Snark & Sensibility

PLEASE WELCOME

MARY DODGE ALLEN 

TO

FICTION FRIDAY

Most authors tend to be observant. I know I am. When I am out and about, I take note of the things others say or do – a bit of snappy dialogue, a humorous story -  and I tuck them away in my memory for possible use in my writing.

My own real-life experiences also influence my writing.

Although I grew up in Minnesota, I like setting my novels where I now live, in small-town Florida. This state is a vacation destination with plentiful sunshine, theme parks, and beautiful beaches ... but it can also be a dangerous place, with alligators, venomous snakes, sinkholes, and hurricanes.

When I was plotting my award-winning mystery/suspense novel, Hunt for a Hometown Killer, I wanted the first chapter to begin with a scene where my main character Roxy, a small-town mail carrier, discovers the hiding place of the damaged car used in her husband’s unsolved hit and run murder, years earlier.

I asked myself:

What if a sinkhole suddenly opens up in front of Roxy’s mail truck and quickly drains a retention pond, uncovering the shocking sight of that mangled car?

And what if Roxy’s shock and anger ignite a fire inside her to solve her husband’s murder? She can become an amateur sleuth - using her sharp photographic memory to uncover clues by observing people and activities in addition to capturing images of license plates and the addresses on mail deliveries.

Many years ago, a massive sinkhole opened up in Central Florida, less than a mile from where I used to live. Measuring more than 350 ft. wide and 75 ft. deep, this sinkhole swallowed a luxury car dealership, five Porsches, a community swimming pool, and a private home (the family got out in time). It is now a pond named Lake Rose, in honor of the homeowner. I used to pass by this pond on my neighborhood walks.

I’ve been asked how I came up with the idea of a mail carrier as a main character. Years ago, I worked as a USPS substitute mail carrier during a summer college break. I soon realized that a mail carrier would make a unique small-town amateur sleuth. Mail trucks can move around town freely while remaining ‘invisible in plain sight.’ Who pays attention to them? And have you ever thought about how much your regular mail carrier can learn about you, from the mail, magazines, and packages you receive ... especially if that mail carrier has a photographic memory for details, like Roxy? 

working as a USPS substitute mail carrier

In describing the many twists and turns of the reopened hit-and-run murder investigation, I drew upon my years of experience as a volunteer working at our local police department. I worked in records and reception, and I acted as an emergency dispatcher during a SWAT team training exercise. In Hunt for a Hometown Killer, Roxy works closely with Kyle, the town’s handsome detective, and their relationship grows close. They identify a new prime suspect, who attacks Roxy before dropping out of sight.

Against Kyle’s advice, Roxy stubbornly refuses to back out of a ‘wilderness women getaway’ canoe trip she’s planned with her best friends. She’s convinced the suspect has left town and won’t follow her into this remote area. She’s also hoping to find solace in the peaceful beauty of Florida’s Ocala Forest. During this getaway trip, Roxy and her wisecracking friends improvise as they face humorous camping challenges.

With my canoe trip friends (I am kneeling, on the left)

The many canoe/camping trips I took with my close friends in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness helped me to write these scenes. Plus, it was fun to add Florida dangers like gators, snakes, and bears. When the killer takes Roxy captive, she must use her wits to survive.

While writing the canoe trip scenes in Hunt for a Hometown Killer, I recalled the evenings I spent sitting around the campfire with my friends, feeling both tired and blessed. I held these vivid memories in my mind as I wrote: 

“They went quiet, as the burning limbs snapped and cracked against the background of crickets chirping. Glowing red sparks rose from the gyrating flames and merged with the gray smoke curling upward toward the dark sky. Heat from the crackling campfire warmed Roxy’s face, arms, and legs. As she sat in the flickering firelight and gazed at the faces of her closest friends, a powerful feeling of love and gratitude surged. She remembered something she’d learned in her Christian grief counseling group, about savoring the special moments in life. This was one of them.”

As Thanksgiving draws near, may we feel deep gratitude for God’s blessings as we gather and spend time with our loved ones (even those who sometimes irritate us.) May we freely give where there is need ... may we give comfort to each other where there has been loss ... and may we reflect on what is truly important in our lives.

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Hometown-Killer-Dodge-Allen/dp/1952369703? 

What’s next

 I am currently working on a sequel: Hunt for a Hometown Kidnapper. As Roxy is making final plans for her wedding to Kyle, a series of strange and threatening events happen in her neighborhood. Days before their wedding, Roxy is reunited with the daughter she gave up for adoption, 14 years earlier.

After she and Kyle return from their honeymoon, Roxy is looking forward to spending time getting to know her daughter. But when they return, her daughter suddenly vanishes while out shopping. When they find her spilled purse, they realize she’s been kidnapped, and she doesn’t have the asthma inhaler she depends on.

The clock is ticking as Roxy and Kyle begin a frantic search for her. Who has taken her... and why? Roxy’s faith is shaken. After so many years of praying to be reunited with her daughter, will she lose her now?

Hunt for a Hometown Kidnapper should be available in 2024.

ABOUT MARY DODGE ALLEN

Mary Dodge Allen has won a 2022 Christian Indie Award (First place, Mystery/Suspense), a 2022 Angel Award and two Royal Palm Literary Awards. She writes fast-paced adventure with humor and heart. Mary is a blogger with the website: Heroes, Heroines and History. She and her husband live in Central Florida, where she has served as a volunteer with the local police department. She has worked as a Teacher, Counselor and Social Worker and as a USPS mail carrier. She is a member of Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Florida Writers Association. Her quirky sense of humor is energized by coffee and chocolate.

Website: www.marydodgeallen.com 

Blog: www.hhhistory.com