My Wandering Author’s Journey by Linda Lovely

I’ve published 12 novels, but my author’s journey has been anything but straight forward. I’ve worked with four agents, five traditional publishers, and published books under an author coop umbrella. My novels include one historical suspense, three humorous cozy mysteries, two steamy romantic suspense thrillers, two traditional mysteries, and four hard-to-define mysteries with thriller and suspense aspects and no swearing, explicit sex or excess gore.

However, there are some commonalities. All the novels feature smart, independent heroines, and romance and humor seem to sneak into the stories.

My approach to publishing is not recommended to build a loyal fanbase or make big bucks. My most profitable author friends have stuck to one subgenre, say humorous cozies, romantic suspense, or Western historicals, and written ten-plus books in a series. Though I’d love more readers and income, I’m retired so I have the luxury of exploring topics and plots that grab me and letting the stories decide how they’re best told. I write because I love it.  

Still, I have been discouraged at points throughout my journey. That’s when encouragement by author friends, like the Genre-istas, have kept me going. I can’t say enough about the importance of author community support. I might not have written a third novel without it.

So, what captured my attention for my most recent HOA Mystery series? Many cherished mystery novels feature life in small towns and villages. Consider the appeal of novels by Agatha Christie and Louise Penny, not to mention TV’s “Murder, She Wrote” episodes.

Today, homeowner association and condominium communities are the modern equivalents of Miss Marple’s village of St. Mary Mead. In fact, it’s a wonder more authors haven’t seized on these close-knit enclaves as backdrops that are ripe for page-turning puzzlers with or without a side of humor. 

In small communities, characters often know about each other even if they’ve never met. That knowledge network, reliable or not, provides a rich array of suspects. While few of us hang out with spies, billionaires, CEOs, or professional hitmen, we’re acquainted with neighbors we think of as unsung heroes, self-serving loudmouths, arrogant bullies or timid victims. The familiar characters and commonplace passions make it easy for readers to relate to the stories.

Like every human collective, HOAs are natural incubators for conflict. People aren’t clones, even when they all decide to buy an oceanfront condo or build in a mountain retreat. Some residents want stricter architectural rules, others want less. Some lobby for special assessments to add amenities, others want to slash budgets. Nature lovers oppose folks who view all trees as view-blocking weeds. Cliques form, gossip passes for gospel, and outcasts long for revenge.

What’s more, in the privacy of their homes, people cope with challenges and heartaches their neighbors never suspect—from mental health and financial crises to domestic abuse and grief for lost loved ones.   

While it’s doubtful your common-interest neighborhood has seen a murder, it’s a safe bet you’ve met many of the characters—charming and repugnant—featured in the four books in my HOA Mystery series. I also suspect your manager, if your community employs one, might occasionally mutter that “managing an HOA can be murder.”

However, just as Jessica Fletcher’s Cabot Cove is portrayed as a nice,  friendly place to call home—despite its shockingly high homicide rate—my mysteries aren’t meant to be anti-HOA raves. My heroine, a retired Coast Guard investigator, works for her friend’s property management company. The dozen plus fictional South Carolina Lowcountry HOAs the firm counts as clients showcase both opportunities and pitfalls. Some HOAs manage their conflicts well, others fail. The difference? How the individuals who serve as directors view their responsibilities.

If my latest series has any motive beyond entertainment, it’s to spotlight via fiction how HOA directors can help promote peace and harmony within their communities. True, there is no way to prevent unhappy folks from complaining about every decision. Yet, most owners will accept decisions—even ones they dislike—if their boards hold open meetings, value transparency, listen to complaints, and ensure there’s majority support for any major change.

The HOA Mysteries by Linda Lovely

HOAs can embrace pure democracy in ways that are impractical with large populations. That’s the promise of a good HOA. Beyond the Gates, my fourth HOA Mystery, is a spring 2025 release. Like all of the books in my series, it can be read as a standalone.

A Killer App, my third HOA Mystery, featured an Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert as villain. After doing a deep research dive into AI, I’ve continued to follow news about AI’s impacts on publishing and the future for human authors and readers.  As a result, I’ve presented programs designed for both author and reader audiences to increase awareness of AI’s potential perils and promise.

LINDA LOVELY

What’s next? I’ve just written the opening of a suspense thriller featuring a heroine, who is a medical researcher. The inspiration? The PhD researchers in my family who are trying to find treatments and cures for horrible diseases but are watching reliable funding vanish. Can’t tell you more without giving away the plot!

Thanks, Genre-istas and Romancing the Genre, for giving me support and encouragement along the way. Best wishes to all the authors who’ve participated and the readers who’ve kept us company.

Linda Lovely

Website: https://lindalovely.com
Email: author@lindalovely.com
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