Dear Reader,
I’ve been writing the Rocky Bluff P.D. series for many years now. When I first started writing it there was no Facebook and no blogs. In the first books, none of the characters have cell phones, nor do the police cars have computers installed. As time moves on, events get modernized.
I never intended for the series to be hard-boiled police procedure, but the earlier books are a bit grittier than later ones. And for you who don’t like profanity in books, though my characters may swear, I don’t quote them. In other words, if you think someone might use a bad word, you’ll have to supply it yourself.
Because there are 17 books in this series you might wonder where all the ideas for the books came from. Initially, it all began from stories my cop son-in-law told me when he stopped by my house for a cup of coffee at the end of his shift.
From there, some ideas came from events I remembered. Stories told at our local Sisters in Crime meeting by guess speakers. One tale came from a gruesome story told by a coroner, another from a female police detective. I always took notes at those meetings—never knowing when something said would give me an idea for a plot. Once in a while, a newspaper story of an intriguing crime will pique my interest.
Because I’ve been around for a long time, I remember places I’ve been that have made great settings. I used a church I went to as a child for an important place for a dramatic ending for one of the mysteries in the series. For that same tale, I used a bit of gossip a friend who was a church secretary told me and wove it into the plot.
The series is set in a small beach community much like one where I lived for a long time. Fog plays a lot into what happens at times. Fog is scary to drive in and adds great tension to a nail-biting scene.
Once I had a fan give me a title to use—Murder in the Worst Degree. Great title. I wrote the book, but it wasn’t until I was at the next to the last chapter that I figured out how I was going to link the title into what happened in the story.
What has always been important to me in this series is the dynamics of how the job affects the family, and what’s going on in the family affects the job. When I was living in the small beach community, we had many neighbors who were in law enforcement and I saw a lot of what I’ve included in this series.
Every book has been written to stand-alone, though the characters move from book-to-book, the crime or mystery is always solved at the end of each one.
I’ve always written the kind of books I like to read. You can find all of the series in paperback or for Kindle on Amazon. I hope you’ll try one out.
Love,
F. M. Meredith (also known as Marilyn)
F.M. Meredith, also known as Marilyn Meredith, has had 48 books published as well as two short stories, most are mysteries, but also a few Christian horror, a roman with supernatural elements, and a cookbook. She’s taught writing in many venues including for Writers Digest and many conferences. She lives in the foothills of the Sierra with her husband.
Her latest book is the mystery, Reversal of Fortune.
You can visit her website at http://fictionforyou.com/ or her blog at https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.
The body of a suspect is discovered on the fortune teller’s property. Clearly, the two killings are related, but how? Who is responsible?
Meanwhile, the mayor’s daughter, Kayla, whose best friend is Detective Doug Milligan’s daughter, is upset because her mother’s sister wants her to leave Rocky Bluff to live with her in Los Angeles. Can her friends convince Kayla’s aunt to leave her there with her father?
Book Information
Release Date: April 8, 2022
Publisher: 31 Months LLC;
Soft Cover: ASIN: B09XLQCNZB; 190 pages; $12.99; E-Book, $2.99
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EA50Eo
This was a fun letter to write and pretty much explains the RBPD mystery series. Please excuse the typos, they seem to sneak in no matter how well I think I've proofed it.
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