Writers Read: Paula Munier

Paula Munier is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award

and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search also won a Dogwise Award. The Hiding Place and The Wedding Plot both appeared on several “Best Of” lists. Home at Night, the fifth book in the series, was inspired by her volunteer work as a Natural Resources Steward of New Hampshire. Along with her love of nature, Munier credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue dogs, and a deep affection for New England as her series’ major influences. A literary agent by day, she’s also written three popular books on writing: Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, and Writing with Quiet Hands, as well as Happier Every Day and the memoir Fixing Freddie: The True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle.

Munier's new Mercy Carr mystery is The Night Woods.

Recently I asked the author about what she was reading. Munier's reply:

My TBR pile is eclectic if nothing else. I’m reading for research as I write the next Mercy Carr mystery (coming next year), and I’m reading for just plain fun and friendship (she says happily, as many of her friends are writers with new books):

For research:

In the mystery I’m writing now, it’s December. Which means I get to play with all of the holiday tropes. So, I’ve been reading up on everything from Christmas carols to New Year’s traditions. Three of my favorites:

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris / I love this hilarious collection of holiday stories so much that I often give copies as Christmas presents to friends and family. I myself have read it multiple times and was thrilled to have an excuse to read it again. If you haven’t read this one, pour yourself a bourbon and eggnog and get to it.

The Secret History of Christmas, by Bill Bryson / I’m a big fan of Bryson’s work, most notably A Walk in the Woods and I was delighted to discover he’d written a book about Christmas. Bryson gives us the historical lowdown on the holiday’s rituals and traditions—from Santa Claus’s many past lives to the risqué origins of Christmas carols. All good fodder for the writing mill.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens / You knew I had to reread this classic. But this time I listened to the audiobook version of the story, read by Hugh Grant. This is Bah Humbug! at its best.

For just plain fun and friendship:

Death at the Sign of the Rook, by Kate Atkinson / Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie ranks among my all-time most beloved detectives, right up there with Maigret and Morse and Vera. In this new entry in the series, #6, Atkinson brings back some of my favorite characters—most notably Reggie and Louise—to play with Jackson in a send-up of Golden Age mysteries that’s as funny as it is clever. Atkinson is the only crime writer I read with a dictionary by my side, which I naturally consider a plus.

Argos: The Story of Odysseus as Told by His Loyal Dog, by Ralph Hardy / Just in time for the publication of The Night Woods, Mercy Carr #6 and my humble homage to The Odyssey, I met Ralph Hardy, who’s penned the most wonderful adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, written from the point of view of the dog. Just. Plain. Awesome. Note: I write books with dogs in them, but I’ve never had the chutzpah to write from their POV. If I ever do, I hope I do it this well.

Blue Christmas Bones, by Carolyn Haines / Carolyn, my pal and sister Minotaur author, writes the bestselling Sarah Booth Delaney mysteries. Her latest, which pubs October 15) is a murderous romp through Tupelo during the annual holiday-themed Elvis Festival. Elvis. Christmas. Murder. What more do you want?

I could go on and on, but I have a book—untitled Mercy Carr #7—to write. (If you have any ideas for a Christmas-related title, please let me know.) And a book—The Night Woods—to promote. Until next time, happy reading!