The Twist and Shout Murder

February 08, 2022

The Twist and Shout Murder

The Twist and Shout Murder: A Swinging Sixties Mystery
by Teresa Trent

About Twist and Shout Murder

The Twist and Shout Murder: A Swinging Sixties Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Historia (January 4, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 212 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1685120709
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1685120702
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09NQWZTGR

In 1962, Dot Morgan was told the best thing she could do besides being a nurse or teacher was to learn to type. While attending secretarial school, she decides to rub elbows with an elite ladies’ club to help her father with a struggling campaign for city council. Instead of getting the help she sought, Dot is thrown into a world of adultery, deceit, and murder when one of the town’s sons is found dead.

Time to put that 45 on the record player and bring out your best dance moves in The Twist and Shout Murder.

About Teresa Trent

Teresa Trent writes historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, romance, and short stories. She lives in South Texas with her husband and son with Down syndrome and splits her time between writing and caretaking.

Q&A With the Author
When did you first consider yourself to be a writer?
I'm a late bloomer. I always wanted to write but was busy with raising my children and my job. When I hit 50, I decided it was now or never and I'd rather face failure than regret for not chasing my dream. It still took me a couple of years to go from telling people "I write" to telling people "I am a writer".
What advice do you have for a new writer?
A marathon runner doesn't run 27 miles on the first day. You have to write every day and then be prepared to rewrite many times over. Nothing comes naturally to most people. There is a reason why they call it a rough draft. You also need to enjoy the journey. Even when you put out substandard writing, figure out what you did wrong and then celebrate fixing it.
A second thing is to read other people's work. You don't even have to stick to your own genre. Writing is personal and everyone does it differently. Learn from writers who move you, make you laugh and make you cry.
What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
I love to plot and write a first draft. It haunts me day and night as I continually come up with new directions and new situations for my characters.
What is your favorite part of this story?
I loved turning back the clock and writing a story in 1962. Dot Morgan, my main character, is on the cusp of so many things. She thinks John Kennedy will be in office forever and nothing bad could ever happen. She thinks Rock Hudson really does have the hots for Doris Day. Phones all come with cords and sit in the living room on a side table so the whole family can use them. Shorthand is the human version of speech to text, and she thinks fast food is amazing. I loved writing her interactions with the local ladies' club who are part Stepford Wives and part The Help.
Probably my favorite part to write, where I cried a little, was the final scene at Columbo's Diner. That's all I can say without spoiling the story.
Which Character was the most fun to write about? Why?
You'd think it would be Dot, my main character, but I loved writing Ellie, her cousin. She's over thirty and has been dating the same man for five years. Nothing is happening, and she's trying to engineer ways to get to the big "I do." I'm working on the second book in the series, and Ellie just keeps coming at me with new scenes and situations.