Today’s featured author is D.A. (Dana) Wilkerson. Dana is the author of the Totally 80s Mysteries cozy mystery series, book three of which launched just last month. In the interview below, Dana and I cover 80s nostalgia, bookish wisdom, and an upcoming series.
Connect with Dana on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and her website. Fellow 80s lovers can tune into this episode of the podcast The 80s Revolution to hear Dana as a co-host. Grab Dana’s books, A Totally Killer Wedding (book 1), Most Likely to Kill (book 2), and Of Heist and Men (book 3) via various retailers: see the full list on her website.
Hi Dana, thanks for joining! Your newest release, Of Heist and Men, is book three in your Totally 80s cozy mystery series. This series kicks off in a small town in 1985, and includes plenty of references to the era. What do you love about setting a mystery in this decade? What kind of details do you enjoy putting into your books?
I love the 80s setting because I’m an 80s kid—I started the decade as a toddler and ended it as a teenager. I have fond memories of those years, terrible hairstyles notwithstanding. It’s been fun doing research on the 80s, and I’ve done a lot, because I want to make sure I’m accurate on the details. I only include songs and movies that were released before the date the books take place. In Of Heist and Men, I even mention a Tina Turner and Mr. Mister concert that actually took place at the location and date mentioned in the book. All car makes, models, and colors are checked for accuracy.
Researching toys has been one of my favorite aspects of writing these books. I’m releasing a Christmas novella at the end of the month, and I had a blast looking up the hottest toys and games of the 1985 Christmas season. I was hoping that was the year of the Cabbage Patch Kid craze, but it wasn’t (that was 1983, though the dolls were still very popular in 1985). Teddy Ruxpin was the big one in 1985. I also discovered that the Atari was on its way out by that time, and Nintendo systems hit US shelves for the first time in the fall of 1985. I was shocked by that fact, since we didn’t get a Nintendo until around 1990.
It’s interesting writing a mystery set in the 80s, because the characters can only use technology that was available at the time. More importantly, they can’t use tech that didn’t exist yet (or at least wasn’t used by more than a handful of people)—most specifically cell phones and the Internet. In 1985, only 5 percent of households had an answering machine. Solving a mystery involved heavy use of landline phones, the local grapevine, and actual legwork. I think that makes the sleuthing more collaborative, as it necessitates more interaction between characters than you might have today.
This may be a tricky question, but just for fun—if you were to pick another decade in which to set your mysteries, what would be your choice?
The 90s! I’m planning on setting another series in a small-town newspaper office in the 90s. I was in high school and college during the 90s, and I worked at my hometown newspaper office in the summers. The technology used in that office was light years different than it is now, and the Internet was brand new, so I think that’ll make writing those books exciting as well.
In addition to writing mysteries, you also work as an editorial consultant for other authors. With your extensive background in writing, editing, and publishing, what is your best advice for new writers?
Writing is mostly a solitary endeavor, but don’t let it isolate you. When it comes to writing, your friends and family most likely won’t understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, or why you spend so much time on it. That’s one of the many reasons it’s important to find other writer friends who do understand and can be your support system. It’s difficult to do it alone!
I subscribe to—and love receiving—your author newsletter! Can you share your writing process for your emails? Do you have an email strategy and/or any tips to share regarding email marketing?
So far I haven’t had much of a strategy. Ha! I have been very inconsistent with timing and content. I’m just now setting out a plan for my newsletter going forward. I’m hoping to start sending a newsletter every other week, and potentially ramping it up to every week at some point.
I have three goals for my newsletter: to inspire my followers to read books (not just my books!), to prompt fond memories of the 80s, and to give readers an opportunity to be part of my book writing and publishing journey (being ARC readers, participating in polls about future book content, etc.).
I will admit I am terrible at coming up with newsletter content. But I have friends who are excellent at telling me what I should include. In fact, just this morning a fellow author told me something I need to include in a future edition. That’s yet another reason why writing shouldn’t be a solitary pursuit!
Lastly, what’s on the horizon for you? Do you have another Totally 80s mystery in the works, or do you perhaps have plans for a second series?
I have a Christmas novella releasing the beginning of November. It’s part of the Totally 80s Mysteries series and is essentially Book 3.5. Book 3 takes place in October of 1985, and the novella is set at Christmas 1985. I plan to write at least two more full books in the series, but potentially more.
As I mentioned above, I also plan to write a series set in the 90s at some point. I’m also considering branching out into another genre—probably rom-com. As I write the Totally 80s Mysteries, more and more romance keeps creeping in as I get farther into the series. Combine that with the fact that I love reading (and watching) rom-coms, I think writing that might be a good fit for me. But I’m not planning to stop writing mysteries!
Thanks so much to Dana 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.