Nicole Asselin has a degree in English/Creative Writing and works near Boston as a Technical Writer. Her Ballpark Mystery series gives her a chance to blend her two great loves, the Boston Red Sox and mysteries. Concession Stand Crimes is the second book in the series.
Inspiration for Concession Stand Crimes
When asked what gave her the idea for this series, Nicole said, “I love baseball. I love mysteries. I’ve gone to so many minor league games and realized what a perfect location for a murder those ballparks would be. Lots of people, lots of shady characters, and plenty of places to hide! Growing up, I spent a lot of time listening to Red Sox games with my grandpa, and watched my grandma read a pile of mysteries in the living room. I wanted to combine two of the things I loved most into a new series!”
Nicole added that the Ballpark Mystery series explores the ideas of family and loyalty. “Nothing too deep or heavy, but it touches on what our family expects of us and how we choose to either take on that responsibility or not. Madeline first left the family business of baseball in hopes of finding a new identity. Once that didn’t work, she comes to realize that she should’ve worked with the family the whole time. They were the ones who supported her and encouraged her. With her brother, he learns the opposite. While he’s loved working with the family, new opportunities arise that he must decide if he wants to leave. The decisions reverberate for the whole family.”
As she prepares to write the next two books in the series, Nicole is doing her research and spending time at ballparks. “I’ve recently been to Nashua Silver Knights Hammond Stadium in NH and Harrisburg Senators FNB Field in PA. And of course, I had to go to Fenway Park in Boston to see my guys play. I have a co-worker who works part time at Fenway selling beer, and I’ve used her as a research tool as well! Nothing like inside information.”
More about Nicole
“I’m first and foremost a fan of books,” Nicole said. “I love hearing from other readers about the books they read and recommend! I would also recommend books if asked. Writing is a solitary venture, and as an introvert, most of the time, that is great. Every now and then, finding people with similar interests who love reading is needed. I love hearing from people!”
Nicole believes one of the hardest things about being an indie author is finding the time to write. “I don’t have the luxury of quitting my day job to write full time, so I have to schedule it around my ‘real life’ responsibilities. Sometimes being an adult stinks. During the pandemic, it was hard trying to find the motivation to be creative after sitting at a computer for work all day. I found it much harder to write. Now that things are opened back up, I can go to Starbucks or Barnes & Noble and write for a few hours. It keeps the distractions to a minimum, and that is what I need!”
Learn more about Nicole Asselin at www.nicoleasselinwriter.com. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors or follow me on Twitter.
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Sounds like two great mysteries.
Marilyn