Author Interview

6Ws with Henry Corrigan

I am reviving my 6Ws series to give fellow authors and their books a bit of promotion. It’s been a while, but Henry Corrigan is the next author to feature. (With a nod to my former life as a journalist, I opted for the 6Ws of the business: who, what, when, where, why and how, which counts as it ends in W.) I had the opportunity to read Henry’s latest, Somewhere Quiet, Full of Light before its May 15 release. As an LGBTQ haunted house novella, the book puts an interesting and original spin on the horror genre. Certainly, I was hooked from the start: “Before Michael came to me, I thought I would be alone forever.”

I will let Henry take over.

Who is the author Henry Corrigan?

I’m a bi horror, sci-fi, and fantasy author, poet, and playwright who writes under a name it took me a whole day to think up. I love horror, comics, movies and music. I love my wife and daughter who I wouldn’t still be here without. And I love writing stories. All kinds of stories. I figure out who I am each day through my family and my writing.

What is your latest book?

Somewhere Quiet, Full of Light is an LGBTQ haunted house novella about an artist and his husband who move their family to an abandoned house in upstate NY. 

Eric Tillman is looking for a way out. Born into a poor family, the once starving artist has spent his life dreaming of a home where his kids could escape screaming landlords and the sting of poverty. So, when his husband Mike, a house-flipper with a jeweler’s eye for abandoned places, discovers a strange, but exciting old house in upstate New York, it feels like the perfect answer to all their prayers.

But once the family moves in, it isn’t long before Eric learns that some chances are too costly to take. For this house has standards it lives by, expectations which must be met. And on the long, relentless road between perfection and salvation … some doors lead only to ruin.

Somewhere Quiet, Full of Light is a unique take on the haunted house genre, because the story moves back and forth between Eric’s perspective and that of the house. You get to hear, see, and feel what the house is thinking. And you get to know what it has in store for the poor people who decided to move in.

When did you begin writing?

I started writing in grammar school, I don’t remember what age. All I remember is falling in love with poetry. It hooked me then and I still return to it to this day. I’ve been lucky enough to have my horror poetry included in a charity mental health anthology, Shards, from Ravens Quoth Press, and I’m hoping to see another in a different anthology later this summer.  

How do you write? 

I guess you could say that I’m neither a plotter nor a pantser. I tell everybody the same thing. I always know how a story begins and ends. And it’s always somewhere in the middle where I lose my way. The details of stories trip me up, but honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way. It makes me think harder about each work. It helps me make my stories better. 

Where do you write? 

I write pretty much anywhere I can. I have an office at home but I’m rarely there these days. I super commute for my day job now, so when it comes to writing I rely on dictation or the notes app on my phone. Hopefully I can put all this super commuting nonsense aside because it’s killing me. I miss having time with my family and it leaves me with no time to edit. I can draft a story but I can’t polish it. It’s terrible. 

Why do you write? 

Because I can’t not. Writing has been part of who I am for as long as I can remember. I write because I want it to be part of the legacy I leave behind. I know there are writers out there who say they will be happy if they only end up with a handful of readers. I applaud them for it, but that’s not me. I want to make a success of this, I want it to be what I do full-time because it will provide me with family time, and peace of mind. My stories help me, and I hope they will help other people someday. 

Links to books and social media: 

Somewhere Quiet, Full of Light: https://books2read.com/u/bPklY7

A Man In Pieces: https://a.co/d/gkhxBWQ

Shards: https://a.co/d/d09LFes

Blog: https://henrycorrigan.blogspot.com/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/henry.corrigan.35

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Isabel Long Mystery Series

Chance Meeting Inspiration for Finding the Source

The “what ifs” kick in when I am about to start a new mystery. Like what if a woman who owns a junkyard wants Isabel Long to investigate the death of her father in a house fire? What if a baby was stolen from the front yard when her brother was lured away? What if a literary agent was shot in the head but survived? 

But for Finding the Source, the eighth book in the series, I had a real life encounter on the day of my mother’s funeral that inspired this book’s “what if”.

Hank and I had time before we had to be at the funeral home, so we took a walk through my hometown’s downtown. That’s where a man I didn’t know rushed toward me and announced, “My grandmother was murdered 46 years ago, and her case was never solved.” 

Naturally, I was intrigued.

I asked for his grandmother’s name and other details — no surprise given my background in journalism. Later, when I was back home, a little online research showed me the story was true. (By the way, Hank, a bit stunned, asked me, “How do you attract people like that?”)

