FANFARE: The winner of Alicia Beckman (Leslie Budewitz)'s BLIND FAITH is Sue Leis! Sue contact Leslie at leslie@drbeans.com so she can mail a copy to you post haste!
HALLIE EPHRON: You just never know... A brush with the law led to a work in law enforcement and mystery writing for Wendy Sand Eckel. Today we're thrilled to host her here, celebrating the publication of her third Rosalie Hart Mystery, MYSTERY AT WINDSWEPT FARM.
The book sounds irresistible: favorite characters return along with an exotic Russian actress and a debonair Italian Chef and Rosalie and Glenn team up again to find out what really happened one sunny morning on the steps of Windswept Farm.
Wendy's interest in crime began with a not-so-nice brush with the law that sensitized her to the power of privilege.
WENDY SAND ECKEL: I turned eighteen in October of my senior year in high school in Ohio which meant I could vote, of course, but more importantly it meant it was legal for me to drink 3.2 % beer.
One weekend some friends and I decided to go up to a bar in Canton. I was the only one with a legal ID—theirs were all fake. My hand was stamped at the door and we ordered beers and were ready for some fun.
Soon after, our table was surrounded with liquor control officers and we were in a cruiser on the way to the police station.
Apparently, the guy at the door had stamped me as a 6 % patron so technically I had broken the law by drinking 6% beer. As the only adult, I was booked, while my friends, as minors, who actually HAD broken the law, waited comfortably for their parents to pick them up.
The cops took my scarf and jewelry and a mug shot and started to escort me to a cell until finally one of them said, “Maybe we are taking this a little too far.”
My dad hired a lawyer and cleared my record although he jokingly said the fine would have been cheaper than the lawyer’s fee. '
It stuck with me how a random stamp on the hand could have given me a criminal record.
The next year, I went to Miami University where I majored in social work with a minor in criminology. As part of my criminology education, I had a semester long internship with a juvenile probation officer who was at least six foot five and probably taller.
Joe had been the best football player Butler County had ever seen and earned a full scholarship at the University of Kentucky. In his first pre-season game, he took a bad tackle that left him paralyzed from the chest down for the rest of his life.
One random hit and the guy’s life was changed forever.
I had three takeaways from these experiences.
- One, I wanted to be on the right side of the law because if it wasn’t for daddy and his lawyer, I could have had a record follow me around for the rest of my life.
- Second, I decided I could be more helpful as a social worker and have an entry point before someone was on probation, although I learned through the years that problems in a family aren’t often noticed until someone acts out.
- The third takeaway was life is random and bad things happen to people no matter how we try and control the circumstances.
I’m still fascinated with crime and its effects. Thus the mystery writing. I love a good puzzle and I love to write about relationships and yet the best part about being a writer, is I’m in control. When creating these stories and, at least in writing fiction, there is randomness for my characters, but never for me.
The first book I signed as an author was for a woman I had just met. I asked her what she wanted me to write and she said, “Life is a mystery.”
I think she said a mouthful.
HALLIE: So do I.
Isn't breathtaking the way random events we could never have predicted influence the choices we make.
Any early experiences out there that put a fork in your road?
Congratulations, Wendy, on your newest book . . . perhaps you could tell us a bit about the story?
ReplyDeleteI think everyone’s life holds some othose f random moments . . . you agree to go to a meeting with a co-worker where you meet someone who changes your life. No way to know ahead of time, no way to predict, but with unexpected significance . . . .
So true! I got bumped off a flight Africa when I was 20 and instead spent that summer in NYC instead of Nigeria and cementing my relationship with Jerry... It led to everything.
DeleteYes, the before and after! This is the third in the Rosalie Hart. The series begins with Rosalie, 43, finds out quite by accident that her husband is having an affair. She leaves Chevy Chase and retreats to a large farm and old home bequeathed to her by her dear Aunt Charlotte on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Not long after she finds a dead coed in the marsh grasses of the Cardigan River. Enter lots of characters and adventures in the small fictional town of Cardigan. The Eastern Shore provides me with the perfect setting. Thanks, Joan!
