Marilyn Meredith's Nick Two John

Day 8 of the Murder We Write Blog Tour and I’m pleased to host an enigma. For those of you who are scratching your head, I’ll clarify. I’m crime-beat reporter Mitch Malone and I make my living using words. An enigma is something puzzling or contradictory. Nick Two John has been featured in Marilyn Meredith’s Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. He makes people nervous in RAGING WATERS, her latest book. He always seems to have the answers but seems to pull them out of the air. I’m on the case and plan to get the answers to this mysterious character for a great story. Nick, let’s start with your name. Is Two your middle name? Or is Two John your last name? How did you get your name and what does it mean?

Nick: Two John is all one name and it reflects the fact that both my grandfathers have the first name of John. At the naming ceremony, this was the solution to whether to name me after my mother’s father, John Flaming Arrow or my father’s father, John Swift Deer.

I’m a facts kind of guy. I don’t speculate or guess in the stories I write for the Grand River Journal. You mentioned a Native American heritage. My sources tell me you give them good advice and point them in directions they might not have otherwise pursued. How do you do that?

Nick: Probably what I do isn’t something you’d understand. I merely guide the person to the answers that are within themselves.

 Now I understand that you live in a hotel or something and in fact are living in sin. If you are spiritual, when are you going to get hitched?

Nick: Have you been speaking with my friend, Pastor Hutch? Though he’s never mentioned the fact that I am not married to my partner in life as well as business, I know he has made the same judgment. Frankly, I believe in the heart and mind of the Great Spirit that Claudia and I are one, a ceremony sanctioned by the world isn’t necessary.

How did you get in the lodging business? Rumor has it you are quite the cook. What are some of your favorite recipes?

Nick: Claudia is the true owner of the Bear Creek Inn. I am her partner in all phases of our life together. I’ve been able to cook since I was a child on the reservation. I learned to make fry bread and Indian tacos first. My mother taught me how to gather wild herbs to flavor meats and vegetables. In my mind, I imagine how something will taste when I combine it with something else. I don’t share my recipes. You might try what my friend Pastor Hutch does. He comes to the Inn to eat quite often, then he goes home and tries to imitate my dishes. According to his wife, my friend Tempe, he does a good job of it. You might too.

Now that I’ve softened you up with some easy questions, I’m going in for the tough ones. Nick, you know Deputy Tempe Crabtree really well, some might say intimately. Doesn’t that make it a little awkward with her husband? How did your relationship get so close?

Nick: I don’t think intimate is the best choice of words. I’d say we have a deep and lasting friendship. At one time I was an alcoholic, a weakness suffered by many Indians. During that period, I was reckless and foolish. Working as deputy, Tempe arrested me when she caught me slashing the tires of logging trucks. I recognized the fact that she knew little or nothing about her Indian roots. When I was falsely accused of murder, Tempe took on the task of finding the true murderer and proving my innocence. From that time on, I’ve worked at teaching her about the spiritual side of her heritage.

I must admit that Tempe’s husband, Hutch, has had some problems with Tempe’s and my friendship over the year, but it was based in the difference in our spiritual beliefs which he now realizes have many similarities.

Thank you Nick for getting on the hot seat with an ace reporter like me. I hope to hear more about your “gift” in other books with Tempe. To get your hands on RAGING WATERS or other books in the series, please go here: Amazon

Marilyn's also offering you a chance to win free books. To enter my giveaway contest for a copy of the previous Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, BEARS WITH US. Leave a comment and you're automatically entered. Include your email addy so I can get in touch with you should your name be selected at random. The winner will be announced on my blog (http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com) on December 12, 2012. Good luck!

Raging Water Blurb: Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s investigation of the murder of two close friends is complicated when relentless rain turns Bear Creek into a raging river. Homes are inundated and a mud slide blocks the only road out of Bear Creek stranding many—including the murderer.

I know there are some people who like to read a series in order, but let me reassure you that every book is complete. Though the characters grow through each book, the crime is always solved. Here is the order of the books for anyone who wants to know: Deadly Trail, Deadly Omen, Unequally Yoked, Intervention, Wing Beat, Calling the Dead, Judgment Fire, Kindred Spirits, Dispel the Mist, Invisible Path, Bears With Us, Raging Water.

Bio: Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Raging Water from Mundania Press. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel us No Bells, the forth from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Marilyn borrows a lot from where she lives in the Southern Sierra for the town of Bear Creek and the surrounding area.

Mitch Malone Mondays: F.M. Merdith's Miqui Sherwood

Welcome to a special edition of Mitch Malone Mondays on Saturday. Today I’m pleased to have F.M. Meredith or Marilyn as she is known to her friends stop by but she usually doesn’t say much. She visits regularly and always brings the most interesting people. Today is no exception. Miqui Sherwood is featured in the next Deputy Tempe Crabtree book called RAGING WATERS. Welcome Miqui. Tell me a little about the country where you live. It is a long way from West Michigan isn’t it?

