Today’s featured author is Betty Webb, whose latest release, The Clock Struck Murder, is a historical mystery starring “American in Paris” Zoe Barlow. (If you think I’m intentionally referencing my favorite Gene Kelly film, you would be correct.)
Set during the 1920 Paris Olympics, this whodunit features a sparkling sleuth, a murdered clock seller, and a lost Chagall painting. In the interview to follow, Betty and I chat about the book, her other series, writing tips, and more.
Connect with Betty on Instagram, Facebook, and her website—where you can nab a free short story with Zoe in Paris. Enjoy an interview discussion with Betty and Poisoned Pen Bookstore here. Grab a copy of The Clock Struck Murder here (signed!) or from your retailer of choice.
Hi Betty, thanks so much for joining! The Clock Struck Murder is the second installment in your Lost in Paris series and is set in 1920s Paris. In this mystery, American expat Zoe Barlow discovers a Chagall canvas wrapped around her newly purchased clock, but when she hunts down the clock seller, she stumbles across a murder. What do you love about Zoe’s character? What elements of her personality make her a great sleuth?
Zoe never gives up. She has flaws, sure, but her virtues—courage, compassion, determination, and creativity—far outweigh her flaws.
The historical setting of the series—specifically, the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris—makes for a glittering backdrop to a deadly mystery. Can you share how you researched this time period? And/or, what about 1920s Paris makes it an interesting setting for this story?
The irony here is that I never intended to include anything about the Olympics. In fact, when I first started the book, I didn’t even know Paris had hosted the 1924 Summer Olympics! I only found out about it when I started researching the history of one particular neighborhood. After I got over my shock, I then researched those particular Olympic games and learned that Johnny Weissmuller (later of “Tarzan” movie fame) had won three gold medals there. I also learned that after those Olympics, Johnny became a genuine hero in his personal life. This information totally changed the book and his appearance in it.
You write two other series: the Lena Jones mysteries, set in Arizona, and the Gunn Zoo mysteries, set in a fictional California zoo. How do these books compare with your Lost in Paris series? Do you have a favorite series to write—or perhaps one that is more challenging than the others?
Asking which series I prefer is like asking which of my children was my favorite! I love them all—the dark Lena Jones books because the plots are not just about murder, they’re about social injustices (polygamy, the abuse of eminent domain, etc.). Halfway through that series, I began the cozy Gunn Zoo books. Another irony here, because I’d planned to locate that series at the Phoenix Zoo, where I was volunteering (I love animals). But after some thought, I decided that the Phoenix Zoo probably wouldn’t appreciate being the location of several grisly murders (however fictional), so I airlifted the entire thing to Monterey Bay, California, and renamed it the Gunn Zoo. But the layout of the fictional zoo is exactly the same as its real-life counterpart.
Now for Zoe’s Paris: I love, love, love Paris and visit as often as I can. To me, Zoe epitomizes the very nature of the Roaring Twenties—creativity, courage, and born to be wild.
A former journalist, you now teach writing at Arizona State University. How does your journalist past influence your fiction writing? And, if you’d like, can you offer any quick writing tips to Cluesletter subscribers?
Actually, I’ve taught creative writing workshops at Arizona State University, Phoenix College, University of Arizona, and at libraries all over the state of Arizona. My journalism background taught me to do my writing first, and only after I’m done can I do other things—like wash the dishes!
I’m retired from journalism now, but when I was still working full time in the newsroom, I’d get up at 4 am, write on my books until 8 am, then get ready for work. That’s four hours of writing every day, except on the weekends, when I’d write about 6 to 8 hours. As one of my writing students once said, “To be a successful writer, you have to have grit. Creativity alone doesn’t cut it.”
Just as important, though, is something I learned from another journalist. His name was Ernest Hemingway, and he said, “All first drafts are shit.” This is true, and it is very freeing. When you don’t expect your first draft to be “perfect,” you feel freer to take some wild and crazy chances. If your first draft is a lousy read, don’t sweat it. You can fix it in the second draft. And the third. Or however many drafts it may take. Always remember that you can’t fix a blank page.
Lastly, what is on the horizon for you? Do you have more mysteries in progress, and/or anything else exciting to share?
I’ve started a new series which I describe as “Monty Python meets C.S. Lewis.” It’s a comedic takeoff on life after life, and yes, some of the more ghostly characters have been murdered. I’m still writing about Paris, too, so Zoe will have many more adventures in last century’s Roaring Twenties.
Thanks so much to Betty for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.