THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY...

The launching of a new book never gets old. Recently, the 11^th anthology in which I’ve been involved was released, Virginia is for Mysteries, Volume III. My first collaboration was Virginia is for Mysteries, the original. That came out eight years ago (where does the time go!) But our core group of authors had been working together for almost two years prior to that. That adds up to an entire decade. Longer than some marriages I know of. That’s something worth celebrating!

Many of the original authors are included in Volume III but we’ve also added some great new talent. It’s no exaggeration when I say it offers something for everyone. I’m humbled to be in such great company.

My contribution is titled “Sorry, Wrong Number” wherein a peaceful paddle between Chincoteague and Assateague Islands turns into a disturbing adventure when Margaret Gunderson and Carolyn Prewitt discover a dead man floating in the channel.

There is a story behind this story...

Let’s talk a bit about the location, Chincoteague, Virginia. My settings of preference are coastal communities, often fictional. (Let’s be honest…it’s a good thing that Cabot Cove from Murder, She Wrote is fictional because it has the highest per capita murder rate in the country!) I’ve lived by some form of body of water my entire life, so it’s a natural part of me. When it came to this anthology, we were limited to a real Virginia location. Many of the authors in this series are from the southeastern Virginia area and many of our stories have already showcased the popular local landmarks. I wanted to put a little distance between us. And Chincoteague is a place near and dear to my heart, ever since my husband and I hiked the refuge. Picture this: a cool, misty, fall morning, and there, up on the ridge we spotted the wild ponies, running free, their manes and tails streaming behind them. Talk about a thrill for this aging horse-lover’s heart!

For those not familiar, Chincoteague is a beautiful resort island on the eastern shore of Virginia. Across the bay is the wildlife refuge of Assateauge Island, where hundreds of small, sturdy, shaggy ponies run free. According to local legend, these wild ponies were survivors of Spanish Galleons which wrecked along the dangerous coast in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The pony population holds at about 150 adults with 60 to 70 foals born each year. In order to maintain the health of the horses and of the island, every July the “saltwater cowboys” (cowboys on horses in the water) round up the ponies and swim them from Assateague to Chincoteague, where there is a huge festival. A number of the ponies are auctioned off to benefit the local fire department. Doesn’t this bucolic setting seem to be the perfect place for a brutal murder? I love juxtapositions like that.

For the trivia nuts amongst you, here’s a question: Chincoteague, Virginia was put on the map with the publication of Marguerite Henry’s book, “Misty of Chincoteague,” which just about every little girl read. The book came out in 1947 and a movie followed in 1961. That book spawned four sequels, one of which told about the adventures of Misty’s offspring. What was the title of that book? <<Answer at the end of this post.>>

Once the location had been determined, I needed a story. The top question I get as an author is, “Where do you get your story ideas?” The general answer is, “Everywhere.” But “Sorry, Wrong Number” started with an actual event. My husband sails almost every weekend here on the Chesapeake Bay. One day he found something floating in the water, and yes, it was a man in a life jacket. And yes, the man was dead. The events that followed that discovery as told in my story actually happened (except for maybe the part of screaming upon discovering the body! That was me channeling my inner sissy!) Up through and including the part about the notification being sent to the wrong number. The event got my mystery mind to thinking, “What had that poor man done to end up floating in the bay?” I came up with a fictional solution. And voilà. A story was born.

With the story idea and setting decisions made, all that was left to do was sprinkle in some colorful people. As many an author will tell you, most fictional stories are slightly autobiographical, in that we put a little of ourselves into our characters. Margaret and Carolyn are purely fictions of my imagination, but they both have a little Jayne in them…especially when it comes to food and beverage choices.

Four-thousand words later, story done.  A coastal cozy with a splash of humor. I hope you enjoy it.

<<Trivia answer: Stormy, Misty's Foal>>