A Conversation with Mystery Author Wendy Tyson

with Wendy Tyson

We are delighted to welcome debut mystery author Wendy Tyson to Omnimystery News today.

Wendy introduces Philadelphia image consultant Allison Campbell in Killer Image (Henery Press; October 2013 trade paperback) and we recently had the chance to catch up with her to talk about it.

— ♦ —

Omnimystery News: Why did you choose to write Killer Image as the first in a series?

Photo provided courtesy of
Wendy Tyson

Wendy Tyson: As a reader — and aren't most writers first and foremost readers? — I love a good series. When I connect with characters, it's so wonderful to meet them again and again, to see them grow and develop over time, and to be part of their world for longer than the span of a book. As a writer, I like having the chance to really submerge myself in my characters' worlds and to get to know them as a series continues. For these reasons, I knew I wanted to write a series. As it happens, I am writing two — and yes, in both instances, I plan to let the characters grow and develop (or, at times, not develop, as the case may be) in the way that people do when confronted with life's joys and challenges.

OMN: Into which mystery genre would place the book?

WT: I would characterize Killer Image as a traditional mystery, although, frankly, putting it into a box has been a challenge. Based on my publisher's list, I think many early readers expected Killer Image to be a cozy. And while it has some of the attributes of a cozy, the pacing and plot make it more in line with a traditional mystery — or even a psychological thriller. In terms of advantages or disadvantages, I think the primary advantage to labeling is that it helps authors find their audience (or their audience to find them). I used to think publishers and agents tried too hard to categorize books. After only a few months in the industry, I've come to understand the importance of labeling from a marketing perspective. Readers often have distinct preferences and can be disappointed when their expectations aren't met. Labeling can help avoid that disappointment. On the flip side, I think many wonderful books aren't published or read because they can't be easily categorized. Not every book fits neatly into one or two genres, and we, as readers, may miss out on the opportunity to experience some really terrific authors and ground-breaking material because of our collective reluctance to think beyond these boxes.

OMN: Tell us something about Killer Image that isn't mentioned in the publisher's synopsis.

WT: While the book is about Allison Campbell, image consultant to the wealthy Philadelphia Main Line, and her quest to solve the mystery of who killed Arnie Feldman, it does touch upon some serious issues, like adolescent mental health and teen trafcking. It's a darker novel, but it's also hopeful. I believe that people often get second chances. We have to be aware enough to see them, though–and they don't always appear in the way we might like or expect. That belief is a core tenant of the book. In terms of the plot, because of a tragedy in her past, Allison's carefully constructed life shields her (purposefully) from unwanted memories, but the pain she keeps at bay is also what allows her to see beneath people's facades in order to help them change. But it's Allison's relationship with a new client who refuses to change — Maggie, the belligerent teen daughter of a narcissistic politician — and the subsequent murder investigation, that allow Allison to recognize and finally embrace her own second chance. Oh, and there's a dog in the book. A really ugly but lovable former stray named Brutus. He doesn't change, and we're all happy about that.

OMN: Did you include any of your own personal or professional experience into the book?

WT: It was inspired by my background in law and psychology, and while none of the characters or events is based on real people or experiences, they are informed by what I saw and felt in my early career. While in graduate school for counseling, I worked in the social services field as a caseworker, a group home counselor and, later, a therapist in a residential setting. I was in my twenties at the time, and the populations I worked with — mostly kids and teens who had ended up in the system for one reason or another, along with their families — made a lasting impression on me. I gained an understanding that beneath the surface of even the toughest (and most abused) kids is the potential for kindness and achievement. The human spirit is resilient, and people can change. I left the psych world in the late 90s to get my J.D. My experience in the counseling field juxtaposed against law school on the Philadelphia Main Line–and my subsequent work at a big Philly law firm–triggered the idea to put Allison on the Main Line and to surround her with so many über successful people. The Main Line is a beautiful area, and the setting worked well for exploring the theme of what's on the surface versus what's underneath.

OMN: How did the book come to be titled?

WT: The book was originally titled Underneath It All, reflecting the theme of image versus reality. In the early stages of trying to market the book to agents, a very astute literary agent told me to change the name — it's a thriller/mystery, she said, and it needs to sound like one. That's how the name Killer Image was born.

OMN: Complete this sentence for us: "If you are a mystery author, you are also …".

