An Oldie But a Goodie: In the Crosshairs: The Body on Leffis Key by M.S. Spencer
Wednesday is the 2nd book birthday for In the Crosshairs: The Body on Leffis Key by M.S. Spencer! Ms. Spencer is celebrating this special milestone here on my blog. I had the honor of asking her a few questions about her book.
How long has your book been out? When was it originally released?
This will be In the Crosshairs’ second anniversary. It was published by The Wild Rose Press on May 27, 2024.
Can you tell us about your story, world, and characters?
In the Crosshairs: the Body on Leffis Key, combines several interests of mine—Florida, birdwatching, and national politics. It takes place on a small key adjacent to Longboat Key, on the gulf coast of Florida. A strip of low dune and mangrove swamp, Leffis Key is home to the Marine Rescue Facility and a nature walk. Palmer Lind, the heroine, is a birder on a trek down the east coast after losing her husband. The stranger who helps her is a refugee from Capitol Hill, hiding from those who may have murdered his boss, a senator. He rents a conch house and owns one each of many vehicles, from planes to boats to a refurbished classic Airstream camper.
That sounds fascinating! What inspired this story?
I started writing this book after I came across an obscure news item about the Chinese buying up US farmland. It intrigued—and concerned—me. I decided to insert it as a plot element in a novel—and what to my wonderment should happen but two years later it’s a full-blown global issue!
I set In the Crosshairs on the gulf coast of Florida because that’s where I live. Let me explain with a short excerpt from the book:
“A beam of red light shot through her window. Sunset already? She got up, fixed herself a drink, and took it to the balcony. She watched as the sun sank into the gulf, long, needle-like pincers of light stretching out as though it wanted to hook the horizon and hang on for dear life. Like Kilroy, whatever was pulling it from below won the battle and the sun dipped, leaving its signature green spot as a token of affection for the world.”
This is what it’s like to live on the Gulf Coast of Florida. By day the sky is the deep blue of Paul Newman’s eyes; at close of day it’s flooded with a full palette of reds, oranges, pinks and purples. Put it this way: I have a lot of pictures of my children—I have even more pictures of sunsets in Sarasota!
That does sound beautiful. I would love to make it to Florida one day. Can you give us a brief look at your writing process? Are you a plotter or pantser? How much time did you spend on this project? What is your writing schedule like?
I have the luxury, being retired—kids grown, husband looking down on me from above, no mortgage—of being able to write whenever I want. Which usually means every day for at least four hours. Producing a full-length novel takes about a year, from first draft to release. My first draft is usually an expansive outline, about 30,000 words. After the plotline is set I can focus on building the characters and elaborate on the setting and atmosphere. Once those are established, I concentrate on ironing out any inconsistencies, creating red herrings, and refining the mystery. So I guess you could say I’m a plontster.
I love that combination word. I think most authors are somewhere between the two. Is there anything else you’d like to share?
My interest in national politics stems from my years working on Capitol Hill—for the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, as a speechwriter for a Senator, and then at the Dept. of the Interior. Once you’ve seen the inner workings of federal government, you’ll never believe a single news article again!
Palmer Lind, recovering from the sudden death of her husband, embarks on a bird-watching trek to the Gulf Coast of Florida. One hot day on Leffis Key she comes upon—not the life bird she was hoping for—but a floating corpse. The handsome beach bum who appears on the scene at the same time seems to have even more secrets than the dead man.
His story begins to unravel as the pair search for answers to a growing pile of dead bodies. Spies, radical environmentalists, and wealthy businessmen circle around each other in a complex dance. Which one is lying? What do a seemingly random group of individuals have in common, other than being targeted by a crossbow?
Pick up a copy of In the Crosshairs: The Body of Leffis Key at your preferred retailer:
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Librarian, anthropologist, research assistant, Congressional aide, speechwriter, nonprofit director—M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five of the seven continents and holds degrees in Anthropology, Middle East Studies, and Library Science. She has published eighteen mystery or romantic suspense novels. She has two children, an exuberant granddaughter, and currently divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.
Follow M.S. Spencer on your preferred social media:
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Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B002ZOEUC8
Chelsey M. Ortega 