Often but not always, when it’s time for schools in the Seattle area to start up after Christmas vacation, Mother Nature lends a hand by delivering a storm that will add an extra snow day or two to their wintertime break. Having never met a snow day during my own school days in Bisbee, Arizona, I found this to be both interesting and inconvenient.
I’m someone who writes fiction, but I’m too lazy to make up everything. If I wanted to invent a separate universe, I’d be Frank Herbert and write something like Dune. Instead, I use real but fictionalized locations where I’m familiar with the landscape, the flora and fauna, the distances between one point and another, the traffic patterns, and … well … the weather.
For all the reasons listed above, the Beau books are set in Seattle. In the late eighties, when it was time to start Beaumont #9, Payment in Kind, the action commenced in an icy cold Pacific Northwest January, complete with widespread school closures. The writing process on any given book is generally finished a year to a year and a half before the actual publication date, so it’s likely I was doing the actual creation on the story during one of Seattle’s long hot summers when writing about winter weather was a welcome break from living in an AC-free environment.
The book’s pub date turned out to be sometime in January or February of 1991. While doing an event at a Target in Lynnwood, someone approached the signing table and said, “You’re real fast, aren’t you.” What? I wasn’t at all sure what she meant. I must have looked puzzled so she added, “That snowstorm just happened six weeks ago.” Sure enough, 1991 was one of those years that started off with local school kids having an extra couple of snow days at the end of their Christmas vacations. I tried to explain that I had written the book long before the snowstorm in question arrived in the area, but I’m not at all sure she believed me.
A year or so earlier, when writing Beaumont #7, Dismissed with Prejudice, part of the plot had to do with a Samurai sword that had been brought back to the States as a trophy in the aftermath of World War II. Within weeks of the pub date, some Japanese businessmen arrived at a hotel here in Bellevue and began buying up trophy Samurai swords in order to return them to Japan. That one gave me goosebumps.
Now we fast forward to 2025. (It’s still hard to remember we’re not in 2024 anymore!) It’s time to write the next Ali book. I haven’t written a single word of it, but the baby has a name. Ali # 20 is currently named Smoke and Mirrors. In order to write it, I’ve spent the last several days revisiting the beginning of the series by rereading Ali # 1, Edge of Evil. I wrote it long enough ago, that I remembered most of it, but not all.
One passage really struck me. In it, Ali receives a greeting card from Reenie Bernard, her best friend from high school, shortly after already learning that Reenie is deceased. This is the paragraph that took my breath away:
Eager to read Reenie’s message, Ali tore open the
envelope, leaving behind a jagged edge of paper and
a tiny paper cut on her index finger. Inside was one
of those black-and-white greeting cards, the ones
that feature little kids in old-fashioned clothes. This
one showed two cute little girls, a blond and a
brunette. Four or maybe five years old, the two girls
sat side by side, with their arms slung over one an-
other’s shoulders and with their smiling faces aimed
at the camera. Inside the card said, “Some friends
are forever.”
It’s as though my writing self had peered into a crystal ball and glimpsed the Christmas decoration my childhood friend, Pat Hall, would send me some twenty years later—the one I mentioned a blog or two ago. It’s the same two girls, one blonde and one brunette, sitting side by side. On the Christmas decoration, they’re looking at a Christmas tree. In the book, I didn’t say what they the girls were staring at, but, all things considered, I suspect they were looking into the future.
Now I need to go back reading to Ali # 2, Web of Evil, to find out what else I need to know before I start writing Smoke and Mirrors.
Wish me luck.
I got goosebumps reading this!
O.K., that’s a little spooky. I’ll wish you luck, but don’t think you need it…your wonderful talent for writing will get you past any roadblocks you may encounter. Looking forward to the next book.
Can’t wait for the new Ali book also when will there be a Sheriff Brady book come out. I have read all of both the series and am waiting for new books in both series. I love them both
The next Joanna, The Girl from Devil’s Lake, is due out in October.
Snow days were something I looked forward to growing up in Iowa. We didn’t have many, but there were two or three every year. The problem was we had to go extra days at the end of the year to make 180 school days.
To show you the different ways folks handle winter – the Queen of Norway and her children were exiled to Washington, DC during WWII. School was called off one time because of snow. The Norwegians couldn’t understand it.
You don’t need luck, you’ve got your God given talent that out does luck every time. You provide all your wonderful books that give us special times. When we read one it takes us to a place out of the cares, troubles, fears, sometimes the pain of our current world. It’s a time often needed to relax, distract, gain courage and strength to carry on. You are doing a good deed.
Can’t wait. Ali is one of my favorite characters- she reminds me of one of my daughters ?
I have always thought you were a bit of a psychic.
Luck…and your talent will prevail.
I am currently catching up with the Ali Reynolds books. I’ve enjoyed them all including Beaumont and Sheriff Brady. I love all of your books, my neighbor introduced me to them about 15 years ago and I devour them all. Before my father in law passed this past year, I would give them to read too. He also loved them. You keep us Delawareians happy with your books!!
Lots of luck. Can’t wait to read next in the series. I’ve read every word you’ve written. Keep up the great work, but remember to stop and smell the roses.
I have read all the Beaumont books [except Den of Iniquity; preordered in paperback] and almost all caught up with Brady, and already have the first two Ali books on my bookshelf waiting for me. Just waiting for you to mention a publication date for The Girl From Devils Lake to preorder. That one I will not wait for in paperback. In the meantime, you keep writing, I will keep reading. Here’s to more goosebumps.
Wishing you good luck, for sure!
As usual, very easy fun read. Good luck on the book you’re starting
GOOD LUCK! I eagerly anticipate the next Ali book since she’s my age! So, get on it, girl!
Cheers,
Jackie O
Luck in spades, Judy!
You’ve mentioned in your presentations that the Tohono O’odham people end a story back around to where it started, so it’s only natural some of your novels do the same–even years later. Thank you for all the pleasure your writings give us.
xx, Annie
Since starting reading you, starting with Beau’s #22 (out of order, which is a story of its own) I have devoured all of Beau, then Joanna, and now Ali. Each series change I longed for more of the just finished one, dreaded the new one only to find it as wonderful. Now I’m closing in on the end of the Ali series. I may re-read Beau from book one, now that I know it’s very important to read them in order. At least for the stories to flow. Thank you – Thank You – Thank you