My Mother's Shoes

Lynette O'Reilly loved a scandal, especially if she was in the middle of it. She collected and discarded husbands and lovers with a speed that rivaled the lead car at the Indy 500. When she took off, the men bemoaned the loss, women lifted a prayer of thanksgiving, and the gossips donned black and went into mourning.

When Lynette's purse and her shoes are unearthed up at the new construction site, Annie Natali knew her mother was dead, murdered ten years ago. As the body never surfaced, the Sheriff refused to investigate. In an effort to get to the truth, Annie starts digging.

Annie's foray into her mother's past stirs up a hornet's nest in the present. Stumbling over truths and tripping over lies, Annie faces some hard truths about herself, her mother, and her life. Nothing is as it seems, not even Lynette O'Reilly.

What inspired you to write My Mother's Shoes?

The idea for My Mother's Shoes evolved out of a lunch room discussion regarding toys. The annual Toys for Tots campaign was in full swing, and the teachers and students at Stratford High School were helping collect the toys. The discussion evolved from what toys kids want today to what toys have and haven't changed over the years.

The Barbie doll is a classic. Barbie's hairstyle has changed, and she can bend her arms and legs now, but she still has a figure to die for, wears stilettos, and can't stand alone.

Lynette O'Reilly had a figure to die for, wore stilettos, and couldn't stand alone.

Why the small town setting?

I grew up outside a small town, but have spent most of my adult life living in the suburbs. Even after all these years, I still miss my hometown. There's comfort in knowing ones neighbors, and recognizing most of the faces as you walk down the street. Unfortunately, comfort comes with a price. Gossip is inevitable.

Gossip plays a major roll in My Mother's Shoes. There are communities within the larger cities, but you don't have to become a part of them. Small towns are different. If you live there, you are a part of the community.

Annie loved her hometown, but the gossip drove her crazy. She couldn't get away from it. Rather than fight it, she used it. In the end, gossip helped her put the mystery to bed.

When did you launch your writing career?

It wasn't intentional. I've always been an avid reader. While doing mundane tasks, I would take characters from the most recent book I read, and create a new story. It was harmless entertainment and it helped me get through piles of laundry and dirty dishes.

The characters from one book would entertain me for awhile, but then I would start looking for a new set of characters. They were easy enough to come by. I am a speed reader and it wasn't uncommon for me to read four or five books a week. Unfortunately the bookstore was closer to my house than the library.

One day I came home with a bag full of books and my husband, irritated because my habit was putting a strain on the budget, told me that I read so many books that I should be able to write one.

Never one to ignore a challenge, I picked up the gauntlet and started writing. I turned out my first book in less than a month. The grammar was horrendous, spelling abysmal, the language simplistic, and I hate to admit it, parts of it were plagiarized, (I didn't realize it at the time), but I had a ball.

I had an imagination. I never doubted that, but if I wanted to write, I wanted to do it right. I slowed down my reading and started paying attention to the structure of the story as well as the plot. It has been an uphill battle, one that I continue to struggle with, but I'm no longer embarrassed by blatant spelling errors and sentence structure.

Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Why humor?

Most authors tend to write what they read. As an avid reader, I will pick up a suspense novel one day and read a romance the next. Like my reading, my writing cuts across several genres. I have three additional novels that I hope to publish, a suspense novel called The Scribe, a romance novel called The Farmer's Daughter, and another humorous mystery called A Picture from the Past.

In recent years, I have shifted my focus to predominately humor. Reading is a temporary escape from reality. Laughter lowers stress and helps us regain a healthy perspective on life. We need laughter in our lives.

When I sat down to write My Mother's Shoes, the intent was to entertain. I like to think I succeeded.

What's next? Do you have another novel in progress?

I am currently working on the first in a series of humorous novels featuring Isabelle Louise Hardy. Like Annie, Izzy is struggling to find her place in the world. She is a former teacher, would-be writer, working as a temp in a funeral parlor.