Get ready for some stories that'll make you sing right along!
A Killing at the Copa: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Barry Manilow is now up for pre-order at White City Press.
I'm sharing some posts here to introduce you to the writers and let them share the inspiration behind their stories.
The Story Line-Up (with links to the songs):
Sweet Life - Karen Keeley
Rain as Cold as Ice (Inspired by Mandy) - Linda Kay Hardie
Mandy - Adam Gorgoni
I Write the Songs - Maya St. Clair
The Daybreak Killer (Inspired by Daybreak) - Matt McGee
A Connecticut Stalker (Inspired by Weekend in New England) - Laurie Stevens
Can't Smile Without You - Caleb Weinhardt
Ready to Take a Chance Again - Kurtis Rupe'
Since You've Been Gone (Inspired by Even Now) - Recita Clemons
Bermuda Triangle - J.M. Taylor
Lonely Together - John M. Floyd
When the Sun Rises (Inspired by Let's Take All Night (to Say Goodbye)) - T. Fox Dunham
Some Kind of Friend - Christine Verstraete
Getting Even Now (Inspired by Even Now) - Shari Held
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🎵 Today:
Linda Kay Hardie talks about the inspiration for her story, "Rain as Cold as Ice," based on everyone's favorite song, "Mandy" from Manilow's second album released in 1974.
🎵 Inspiration:
"I’ve been riding the bus for two years now, ever since my 27-year-old Subaru (I was the original owner) finally kicked the bucket. People say, “Ooo, aren’t you scared? I mean, the people,” but I find bus riders to be mostly tired, hard-working, nice people. Even the ones who talk to folks I can’t see are just trying to live their lives. I’ve only been scared once, but the driver dealt with that person. Bus drivers don’t take any guff. So I wanted to use Reno’s bus station as a character in a story. As usual, once I found my characters, the story took an interesting turn.
"In my first draft, I thought my song inspiration was the one the narrator hears: “Ready To Take a Chance Again.” But when I listened to the conversation between the narrator and the guitarist, I realized I was telling the story of another “Mandy,” and that’s when it all came together and jelled into something that kind of scares me. Cool, huh?"
🎵 First sentences from "Rain as Cold as Ice" - Linda Kay Hardie:
I smelled petrichor. That fresh, almost-electrical scent of approaching rain that soon became the fresh feel of teensy raindrops blowing into my face as I strode through the crosswalk toward the number 15 bus stop and sat on the cold metal-bar bench, which was divided into five seats so homeless people couldn’t sleep there.
* Read the rest in
A Killing at the Copa: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Barry Manilow - pre-order at White City Press.
* Can't wait to read all the stories!
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