DeleteHallie, that's quite a story! Yes, everything happens for a reason and life is a mystery!
DeleteThe story: in Mystery at Windswept Farm, Rosalie Hart's farm is about to undergo a soli test to retain their organic certification. When a strong-willed employee, Bini Katz, goes to Windswept Farm to confront the farmer, she finds him dead in his doorway. Bini is accused of murder and the investigation ensues. I had a lot of fun with this one. My mysteries have a cooking theme and in Windswept, Rosalie is surprised with an opportunity to study with Marco Giovanelli, an authentic Italian chef and a cousin of one of her best friends. Juxtaposed with the mystery is five days of cooking classes with a raucous group of six characters, some who love food, others who are escaping their lives, some with a motive to kill the farmer, and of course Rosalie, who is getting the chance of a lifetime to hone her skills and warm her heart. This story line allowed me to have my own immersion in Italian food — researching recipes and setting up my own test kitchen. My husband sure wasn’t complaining.
DeleteAmazing backstory to your careers Wendy! I too want to hear more about the book, and also what Joe was like when you interned with him. Do you now have a similar character?
ReplyDeleteLucy, the anonymous comment was me. Just figuring out how this works.
DeleteWelcome Wendy and congratulations on your new book. The story you tell of going to a bar at 18 tells of a serious miscarriage of justice. At least there was one policeman who thought that putting you in a cell was a bit much. Your hand stamp obviously was someone else's error, not yours. You showed the bouncer your real i.d. and he put the wrong stamp on your hand.
ReplyDeleteYou are a new-to-me author. I am off to look for your books!!
Hi Judy! Thanks. It was pretty disconcerting. And my parents were out of town so I had to wait until Sunday night to tell them what happened. Talk about a stressful weekend!
DeleteHi Judy, the anonymous comment was me. Just figuring this out. Thanks again!
DeleteReally interesting story about your decision to pursue social work. I have a friend who is a social worker and worked in the probation/parole system for a long time. It was an interesting role, because she was both part of the system and at the same time an advocate for the people struggling with the system.
ReplyDeleteI had a fake ID the last few months before I turned 21. I'm really lucky I never got caught! I remember going to a dark bar with a group, and when we were carded, we all threw our IDs in a pile on the table.. not fun for the waitress!
Gillian, that's hilarious! I was also a waitress during my college years. One time a bunch of students left my tip in an upside down glass filled with water. I have no idea how they managed to do it. I stayed with social work and continued working with adolescents and their families -- two different runaway shelters and the adolescent chemical dependency unit of psychiatric hospital. Working with the family was key if you wanted to have sustainable changes. Thanks!
DeleteWendy, sounds like a grueling job! I imagine getting the families on board wasn't always easy.
DeleteOh yes, how random life is and that lucky break or lucky escape. Years ago, I was running to catch the bus, heedless of the traffic, and could have been hit by a car but wasn't. Man, did I learn from that: It's hardly ever worth running for the bus! I think of that experience often when rushing and it slows me down. But maybe one day a character of mine won't slow down...
ReplyDeleteOh Amanda - those "near misses" are like little cautionary tales. Feels like I'm counting down my "9 lives" when the "almost" happen. Slow down and hold onto the railing, I remind myself!
DeleteYes, Hallie! Hold on to the railing! And Amanda, that's a great idea for a character. The randomness of life gives us so much to write about.
DeleteI'm looking forward to checking into your books, Wendy.
ReplyDeleteWait...what? Tap Dance? Would that be like the tap dance executed by Billy Flynn in the movie version of Chicago?
Tap dancing?? I see on your transcript! That’s great! Also—I went to Western College for Women which is , like Miami, also in Oxford Ohio. Did Western still exist when you were there?
ReplyDeleteAs for narrow escapes, yes, so intriguing… I always wonder about the ones we have no idea about.
