The Weekend That Wasn’t

Forget Black Friday.

Forget Football.

Forget Shopping or eating leftovers.

 

My four-day weekend, which I’d planned to spend with family and friends was spent fighting the flu.  For a while, I was certain I was losing the battle, and before you ask, yes, I had the shot. Worse yet, I came down with it Thanksgiving evening, so there’s a chance I infected my whole family.  At least I had a fun time doing it, right?  Our family got together and had a great time with cousins, siblings, even ex-spouses.  So hopefully no one else will come down with it. 

 

Finally I’m on the mend, so I can ditch the over-the-counter remedies and cough drops and reclaim my work spot that the dogs took over while I was ailing.  Now, I think, I’ll return to my  WIP, and the wilds of Wyoming.  There’s a hero and heroine who’ve been waiting for me to explain about that nasty little murder . . .

The Skinny Behind Deep Freeze

A few years ago my editor was visiting and he said he had a great idea for a new book.  Since we often work out plot details together, I was excited to hear what he had to say.

He said, “I’d like to see a story where the killer only kills in winter.”
I said, “Okay, but why does he only kill in winter?”
His reply?  “I don’t know.”

That was his great idea? 

A killer who only kills in winter? 

Not a lot to go on.

 

 

 

Surprisingly though, just that little germ of a plot set me off,  and the idea of a woman on the run from her previous life,  a woman who had two teenaged daughters and needed a fresh start came to mind.  I thought she should be running from the glitter and glitz and heat of Hollywood. 

What if she wanted to slow down a face-paced life that was beginning to run off the rails?  What if she hoped for a more “real” life and a more normal or serene lifestyle?  And what if that more “real” life was really much worse and turned into a deadly nightmare in the middle off a frigid storm?  

 

The more I thought about the idea, the more it grew on me and eventually DEEP FREEZE was born.   The book was a bestseller and has now been reissued.  It’s sequel, FATAL BURN will be released again as well.  To top things off, AFTER SHE’S GONE, the story of Jenna’s now grown daughters, Cassie and Allie Kramer will be available at the end of the month. 

 

I find it amazing that from that comment of my editor wanting to see a story about a killer who only murdered in winter, three books have been born.  And who knows if there isn’t yet another sequel to be written?