Building Mysteries with Help from Nancy Drew

With my debut novel nearing publication, I'm getting all excited to share my story with the world! 

via GIPHY
 


Yep. That's basically me. Of course, since I'm writing mysteries here, I should probably tone it down a bit.
 

via GIPHY
That's better.

Anyway, to get to the crux of the matter here, I'm going to talk a little bit about my inspiration for Decaf & Drones, the first book of my Northwoods Barista Mystery series, to be released next month with Three Worlds Press.

I grew up reading Nancy Drew. At one point, my childhood bookcase contained nearly  every book in the series, from The Secret of the Old Clock up through the 80’s and 90’s spin-offs. Most of those are still sitting in my childhood home (sorry, Mom!), but I love to return to the series- they’re like a comfort food, but in book version. 

Modern mystery novelists always pull me in with their unique storylines and compelling characters, but I have to say my earliest mystery manuscripts always bore an uncanny resemblance to the Nancy Drew series. When I began seriously writing mysteries, I knew that I wanted to bring back elements from this beloved series in my own unique way: an amateur-detective you can cheer for, her dependable best friends, unique small-town settings and seemingly-impossible-to-escape final scenes. 

Though my main character, Jordan Nimsby, isn't much like Nancy (think more of an overly caffeinated version of myself mixed with a non-sociopathic Sherlock Holmes and hearty dashes of Stephanie Plum and Phoebe Buffet), she is a spunky chick who likes to solve mysteries, drink coffee and kick butt. I hope you enjoy reading about her wild adventures!