And Hallie, I latched right onto that hold onto the railing advice as well. I told a friend about it, too, and she said she had heard that someone (speaking at Powell’s funeral) had once asked Colin Powell how he had lived so long, and he said he always counted the steps when he went up or down the stairs, to make himself mindful of what he was doing. Seems to be a theme!
Definitely not Billy Flynn! It was pretty much your basic shuffle-ball-toe. Hank, that's amazing you went to Western. It had recently become part of Miami when I was there. They called it 'Western Campus.' A lot of the art programs were housed in those beautiful old buildings. I love that about Colin Powell. Also, always hold on when getting into a bath tub! And don't walk around the house in your socks.
DeleteSocks! Very very wise. And I am still impressed by the tap dancing.
DeleteXx
Amazing! I ran into a woman on a greyhound when I was 22. She was little older, dressed in thrift store clothes like I did (1975), and was getting a doctorate. I was dumbfounded - and then thought, well if she can, maybe I can, too. I entered grad school three years later and finished my PhD before I was 30.
ReplyDeleteAm also off to look for your books!
DeleteEdith, that's a great story! I've always loved the name Edith btw. And congrats on that PhD. What was it in?
DeleteThanks. Linguistics!
DeleteInteresting course choices! I'm looking forward to checking out your books.
ReplyDeleteI had a friend who wanted to join Match.com but couldn't enroll on her aged computer. She asked me for help, but my computer insisted I join and then she was able to join. Never figured the sequence out, and never intended to get involved. Late one night, I decided to see what was going on with my very minimal profile - that's how I met my husband!
Kait, that's a great story! I love Elizabeth Gilbert's 'Big Magic.' If you're open to your muse it will visit you. Something gave you a nudge that night to get on your computer and look what happened! My mother made a photo album for me and put my report cards and some pics in it. She also put the receipt from the jail on the last page just so I wouldn't forget my brush with the law.
DeleteKait... Wait! What? Seriously??? And Wendy, your mother sounds like a force to be reckoned with.
DeleteI'm a huge fan of Big Magic, and The Secret, so yes, I suspect the Universe was giving me a nudge! Nice to meet a kindred spirit. Your mother seriously had a great sense of humor! Sounds like a lady I'd like to meet.
DeleteHallie - yep the story gets weirder. His sister-in-law signed him up and didn't tell him. She is the one who fixed us up and she set up the first date - even though neither of us knew it. She told him I was a friend visiting from her hometown, but she had a prior commitment. I, of course, thought he set everything up since I was out of the country until the day before the date and it was all set up online through the Match.com site. Midway through the date (a casual restaurant on the beach in Delray Beach) Barbara showed up and outed herself. Gary and I set up another date - one between us - for the next weekend and the rest, as they say, is history.
What a lovely story!
DeleteAlso a fan of Big Magic! And that is an amazingly wonderful story.
DeleteThanks for the insights, Wendy. And your transcript is impressive with sex, tap dancing, and criminology.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Priscilla! Everyone took human sexuality because the professor showed movies. My criminology prof was pretty nutty and let's just say I'm lucky I passed tap dancing. It's a lot harder than it looks!
DeleteBummed that I got here late. Love that story by Kait the commenter about how she met her husband. And loved looking at your transcript. What a strange experience you had about that arrest. Yes, random events can change your life in an instant.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new book!
Question: Is there a Russian actress character in your novel?
Wendy, I remember meeting you at my first mystery conference, I loved your first mystery novel though I cannot recall the title. I am so bad at remembering titles of books.
Yes, I had an interesting conversation with a new friend. He asked me if I had ever been married or have children, I said "there is a t-shirt in one of my favorite mystery series - "I forgot to have children." I also said "No, I have never been married nor do I have children." He said he was surprised because I have a kind face. He said "Life is a mystery." Yes, I have learned in my lifetime that life can be a mystery.
Back to your question, I am trying to think of a random event that changed my life path. I have met many interesting people from a member of the Royal family to authors.