In Finding the Source, Isabel and her 93-year-old mother Maria, her partner in solving crimes, are in the city of Mayfield where they are invited to lunch by a person from a previous case. (More on that in another post.) True to form, they are early, so they decide to take a little walk. There, they are approached by a homeless man who startles them with a story about finding his mother murdered when he was only twelve. 

True to form, I took my own experience and had my way with it in Finding the Source. I don’t know the background of the man who approached me. I didn’t even get his name. But what if Isabel is approached by a homeless man who has struggled with the murder of his mother, a seller of vintage books? What if it happened in Dillard, where Isabel must once again deal with its police chief?

Here’s a scene from that meeting. I will let Isabel tell you about it herself.

My attention refocuses on a man who walks fast across the library’s lawn. He has mostly white hair long past a decent cut that hangs almost to his shoulders, a full beard, and a purpose in his step. That determination makes me wonder if he is going to ask us for directions or more likely spare change since he appears rather under-dressed for today’s weather in a hooded sweatshirt instead of a heavy jacket. His jeans are worn at the knees. A backpack is slung over one shoulder.

The man stops a few feet in front of us, startling my mother who was concentrating on the library. As usual, I plan to take charge.

“My mother was murdered forty-three years ago, and her case was never solved,” the man announces in a loud voice.

Ma and I glance at each other. This was unexpected.

“Your mother was murdered?” I say, and the man needs no invitation to take another step closer.

“Her name’s Abigail. Abigail McKenzie. Mine is Tom, Tom McKenzie,” he says. “She was found beaten and strangled in our home. The cops back then did a lousy job investigating.”

Frankly, I am a bit stunned. I believe it’s the same for my mother because her mouth hangs open like she wants to say something but doesn’t know what. I study the man’s face, noting the stubble of whiskers and deep lines. Perhaps if I step closer, I might smell booze on his breath, but hold on, Isabel, let’s not jump to any conclusions. Keeping an open mind served me well as a reporter and now, as a private investigator. Maybe my mother and I simply appear approachable.

“I’d like to hear more,” I say.

“You do?” he asks with a tone of disbelief in his voice. 

I’m guessing he’s been turned away or ignored many times. Forty-three years? That could have happened a lot.

My mother pats my arm. 

“My daughter is a private investigator.”

“You’re a private investigator?” Tom McKenzie says. “You ever take cases like this?”

I have no idea how serious this man is or whether he’s dishing me a load of bull, but I can’t dismiss an opportunity to help a person do right. The people who have hired me have included a drug dealer, junkyard owner, and a noted poet. So, why not a perfect stranger who found me by chance on the street of a city I rarely visit? But I definitely would need a lot more before I seriously consider it. 

Here’s the link for Finding the Source if you would like to read it. And if you enjoy it, please leave a rating or a review. Thanks if you do.

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mothers

Mothers in My Books

Happy Mother’s Day to moms everywhere. I could say the same to the many mothers who are characters in my books. Certainly, mothers and those mother-like people are important figures in our lives. The same goes for my fictional mothers who have to deal with the situations I cook up for them. Here is a rundown.

ISABEL LONG MYSTERY SERIES

Isabel is a mother of three grown children — one of whom doesn’t approve of her sleuthing — but the major mother in this series is Maria Ferreira, who advises her daughter on her cases. Maria, who came to live with Isabel, turns 93 in the series. But despite her advanced age, Maria often accompanies her daughter to interviews. She could be called her ‘Watson’, a role she so enjoys. She says it’s boring without a case. Maria is a big reader of mysteries and smutty romances. She also has a great sense of humor, especially dealing with living in the sticks and Isabel’s choices in life. Maria is such a popular character, so many readers have begged me not to ever let her die. I promise.

Also in the series, two mothers are victims in the cases Isabel is hired to solve, including Finding the Source, the eighth book, coming out June 4. More soon on that book. Another mother had her infant daughter kidnapped from her front yard in Following the Lead.

THE SWANSON SHUFFLE

In my latest release, Bia Fernandes comes to work at Swanson House, a psychiatric halfway house. Among the former mental hospital patients are two mothers who suffered the tragic loss of their babies. The impact on their mental health was severe.

