Linda Maria Frank Talks About Turkey, the Setting for Her Third Annie Tillery Mystery

In an interview I was asked what I did about “Writers’ Block”. In the first two books of the Annie Tillery Mysteries, I did not experience the dreaded blank brain/blank page syndrome. I attribute that to the settings of both, The Madonna Ghost on Fire Island, and Girl with Pencil, Drawing in NYC.
Because I knew those setting so well and loved them just as well, the story could sometimes just flow on the backs of descriptive passages and historical accounts. The development of characters became easier, because of the placement of plot elements in specific settings in these two novels. The settings helped me to capitalize on specific personality traits that were evoked by the settings.

The third of the series, Secrets in the Fairy Chimneys, set in Turkey, was not as easy. Although I visited Turkey to research the book, the fabulous setting I found there were not a part of my soul. I had to really work hard to achieve a credible air of intimacy with the settings tha

t I had conveyed to my readers in books one and two.

I was excited to have the book set in both Istanbul and Cappadocia. I had come upon a description of the archeological dig, a real place called Catalhoyuk, in an archeology journal, and was fascinated by the fact that it was the oldest known town ever found (9,000yrs.). The area where it exists is Cappadocia, rich with ancient history from Hittites to Christians to the “cave people”, as they like to be known, of the present. “Fairy chimneys” is the name given to the weird geological formations that exist there. The stone is so soft that inhabitants carve them into dwellings.

My tour of Turkey included much time in Cappadocia, allowing me to take many pictures and absorb the atmosphere of the place. As I wrote the book, I was gratified for the notes I took, and even wrote passages of the book and adjusted the chapter outline to make it fit what I saw. My photos were invaluable. I had a super guide book that helped me with words and phrases. I took note of peoples’ names, so that I could use authentic Turkish names in the book. I felt that Cappadocia almost became one of the characters in the book with its dry vegetation, dust, and of course, fairy chimneys.
Istanbul, once Constantinople, was captivating. This city setting can still be conjured up just by closing my eyes. The bazaar exceeded my expectations. It was a total assault on the senses. A surprise was the Cistern, a museum of the city’s ancient underground water system. It was so unusual, and its underground passages and chambers had to figure into the story.

As a writer, the lessons I took from my Turkey setting are: really research the setting. If you can’t go there, study maps, view travelogues, and learn the history of the place. Google maps and images are a great help too. I reviewed the tours we took on my Turkey trip, especially the walking ones, along with my photos and notes.

There needs to be a balance between setting, character and plot, but setting for me can be one of your characters, one that can provide your main characters with endless possibilities.

Linda Maria Frank, retired from a career teaching science, including forensic science, resides on Long Island and is currently writing the Annie Tillery Mysteries: The Madonna Ghost, Girl with Pencil, Drawing and Secrets in the Fairy Chimneys. She also produces The Writer’s Dream, her local access TV show, seen on YouTube.

Introducing Linda Maria Frank by Marilyn Levinson

I met Linda at the Long Island Romance Writers luncheon in June when she came over to chat because I’m president of Long Island Sisters in Crime, and she wanted to find out more about the organization. I was delighted to discover she’s the author of The Madonna Ghost, whose cover I’d be admiring. Linda interviewed me on her TV show, The Writer’s Dream http://bit.ly/PkMJdE She joined our Long Island Sisters in Crime chapter, a big plus for us, because she’s taught forensic science, and every mystery writer has dozens of forensic questions waiting to be answered.
I asked Linda to talk about her background, what led to her becoming a mystery writer, The Writer’s Dream, and her mysteries.

“I grew up in Queens, N.Y. I started to read avidly in the sixth grade, my focus being Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Judy Bolton and Rick Brant. I always loved mysteries. I enjoyed the puzzles, and the mental gymnastics, but, most of all, the adventure. To a city girl, who’d never been farther than Staten Island, the allure of traveling and having daring adventures was intoxicating. The books gave me an inkling of the life I wanted to lead one day.

"I attended St. John’s University, and went on to teaching. I spent most of my public school career in Seaford, Long Island. I taught forensic science at Seaford High School and at Hofstra University.
My writing career began when I came up with the idea of having my seniors write case studies focusing on aspects of forensic science. They had to include the necessary clues and suspects in order to solve the mystery. The students then took on the roles of detectives, expert witnesses, scientists, eye witnesses, D.A.’s and defense attorneys to present a court trial in class. I was the judge, the class the jury.

"I fell in love with some of the cases, and, after reading some YA mysteries, decided I could write a mystery. Combining the love of mysteries and my history with forensics, I have tagged my Annie Tillery Mysteries, Nancy Drew meets CSI.

"The latest Annie Tillery Mystery, Secrets in the Fairy Chimneys, takes place in Turkey at an archeological dig where artifacts and treasures are disappearing in the labyrinthine land of caves in Turkey’s interior. To me, archeology is the most intriguing branch of forensic science, solving ancient mysteries of the past. DNA fingerprinting plays a major role in solving the mysteries in Secrets of the Fairy Chimneys. It is a topic I find most fascinating and that I truly enjoyed teaching.
The Writer’s Dream started with a lead I got about a local access TV station, while doing an author’s event at Riverhead Library We decided the show should be a forum for authors to discuss writing, publishing and marketing. My guests on The Writer's Dream include authors of all genres, from children's books to self-help, mysteries, historical novels, and memoirs. The show appears all over Long Island on Cablevision’s local access stations, usually 20.


Linda can be reached at: www.lindamariafrank.com