We are delighted to welcome author Anne Nichols Reynolds to Omnimystery News today.
Anne's new novel of suspense is Mast Island (The Peppertree Press; November 2015 hardcover, trade paperback and ebook formats) and we recently had the opportunity to talk more about it with her.
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Omnimystery News: Is Mast Island the first in a new series?
Photo provided courtesy of
Anne Nichols Reynolds
Anne Nichols Reynolds: No, Mast Island is a stand-alone mystery/suspense novel. Each of my novels come to me separately, and though readers have asked for sequels, I'm more comfortable finishing the story and going on to the next new adventure with fresh characters and lives.
OMN: Tell us something about Mast Island that isn't mentioned in the publisher's synopsis.
ANR: My protagonist, Abby Parsons, is strong, independent, and has been reared by a woman she finds is not her grandmother. She insisted Abby take martial arts training, and she later finds this training is to protect her from the people who murdered her family. Abby's search for her identity leads her into danger on Mast Island, the ancestral home of the DuMonds, Abby's family. She doesn't like what she finds on the island. The DuMonds rule the island with an iron fist. They are imprisoned by secrets from the past, and Abby's existence is a threat to their empire. After unsettling attempts on her life, Abby must decide whether to meet the family or leave the island for her own safety. She meets marine biologist, Noah Hazzard, who is doing legitimate research on the island. He is also a support FBI agent secretly investigating her family. Noah is a pivotal character, who decides to help Abby stay alive and in the process puts his own life on the line.
OMN: Have you always wanted to write a novel?
ANR: I have to say writing my first novel was one giant step out of my comfort zone. I have a vivid imagination which serves me well in developing my characters, and I've always enjoyed writing, mostly poetry and fairytales from an early age. I'm an avid reader, and when I taught school, I starved to read. Books stacked by my reading chair waited for free time to indulge. Some of the books were not satisfying and didn't hold my interest, Some were poorly written, and I thought, How was this published? You can write better than this. I began a list in college of a hundred life goals I wanted to achieve. One goal was to write a novel, and I started several but didn't have the confidence or the time to finish them. Procrastination may have also played a role.
OMN: How did you get started with your career as an author?
ANR: After serving as a staff writer on a magazine, interviewing for the cover stories, I took a creative writing course at the college. Creative writing is my first love. The professor said I should join her writing critique group as I might find it difficult to go from non-fiction to fiction. This group helped me focus and to be accountable. They taught me how to hone writing skills, tighten up sentences, and to show and not tell. Their constructive critiques have made my writing more interesting and better written. A good critique group is a writer's best friend. If you don't have one, start one. I also joined The Florida Writer's Association, a group of "writers helping writers." Their help is unfailing, and their conference is one of the best I have attended.
OMN: What do you most enjoy about writing?
ANR: I enjoy fleshing out the characters, giving them life, depth, and setting them on a path to grow independent and strong. When my readers become participants in the lives I create, satisfaction is this author's reward. Men also read and like my stories. I want my readers to meet my protagonists, care about them, and have them share their journeys. The bonus is for both of us to learn something new along the way.
OMN: When starting a new book, which comes first: the storyline or the lead characters?
ANR: The storyline comes first. I know the beginning, middle, and the end before I start writing. I don't rely on outlines as a process. The story develops as I write. I do rely on research of an area and facts my readers will find interesting. Research also helps with real criminal procedures not faithfully represented on television or in the movies. My characters are developed to carry the story to a satisfying ending. With any interesting story, the characters have flaws, conflicts, and problems to be solved. Solutions in the mystery/suspense genre may be unconventional and require twists and turns to lead the reader on a search for answers Red herrings are the most difficult parts for me to write and remember.
OMN: Have any of your outside interests found their way into your books?
ANR: They say to write what you know, but I find learning something new is just as invigorating. In Mast Island, Abby Parsons is an accomplished artist represented by a gallery, and whose works are being recognized by the art world. I have always loved painting, and though I've not reached Abby's stratosphere of success, I enjoyed weaving her art throughout the story. In A Will of Her Own, a romance set in Florida, I incorporated my passion for archaeology and the importance of preserving sites. We are in the citrus and cattle business, so I have drawn on that knowledge as background material. The cattle business in Colorado is different from Florida's. I had to research things like riparian water rights and a different location and environment to do justice to my novel, Winter Harvest. Settings are important to a story. Readers have to be transported to locations through words rich in description. Settings can be comfortable or harrowing.
OMN: You mentioned your passion for archaeology. Tell us a little more about that.
ANR: A well-documented and significant pre-Columbian Florida archaeological site found on our property, The Blueberry, has yielded artifacts, all of which have been donated to the Florida Museum of Natural History. You can see our ongoing dig and mentoring of students and public in this pre-Columbian village by visiting our Facebook page.
OMN: What else do you want your readers to know about your writing?
ANR: Some say my writing is called "outlaw" because my characters are too flawed for the Christian market and not flawed enough for the secular market, which is fine with me. I fall into a category of having my characters lead realistic lives, which sometimes means forgiveness and redemption are involved. My stories incorporate a spiritual journey. This may involve truth, perseverance, community, faith, or an unwillingness to compromise values for worldly results.
OMN: What's next for you?
ANR: I'm writing a murder mystery set in North Carolina. The tentative title is Shadow of Death. The story tells about identical twins, Liz and Piper, one of whom is murdered.
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Anne Nichols Reynolds' passions are writing and archaeology, and her therapy is painting. Anne's life revolves around church, family, education, and the joys of discovery. Anne is a retired middle grade teacher of English, creative writing, and reading. She began writing novels, a life-long goal, when she retired from the District Board of Trustees at South Florida State College. Her other interests include reading, travel, and sharing adventures with friends and family. Adhering to the saying, "Life begins when you step out of your comfort zone" has enhanced many of Anne's adventures and has given her opportunities to meet extraordinary people.
For more information about the author, please visit her website at AnneNicholsReynolds.com and her author page on Goodreads, or find her on Facebook.
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Mast Island by Anne Nichols Reynolds
A Novel of Suspense
Publisher: The Peppertree Press
Panic gripped Abby Parson's chest and squeezed her heart as she left the attorney's office, his words chilling. The grandmother she had loved and trusted died unexpectedly, leaving her with a deceit so profound, it undercut all she believed. Who was the woman who reared her and said she was Abby's sole relation? Was I abducted, abandoned, or worse? Who am I?
Trained by a master artist, A.S. Parsons is becoming a success in the art world when the mantle of anonymity wipes out her past. A mysterious box arrives, containing clues to her real identity, and Abby burns to find answers. This unexpected trove of information spurs her to search for relatives and closure. She finds her fictional life was concocted by two women, trying to save her from the people who murdered her family.
Abby's quest leads her to Savannah, Georgia, and Mast Island, the ancestral domain of the DuMond family. Her presence on the island places her in peril. Noah Hazzard, a biologist researching marine life, warns Abby of danger. The heritage stamped on her face declares Abby an unknown DuMond and a possible threat to their empire. Abby dismisses his warning, until her life is threatened. Noah, a support professional with the FBI investigating the DuMond family, decides Abby needs his protection.
Abby's journey is one of devastating loss and unexpected discoveries. Her appearance on Mast Island opens a door to family secrets, which leads to death and destruction. She becomes the catalyst, setting into motion the downfall and the redemption of a family imprisoned by the past.
— Mast Island by Anne Nichols Reynolds. Click here to take a Look Inside the book.
