Wrinkly Bits
A Blog by Gail Cushman
It’s been a beautiful week, full of sun, a little rain, and some snow on the Beartooth Mountains that we wake up to every morning. This morning it is 26 degrees, so we closed the windows and turned on the stove. I think Old Man Winter is hovering over our little hill in Columbus, Montana. The Cowboy is in his element!
Last week was also a banner week. We published my tenth book, Murder in the Diocese, last week and the Cowboy, my paramour extraordinaire, who doubles as my literary agent, hit the ground running with my latest novel. When I say, “latest novel,” it has a meaning. This was my first book. Written in 2003. 21 years ago. It is late!
In 2003, I wrote Murder in the Diocese and tried to get it published, but couldn’t find an agent. In the meantime, several dozen people read it and said, “Gail, go for it. It’s a great story, publish it.” I found this easier said than done. I was a novice writer in Idaho and those of you who have lived in Idaho for a long time know that East Coast people still get Idaho and Iowa mixed up. I had a lot of rejections as well as dealing with my husband Tom’s Agent Orange issues. My role of caregiver overtook my writing and I shelved it. Maybe later, I said.
A couple years ago, I saw “Spotlight,” which won the academy award for best picture. I said, “Hold the phone, Baby! ‘Spotlight’ parallels my Murder in the Diocese book. It’s on Netflix, if you haven’t seen it. By that time, the Cowboy was in my life and he said, “Whoa, great book. Why haven’t you published it?” So, I dusted it off, reread, rewrote, reedited, rethought, and this week we published it.
Murder in the Diocese begins when a woman goes to church on a Saturday night and kneels on a kneeler, but it’s stuck. She looks further, and discovers two babies, newborns, one black and one white, wrapped in scratchy blankets, jammed under the pews. She knows that churches are refuges for abandoned babies and takes them to a local hospital.
Maggie Monroe and her husband Brick have recently moved from her long-time home in Barrier, Nevada, to Reno for medical reasons and she has taken a position as Detective, far below her abilities, but nevertheless, a good position. The chief assigned her the abandoned babies’ case and she and her new partner Jack, begin asking questions. She starts with the clergy, who say, “We’re not interested, it will cause a scandal.”
A few days later, another crime occurs, a Catholic rectory burned to the ground, arson, they conclude and a woman was killed. The chief assigns Maggie and Jack to this crime…Were the babies and the arson case connected or not? Why wouldn’t the Diocese personnel, including the very congenial Bishop talk to them. Why did the foster family caring for the babies receive mysterious phone calls and a break-in.
Maggie and Jack are blocked time and again, through silence, lies, and coverups. The ending will surprise even the most serious mystery reader.
Murder in the Diocese is Book 4 of the Maggie Monroe Series and we published them with my pen name, Helene Mitchell. I wanted to separate my two genres, the Wrinkly Bits series, a humorous romantic comedy series, from my Maggie Monroe Series, murder mysteries. Helene is my middle name (my brothers still call me Gail Helene), and, of course, the Cowboy’s last name is Mitchell, so Helene Mitchell seemed like a good pen name. Cowboy and I took a vote and it was 2-0.
Murder in the Diocese and my other mysteries are available on Amazon in soft cover, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited. Follow me on Amazon, which will help my book sales grow.