Miqui: Yes, I live in a small mountain town called Bear Creek in the Southern Sierra, that’s in California, in case you didn’t know. The town is named after the river that runs through town. I don’t know what idiot named it Bear Creek since right now it’s full to overflowing.

I understand you have an interesting hobby and it has something to do with the U.S. Mail. Tell me how it got started and why you do it?

Miqui: I’m crazy about holidays and I love to decorate my home with all my collectibles. I have some priceless and antique Christmas figurines, everything from Santa and Mrs. Claus to groups of carolers I decorate inside and out to celebrate every new season. I even decorate my mailbox.

I’ve been real nice asking you easy questions but I am a reporter and wanted to soften you up before I got to the last couple of questions. You had a criminal element surprise you? What did they want? And what did you do?

Miqui: We’ve had a rash of burglaries in Bear Creek lately. The burglar creeps into people’s houses while they are sleeping and they don’t even know until they wake and find their possessions missing. I woke up when he was in my house and my two precious dogs chased him out. I called Deputy Crabtree and she and her husband came right away but not in time to catch him.

Now if I am in the area, would you open up your home so I could stay? You had any experience with that?

Micqui: I probably would though I had a recent bad experience. More rain than we usually have caused the river to rise and threaten all the homes built near the banks. I offered my two extra rooms to couples that I know on a social level. It was not a good experience.

Thank you Miqui for stopping by. I can’t wait to hear more about your adventures.

Micqui: In Raging Water Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s  investigation of the murder of two close friends is complicated when relentless rain turns Bear Creek into a raging river. Homes are inundated and a mud slide blocks the only road out of Bear Creek stranding many—including the murderer.

Please leave a comment and you could win. The person who leaves comments on the most blogs will have his/her name used for a character in my next book—can choose if you want it in a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery or a Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel.

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Raging Water from Mundania Press. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel us No Bells, the forth from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Special Mitch Malone Edition - F.M. Meredith's Gordon Butler

Welcome to a special edition of Mitch Malone Mondays, by yours truly, Mitch Malone. Today is special because one of my favorite authors is here and while a reporter can never have favorites or be bias, I do have a fond spot for Marilyn and was happy to do her a favor. I want to make it clear that my interview for today, Gordon Butler, will not get any special treatment. He will be subjected to the same hardboiled questions as any of my other interviews so let’s gets started. Gordon, thanks for joining me today. You are an officer with the Rocky Bluff Police Department. Tell me how long and how that came to be.

Gordon: I wanted to be a policeman since I was a little kid. I believe in doing everything by the book and I probably know the laws better than anyone in the department—something that the other guys make fun of at times. When I graduated from the L.A. Police Academy, Rocky Bluff P.D. had an opening, and I’ve been with them ever since. I had a horrible training officer, so bad that he actually stole my wife away from me, among other things. But that’s a whole other story.

You’ve had your share of problems over the last few years.  Might I say you tend to put your all into your job. Can you tell me about a couple of the funny incidents now you look back on them.

Gordon: I can assure you they didn’t seem funny at the time. I’ve wrecked a couple of new police cars, not my fault, of course, chased a suspect through poison oak and had a horrible reaction, another time I leapt over a wall when going after a suspect and fell and broke my leg. But the worst happened to me recently. My fellow cops thought it hilarious—me, not so much.

Marilyn Meredith, W.S. Gager and Madeline Gornell at last years Public Safety Writers Conference.

In my next book, I’m dating a woman who isn’t all she appears to be especially when she turns up dead when we are supposed to be on a date. You have fallen for an interesting woman. What is she like?

Gordon: Benay Weiss is a gorgeous redhead. I met her when I pulled her over for a traffic violation. I’d never seen anyone with such beautiful green eyes. Mesmerized me—though I still gave her a ticket.  When her best friend is found murdered, Benay is the prime suspect. No way would she have killed anyone, much less someone she cared about. I’m going to find out the truth and make sure everyone knows Benay is innocent.

She still wanted to date after the ticket? Did you take care of it later? Better not go in that direction judging by the look in your eyes. To change the subject, you have some interesting coworkers at Rocky Bluff Police Department and a little fraternization on the job between Officer Stacey Wilbur and Detective Doug Milligan. Can you give me the dirt on these two?

Gordon: You’re a bit behind times, Officer Stacey Wilbur is now Stacey Milligan. You can read all about the wedding that almost didn’t happen in Angel Lost. Now we have two Milligans on the Rocky Bluff P.D. which is a bit confusing at times. Because I was renting a room in Doug’s house before the wedding and couldn’t find another place to stay, Stacey’s parents offered me her old room at their house. It’s working out okay, but now that I’m seeing Benay, I’m going to be looking for my own place.