NORTHERN COMFORT

Willi Miller is a single mother living with her son in a small rural town. She does her best by Cody, who was brain-damaged at birth. Their home is a cabin left by the grandfather who took them in after Willi’s husband deserted them. The book begins with a tragedy: Cody dies when his sled sends him into the path of a pickup truck as Willi chases it down a steep hill. How Willi overcomes this tragedy and confronts a dark piece of her past is the focus of this story.

There is another mother in this book, Willi’s, who unfortunately is cold, selfish, and not a help at all during this difficult time for her daughter.

THE SWEET SPOT

Edie St. Clare is a woman constantly on the go in her small town, pretty and direct. You’ll find her on weekend nights at the Do-Si-Do Bar or behind the counter of her in-law’s general store. But Edie can’t let go of an old sadness — the death of her husband in Vietnam. She and her seven-year-old daughter Amber live next to her father, a crusty guy who runs the town dump, and her wisecracking aunt. Edie’s life changes dramatically when she is caught up in the town’s biggest scandal.

THE SACRED DOG

Verona Hooker is the ex-wife of Frank Hooker, owner of the bar he named The Sacred Dog. Actually, the bar used to be named for her, but he changed it in honor of his dog, Louise, after she left him. Verona is the mother of Crystal, who Frank considers as his own daughter although the actual father is a secret she keeps. Verona fled the town of Holden to get a fresh start but returns in this book. She realizes Crystal would be better off being closer to her father. Too bad things don’t turn out that way. By the way, Verona is a character in the book I am currently writing, The Unforgiving Town, a sequel of sorts.

PEACE, LOVE AND YOU KNOW WHAT

This is the second adult novel I wrote that is not set in the fictional hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. It is inspired, sort of, by my college experience. On her last weekend in college, Lenora and her hippie friends have a three-day bash where she has a great deal of “fun” with three guys. She’s on her way to Europe after graduation. Fast forward many months to the funeral of a popular professor, and everyone is surprised when Lenora shows up with a baby. She lives in a commune in the country.

THE TWIN JINN SERIES

Mira, like the other members of her family, is a magical being in this series written for middle grade readers. A jinn or genie, she is the mother of twins who are as gifted as she is with magical powers. Elegant and wise, she and Elwin helped the family escape from their evil master. But there are challenges to remaining safe as her children are mischievous and naïve.

MY BOOKS

That gives you a quick summary of mothers in my books . Here’s the link to my books on Amazon. By the way, the flowering bushes in the photo above grow in our yard.

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The Swanson Shuffle

The Swanson Shuffle Set in 1974

My new novel, The Swanson Shuffle, is set in 1974, a tumultuous year for many of the characters — and the U.S. Think Watergate for starters.

First, a quick summary of the book for those just tuning in: Two years out of college, Bia Fernandes gets hired as a live-in staff member in a psychiatric halfway house and learns a lot more than she expects about the residents plus herself.

It was during the 1970s that Massachusetts, where this book takes place, was closing its state-run institutions for people with intellectual disabilities and mental illness. The state was criticized for the conditions in these facilities, prompting court rulings and a drive for community-based care aka deinstitutionalization.

Swanson House, where Bia lands a job, would qualify for community-based care as it was supposed to help patients from mental hospitals make the transition to being on their own again. Residents were expected to have jobs and take their meds. They interacted at meals, meetings, and various activities. Unfortunately, the staff members like Bia got zero training. Basically, they were expected to be nice role models.

News that happened in 1974 is woven into the book.

Among it was the kidnapping of newspaper heiress Patty Hearst by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a story of interest to Bia. Later, Hearst became a fugitive wanted for serious crimes by the group.

Of course, Watergate was a big deal that year. The residents are devoted TV watchers and their main source of info is Walter Cronkite, who they fondly call Uncle Walter. Yes, there is a chapter when Uncle Walter speaks after Nixon resigns from the presidency on August 9, 1974. It coincides with a pivotal night for one of the staff members.

That winter, Massachusetts implemented gas rationing in response to the oil embargo by OPEC the previous year. Here’s how Bia explains it. (Paul is a fellow staff member.) “We and everybody else can only fill up on certain days depending on whether the last number of the license plate is odd or even. The house station wagon is odd, which is fitting. Paul claims the gas crisis is bona fide bullshit. The big oil companies are only doing this to scare people into thinking we’ll run out, so they can do whatever they want, like start a war in the Middle East.”

