Fiction
    Boxed Set
    Carmen DeSousa
    Chick Lit
    Christmas Romance
    Christmas Story
    Classic Romance
    Coming Of Age Romance
    Coming Of Middle Age Romance
    Contemporary Fiction
    Contemporary Romance
    Contemporary Women's Fiction
    Crime Fiction
    Family Life
    Free Books
    Happily Ever After
    Historical Fiction
    Historical Romance
    Interracial Romance
    Island Adventure
    Jackie Weger
    Jaime Rush
    Kindle Unlimited
    Melinda Colt
    Midnight Sons
    Military Romance
    M.J. Kane
    Monday Blogs
    Multicultural Romance
    Mystery
    Mystery Series
    New Adult Romance
    New York Times Bestselling Author
    Paranormal Romance Books
    Paranormal Romantic Suspense
    Romance Books
    Romantic Comedy
    Romantic Mystery
    Romantic Suspense
    Romantic Thriller
    Romantic Women's Fiction
    SEALs Romance
    Search & Rescue Romance
    Second Chance Romance
    Single Mother Fiction
    Southern Fiction
    Southern Style Chick Lit
    Strong Heroine
    Supernatural Suspense
    Supernatural Thriller
    Thirty Something Romance
    Tina Wainscott
    USA Today Bestselling Author
    Whodunit
    Women's Fiction
    Writers Life
    Writing Blog
    Writing Real Topics
    Writing Romance

    RSS Feed

For first-hand news on new releases and specials on all our authors, join our list here!
Disclosure of Material Connection: This site is managed by Written Musings. Some of the links in the posts above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will add value to our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
  • Home
  • Our Authors
    • Tina Wainscott
    • Jackie Weger
    • Jerri Hines
    • Carmen DeSousa
    • Melinda Colt
    • M.J. Kane
    • Nanine Case
  • Genres
    • Mystery
    • Historical Fiction
    • Romantic Suspense
    • Women's Fiction
    • Paranormal
  • FREE BOOKS
  • Reviewers
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Submit