Guest Blogger - Darlene Ryan
I met mystery/YA/nonfiction author Darlene Ryan online about a year ago (I think that’s about right…). She won a book in one of my contests. She and her hubby, Mr. Wonderful, did a joint review of the book. It was fabulous. Since then, they’ve done a few other joint reviews. In fact, I just packed up a bunch of books and sent them to Darlene in the hope that I can get the two of them to write another joint review {hint, hint}.
In addition to writing awesome book reviews, Darlene is an author and blogger. She is one of the founders of Poe’s Deadly Daughters, a blog for mystery lovers (and one of my favs). Darlene agreed to stop by today and chat with all of us…and there’s a giveaway at the bottom, so keep reading.
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Why do I write mysteries? I had this discussion just recently. It was a little weird.
I should have known better. Any discussion that I get involved in while wearing one of those oh-so-stunning hospital gowns always goes badly for me, although to be fair, the discussion didn’t end with someone sticking a light somewhere the creator did not intend for there to be illumination, which is what usually happens to me when I’m dressed like that.
But I digress. I’m in my breezy green gown. I’m cold. I’m crabby. (I’m growing my hair again.) I’m scribbling notes in a little purple notebook because I’ve suddenly figured out how to fix the giant logic hole in chapter eight. Nothing about me says, “Talk to me.” The hair alone should have been a warning. Still she said, “What are you writing?”
I looked up. She was sitting across from me—a woman in her late thirties, in the same kind of bilious green gown, except on her it somehow worked. Her gown fit. Was it possible it was somehow ironed? And who knew that color could be flattering on anyone? Then there was her hair—a sleek, shiny Katie (whoops, sorry Mr. Cruise) Kate Holmes bob. My hair was refusing to do anything like that. My hair was refusing to do anything at all. So you can understand that although she’d only said four words to me, I wasn’t feeling friendly. “Just making some notes,” I said and bent back over the paper.
“What for?” she asked.
I should have said I was making a grocery list or writing my last will and testament or even penning a fan letter to Matt Lauer but no, I had to say, “I’m a writer.”
“What are you writing?”
“This one’s a mystery,” I said, giving her my polite, I’m-busy-don’t-talk-to-me smile.
She leaned back and crossed her legs. She was wearing cute black shoes with beading on the toe, which, I swear, went with the hospital gown. (I was wearing black Crocs with one regular sock and one men’s sweat sock because it was the only thing that would fit over my post-surgery foot.) But I digress again.
“Why a mystery?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I like to read them.”
“You like to read them? That’s it?”
“Uh huh. The good guys win in the end. The bad guys lose. Most of the time, anyway. I like that.” I gave her the polite smile again.
“But don’t you think mysteries are essentially explorations of flexible morality?” she asked, uncrossing her legs and leaning across the space between us. “You’re aware that they shape society’s definitions of what’s acceptable and what isn’t?”
“I…uh…suppose,” I said. (I told you the conversation was weird.)
She continued talking about the elasticity of society’s morals, deterioration of ethical standards and how it was all reflected in mysteries and thrillers, while I looked around for a nurse, an x-ray tech or a window ledge I could reach if I stood on my chair. Thankfully, the clerk called my name then and I scrambled down the hall and into the x-ray room.
While the x-ray tech twisted my body into positions I haven’t been able to get into since I was in my twenties, I thought about what the woman had asked me. Why am I writing a mystery? She may be right. Maybe they do reflect the elasticity of society’s morals. Look at the success of Jeff Lindsay’s Darkly Dreaming Dexter, whose “hero” is a serial killer. He’s a long way from Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. Maybe mysteries are a reflection of what’s happening to our society’s ethics. But that’s not why I’m writing a mystery. I’m writing one because I like reading them. .
So, do you read mysteries? And if you do, why?
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Leave a comment here and you’ll be entered to win a super gift from Darlene - a copy of her YA book (which is perfect for adults too) RULES FOR LIFE and some chocolate goodies. I’ll pick a winner on Wednesday and post the person’s name here. Good luck!!
UPDATE: We have a winner - Amanda!!! Congrats!!! Email me with your contact info and I’ll pass it on to Darlene.
June 30th, 2008 at 7:01 am
I like reading mysteries to see if i’m right about whodunit - and i’m almost always wrong! It’s a great genre.
June 30th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Wow! I didn’t realize I was making a morality statement by reading mysteries.
I really don’t know why I like reading mysteries, it’s just one of the many genres I enjoy. I especially like mysteries that have all kinds of twists and turns and when the villain is finallyrevealed, you wonder how you didn’t see it coming because all of a sudden it makes sense and it’s the perfect ending.
