The Willow Creek Holiday Mysteries
Kelli Sue Landon is a mystery novelist. She has published six novels and a short story collection. Her work in progress is her second time travel novel, Christmas Past, which is the start of a series - The Willow Creek Holiday Mysteries. We have conducted an interview with her.
Which is the most invigorating time travel questions you like to ask of all times?
I like to ask about prices in different times, I think it's amazing how cheap things were years ago. Styles (hair and clothes) are also what I love to hear about, or see in photos.
When did you start to write about 'time travel' in your short story and mystery novels?
I started to write about time travel when I traced my family tree. As I found more information about my family, I wished I could go back and see how my ancestors lived, what they wore and what they looked like.
How did you discover your passion for writing the mystery genre?
When I was a teen, my mom gave me a Mary Higgins Clark book (A Cry in the Night) and I was instantly hooked! Mysteries always kept me turning the pages, so I wanted to write one myself. Even though I started out writing horror short stories, mysteries are what made me keep writing. As I write I want to find out what happens as well as my readers!
Since your first time travel novel 'Stranded in Time' is based in the 70s, do you plan to write a time travel into the future (like 2025, 2050)? Why/why not?
I am not fond of trying futuristic writing since I don't know what's going to happen yet. It would be funny, however, to make up things that I think would happen. If I ever did a futuristic time travel novel, it would be more of a comedic story as with A Very Postal Christmas. That book is not a time travel tale, but it takes place in the future. It's a parody of my place of employment and my co-workers, so a reader won't know what I'm poking fun at, unless they work at my facility.
What was your original plan for the 'The Willow Creek Holiday Mysteries'? Did it deviate from your very first idea since?
Actually The Willow Creek Holiday Mysteries wasn't planned for a series. As I was writing the last few chapters of Christmas Past (Book 1), a mysterious character popped up. There was some conflict and I thought that it would make a good story for a second book taking place around Easter. This is when I named the series as well as the fictitious town of Willow Creek.
I like to ask about prices in different times, I think it's amazing how cheap things were years ago. Styles (hair and clothes) are also what I love to hear about, or see in photos.
When did you start to write about 'time travel' in your short story and mystery novels?
I started to write about time travel when I traced my family tree. As I found more information about my family, I wished I could go back and see how my ancestors lived, what they wore and what they looked like.
How did you discover your passion for writing the mystery genre?
When I was a teen, my mom gave me a Mary Higgins Clark book (A Cry in the Night) and I was instantly hooked! Mysteries always kept me turning the pages, so I wanted to write one myself. Even though I started out writing horror short stories, mysteries are what made me keep writing. As I write I want to find out what happens as well as my readers!
Since your first time travel novel 'Stranded in Time' is based in the 70s, do you plan to write a time travel into the future (like 2025, 2050)? Why/why not?
I am not fond of trying futuristic writing since I don't know what's going to happen yet. It would be funny, however, to make up things that I think would happen. If I ever did a futuristic time travel novel, it would be more of a comedic story as with A Very Postal Christmas. That book is not a time travel tale, but it takes place in the future. It's a parody of my place of employment and my co-workers, so a reader won't know what I'm poking fun at, unless they work at my facility.
What was your original plan for the 'The Willow Creek Holiday Mysteries'? Did it deviate from your very first idea since?
Actually The Willow Creek Holiday Mysteries wasn't planned for a series. As I was writing the last few chapters of Christmas Past (Book 1), a mysterious character popped up. There was some conflict and I thought that it would make a good story for a second book taking place around Easter. This is when I named the series as well as the fictitious town of Willow Creek.
