Introducing Debra Purdy Kong
It is my great pleasure this month to introduce an author I’ve come to know and admire through her books and her blog. Debra Purdy Kong is the award-winning author of the Casey Holland Mystery series. Debra’s newest release, The Blade Man, is the 6th in the series.
Like many authors, Debra wrestles with how to address the societal changes imposed by COVID-19 in her writing. Please welcome Debra!
Writing Before and After the Pandemic
By Debra Purdy Kong
Every day, news broadcasts update us on the COVID-19 crisis. As I write this, some countries are still enduring first wave struggles while others are faring better. Things are so uncertain that we don’t know how our cities, or the world, will be coping six months, let alone a year from now.
Many writers of contemporary fiction, regardless of genre, find themselves grappling with the question, how do we reflect the changes in the way society shops, learns, and works in our fiction? Each writer’s approach will depend on several factors. If your fiction is set during the pandemic, for instance, do your characters work at jobs that require them to leave home? Whether outside or inside the home, what challenges will your characters face, and how will they respond?
Personal Experience and Observations
Obviously, authors can draw on personal experience and from observations among friends, family, and colleagues. Those who write stories set in a remote area might not have to make huge changes in their characters’ lives, but what about those who set stories in New York?
My Casey Holland mysteries are set in Vancouver, British Columbia. They’re contemporary, but I don’t refer to specific years in the books. The specifics come from street names or landmarks, and other nuances. Casey is a security officer who rides buses all over the city and into the suburbs, dealing with issues that either evolve into or merge with more serious crimes in Vancouver.
The Blade Man
My latest installment, The Blade Man, was released a month before self-isolation began. In that story, as in real life, buses could be filled to standing room capacity and Casey wouldn’t think twice about being close to people. If the book had been set during the pandemic, plexi glass shields would have been in place to protect bus drivers. My fictional drivers would also be wearing masks and gloves. Passengers would have to exit via the back entrance so they wouldn’t be too close to the driver.
The main crime would not have changed, though. The book opens with Casey on a bus that’s trapped in the middle of a riot, where thugs are throwing Molotov cocktails. Days after the riot, a driver is stabbed. In a COVID world, plexi glass and personal protection equipment wouldn’t be enough to protect a driver from that level of violence.
Setting a Book in a Post-Pandemic World
If I set a book in a post-pandemic world, will rules and procedures be permanently changed? Will plexi glass shields come down? Will hand sanitizing dispensers be available on buses? As you can imagine, the pandemic could provide many new plot points. For example, the financial losses to my fictional bus company could become a key issue if Casey’s coworkers are laid off. Perhaps a coworker or friend will have been hospitalized with the disease and is still suffering from the effects. Casey might have to deal with social distancing issues from uncooperative riders and the increased threat of violent outbursts.
For writers in the mystery and urban fantasy genres, incorporating pandemic challenges and worries could add more depth to their characters. How are their emotional lives impacted by loss of income, self-isolation, and uncertainty? The emphasis placed on these issues will be up to each author. Will they be a major aspect of the book or minimized, which leads to another challenge for authors. Some readers will choose to read books incorporating the pandemic into stories, while others won’t want to read anything to do with COVID-19 or any virus outbreak.
What’s Next?
My next Casey Holland mystery is in the final editing stage, but the publishing process takes time and the book probably won’t be released until 2021. Because it offers a lighthearted look at the more humorous aspects of Casey’s job, I will not be adding COVID references in the story. Instead, I’ll state in the Author’s Notes that the book was written prior to the pandemic.
As for writing Vancouver-based mysteries in the future, I’ll wait and see how real life unfolds. My fictional characters could find themselves struggling with PTSD and other issues. Maybe they’ll be getting a vaccine, should one become available in real life. Either way, I can still start plotting and creating new characters. Many writers plan months in advance. We pivot and adapt, and pivot some more, while we wait to see what happens next.
Debra’s Bio:
Debra Purdy Kong’s volunteer experiences, criminology diploma, and various jobs, inspired her to write mysteries set in BC’s Lower Mainland. Her employment as a campus security patrol and communications officer provide the background for her Casey Holland transit security novels.
Debra has published short stories in a variety of genres as well as personal essays, and articles for publications such as Chicken Soup for the Bride’s Soul, B.C. Parent Magazine, and The Vancouver Sun. She is a facilitator for the Creative Writing Program through Port Moody Recreation, and a long-time member of Crime Writers of Canada. More information about Debra and her books, can be found at www.debrapurdykong.com or contact her at debra_kong@telus.net
Book Blurb for The Blade Man:
Who is the Blade Man and why has this mysterious loner been attacking Mainland Public Transport bus drivers? And who is trying to burn MPT down? The company’s president suspects an inside job and orders security officer Casey Holland to launch an internal investigation or face termination.
Convinced that she’s being set up to fail, Casey feels the pressure. With her and Lou’s wedding only weeks away, Casey desperately needs answers, but anger at work and on the streets thwart her efforts. Nor do the police welcome her help.
More employees are attacked, and the president forces Casey to take deeper risks. But how much is too much? How far must she go before facing off with him and MPT’s enemies? Find out in this explosive sixth installment of Casey Holland transit mysteries.
Links to Debra’s Books:
Amazon: mybook.to/TheBladeMan
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-blade-man
Apple books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1495092401
Find Debra at:
Website www.debrapurdykong.com
WordPress blog: https://debrapurdykong.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebraPurdyKong
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Casey-Holland-Transit-Security-Mysteries/139005706175139
On a personal note . . .
On a personal note, we’re still social distancing here on Denman Island. Our community centres remain closed and we’re getting used to greeting friends with nods and bumping elbows. Not much has changed since my April post on COVID-19. Sending you my best wishes in these challenging times.
Cleaver Photo by SHOT on Unsplash
An oldie but goodie that I recently reread and still enjoyed is John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids. I read this in school and it’s stuck with me. 
Another of my favourite reads is Deborah Harkness’s A Discovery of Witches. LOVED this one. It’s $12.99, and worth every penny with +7,000 reviews! It’s the first in her All Souls Trilogy. The first two books have been made into a series, which I also loved. Read it twice; watched it twice. Can’t wait for the third instalment.
Less Air and Noise Pollution
