I’m delighted to start 2024 by featuring fellow Indies United Publishing author, Ellen Shapiro in today’s Author Spotlight! As you know, I live and breathe mystery fiction and Ellen’s got a wealth of wisdom and experience to share. We’ll get to hear from her in an Author Interview below, but first let me tell you about her.
As a private investigator with more than thirty years of experience, Ellen Shapiro’s professional expertise has brought an authenticity that led her to create the storyline and develop the characters for her novels. Acting on her passion for writing, she enrolled in the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute where she took courses in creative writing. Ellen is the author of six mystery novels and has written articles in her field for both local and nationwide newspapers. Ellen is a member of Mystery Writers of America and resides in Scarsdale, New York.
She received local acclaim in a feature article written about her in Scarsdale Life Magazine last Fall, showcasing her latest release – Murder on Drake Street.
Murder on Drake Street
In Murder on Drake Street, private investigator Maddie Landon receives an unexpected call from her former police partner-turned-attorney, pressuring her to help him investigate the murder of his friend’s wife, Claire Stevenson. Though conflicted because they were once lovers and their affair ended badly, she reluctantly agrees to take on the case. As Maddie delves into Howie Stevenson’s life, she’s faced with a man who swears he’s innocent, though the evidence against him is overwhelming. As Maddie peels back layers of deceit, she soon discovers her client is indebted to loan sharks. Was Claire collateral damage in a vicious game of retribution or did her troubled past come back to haunt her?
While struggling with the investigation, Maddie grapples with demons of her own past—a tragedy of a horrific accident that claimed her adoptive parents. Though never wanting to search for her biological parents, she now realizes the keys to her present may lie in the past. In a world where the past casts a long, dark shadow, she must unravel a web of lies to find the truth, and perhaps mend the fragments of her own life.
About the Maddie Landon Series
Though the Maddie Landon Mystery series is fictional, it is based on the author’s experience and knowledge as a private investigator. PI Maddie Landon was a former New York City police detective that quit the force when she realized the opportunities for females to climb up the ranks in an old-boy network were stacked against her. The Maddie Landon character is both strong yet deeply flawed. Adopted at birth, Maddie’s adoptive parents died in a horrific automobile accident with Maddie only twelve years old trapped in the back seat. The character is someone people can relate to and follow as Maddie continues to develop throughout the series. Murder on Drake Street follows the 2022 release of Buried in the Attic.
In Her Own Words
How did you develop your series heroines, Maddie Landon and Tracey Marks? And which of them is most like you?
I didn’t have to reach far to develop both Maddie and Tracey. I could see and hear their voices in my head. Maddie Landon is a more complicated character and is probably more like me than the Tracey Marks character.
How did your career path take you to private investigation?
I was always working in the legal field. I was a paralegal before I decided to have a career as a private investigator.
How do you use your law enforcement, legal, and criminal justice knowledge in your writing?
Because of my experiences and knowledge as a PI, I bring an authenticity to my novels. I use those skills in my writing whether it’s interviewing someone, locating people, or knowing what resources are available to me.
Tell me about your writing practice. Is it a discipline for you, or do you write when the mood strikes you?
I treat writing like a job. I write approximately five days a week for about four hours each day and then at night I edit my work.
What book or books have had the biggest influence on you as an author?
My writing style was mostly influenced by both the Spenser character in the Robert B. Parker series and also the Kinsey Millhone character in the Sue Grafton series.
What advice would you give novice writers about writing and publishing?
If you love to write start taking writing courses and surround yourself with other writers who can help you. Getting a book published through an agent is a challenge but you should keep trying. You can also self-publish, or you can go to an independent publishing house.
Published Books
- Buried in the Attic (Maddie Landon series)
- Murder on Drake Street (Maddie Landon series)
- Looking for Laura (Tracey Marks series)
- Secrets Can Kill (Tracey Marks series)
- Missing or Dead (Tracey Marks series)
- Memory of Murder (Tracey Marks series)
Buy Her Books
Stay in Touch
If you buy and read Murder on Drake Street by Ellen Shapiro, please consider leaving a short review on Amazon or Goodreads to let other readers know what you liked about it. Reviews mean the world to authors!
This blog series celebrates writers, creativity, and the fantastic writing journey. If you’re a writer with a new book and you’d like to be featured in an Author Spotlight, reach out to me at: lisamarietowles@gmail.com.
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