Sleigh Bell Tower by James J. Cudney

James J. Cudney, known to many simply as Jay, is a writer who wears many hats. He’s not only an author, but also a blogger, a genealogist, and a reader and reviewer. Sleigh Bell Tower is the eight book in the Braxton Campus Mystery series.

In the spirit of the holidays

Jay said, “Usually in previous books, there has been a hint of an underlying message that I wanted to convey. Sleigh Bell Tower is unique in that it’s all about Christmas fun! I’ve been wanting to write a Christmas Braxton Campus Mystery, but because I’m a stickler for details, it hasn’t been easy. I tend to conclude each book with cliffhangers, mostly because I grew up watching daytime and primetime dramas and reading books that were series-based. As a result, each successive book needs to take place close to the timeline from the prior book. I’ve been able to jump 2 to 3 months on occasion, but even when I could hit the Christmas timeframe, the launch time would be midyear. I was determined this time, and finally, it all came together. Sleigh Bell Tower takes place in the 12 days leading up to Christmas AND it’s being released in December. Phew!”

Smooth sailing…in the beginning

Jay said that when he began thinking about a Christmas mystery, he spent hours pouring over titles to ensure he didn’t accidentally borrow a title from another author or series. “Since my titles usually are three words where the first two words have one meaning and the second two words have a different meaning, it’s a bit complex to pull together. Sleigh Bells seemed to be the most unused Christmas theme, and I had 4 or 5 possible murder methods using those words. As I considered which of Kellan’s friends and family would be included in this book, plus I realized it was time to formally announce Braxton’s conversion from a college to a university, I added a new degree / area of study – hotel & resort management. An image of a beautiful hotel with a looming tower, kind of like a candy cane came to mind. Thus was born the basic plot for the story… which led to me adding in red herrings, fun diversions, and a way to tie a bunch of side stories together.”

Rough waters ahead

“In some ways, this was the easiest and the hardest book for me to write. Because I knew it would be released in December, I had to finish it by September to ensure everything could be finalized in time. I typically need 3 months to fully write a book inclusive of alpha reading, beta reading, and editing. I had the outline written back in April once my last book was finished, so I took a few weeks off in May. My daytime job was particularly busy, but the plot of this one flowed together so well, I wasn’t worried. Then work got busier… I wasn’t focused enough to write, and before I knew it, August 15th arrived. I had only 2 chapters written. I went into freak-out mode! I took a week off from work and wrote non-stop… then I had some extra time around Labor Day weekend, and somehow by September 20th, the book was finished. The amazing alpha reader jumped in and provided very quick and helpful feedback. I was thrilled to turn the book in on time, and we picked 12/20 as the release date. Then… the publisher had some extra time and released the paperback in November. Talk about schedule changes! LOL”

The end? Or just the beginning?

Jay said he’s planning to write a total of ten Braxton Campus mysteries. “I suspect I will launch a second series in 2022, and while I’ll finish Braxton between 2022 and 2023, I might always revisit it again in the future. I really want to give the characters a chance to breathe… perhaps pick it up again a few years later if I do want to add more books to the series. Since there are generally 25 characters in each book, a mix of new and former ones, I now have close to 150 characters to keep track of, and it’s tough deciding how to mention people to keep the side stories going but not overwhelm new readers who might not know about the past books. Once you have more than 6 suspects, readers generally disconnect from the book because they can’t solve it themselves. I know this because I am an avid cozy mystery reader (600+ reviews in this subgenre) and at least 40 active series I’m reading these days. So… I mostly want to let readers know I spend a lot of time focusing on the proper balance, but I’m always up for opinions and input on when there’s too many or not enough! I also love hearing which characters are readers’ favorite ones too.”

Keeping all those balls in the air can get tricky

“In this book, I had to research poisons. I knew what the various death options would be, ranging from poison to a sledding ‘accident’ to a fall from a tower… however, I wanted it to be something that kept the reader guessing. I decided to introduce a specialty cocktail as part of the holiday fun. On the same day, I researched both poisons and cocktails I could create… and I confused myself once or twice. During the subsequent weekend, I sampled 3 of the cocktails, switching up the recipe a few times. I might have been a little tipsy and talking about poisons all too frequently.”

Learn more about James J. Cudney at jamesjcudney.com. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.