One of Us

September 20, 2021

One of Us

One of Us: A Tower District Mystery
by Lorie Lewis Ham

About One of Us

One of Us: A Tower District Mystery
Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher ‏ : ‎ King’s River Life (August 1, 2021)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 306 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8544783145
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09BBJ8X6X

At 35, children’s book author Roxi Carlucci finds herself starting over again after her publisher drops her book series. With no income, she has to pack up her life on the California Coast, along with her pet rat Merlin, and move in with her cousin, P.I. Stephen Carlucci, who lives in Fresno, CA. The one redeeming factor is that Stephen lives in the Tower District—the cultural oasis of Fresno.

Stephen talks Roxi into helping out with a community theatre production, which is also a fundraiser for a local animal rescue. Little did she know that someone would be murdered during a rehearsal, and that she and Stephen would be hired to find the killer. The killer has to be one of Roxi’s new acquaintances since the theatre was locked at the time of the murder, but no one seems to have a motive. How can they solve a murder without a motive? Could the local gossip website hold any clues? Can they stop the killer before they strike again?

About Lorie Lewis Ham

Lorie Lewis Ham lives in Reedley, California and has been writing ever since she was a child—her first stories were about her stuffed animals. Her first song and poem were published when she was 13, and she has gone on to publish many articles, short stories, and poems throughout the years, as well as write for a local newspaper. Four out of 5 of her previously published mystery novels feature gospel singer Alexandra Walters and are set in the San Joaquin Valley. Those books were inspired by the many years she spent traveling and singing gospel music with her family. One Of Us is the first in a brand new mystery series set in the Tower District of Fresno, California featuring podcaster and part-time detective Roxi Carlucci. Lorie has also been the publisher of the online magazine Kings River Life for the past 11 years (kingsriverlife.com), and of its sister website KRL News & Reviews (krlnews.com). She also launched a mystery podcast called Mysteryrat’s Maze (mysteryratsmaze.podbean.com) 3 years ago which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors, including the first chapter of this book. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and all of the other usual places. You can learn more about Lorie on her website mysteryrat.com and find her on Twitter @mysteryrat and Facebook. Another way to keep up with Lorie’s writing is to subscribe to her newsletter—you can find info on doing that on her website.

Lorie has been married to Larry for 30 years and they have 2 grown children—Jayce and Joseph Ham. She currently has 5 cats (Merlin, Sam, Dean, Sidney, and Willow), 4 dogs (Lestat, Huey, Xander, and Phoebe), and a pet dwarf rabbit (Sherlock). For many years, she worked in pet rat rescue and has had many pet rats of her own over the years.

Q&A With The Author

When did you first consider yourself to be a writer?
I have felt like I was a writer ever since I learned how to write sentences when I was little. I used to make up short stories about my stuffed animals and share them with my family. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing.

What advice do you have for a new writer?
Only write because it is something you love and you are driven to do. Don’t write just because you want to be rich and famous because very few writers are.

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
The first draft. I love crafting the story the first time through.

What is your favorite part of this story?
I loved being able to share one of my favorite places in the whole world with readers—to make it come alive for them. The Tower District is a real place in Fresno. It is filled with the arts, and history, and is a place where everyone can be themselves and feel safe. You feel like you are no longer in Fresno, but instead have stepped into another world.

Which Character was the most fun to write about? Why?
The murder victim. (I won’t give the name so it doesn’t spoil anything). I enjoyed gradually revealing the different layers of their true personality.

Which Character was the hardest to write about? Why?
One of the suspects is loosely based on a former best friend. It was a friendship that was so wonderful, that suddenly became very toxic because of his mental health issues. It was bitter sweet to write that character but he was such an interesting person I just had to include him. I only included the positives of his personality and it made me happy, but also sad, to interact with a version of him in the story.