Guest post for Fog Bows, Fraud, and Aphrodite by Charlotte Stuart

Fog Bows & Aphrodite

I’ve been told that my titles for the Macavity & Me Mysteries are too long. But I like to think of them as teasers for the storyline. In Who Me? Fog Bows, Fraud and Aphrodite, the reference to “fraud” probably doesn’t require explanation, but readers may wonder what fog bows or Aphrodite have to do with a murder in a marina.

A fog bow is a white arc high in the sky. a white rainbow caused by the refraction of sunlight through the tiny water droplets of a thin fog. I’ve read that they are often seen when mist rolls in over the ocean and that although rare, are not that unusual. They supposedly appear when the sun breaks through behind you, usually in the morning or evening or as seen from a high place such as mountaintop or from an airplane. Note that I referred to what I’ve “read” and when they “supposedly” appear. During nine sometimes foggy boat trips from Seattle to Alaska in the spring and back again in the fall, and nine seasons commercial fishing in Alaskan waters, I never saw a fog bow. Frequent rainbows, opaque skies blurring into blue-gray water, intense sunsets and even a sun dog, but never a fog bow. It’s still on my bucket list.

I have, however, been enveloped in more than my fair share of fog. Both on land and on water. It traps you in a tiny monochrome world until nature decides to release you. Similarly, a thin veil of brain fog can prevent you from seeing the solution to a puzzle. You may feel as though you are on the verge of a breakthrough, but you can’t quite solve the mystery . . . and then the sun breaks through with an “aha” moment and everything becomes clear. Like in a mystery when the murderer is identified.

Because I’ve been obsessed for years with fog bows, I was pleased to be able to give my protagonist the experience of seeing one. That’s almost as good as seeing one myself.

In contrast to the symbolic presence of the fog bow in Who Me?, the Aphrodite in the story is a marble statue that plays an important role in the plot. Known as the Olympian goddess of love, pleasure and beauty, she is often represented by a golden apple. Just as apples are sometimes used in fairy tales and myths to lure the innocent into compromising situations, Aphrodite used her wiles to inspire desire in men. Her nude statue in my mystery becomes the object of an unwanted flirtatious come-on which leads to an argument, and eventually to murder.

When choosing what statue to use in my mystery, I was drawn to Aphrodite’s complexities. There are images of her flying through the air in her chariot pulled by sparrows or doves. She was also the inspiration for the Venus di Milo. But, some of her talents have a dark side. For instance, the aphrodisiacs named after her favorite foods can be seen as either encouraging romantic love or carnal deprivation. (In case you’re interested, her favorite foods were asparagus, honey, figs, raw oysters and dark chocolate. Yes, asparagus.) In addition, she’s often described as bad tempered and vain, and she engaged in battle with other goddesses over a contest for a golden apple with the inscription “To the Fairest.”

According to Greek legend, Aphrodite could use her talents for good or evil. She could both inspire and inflame. In Who Me? an artist has taken liberties with the classic statue, turning a thing of beauty into X-rated art. In this story, her dark side prevails, and she becomes the perfect instrument of death.

Learn more about Charlotte Stuart at www.charlottestuart.com. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.

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