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Running out of Time (A Dodie O’Dell Mystery)
by Suzanne Trauth

What a fun production! This has been my favorite of the series so far. Fast paced and kept me wanting to say I have to read one more chapter!
~Laura’s Interests

Running out of Time (A Dodie O’Dell Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Lyrical Underground (October 10, 2017)
Paperback: 220 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1601837240
Digital ASIN: B01NBUM1LD

Restaurant manager Dodie O’Dell’s themed food ideas have been called cute, clever, and delicious, but never revolutionary—until now. Dodie’s Windjammer Restaurant is stocking the Etonville Little Theatre’s concession stand with colonial-era desserts and drinks: Swamp Yankee applesauce cake, pumpkin bread, hot cider punch, and mulled wine to complement the latest production. A local playwright has adapted Thornton Wilder’s Our Town into Eton Town, shifting the story to colonial America and the founding of Etonville, New Jersey, shortly after the Revolutionary War.

On opening night, hours before the curtain rises, Dodie runs into an agitated actress backstage with blood on her hands. Then a stranger is found among the chairs set for a graveyard scene with a knife in his chest. The show will not go on—the theatre is now a crime scene. Hoping to clear the red-handed suspect, Dodie returns to the role of amateur sleuth to mull over the clues and beat the backstage stabber to the punch—before someone else becomes history . . .

What initially got you interested in writing?

I can’t remember when I wasn’t interested in writing! I entered contests in primary and secondary school, writing short stories, essays, and plays. Occasionally, I won something…so that encouraged me more. I loved getting lost in the fictional worlds I was creating.

What genres do you write in?

In fiction, I write a cozy mystery series – the Dodie O’Dell mystery series – and I have written an historical stand alone novel. I also write plays and spent some time exploring screenplays.

What drew you to writing these specific genres?

I have read mystery novels all my life so I suppose it was only natural, when I started to write fiction, that I would write mysteries. Write what you know…I wrote books that I would enjoy reading.

I spent a long academic career in theatre, teaching acting and directing plays. So I am drawn to exploring dramatic works as well.

How did you break into the field?

I had been working on fiction for a number of years, first an historical novel and then a mystery novel, when I was referred to a terrific freelance editor. He helped me shape the book, adhere to the elements of my genre, and gave me submission support. Including an introduction to an editor at Kensington Publishing. The stars aligned!

What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

I hope readers have fun reading my Dodie O’Dell mystery series. Since the books feature a community theater and a restaurant as part of the setting, readers will get a dose of food and a play with each book! I also hope that they get invested in the lives of the characters in the small town of Etonville, NJ and enjoy visiting with them in each novel.

What do you find most rewarding about writing?

I love seeing the printed pages spew forth from my printer when the book is finished, or at least when each draft is complete. It’s a thrill to see the publisher’s copy with a beautiful, thematic cover – Kensington has a wonderful design team who supply fun covers.

What do you find most challenging about writing?

Though I have a good time producing the first draft of each mystery novel, it’s also the most challenging feature of writing for me. The series aspect requires that I reintroduce a setting and cast of characters that remain partially the same from book to book. The mystery aspect requires that I plant clues and plot out my protagonist’s journey as she solves the murder mystery. Both aspects require a technical, detailed approach to structure. Which can be challenging!

What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?

Be prepared to be persistent, to write every day, or at least to work on your craft every day, and find a great editor. Someone who knows the publishing field and can provide both creative and professional guidance.

What type of books do you enjoy reading?

I love to read a wide variety of books. Mysteries, of course, but also general literary fiction and biographies. I have read a few interesting memoirs recently.

Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?

In addition to writing the Dodie O’Dell mystery series, and writing plays, I teach an acting studio in my home for a small group of performers. I am also a celebrant and I enjoy presiding over weddings in my area of New Jersey.

What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?

Check out my website or Facebook page and contact me through either one. I also run contests through Facebook and Goodreads. Please enter!

Website: suzannetrauth.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneTrauth/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

About The Author

Suzanne Trauth is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and a former university theatre professor. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Dramatists Guild. When she is not writing, Suzanne coaches actors and serves as a celebrant performing wedding ceremonies. She lives in Woodland Park, New Jersey. Readers can visit her website at www.suzannetrauth.com.

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