Marilyn Leach Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.

A:  Thanks for having me here today.  I’d love to tell you how lavish and glamorous my life is as a writer, but I’d be telling you porkies if I did.  (A porkie is an English term for fibs.)  I live a generally simple life taking pleasure in the scent of fresh flowers, the changing seasons, the goodness of a life-giving God, and a steaming pot of proper tea.  I’m an anglophile at heart.  Don’t fret or gasp, an anglophile is simply someone who loves all things English.  Ask my family.  Loving all things English is an understatement when it comes to my enthusiasm for the English culture, country, and people.  That’s one reason I write English cozy mysteries.  And I have a hoot doing it.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A:  Writing was in my blood long before I knew I wanted to be a writer.  My first written story, at the age of nine, was a co-write with a neighbor.  We wrote a mystery play: The Ghost and Mr. Guiltwallet.  My friend and I put up neighborhood posters, sold tickets, provided free popcorn, and filled the backyard twice over for two performances.  I’ve written, as avocation or occupation, since.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?

A:   I’ve co-author several plays that have been performed on both church and secular stages, as well as a screenplay which was a semi-finalist in the John Templeton Screenwriting Competition.  Contributing stories and meditations for Guideposts, Quiet Heart, and Big Dreams in Small Places has been enjoyable.  Besides the Berdie Elliott British mystery series, published with Pelican Books, I’ve written a romance, my one and only, for a compilation with Barbour Books: Threads of Love. My first real break?  Just seven years ago, I had a paid critique done on the first three chapters of my original Berdie Elliott Mystery, Advent of a Mystery, at a Christian writer’s conference.  The critic, Candace Speers, recommended me to her editor.  By God’s grace and elbow grease in spades, the final manuscript was accepted for publication seven weeks later.  Off and running as they say.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Enigma of Fire?

A:  Enigma of Fire: A Pentecost Mystery is the fourth book in my Berdie Elliott Mystery Series.  In a small English village during the season of Pentecost.  Berdie Elliott, a vicar’s wife and sleuth, hosts a picnic for her husband’s former military chums.  It goes horribly awry and a spectacular explosion happens just hours after.  Berdie is daunted by the entire matter, but gets her crime-solving nose sniffing out all possibilities.  A heroic dog, elusive book, and military pals contribute to Berdie’s cold, hard facts that reveal the perpetrator.  And of course, there’s a touch of village romance along the way.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Enigma of Fire?

A:  My sleuth is a vicar’s wife.  So it made absolute sense for my mysteries to align with the liturgical church calendar.  As such, Candle for a Corpse is an Advent mystery, Up From the Grave is a Lenten mystery and so on.  Following that idea, Enigma of Fire is a Pentecost mystery.  It’s been jolly good fun to create mysteries to match special days and seasons in the church calendar.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

A:  I work at creating a ‘brain-tickle’ with twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes.  And what would be a good story without a boat-load of humor?  A momentary tear, a revelation of joy: both are part and parcel for an entertaining read.  My desire is that each reader finishes the story with satisfaction and just a breath of yearning to know more of God and how He impacts our world-view.

Q: What inspires you to write?

A:  I can tell you that if I go any length of time without doing it, I’m miserable.  I think it’s built into me, by God’s great goodness, to create stories and share them.  Of course, there’s nothing that replaces a consistent study of the craft.  Good writing evolves.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A:  I’m just preparing my fifth Berdie Elliott mystery to submit to my editor. A Message from the Deceased: A Saint’s Day Mystery, takes place in Northern England amongst abbey ruins.  Berdie and her husband, Hugh, plus Berdie’s best friend, Lillie, find themselves working with the lord of the manor to solve a beguiling mystery.  I’m also working on the sixth Berdie mystery that takes place during the church Harvest Festival.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?

A:  I love to read, travel, spend time with family, do water aerobics, and I watch a lot of British comedies and mysteries. Also, I’m on a board for a local charity that provides a Christian summer youth camp for children from a neglected part of our city. It’s a year-round endeavor that reaps amazing benefits.