June 30th, 2008 at 9:11 am
If the mystery shapes society’s definitions of what’s acceptable, a lot more people must be reading mysterys than I thought.
Cool!
June 30th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Reading and writing mysteries are two different things. I like to read mysteries as logic puzzles. But doesn’t ever book need a mystery at it’s heart? How is writing a YA novel different from writing a mystery?
June 30th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Cheryl, I feel the same way. I didn’t know I was making a morality statement by reading mysteries either. (Makes me wonder what kind of a statement my husband was making when he was reading HelenKay’s Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy.)
Susan, I think the main differences between writing YA and a mystery are structural. Young adult novels are usually shorter than mysteries. Mysteries–if you’re playing fair with the reader–will have the clues to the solution planted throughout the story.
June 30th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Hi Darlene, nice to see you here. I love your site.
June 30th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
As a child, I LOVED mysteries. Who didn’t love Nancy Drew?! (Please don’t tell my husband I bought the movie on DVD…twice. Hey, one was for my niece!!)
The only mystery writer I know in real life is Carolyn Hart…while her books are good…I have to admit my…ah…aversion to cats makes it difficutl for me to become tottally engrossed with her series…
So…who’s going to turn me back into the mystery lover I once was? Any suggestions (feel free to shamelessly promote your own work in reply! LOL!)
June 30th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Hi, Darlene! When I read mysteries, it’s because I’m curious to find out how it turns out and whodunit–as a child, I was addicted to Encyclopedia Brown (even though most of the time I could never figure it out and would end up reading the solution while slapping myself on the forehead). I think I still like the nicely wrapped up endings in most mysteries, and the whole good guys win, the bad guys go to jail thing… And like Cheryl, I didn’t think about any moral implications… call me shallow!
July 1st, 2008 at 5:11 am
Hi Dina! It’s good to be here. I’m a big fan of HelenKay’s books because she uses humour so well in her writing.
I’ve been asked if my husband really does read her books too and he does. He says, “They’re sexy. There’s some mystery. There’s some humour and did I say sexy?” (what can I say? He’s a guy!)
Amanda, if you like psychological suspense try my blogmate Sandra Parshall’s novels. If you like vampire’s and werewolves along with your mystery you might like the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. For magic, fantasy, forensics and mystery mixed together look for the Dubric Byerly series by Tamara Siler Jones. (I love this series.) If you’d like a mystery series that will keep you laughing you can’t go wrong with Janet Evanovich’s novels or the Hitchcock Sewell books by Tim Cockey.
July 1st, 2008 at 7:10 am
I enjoy mysteries because they always keep me guessing all through the book on who the murderer or villian is. If the book is good I usually flip flop back and forth a copy of times before making my decision. They usually always keep you going right up to the end to find I whodunnit.
July 1st, 2008 at 7:11 am
I enjoy mysteries because they always keep me guessing all through the book on who the murderer or villian is. If the book is good I usually flip flop back and forth a couple of times before making my decision. They usually always keep you going right up to the end to find I whodunnit.
July 1st, 2008 at 7:42 am
Hi Darlene,
I LOVE your description of this meeting. My hubby was once gently chastized by his doctor (who stepped into the room for his daily visit) because hubby was facing me (away from the door) and his “gown” had fallen open at the back (facing the door) showing more than necessary. Giggle, snort.
IF mysteries set the moral tone, I’m going to get busy writing more, hoping to turn some things around that have gone south since my girlhood. Sigh. Great post.
July 1st, 2008 at 9:08 am
I enjoy mysteries because I love to figure out puzzles. I usually can figure out the “bad guy” before the end, but am always very excited when the writer gives me a surprise ending.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:43 am
I like mysteries because of the can I get it before the end factor…Life is actually full of mystery if we look around and ask enough questions. I was always the why? child and I haven’t changed yet according to every one that knows me!
July 1st, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Teresa, I’m with you. For me the mark of a good mystery is how many times I change my mind about whodunnit.
Scarlet, I was a “why child” too and now I have one. My mother says that’s karma.
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
The email has been sent and the blog written. I nearly missed it–I came back to this post to re-read Darlene’s reponses…and nearly spat iced tea on my screen when I saw my name up there. Thanks.
July 24th, 2008 at 2:02 am
[...] her hubby, Mr. Wonderful, did a joint review of the book. It was fabulous. Since then, they??ve donhttp://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2008/06/guest-blogger-darlene-ryan/Woman can give birth while sleeping !?!My wife and I were talking about how we can’t understand how [...]