Okay, I didn’t mean to make you pull your gun. Can you put that away. Just was looking for some inside information. I am a reporter after all and haven’t had a good scoop in a while. Tell me about your latest case will you.

Gordon: (laughing) Very funny. Once I’ve proved Benay innocent I’ll let you know who is the guilty party. I don’t want to brag, but this latest book about the Rocky Bluff P.D. is really my book. Oh sure, you can read about some of the other folks on the department and what’s going on with their families, but I’m the true star in this one.

Thanks, Gordon, for stopping by today. To find out more about No Bells, check out Marilyn’s website at http://fictionforyou.com. More about No Bells: Officer Gordon Butler has finally found the love he’s been seeking for a long time, but there’s one big problem, she’s the major suspect in a murder case.

F.M. Meredith, also known as Marilyn Meredith, is the author of over thirty published novels—and a few that will never see print. Her latest in the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series, from Oak Tree Press, is No Bells. Rocky Bluff P.D. is a fictional beach community between Ventura and Santa Barbara and F. M. once lived in a similar beach area. F. M. (Marilyn) is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and serves as the program chair for the Public Safety Writers of America’s writing conference. She’s been an instructor at many writing conferences.

Blog: http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

Marilyn's Contest: The person who comments on the most blogs on my tour will win three books in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series: No Sanctuary, An Axe to Grind, and Angel Lost. Be sure and leave your email too, so I can contact you.

Mitch Malone Mondays - Marilyn Meredith

Mitch Malone here and I'm going to try and clean up my act a bit. I don't have a lot of soft spots but I do for today's featured author, Marilyn Meredith, also known as F.M. Meredith. Marilyn gave a great cover quote for my first adventure, "A Case of Infatuation". Marilyn just released another Rocky Bluff PD Mystery. Marilyn, you accomplish so much with at least two books every year and you are kinda up there in years. To what do you attribute your stamina too?

Marilyn: This question made me laugh. Yep, I am in my late seventies (eek, that sounds old) but inside I feel the same as I always have. I’ve always liked to accomplish things, you even say that’s what drives me. I’m an early riser and that’s a good thing because that’s when my brain functions the best. By late afternoon I’m busy cooking dinner and once everyone’s eaten, I’m done with anything that takes a brain power.

You have some great characters in your books. Tell me how you came up with idea for Rocky Bluff PD?

Marilyn: My police officer son-in-law (who was killed in the line of duty 20 years ago) is the one who got me interested in writing about people in law enforcement and their families. The town of Rocky Bluff is partially based on the beach community we lived in for over 20 years though I moved it farther up the coast between Ventura and Santa Barbara. I wanted it to be a small town with a police department that doesn’t have much money and mostly relies on old-fashioned police work to solve crimes. And of course a lot of the focus in the books is on the personal lives of the police officers and what goes on in their family life.

I interview a lot of police officers and fraternizing between officers is often frowned upon. How do you handle the relationship between Stacey Wilbur and Doug when they work together?


Marilyn: In earlier books, Stacey vowed never to date a police officer. When she began working with Detective Doug Milligan her resolve melted away. In "Angel Lost" the coming wedding between Stacey and Doug is primary to the story. Because it is a small department, and Stacey being the only female officer for awhile, the issue of fraternization between officers has never come up. And as I like to remind people, Rocky Bluff P.D. is my department and I can do it anyway I want. (Smile.)

Gordon Butler is a character that I can relate to. Sometimes I have strings of incredibly bad luck. Is there any relief for me, err him?

Marilyn: Gordon Butler is one of my favorite people. Poor guy, he can’t seem to do much of anything right and adds a bit of comic relief to the more serious stuff that’s going on in Rocky Bluff. He’s a by-the-book officer which sometimes adds to his problems. He ends up being a bit of a hero in "Angel Lost." In 2012, the next book in the series will feature Gordon.

Do you have actual angels? Do the angels help the police solve crime?

The title, "Angel Lost", has two meanings which I can’t really tell you because it would give away too much. But there is only one angel who appears in a store window at night and though it’s important, whether or not it’s real is not for me to decide. After you read about the angel, let me know what you think. And no, the angel doesn’t help solve any crimes—but it is important.

Why do you say the book is written by F.M. Meredith instead of Marilyn since everyone knows you by that name?

Marilyn: When I wrote the first book in the series I thought that if I used my initials people wouldn’t know I was female. The majority of the first books were written from male point-of-view. When the first book came out the publisher put my picture on the back cover, so I might as well have just used my regular name.

Thank you, Mitch for taking the time to interview me, this has been fun.

I think my author had the same thought when doing her book, but I don’t want to say anything. Glad you could take the time from your busy blog schedule to be interviewed by yours truly. If you want to see more information about "Angel Lost" or the other books penned by Marilyn, check out her website at: http://fictionforyou.com