THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Deadly Yours
Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to Deadly Yours, book one of the Samantha McMican Mystery series, by Cyndi L Stuart!
***Synopsis***
Five years ago, strangers died. This time—friends. As the body count climbs, this menace must be found or the killings may never stop. What’s hidden in the tiny details? Why is the killer taunting her? As the killer closes in, does she once again cut and run or stand and fight? What will Sam risk to bring this nightmare to an end?
I do have a plan for this to be a series and the stories will revolve around my main character, Samantha McMican, with as much trouble as I can throw at her.
What is the sub-genre and trope? Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?
So, I thought I was writing a cozy mystery when I started. When I finished I was sure I had written a Cozy with a Smack! But after attending a writing conference and pitching the book to several agents and publishers, lo and behold my novel is considered a traditional mystery/thriller. But I still like the Cozy with a Smack! Don’t you?
I believe my characters did lead me down the road to more of a thriller, especially the killer. That character really carved out a place for itself as I got into the final edits. But I always had the idea of the amateur sleuth trope in my head.
I’ve been an avid Agatha Christie reader since I was a kid and I’m drawn in by a perceptive main character getting dropped in a mess but is smart enough to not just find their way out but solve the mystery too.
Are you more character or plot driven?
Well, I’ve been told in many, many workshops and read in even more books on writing that ALL books are character driven. I think that’s true. I like starting with the murderer and the how and why of the crime. Then it’s a matter of playing around with how my characters react to the victim, the possible suspects, and the circumstances surrounding it.
With many main and secondary characters, how do you keep them separated in your mind? Do you have a story/vision board above your workspace?
There is a massive whiteboard sitting by my desk. It is normally in a state of chaos to anyone from the outside looking in but it makes sense to me—most of the time. You wouldn’t believe writers, who figured out all these characters in the first place, could forget the color of someone's eyes, but we do.
For Deadly Yours, I spent the bulk of my time flushing out the main character, Sam, so I know her very well. As for the supporting cast, I have created backstories for all of them and that helps me keep them straight in my head as I write. I also have to act out scenes with dialogue to make sure I’m getting the right voice for each character. That’s a real sight for someone looking in as I bounce around the room playing all the parts.
I know from previous interviews that characters take on a life of their own. Were any of the characters in this series determined to take their own direction instead of where you initially wanted them to go?
Yes! The killer made their wishes known during the last few stages of the manuscript and another character wanted to be heard but didn’t make the final cut when it went to my editor.
I’m writing that other character’s story right now.
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
Sort of. One of my strong male characters is Mike Campbell, my hard-nosed newspaper man who is old school when it comes to reporting the news. He’s a combination of a few reporters I met when I was studying communications in college, and a man I used to work with, but he also has some character quirks from people I knew growing up. Because he’s in his seventies, I feel he can be the tell-it-like-it-is character with great old phrases and jokes.
One of my other male characters is Colin Davies, a British criminal profiler who is in the US to teach at a local Portland, OR, college and consult with the Portland Police Bureau. I did have a person in mind when I wrote Colin but after hearing back from readers asking if he’s based on this British actor or that one, I’ve decided to stay mum. I think it’s way more fun for the reader to fill in the blanks with their own imagination than for me to spoil it with the image in my head.
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
Once again, sort of is the answer to the question. Aunt Dot, Dorothy Dixon, is a compilation of three women I knew when I lived along the north Oregon coast. The British accent comes from one, the love of tea and gardening comes from two, and what you will find out in future books will come more from the third. All three were lovely women with huge hearts and a love of life. None of them let their age get in the way of doing just exactly what they wanted to do.
The other women in the story are really just pulled from my imagination and from the kind of strong women I wanted to write about. They are all flawed, just like the rest of us, but they are determined to live life on their own terms, while fiercely protecting and lifting up the ones they love. I’ll also admit that I wrote the friendships I wish I had with other women.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
Getting the big confrontation scene at the end right became tricky. Multiple characters had to battle it out at the end and I needed to keep them all straight as to; who stood where, which way the bullets would go, and who needed to say what to whom.
It made sense in my head but since I don’t go along with each copy of the book to explain it, I had many different eyes look at that scene to guarantee I got it right for the reader.
What is your favorite book in the series?
Deadly Yours is my first one so, of course, it’s my favorite.
I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?
Hands down it’s Meg Hadley. She is my over fifty, whiskey drinking garden center owner with no filter whose mouth will always get her in trouble. She’s come too far in this life to be subtle and if she wants to know something or tell you something she’ll just blurt it out with no apologies and very few regrets.
Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?
This first book only alludes to a possible love interest for Samantha.
Will it be the hunky Ted Rosi who owns his own construction company, walks his big golden dog Gordon, and seems to run into Sam A LOT around Cove Beach?
Or will it be Colin, our criminal profiler with the sexy British accent who’s only in Oregon for the year? Hmm…time will tell, because I’m not.
How do you get inside these characters’ heads to find their perfect HEA?
My HEA is about Samantha finding a community after being on the run for so long and not about finding a lover in this first book. To this end, I tried to build really strong characters around her that would become her family of friends and be there for her when she needed them the most, even if she didn’t realize she needed them.
What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you? Why?
For me it’s the first chapter because it’s the one I agonized over the most. It has both the hook and the inciting incident which kicks off the action and really shows the sort of danger Samantha is in.
I would guess the reader will find the final scene, with the big reveal, sticks more in their heads along with the wrap up at the end.
Series - Were any of the books harder to write than others?
This being the first one and knowing how bleeping hard it was to write, my guess is the answer will be…all of them.
This question is if you write in MULTIPLE POVs not just the hero and heroine - I love the multiple POVs in a book. It’s not just the hero and heroine, but we get inside the heads of multiple characters throughout this series. I feel that it gives the story further depth. Do you think you will write another book or series following this multiple POV outline?
I’m also a lover of multiple POVs and I did write Deadly Yours through the eyes of several characters, with special attention to the killer’s voice after a suggestion from my editor.
I have started writing my next book the same way and I don’t see myself changing that approach. My next story will integrate personal journal entries from a variety of characters, so there’ll be first person in there as well.
How long did it take you to write this book/series?
I started on my 50th birthday in 2017 and I know that seems like a really long time, but I didn’t get serious about honing my writing craft, taking classes, etc., and chaining myself to my desk until shutdown in 2020.
How did you come up with the title for your book and series?
The mystery is based on my main character being taunted and stalked by a killer who sends her a letter sealed in blood red wax announcing a murder.
I was pondering how the killer might sign the letters and Deadly Yours just sort of popped into my head. It seemed a bit cheesy at first, but my beta readers loved it.
If you met these characters in real life would you get along?
Hmm, good question. I believe I would with most of them but definitely NOT the killer!
I love my characters and I lived for several years in a small Oregon beach town, so I understand their habitat and can relate to the ebb and flow of tourists, traffic, high prices, and powerful storms.
Series question – Did you know in advance that you were going to write this as a series or did one of the characters in book one demand their own story?
As I said before, one character absolutely demanded page time but my editor didn’t feel she fit in with the story as it is. But when it comes to Samantha and Cove Beach, I wasn’t sure at first. I needed to be convinced that there could be future trouble on the horizon.
I believe now there are plenty of things I can pelt at my cast of characters and put them in situations that will reveal their hidden secrets. Hint: Don’t be taken in by Aunt Dot’s demure demeanor. There’s a story there, for sure.
If your book/series were made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters?
Now, after what I said above about letting the reader’s imagination fill in the gaps, that would be telling wouldn’t it? But what the hell, let’s give it a go.
Samantha McMican - I just don’t know. Sam is her own person in my head and I can’t really see any specific actor playing her.
Colin Davies - still not telling, you decide.
Jessica Noguchi - Cush Jumbo
Aunt Dot - Penelope Wilton
Meg Hadley - Melissa McCarthy
Kimberly Wallis - Viola Davis or Robin Givens (if either is willing to play a little older)
Vicki Matthews - Bonnie Hunt
Mike Campbell - John Larroquette or Erinie Hudson (yes, both are very different but either would play a great Mike)
Ted Rosi - insert whatever hunky dog-loving guy, with a greek family, who looks good to you in a tool belt and carharts.
Can you give us a hint as to what we can expect next? Whether a new book and series or a sequel to an existing series? Can you share a small tease?
I’m not writing book two in my Samanta McMican Mystery series right away. Instead, I’ve been tapping away at a fantasy mystery instead. Here’s a little teaser…
My life began with my death.
Check out all my interviews/reviews for Cyndi L Stuart!
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2024/05/author-at-glance-cyndi-l-stuart.html
Connect with Cyndi:
Email: mailto:cyndiswriting@gmail.com
Five years ago, strangers died. This time—friends. As the body count climbs, this menace must be found or the killings may never stop. What’s hidden in the tiny details? Why is the killer taunting her? As the killer closes in, does she once again cut and run or stand and fight? What will Sam risk to bring this nightmare to an end?
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