Swimming with the Fishes by Marc Jedel

Author Interview of Marc Jedel, author of Swimming with the Fishes: An Ozarks Lake Mystery (#2)

Q. Your second series has shifted locations from the Silicon Valley to the Ozarks. Why choose this area for your second series? 

A. I’m very excited that so many readers seem to love my Silicon Valley Mystery series and characters. I plan to continue in that series, but I felt it would keep things fresh for me and my readers to create a completely different series in a new location, with very different characters, different type of humor, different style of sleuthing, and having a wife and husband providing roughly alternating chapters from their own point-of-view.

Q. Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

A. My wife has felt a little cheated that no character in my other books was based on her—not even in some exaggerated fashion. As I started thinking about starting a second series, I thought it would be fun to set it in a small town in Arkansas. My wife’s grandparents lived in Arkansas on a small ranch and I grew up in the south, spending time in and near Arkansas. That gave me the setting for the Ozarks Lake Mystery series and I used some names and personalities of different relatives for characters in the first book. Although she contributed a number of the Southern sayings and dialogue for SWIMMING WITH THE FISHES, there’s still no character based directly on my wife. I’m pretty confident this has been a wise decision for my marriage.

Q. There are several references to fishing, from Elizabeth’s last name to the title and more. Is fishing a hobby of yours?

A. No, I don’t fish. The closest I come is that I eat fish. I actually thought of the title of the first book, FISH OUT OF WATER, as a way to explain how one of the protagonists (Jonas) experiences Arkansas as a life-long West Coaster. It stuck with me when I was brainstorming titles and then I immediately had ideas for future books in the series that would use a similar fishing phrase. SWIMMING WITH THE FISHES seemed perfect for a book 2 with characters who may be part of the Mafia. Not sure if I’ll be able to use phrases like Keeping it Reel; Bottom Feeder; Hook, Line, and Sinker; or Holy Mackerel! But it sure sounds fun to try.

Q. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between? 

A. I outline—even down to fairly good detail. I admit to it. If I didn’t, I’d still be trying to figure out how the book would end, or who gets killed. Once I thought I could wing it from a partial outline and I wound up changing the killer halfway through the story. It only took me a few minutes before I realized that wasn’t a great plan as readers would object.

Some authors feel that outlining takes all the fun out of writing but for me, I feel I get to have twice the fun. First I get the pleasure of figuring out what happens, whodunit, and why. That can be fun, frustrating, and much like putting a puzzle together while hoping you haven’t lost one of the pieces under the couch. Then, when I start writing, I know where I’m heading and I can be more focused on making the scenes fun, writing great dialogue, and even improvising when something seems off in my outline. But how would I know if it were heading off a cliff if I didn’t have an outline?

The outlining helps me stay on track and gives me the flexibility to see where the characters will take me without going too far astray. Unless I decide to go astray because I’ve got a funny idea.

Q. Will you share any other upcoming books?

I’ve started writing book 5, Huh? Why? and Punch (say it aloud a few times quickly) in the Silicon Valley Mystery series. And yes, it takes place in Hawaii. A recent vacation to the Russian River region of northern California gave me an idea for another series starring a recent widower who retires and moves to the small mountain river town because he and his wife had always planned to run a bed and breakfast. The only problems: he doesn’t like people; he’s no good at fixing things; dead bodies keep turning up. I’m thinking of calling the first one: Rivers and Creaks. Write me at marc@marcjedel.com and let me know what you think of this. And yes, I often come up with the book titles before I’ve finished developing the story.

Q. Anything else to tell readers?
I hope readers try my novels and enjoy them. My books aren’t the right fit for you if you’re looking for deep introspection, intense psychological thrillers, or dense, wordy prose where nothing much happens. I feel like there’s enough serious, intense, and scary already in our lives so reading should be an escape where you’ll enjoy yourself.

SWIMMING WITH THE FISHES is available at: getbook.at/Swimming. The first book in the Ozarks Lake Mystery series, FISH OUT OF WATER is available at: getbook.at/Fish. You should also try my Silicon Valley Mystery series at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PHNT7XM. The first three of those are also now out on audiobook from Tantor Audio, available everywhere audiobooks are sold. All of my books are free for Kindle Unlimited members.

Q. How can readers discover more about you and your work?

I love to hear from readers as that motivates me to keep going on the next blank page.

Learn more about Marc Jedel and Swimming with the Fishes at www.marcjedel.com. Want more author news? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.