Hippie Wagon Homicide

March 09, 2022

Hippie Wagon Homicide

Hippie Wagon Homicide (Twister Sisters Mysteries)
by Mildred Abbott

About Hippie Wagon Homicide

Hippie Wagon Homicide (Twister Sisters Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Small farming/tourist town in the Missouri Ozarks
Wings of Ink Publications, LLC (February 1, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 474 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8408091980
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 626 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8795278049
Digital Print length ‏ : ‎ 476 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09K4ZPZ93

Cordelia Davis lives with no regrets, despite her life changing drastically a half century ago when a tornado altered the destiny of the little Ozark town of Willow Lane. The town grew back stronger and more beautiful, and Cordelia, her sister, Pamela, and her best friend, Wanda, built a life to treasure.

As Willow Lane honors the memory of those lost and celebrates all that has been achieved, tragedy refuses to remain in the past. News of murder rocks the pastoral countryside when Cordelia discovers a body on her farm, beneath her beloved willow tree. And while the police make an immediate arrest, Cordelia finds herself untangling a web of lies and long-ago secrets.

With suspects in every nook of her cozy town—and an old flame knocking on her door—it will take all Cordelia’s tenacity to face the past and to weather the mysteries of Willow Lane.

About Mildred Abbott

Preoccupied with everything found in cozy mysteries: Puppies, Books, Cozy Mountain Towns, and Baked Goods. Although not obsessed with murder, however. At least not in real life (No contract killing here). But since childhood, starting with Nancy Drew, trying to figure out who-dun-it has played a formative role in everyday life. Author of the Cozy Corgi series and the Twister Sister series.

Q&A With The Author

When did you first consider yourself to be a writer?

It’s funny, I still struggle with this question. Depending on the day the differentiation between a writer and an author will flip-flop, and sometimes become the same thing. I think… I think I considered myself a writer at the age of fifteen and a sophomore in high school, when for the first time I fell in love with the subject. School was always really hard, I didn’t even learn to read until I was ten. But Ms. Hungerford had us write short stories and such for a semester. I loved it, and she bragged and bragged on me. It was the first thing in school that I had ever enjoyed and didn’t cry over my homework. At that point I began to dream of writing my own books one day. That desire would take nearly twenty years to be fulfilled with years and years and years of rejection letters. Once I finally got a publisher to say yes and began to publish my books, I considered myself, finally an author. That only lasted for a little bit. I considered myself an author again, probably seven years later, when I was able to “retire” from teaching early and just write. Now, I’ll consider myself a real, real author when I can do that and put something aside for retirement. Always moving the goalpost, right?

What advice do you have for a new writer?

There’s that distinction again. If talking about a writer who’s not necessarily dreaming of becoming a full-time author, then my advice is this, and it’s the same advice probably everyone’s said a million times over---WriteA Sit down and write. Make a schedule, and write. If it’s too scary to write a book ( though, trust me, anyone can do it, I’m proof), write a short story ( though, to me that’s harder), if creative is too confusing, start with journaling, blogging. Just write. Write, write, write.

If you’re a writer who’s dreaming of becoming a published author ( traditional or self), the above is all still true. But I would add: make sure that writing is the biggest dream you have. Make sure it’s really what you want more than money, more than notoriety, more than security. There are very, very few who get that golden ticket. The rest of us struggle. But if you love it enough, it’s worth it. It’s so very, very worth it. Personally, that was clarified for me when I was diagnosed with cancer (I’m okay, it’s not a sad story), and I entered therapy for a little bit trying to help me deal mentally and emotionally with this new journey. The therapist said a lot of times people who are diagnosed with such diseases do a life change, realize that life is finite and they should go for what they really want. He asked me what I wanted to change. There was nothing. I was already doing it. If you’re a writer, then you want to write, you love to write, on the good days and on the bad days. Even when you claim to hate it, you love it!

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?

Planning! Planning, planning, planning. I love it. I love coming up with a million ideas, I love coming up with characters, all their back stories, all the family connections, their friends, their histories. Making up a town and plotting it out on a map, coming up with its history. If it’s a fantasy, coming up with the universe or the magical rules, or the ancient culture of whatever magical species you’re describing. It’s addictive. So much fun!! Equal to that, is holding the finished book in your hands and flipping through the pages. There’s nothing like it!

What is your favorite part of this story?

My favorite part of hippie wagon homicide is actually my favorite part of the entire twister sisters series. The whole thing focuses on three women, two sisters of blood, and one sister of soul. Two of them are 66, and one of them is just about to turn 60. I love the relationship, the bond they have, although they’ve gone through together, and how that plays out on the pages. The trust, the acceptance, the kindness, the devotion. It was an honor to have characters with so much history and life already lived to allow me to chronicle their next adventures.

Which Character was the most fun to write about? Why?

I’ve already told you a little bit about the main characters, Cordelia, Wanda, and Pamela. They are hands down my favorite, of course. But I had one character surprised me. Eugene Bartlett, he’s sheriff of the small-town Willow Lane. He’s big, tall, with a beer belly, wears a big hat with a star in the middle, dark sunglasses he never takes off, and a handlebar mustache. In the planning, he was kind of a jerk. Then he showed up on page and went a completely different direction. He’s like Ted Lasso meets Reno 911. He’s ridiculous, over the top, and has the kindest heart you can imagine.

Which Character was the hardest to write about? Why?

Doris. She’s just a couple years older than Cordelia and Wanda. She was Cordelia’s older sister’s childhood best friend, and she is Wanda’s sister-in-law. She is bitter and angry and prejudice. So much so that she’s comic relief at times, believe it or not. She’s probably the hardest to write because there’s a few people in my life who, for a variety of reasons, have turned out similar. That is the last kind of life anyone wants to live.

I hate to end on that negative note, but I so appreciate being here. Thank you for the interview, and readers thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about me in my books. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about either Twister Sister series or the Cozy Corgis series. So much love! Mildred Abbott’s Cozy Mysteries

Author Links

Website: http://www.mildredabbott.com

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