Stone Coat Man: A Cadence Mystery follows a woman whose grisly discovery begins a chain of events that rocks her small town. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I’d once seen a program on television that purported a theory that Sasquatch creatures are humans who prefer to live isolated in the wild. I remembered that theory when I started researching the rich mythology of the Six Nations of Indigenous Peoples in New York State and came upon the Seneca myth of the Genoskwa. It fit this story perfectly that deals with the mysteries of who we are and how we are shaped by the legacy of our ancestors and our own experiences.

What was your favorite character to write for and why? Was there a scene you felt captured the character’s essence?

I have so many favorite characters in this series, and this is book #4, so the list grows longer with each book, but Leroy Steeprock has a special place in my heart. He is wise, funny, courageous, noble, and lovable, and he understands human nature. He is steeped in the traditions of his people and he has keen perceptions about life, humanity, and nature.

Every scene with Leroy is one of my favorites, but I love the scene where he is introduced to readers. I took meticulous care in the details of that scene and his interactions with the other characters. For me, and I hope for my readers, it is a scene that has stayed with me and that I enjoy reading again and again.

What was the hardest part about writing a mystery story, where you constantly have to give just enough to keep the mystery alive until the big reveal?

Writing a mystery is fun. It’s like a huge jigsaw puzzle, especially when there are multilayered mysteries occurring at the same time, which is how all the books in the Cadence Mystery series are structured. It means keeping notes on details and many rereads of the manuscript to ensure hints and red herrings are well-placed and that all loose ends are tied up at the end. I relish the process, even when I’m up at 2:30 in the morning trying to get something just right. Loving the process is key because flexibility is a must and things change during my readings, revisions, beta readings, and with the editors. Love of the story is also a must because the story is good about revealing details my copious notes somehow missed.

What will the next book in that series be about, and when will it be published?

I am 62,000 words into book #5 of the Cadence Mystery series. The book is titled Improbable Future. Again, it will be a standalone book, but it is also a book that brings the characters of the series to places and decisions they never imagined. It’s a thriller! I’ve already come to really like a couple of the new characters introduced in this book, and I can’t wait to share them with my readers. I expect the book to be released mid or late summer.

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