WT: A criminal mastermind! Alice Walker said, "Writing saved me from the sin and inconvenience of violence." Perhaps all mystery and crime writers have a little of the criminal element in them, too.

OMN: Describe your writing environment.

WT: Ah, which one? I have several. My main desktop computer sits amidst a very messy pile of to-dos and should-haves in an ofce I share with my husband. He's an engineer, and as a stark contrast to my piles, his desk is pristine, each piece of paper neatly filed in carefully labeled binders. I, on the other hand, have one fat file I call “Important Papers.” If it's not in there, it's not that important. When I tire of the visual clutter of my desk, I write on my laptop in my bedroom, on our ironing board. I sit on a bar chair I confiscated from the kitchen. The ironing board faces a blank wall, but has good lighting overhead, and to the right is a bank of windows overlooking our garden. The children don't think to look for me up there, and our wireless network doesn't reach that part of our old house, so I have few distractions. Other than the spin bike, which mocks me mercilessly. And finally, when I want to be in the middle of everything, but pay attention to nothing, I write at Starbucks or Barnes and Noble. I like the background noise. It helps me think.

OMN: What specific authors or books influenced how and what you write today?

WT: So many, it's hard to pinpoint a few. I liked the horror genre as a kid, and I read a lot of Stephen King. One of my favorite books was The Stand. It's such an incredibly ambitious book — so many characters, so many intertwined stories, and, of course, the age-old theme of good versus evil. I think I read that book about six times between the ages of twelve and eighteen–and several times since. I wanted to understand how King crafted each character to be so real and each storyline to be so compelling. Even the minor characters and their struggles come alive. I was also influenced by The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Her chilling dystopian novel about a dark future in which women are tightly controlled by a theocratic government was terrifying. Atwood is a master storyteller. I was in college when I first read The Handmaid's Tale, and that one novel made me think more about government, feminism, religion and politics than any class had. I realized then the power of books, not only to entertain, but to spark debate and give the otherwise conceptual a human face.

OMN: What do you read now for pleasure?

WT: I love mysteries and thrillers, and I read them voraciously. I also enjoy science fiction, historical fiction, and literary fiction — just about any genre, really. Including horror. I still love a good Stephen King novel. On the nonfiction side, I read cookbooks, especially ethnic cookbooks. I love Indian cuisine, but try as I might, I can't seem to come even close to replicating the flavors of my favorite restaurants. I also read books on organic gardening and nutrition. And I have a special shelf for science-related books (Hawking, Tipler, Sagan). What seemed like torture during school is much more fun now that I can stick with the books aimed at lay-readers.

OMN: Where might we find you when you're not writing?

WT: I work full-time as a legal consultant, and I have three kids, so that doesn't leave a lot of time for too many other activities. My husband and I are hardcore organic gardeners, though, and we've been pretty proactive in our support of the local farm movement. We grow almost all of our own vegetables on our small suburban lot near Philly and we're in the process of leasing land to start a CSA. Mia, one of the characters in Killer Image, was inspired at least in part by our gardening life. Someday I want to move to her farm, although I think I'd locate it in Vermont or Maine. Aside from that, we travel a lot, both in and out of the States, and as a family we enjoy the outdoors: hiking, biking, camping, and swimming.

OMN: What's next for you?

WT: Oh, I am so blessed to say more writing! I have the first in a new series being released by E-Lit Books on November 1, 2013 — another mystery, The Seduction of Miriam Cross. And then the second book in the Allison Campbell Mystery Series will be released by Henery Press in May, 2014.

— ♦ —

Wendy Tyson's background in law and psychology has provided
inspiration for her mysteries and thrillers. Wendy lives near Philadelphia with her husband, three sons and two muses, Labs Molly and Driggs.

For more information about Wendy, please visit her website at WATyson.com or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

— ♦ —

Killer Image
Wendy Tyson
An Allison Campbell Mystery

As Philadelphia's premier image consultant, Allison Campbell helps others reinvent themselves, but her most successful transformation was her own after a scandal nearly ruined her. Now she moves in a world of powerful executives, wealthy, eccentric ex-wives and twisted ethics.

When Allison's latest Main Line client, the fifteen-year-old Goth daughter of a White House hopeful, is accused of the ritualistic murder of a local divorce attorney, Allison fights to prove her client's innocence when no one else will. But unraveling the truth brings specters from her own past. And in a place where image is everything, the ability to distinguish what's real from the facade may be the only thing that keeps Allison alive.