Casey Holland Mystery Series Archives

Debra Purdy Kong has a new book out! A Gold Satin Murder is the seventh in her Casey Holland Mystery series. You might remember she wrote a guest post here in July 2020. Debra and I set our books in Vancouver, a city we both love. She’s kindly answered some interview questions that will give you a peek inside her writer’s world. Please welcome Debra Purdy Kong.

Where do you call home, and how did you end up there?

I live in Port Moody, British Columbia, which is a half-hour’s drive east of Vancouver. Back in the 80s, my fiancé (now husband) and I both rented small apartments in the city but couldn’t afford a house in Vancouver. So, we continued east until we found what we could afford. I knew little about Port Moody back then, but over the past 35 years, I’ve grown to love this arts-focused community. There are mountains, parks, lots of hills, public transit everywhere, and a vibrant community of creative folks.

How did you make the decision to set your Casey Holland mysteries in Vancouver, British Columbia?

My decision was mainly based on practicality. I knew the city and most of the surrounding municipalities. When I began writing novels, I stuck to the “write what you know” advice. Also, few authors in the late 90s were writing fiction set in Vancouver, so it seemed a good idea to showcase this beautiful city. Over time, several terrific crime fiction authors have set their books in Vancouver. What’s interesting and understandable is that each author chooses specific locations within the city.

Vancouver is diverse and constantly changing, so it’s difficult to capture the ambiance, scents, and lifestyles of the entire city in one novel. A Gold Satin Murder takes place in Vancouver’s West End, which is where my sister lives. As stated in the book, the West End features diverse lifestyle choices, income levels, and age groups. It was once touted as the hub for the gay community and is still the heart of the annual Vancouver Pride Parade, however, like so much of Vancouver, the area’s evolving all the time and labelling any area of Vancouver doesn’t do it justice.

This new release is the seventh in the Casey Holland Mystery series. How do you keep the writing fresh?

One strategy is to work on different writing projects to keep from dwelling on the Casey series. Still, ideas spring up now and then, so I quickly jot down notes and move on. Sometimes I’m away from the series for weeks or even months at a time, depending on how the other projects are developing. When I do return, I look at Casey with fresh eyes and hopefully new ideas.

Customer feedback’s also inspiring. I sell my books at craft fairs and am always grateful for the positive feedback. Once in a while, a customer gives me a great idea for a new book, which motivates me to open the Casey files again.

Vancouver’s real-life crime stories also provide plenty of inspiration. Sometimes, I’m shocked or angered by the crime and injustices that make news headlines. Strong emotional responses are often a catalyst for starting a new book.

Do you have a writing routine? Special place to write?

For many years, my routine revolved around day jobs and parenting. Pivoting and multi-tasking are second nature to writers with jobs, families, health challenges, or other commitments. After I retired from my day job in June 2020, I eventually settled into a routine of writing and editing from after breakfast until noon. Afternoons involve a bit more editing, then a switch to blogs, reviews, and marketing tasks. For about ninety minutes after dinner, I use the time to either catch up on what I haven’t finished that day or read the blogs and newsletters I subscribe to.

What do you enjoy doing to relax in your downtime?

I love to go for walks, do light workouts, read fiction and nonfiction, try new recipes, and weed the garden. I especially love hanging out with my grandkids. I’m also a hockey fan, so when the season starts, I try to watch as many Vancouver Canuck games as possible.

What are you working on next?

I like to challenge myself creatively, so I’ve been working on a lengthy multi-generational urban fantasy that features the Wiccan faith, a family of witches, and different forms of magic. The story’s about coming to terms with flaws and mistakes, learning self-acceptance and, of course, battling evil. Beyond that, I hope to work on a paranormal series that combines both mystery and fantasy elements. My greatest challenge is making time to do all this, but I have a plan, more or less. Pivoting will always be necessary, I expect.

The Blurb:

Transit cop Casey Holland has never met a bus passenger like the charming artist and exotic dancer, Eduardo. The bus driver Lily has certainly befriended him. But when Eduardo’s charged with murder, Lily’s caught in the middle of his legal trouble. Afraid of losing her job and custody of her son, she begs Casey for help in proving Eduardo’s innocence.

Casey’s search for answers takes her and her best friend Kendal to a troupe of strippers known as Man Cave. While the men are busy peeling off their clothes, Casey’s peeling back layers of secrets and betrayal. Nuttier than her usual adventures, the risk is just as deadly in this seventh installment of the Casey Holland transit mysteries.

Click here to download a pdf of the first chapter, and read it at your leisure.

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 provided 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. She lives in British Columbia, Canada.

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Thanks, Debra! It’s been fun hanging out with you. Here’s to a fall rich in autumn colour and imaginative story ideas!

Until next time, XO

Jo-Anne

Bus Station Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

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