Have you ever wondered what your favorite authors are doing when they aren't writing those wonderful cozy mysteries that we love so much?
Do they have other jobs, hobbies, hidden talents?
Now you can find out!
Today's special guest author is
Camille Minichino
aka Margaret Grace/Jean Flowers/Ada Madison
So, what is one of the things
Camille does when she's not writing?
When I’m Not Writing...
I'm
still writing. Not only do my characters follow me around, but my three main
pursuits—physics, writing, and miniatures, are all tied together. They're all
about making models.
Physics,
the most academic of my lifelong pursuits, deals with descriptions of the
universe, expressed in equations and manipulated in engineering.
Writing fiction
is another way of modeling our world, played through characters and their
personal stories.
Making
miniatures models our physical
environment on a scale that allows us to rearrange it at will.
So,
it seems I know how to do only one thing: make models. Here are some examples
of how they're connected.
1. Integrating physics with
miniatures. For scale: the white table is the plastic
piece that keeps the cover of the pizza box from the cheese!
2. Integrating physics with
writing: My first series was the Periodic Table
Mysteries, featuring a retired physicist. I'm continuing this series in short
stories, the latest (#11) being The
Sodium Arrow.
3. Integrating my new Postmistress
series with miniatures. Tiny packages waiting to be shipped.
4. Integrating writing/reading with
making miniatures.
5. Integrating
writing with miniatures. The marker gives a sense of scale; the vase is a
(real) bullet casing.
The Process
On
my workbench is a room box, newly crafted, waiting to be furnished. On my
computer is my latest novel, newly crafted, waiting to be furnished.
Adding
a descriptive passage to emphasize a point in a scene is like dropping that
tiny string of pearls onto m'lady's dresser in the Victorian dollhouse mansion.
Cutting a paragraph from a chapter in a novel translates into removing a
too-large scatter rug that overpowers the rest of the kitchen furnishings in a modern
dollhouse.
I
change a verb for a more powerful statement; I change the draperies in the
dollhouse dining room for the same reason.
For
a miniature scene or room box, after I choose the colors and assemble the
pieces, I leave it on my workbench for a while, living with it, looking at it
from different angles over the course of a week or so, to be sure all the
elements fit together nicely. Only
when a particular design has stood the test of time, do I
glue all the parts in place.
I
do the same for my novels, leaving each chapter or day's work to sit for a while.
When I come back later, I see the flaws. I notice phrases or sentences or plot
elements that don't work well together, and make the changes. Only then do I
consider it "finished" and metaphorically glue it in place.
I
have the most fun when I can combine my two favorite crafts, making miniature
scenes and writing mystery novels. At writing conferences and meetings I donate
miniature scenes for charity auctions, often including miniature replicas of
books that are featured on the panels.
In
each case—making a miniature scene or writing a novel—I'm creating a model of
reality, a fictional world where things can be easier and often make more sense
than in the life-size world.
Both
endeavors also involve cheating!
When
I put a roof on a dollhouse I don't have to worry about the materials really
being weatherproof. Dollhouse admirers assume all will be well if it rains.
When I move my characters about in a novel, I'm not concerned about filling
their cars with gas or giving them a rest stop on a long journey. Readers
assume the mundane things are being taken care of.
In
the world of dollhouses, there's no laundry to do, and a houseful of carpeting
can be changed in a matter of minutes. In my mystery novels, the good guys
always win and justice is always served.
What
could be more satisfying?
I never knew the world of miniatures could be so fascinating! And using them to go along with your writing is brilliant!
Thank you for sharing with us, Camille.
You can thank Camille too by leaving a comment.
Another great way to say thanks is reading and reviewing Camille's books.
PERIODIC TABLE MYSTERIES
as Camille Minichino
Book One Book Eight
MINIATURE MYSTERIES
as Margaret Grace
Book One Book Nine
Available 9/9/16
POSTMISTRESS MYSTERIES
as Jean Flowers
Book One Book Two
Available 9/6/16
SOPHIE KNOWLES MYSTERIES
as Ada Madison
Book One Book Four
You can't go wrong with any of these great series by Camille Minichino
no matter the name she writes under!
However, my personal favorite series is her Postmistress Mysteries written as Jean Flowers.
Book two is out this September. Pre-order it now, and get yourself a copy of the first book while you're there!
As always, please leave a comment and
let me know what you think!
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