Actually, there's a little more to it than that. I love stories where good triumphs over evil, where the bad guy gets what's coming to him and the good guy emerges victorious, maybe a little banged up, but wiser for his efforts. And the world is a better place. That's the essence of a mystery.
Someone asked recently why I chose my protagonist and why I keep writing about her. My answer was that I find her interesting, a normal person with normal problems (not to mention murders) to solve.
I wanted to write about a single mother who doesn’t hate her ex-spouse, to go against that stereotype. I placed her in a retirement community because I wanted to give her an opportunity to interact with a variety of people and, again, I wanted to go against a stereotype. I wanted to show old people as complex, interesting individuals. I continue to enjoy writing about Jennie Connors because, as a single mother, her life situation is constantly changing and she is forced to make difficult choices. I can see a lot of opportunity for growth in this character. But perhaps the truest answer to this question is the fact that I like Jennie. I enjoy spending time with her.
And sometimes I write something a bit closer to my own experience than the murder and mayhem that make up Jennie Connors's life. My short stories are usually about life in an ordinary family. Check out the ebooks page of this site for more about them. They're quick reads that you might enjoy.
