As I'm working on the 28th (!) Ginger Gold Mystery, I find myself thinking about how this journey began, and surprised (pleasantly) that Ginger and I still spend so much time together after all these years (nine!)
I asked AI for five questions readers might ask me.
- "Ginger Gold" is such a memorable name. How did you decide on it, and what does it reveal about her character—the fiery "Ginger" spirit contrasted with the wealth and status of "Gold"?
🌟 I'm trying to remember how I came upon the name Ginger. To be honest, my subconscious must have been thinking about the character from Gilligan's Island, because I do remember thinking Grant would make a good last name, lol. I like that AI thinks I chose "Ginger" for her fiery spirt and "Gold" for her wealth and status, but I chose Gold only because I was looking for a last name that started with G and had a ring to it when paired with Ginger.
2. Ginger is a Boston transplant who married into British aristocracy. How did her upbringing between the old money of America and the titled nobility of England uniquely prepare her (or fail to prepare her) for a life of solving crimes?
🌟 Well, for one thing, she never has to worry about money. Not having to work a day job gives her time to be curious and inquisitive. I don't think either old money or titles necessarily prepared her to solve crimes. Rather her skills are God-given gifts she honed over time.
3. Ginger is known for her impeccable, fashionable flair. Did you conceive of her love for fashion and running a dress shop, "Ginger's Gold," first as a character trait, or did it evolve as a clever tool for her investigations—allowing her access to different social circles and a perfect cover for sleuthing?
🌟 It was definitely a character trait from the beginning. How could I not include a love of fashion when the story is set in the 1920s?
4. A pivotal part of Ginger's origin is her background as a war widow and her work as a British Intelligence agent during WWI. How do these profound experiences of loss and espionage shape the woman she is when we meet her in the first book, and how do they fuel her talent for detection?
🌟 The WW1 secret agent angle was a backstory thread that developed over time, especially in the form of Ginger's Journal entries, which I recently published as The Velvet Spy volumes. Had I understood the gravity of her past when I started the first book, Murder on the SS Rosa, I probably would've written her with a more serious personality than I did. But, maybe it's a good thing! I like that Ginger is a glass half full kind of gal!
5. The dynamic between Ginger and the handsome Scotland Yard Chief Inspector, Basil Reed, is central to the series. When you first created Ginger, did you always know she would have a counterpart like Basil, and how did you develop their "will-they-won't-they" partnership to complement her independent nature?
🌟 Yes, I absolutely had him planned from the beginning. I took my cue from Miss Fisher's Mysteries TV series. Part of the big draw to that show for me was the slow burn romance between her and her detective.
What did you think? Pretty great questions.
Speaking of questions, I want to take yours at a live Facebook event I'm hosting (along with my husband Norm) on November 12. MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
CLICK HERE TO JOIN https://www.facebook.com/events/1832944697324518
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Hope to see you there!