Only example I can think of right now was that I ran into an old friend at the library. I met him when I was 3 years old then again when we were at Berkeley. We lost touch again then reconnected when he was married with three children. Lost touch again. By the rime I ran into him at the library, he was already divorced from the mother of his children and remarried!
He asked me if I was working and I mentioned that I just finished law school and was looking for a job. He is an attorney and he mentioned another attorney in his building (small three story building) was looking for help in his office.
He arranged the interview and I showed up. The interview went well and I got hired. I have been working for that small law firm since then.
Sorry this is so long!
Diana
What a great story, Diana!
DeleteHi Hallie! What conference was it? The first in the series is Murder at Barclay Meadow. And thanks for what you said. When I got a new publisher they reissued the first two. It was great because I got to change a few things that I had always wanted to fix!
DeleteLove your tee shirt! And I love that you are still working at that law firm. So random that you kept running into that guy.
Yes, Sonja Volkov is my Russian actress who has just been cut from her HBO series that is very similar to Game of Thrones. Her death is the season ending shocker. I had so much fun writing her. She has no filter and everyone is trying to figure out why this exotic actress who drives a red Carrera is in little old Cardigan, Maryland.
Thanks for reaching out!
Wendy
This is Diana. I think I met you in 2016 at Malice Domestic?
DeleteThis is Diana again. The title was Death at the Lily Cafe. Perhaps a different series?
DeleteDeath at the Day Lily Cafe was the title! I’m bad at remembering titles. Diana
DeleteLOL on the movies. I can't stop giggling about how attractive a human sexuality class with movies would be to college age students. (Or to romance authors!)
ReplyDeleteYes! No one missed that class on movie day. Some of the films were for desensitization of stereotypes. Certainly saw some things I'd never seen before, that's for sure!
DeleteI could tell by looking at the style of your grades report that we must be about the same age, Wendy! I remember how annoyed my then-boyfriend was when he went out to Colorado for a summer job in '81. He had been able to drink, well, anything in New York state, and he thought very little of the infamous 3.2 beer.
ReplyDeleteI have a criminal record as of last year! I got ticketed for my car being four months past due for its registration. (What can I say, the lockdown messed up my sense of time passing.) I decided I was NOT going to hang around a crowded county courthouse with God-knows how many unvaccinated people, so I sent the ticket in with a guilty plea and a check. I was warned I would have a criminal record if I pled guilty (!!!!!) but decided at my age, it probably wasn't going to mess up my opportunities too much.
And at our age it makes us more interesting! I don't blame you, especially during the pandemic. I know so many people who haven't renewed their drivers licenses because they don't want to stand in line at the DMV. Plus the whole 3.2 things was so silly. We just drank more! And at Miami it wasn't far to the Ohio/Indiana border where we could get whatever we wanted. Thanks, Julia!
ReplyDeleteSo many forks, so many roads. LOL. Congratulations on your release, Wendy! I am really looking forward to reading your latest!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenn! That means a lot. Yes, many roads and many detours. Life is a mystery and a journey.
DeleteRandom things! Thursday evening I went down to the basement to get some clothes out of the dryer and noticed a puddle. Looked up and drips were coming from the ceiling. I made an online appointment for a plumber to come out the next day. He came, a really nice young guy. We had to hunt on each floor for where the leak was coming from. At one point we were checking a closet on the second floor to see if it had access to the bathroom and he saw a panel in the back. He pried it off; it had been nailed shut. Lo and behold there was a safe in there. He pulled it out and was surprised when I told him it was news to me. It's fairly modern with pushbuttons and a place for a key as opposed to the old spin the dial safes. I had him set it aside and I'll let my husband find someone to open it. It is probably as empty as Al Capone's secret room but who knows?
ReplyDeleteOh, Pat, that's way cool! Rosalie finds a secret room in Mystery at Windswept farm. Do you know who lived in your house before you? This is a mystery writer's dream. Oh and did he fix the leak?
DeleteNo, I don’t know who lived here before. We’ll try to find out if anything is in the safe. And the leak was located elsewhere. I have a couple of holes to repair now!
ReplyDelete