In one scene, the house station wagon runs out of gas after Bia picks up residents at the end of their shift at a local factory. She’s ticked off because a staff member, actually Paul, didn’t gas up after the morning run, but she needs to get everybody home. So, with Carole at the wheel, Bia and two residents, Lane and Kevin, push the car through a neighborhood to a gas station.

I peer over the car’s hood toward the garage. Two men are in the office playing cards. They don’t bother coming out, and then I see the cardboard sign in the window: NO GAS. They gotta be shitting me. How could they be outta gas?

“What’s the matter, Bia?”

“Nothing, Lane. Why don’t you go inside the car? I have to get somebody.”

I march toward the office. One man nods to the other when I knock on the glass. He waves me away.

“Outta gas,” the man mouths as he tilts a beer toward the sign.

I don’t believe him. I knock again until the same man comes to the door.

“Hey, girlie, can’t you read the sign? We’re outta gas.”

I gesture toward the station wagon. Carole still sits in the driver’s seat, but she’s rolled up the window.

“I did. I just need a couple of gallons.”

The man steps outside the office door. A jagged scar runs up the right side of his face. He smells like beer and cigarette smoke.

“Nah, we don’t have anything. Not a drop.” The scar twitches when he squeezes the corners of his mouth. “Sorry.”

“But we’re outta gas.”

He snorts. I bet he got that scar in a knife fight in a bar. Maybe it happened because he didn’t give somebody gas.

“I guess, hon, that makes the two of us.”

I don’t believe a damn word he’s saying.

Read how Bia figures a way out of this situation. Here’s the link to The Swanson Shuffle.

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Writing

A Writer’s Dedication: Commitment and gratitude

Dedication. As an author I deal with two. First, there is the commitment I make to transform an idea that popped inside my head into a book. This is a process that typically takes months of sitting at my computer, letting the words come together, typically 500 a day. Then there is the self-editing that often comes midway and certainly a few times after I reach the end. You could also factor in the business end of writing, that is, getting the word out about my books.

As part of that process, there is another form — choosing who I will honor with an official dedication. What person or persons have made an impact in my life, especially my writing, in some way? It’s my official and public form of thank you.

At this point I have sixteen books published, including the most recent The Swanson Shuffle. The next, Finding the Source, the next Isabel Long Mystery, set in the fictional hilltowns of Western Massachusetts, will be released June 4.

Several books have been dedicated to family, including my husband Hank, our six children, and two grandchildren. My late mother, Algerina Medeiros, is on that list since she was a big reader and it turns out, the inspiration for Isabel Long’s mother.

Then there are friends who deserve mention. 

Teresa Dovalpage inspired me to write mysteries after I read hers — A Havana Mystery Series among others. We met in Taos, New Mexico, and I fondly remember talking and drinking Cuban coffee at her home. Teresa has encouraged me as I negotiate the publishing world.

I met Frederick Fullerton in college, and our friendship has continued these oh-so-many years with nearly daily emails, often about writing and the books we’ve read. He published two books this year, a novel, The Writer of Unwritten Books, and a collection of short stories, The Prisoner & Other Stories.

Karen Westergaard and Victor Morrill are hilltown friends who deserved to have a hilltown book dedicated to them, Northern Comfort. I have so enjoyed our conversations in their welcoming home and gardens.

John McCann and Helen James are two medical professionals who have given me wonderful healthcare. Talk about dedication.

Steve and Diane Magargal are the former owners of Liston’s Bar in Worthington, where we used to live. Nearly every Friday night, Hank and I went there for music, dancing, and comradery — a fun night out. Liston’s is the inspiration for the Rooster Bar in my Isabel Long Mystery Series, but the characters are all made up. Honest. By the way, after Steve and Diane sold the bar, it was bought by a group of locals, who tore it down and had it rebuilt. 

The Swanson Shuffle is dedicated to two teachers from my childhood — Irma Darwin and Donald Graves. 

Irma was my fourth-grade teacher who was the first to encourage me to write on my own, making up short stories and one-act plays. I assigned parts to my classmates, and we practiced at recess. Later, we performed in front of the class. I don’t remember what I wrote, but I do the feeling of using words to tell a story.

I met Donald in fifth grade when I was among the students selected from our town’s elementary schools to attend an enrichment program in science and creative writing held Wednesdays. I bet you can guess which class I preferred. Donald’s approach to creative writing was a deeper way for me to express myself. Frankly, I had to wait until I was in college to get anything similar.

So who earned a dedication for Finding the Source? It’s my secret until June 4.

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