Author Q&A: Lynda McDaniel
Lynda McDaniel and I have been writing pals for a long time. No need to actually count the years. Our careers began similarly: writing various forms of non-fiction and then branching out into editing, coaching, and “book doctoring” while simultaneously developing our fiction writing careers.
In honor of her recent release, Deep South Trouble, Book 9 of her successful Appalachian Mountains Mysteries series, I invited her to answer a few questions about her writing process and the cast of fascinating characters that keep readers coming back for more.
In addition to your intriguing cast of characters, your setting–place–is significant, and most important, memorable. Can you tell us what led to choosing the Appalachian region for your books?
Early in my twenties, my life changed forever when I moved to a small farm in the mountains of North Carolina. And I’m so glad it did! I’d lived a rather typical middle-class life, reared by conservative, troubled parents. Fortunately, I was born with a spirit of adventure, and soon after college, the siren call of the back-to-the-land movement beckoned. It was tough going on that little farm, where I was tested every day in so many ways. What saved me was the kindness of strangers.
I lived among people who had so few worldly goods, and yet after each visit to their homes, I left laden with canned blackberries, homemade bread, eggs, and once, moonshine. (Believe me, only once!) I learned gardening, foraging, hiking, mountain music and crafts, and storytelling. After fifteen years in the mountains, I returned to city life, where I became a freelance writer. Years later, when I could no longer ignore my yearning to write a novel, I naturally thought of the amazing experiences I’d had in Appalachia. So many fascinating people and circumstances I wanted to capture—along with the music of their speech, still vivid in my ear decades later. I started with one book, A Life for a Life, certain that would end the itch to write novels. And yet here I am, launching my ninth book, Deep South Trouble.
Abit Bradshaw is one of the most unusual characters/narrators I’ve come across in today’s fiction. How did Abit come about? Why do you think so many readers are drawn to him? Della has similar appeal. What do you think makes her so relatable?
Abit Bradshaw just showed up one day as I was struggling to pull together my first (and terrible) draft. I have a strong vision of someone laying a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in my arms. I’m not fortunate enough to often have such vivid visions, so I paid attention. Now I can’t imagine life without him.
As to why readers are drawn to Abit and his best friend, Della Kincaid, I believe it’s because they offer hope. Sure, they work together to solve mysteries, but their real task is to help one another—and those around them. Abit also brings a certain underdog quality that engenders a strong rooting factor. I was well into Book 2, The Roads to Damascus, when I realized my books are really about kindness. Again, there’s plenty of mystery and suspense along the way, but at its core, the series explores what it means to be kind—and how hard that can be sometimes. It’s in that second book that Abit proclaims “Be Kind” as his religion. And in a later book, when he faces a slew of obstacles to living his creed, he sighs and says, “Kindness might be the only thing keeping this old world from slipping off its axis.”
Would you say that you write “character driven” mysteries? Do the characters draw you more than the crimes?
Yes and yes. I love my characters. They give me a lot of pleasure—and they saved me during the pandemic! The crimes are more a framework for a story about the characters. Some of them are fictionalized versions of people I met in Appalachia, like the gentle beekeeper, the crazy laundromat owner, and the wicked con artists in The Roads to Damascus. And, of course, Abit and Della are two different sides of me. Abit is the part that will never stop wondering why the world works the way it does, while Della is the part that says, “Well, let’s do something about that!” And back to your previous question, I think that also resonates with readers. Many probably feel the same way and enjoy seeing this duo tackle these dilemmas.
4. Tell us about your new release.
Deep South Trouble takes Abit on his most perilous adventure yet. He heads down to Atlanta, Georgia, to help a grieving father learn more about his deceased son. But he soon finds himself embroiled in all kinds of troubles, which follow him back home to Laurel Falls, N.C. There, he and a new friend pursue a crew of crooks “ripping off poor folks and taxpayers of our mountain region,” as Abit describes them. “Unlike those I dealt with earlier in my life, these were corporate types, slick and cagey about how to milk the system and bribe our politicians. I chased after them from Laurel Falls to Damascus, Virginia, and back to Laurel Falls.” Della plus old friends Alex Covington, Nigel Steadman, and Shiloh lend a hand.
To learn more about Lynda’s work, visit Lynda’s website: lyndamcdanielbooks.com.
You’ll find more information about her mystery series (Book 1, A Life for a Life, is a free download), and sign up for her excellent newsletter.
You’ll also find a link to her new venture, Spellbound Mystery Magazine.
