Rosalie Knows the Spiel

When it comes to side characters, Rosalie Spielman knows what she’s talking about.

Welcome, Rosalie!

Who are your favorite characters to read in books? Mine are often the endearingly kooky side characters who spice up (or impede) the main character’s journey. And, perhaps not surprisingly, they are the most fun to write.

Character ideas come from lots of places. For my Hometown series, the main character, Tessa Treslow, is a retired Army officer, so not far from me and my family, same as Aunt Edna. Their hometown, New Oslo, is closely based on my birthplace of Troy, Idaho. As for the side characters, some play to stereotypes, like Jessie St. John, the town cougar, and Becky, the hairstylist. Some are a conglomerate of people I’ve known over the years, like the “old coots” who sit on the bench outside the historical society, Hank and Hollis. And some add fun and sparkle to the town, like the Prunn sisters.

A new side character I brought into Murder Comes Home, the third of my Hometown Mysteries, is Deeda. She’s introduced as a femme fatale but reveals herself as more later. The idea for Deeda came after a road trip with my daughter, where she played a YouTuber/Podcaster for us to listen to as we drove, Bailey Sarian. Bailey shares obscure stories of “dark” history and true crime in an entertaining or down to earth manner that makes it fun to learn these less-known facts. (Some of her topics are not exactly G-rated, so proceed with caution if you look her up.) I loved her persona, and in my mind, Deeda the History Diva, host of Deep Dive with Deeda, bloomed. Like Bailey Sarian, Deeda shares obscure history with her subscribers, and does it in an engaging way.

In Murder Comes Home, Deeda becomes a pretty important character, one who holds the key to the sub-plot mystery, and perhaps the main mystery as well. She just might become a regular in the series, so stay tuned!

Thanks, Rosalie. We’ll be sure to stay tuned.

Friends, Rosalie and I have the same agent and we first became friends online. After we met at a conference, we became true friends.

Rosalie Spielman is a mother, veteran, and retired military spouse. She was thrilled to discover that she could make other people laugh with her writing and finds joy in giving people a humorous escape from the real world. She writes for the multi-author Aloha Lagoon mystery series and her own Hometown Mystery series.

She currently lives in Maryland with her husband in a rapidly emptying nest. For more information on her books or to subscribe to her newsletter, go to http://www.rosalie-spielman-author.com, follow her Facebook page (Rosalie Spielman author) or Instagram (Rosalie.Spielman). Rosalie strives to provide you a cozy escape…one page at a time.

7 November 2023: #3 in the Hometown Mysteries, Murder Comes Home

Preorder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9S126XG

**Gemma Halliday Publishing is donating a portion of the presales to a veterans’ charity, the Disabled American Veterans, or DAV.

US Army retiree Tessa Treslow and her Aunt Ednaput their auto restoration business on hold to host an “American Pickers”-style TV show, hoping their trash might be treasure to fun their new business. But not only do the pickers come with cameras and likeable stars, but a murderer…

http://www.rosalie-spielman-author.com/