Thursday, August 25, 2016

Skeletons in the Attic by Judy Penz Sheluk

Please join me in welcoming Judy Penz Sheluk back to Killer Hobbies today.  My protagonist, Kate, is a yoga instructor, and she often uses yoga to clear her mind when sleuthing.  Judy has two series.  The protagonists in each are runners.  Judy, how does running feature in your mysteries?
 

It was almost a year ago to the day when I made my first appearance on Killer Hobbies. At the time, I was promoting my debut mystery novel, The Hanged Man’s Noose, the first in my Glass Dolphin Mystery series. I wrote about my protagonist, Emily Garland, and her passion for running.

Running also plays a part in my latest mystery, Skeletons in the Attic, the first in my Marketville Mystery series. Once again, my protagonist, Calamity (Callie) Barnstable, is a runner. Here’s one example from the book where Callie’s running comes into play:

I could have done a lot of productive, potentially case-solving things on Saturday; ‘could have’ being the operative words. Instead, I gave myself permission to take the day off from sleuthing and carpet removal to explore the twelve-mile paved trail system that ran through the center of Marketville. According to the Town’s website, the trail followed the Dutch River and passed through parks and green spaces, past wetlands and historic cultural sites, and had links to trails in two surrounding towns. It sounded like a runner’s paradise.

The great thing about running—besides the fact that it allows you to eat more than kale and cabbage soup—is that it clears the clutter from your mind. By the time I arrived home, I had made the decision to show the photographs I’d found to Royce.

Who is Royce and what photographs, you might ask. Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out…but I will tell you that the trail system through my fictional town of Marketville is very loosely based on the Nokiidaa Trail system, which links three communities (Aurora, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury, Ontario, Canada), following the East Holland River. I’ve had the pleasure of running and walking on those trails many times. And yes, Marketville is loosely based on Newmarket (and I do mean, loosely).

I’ve been asked if all my protagonists will be runners, and that’s not the plan at the moment, but to quote my mother, “Never throw never far away, or you’ll be picking never up one day.”

Bio: Judy Penz Sheluk’s debut mystery novel, The Hanged Man’s Noose, was published in July 2015. Skeletons in the Attic, the first book in her Marketville Mystery Series, was published in August 2016.

Judy’s short crime fiction appears in World Enough and Crime, The Whole She-Bang 2, Flash and Bang and Live Free or Tri.

Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers and the Short Mystery Fiction Society.

Find Judy on her website/blog at www.judypenzsheluk.com, where she interviews other authors and blogs about the writing life.



Here is a link to the Nokiidaa Trail System: http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/trails/view/nokiidaa-trail-association

4 comments:

Judy Penz Sheluk, author said...

Thanks so much for inviting me back to Killer Hobbies! I'm happy to answer any questions or comments.

Linda O. Johnston said...

Welcome back to Killer Hobbies, Judy, and congrats on the new series! Sounds like a fun background, and I'd imagine runners can get into all kinds of trouble...

Judy Penz Sheluk, author said...

Thank you Linda! We runners have a saying: what happens on the road, stays on the road!

Kathleen C. said...

Great book. I read/reviewed this book and loved the suspense, banter, and descriptions. It was an easy read with a bit of a cliffhanger-style ending making me want book 2! Great job, Judy!