Stories of Inspiration

With a Preface by Holly Robinson and essays by 36 authors from the across the U.S., U.K. and beyond, STORIES OF INSPIRATION: MYSTERY FICTION EDITION explores the process by which accomplished writers transform the first glimmer of a book idea into a compelling work of fiction with murder or mystery at its heart.

Essays in the collection feature new and established voices and works from across the mystery spectrum. Lighthearted cozies, dark thrillers, historical mysteries set in a variety of periods and literary novels with a crime or mystery element are all represented.

Each author's perspective is vividly distinct, yet all of them touch on the same fascinating questions. Where do ideas for fiction come from? How are those seeds, sources and inspirations transformed into well-crafted, compelling stories? How do elements such as setting, period and milieu help drive and define mystery novels? Why is murder such an enduring starting point for fiction? How is a promising idea refined by the insights won and, sometimes, obstacles encountered during the drafting or research process?

Contributors to STORIES OF INSPIRATION: MYSTERY FICTION EDITION include Diana Bretherick, Frances Brody, Elizabeth Brundage, Elizabeth Buhmann, Nancy J. Cohen, Suzanne Fox, Christine Goff, Stephen Gore, Erin Hart, Linda Gordon Hengerer, James Tate Hill, Andrew Hughes, D.E. Ireland, J. Sydney Jones, M.R.C. Kasasian, Jennifer Kincheloe, Mary Lawrence, Grant McKenzie, John Mackie, Edith Maxwell, Camille Minichino, Toby Neal, Chris Nickson, Ann Parker, Eliot Pattison, Michael Ransom, Barbara Ross, Lynn Sholes & Joe Moore, Joanna Campbell Slan, Maggie Toussaint, Wendy Tyson, Bob van Laerhoven, Tina Whittle, Michael Wiley, Max Wirestone, and Michael Zolezzi.

Offering a glimpse into the process and personalities of exceptional authors, celebrating one of fiction's most versatile genres, and illuminating the nature of the creative process itself, STORIES OF INSPIRATION: MYSTERY FICTION EDITION will appeal to lovers of literature and fiction, writers seeking insight and inspiration for their own work, and readers eager to learn more about favorite authors as well as to discover powerful new voices.