Nellie H. Steele, author of Moving is Murder, a Middle Age is Murder mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us why she is writing about older characters.

Welcome, Nellie. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

Nellie: In two of my three most recent releases, I’ve written from the perspective of an older character (Kelly and Jodi are both in their 50s and Ellie of Middle Age is Murder has just turned 50).  I found the writing to be an interesting foray into a more mature perspective from my previous characters.

Even though the others were all younger, they still exhibited a level of maturity, but by adding a few “over 50s” to the mix, the reader gets a new and unique perspective on life.  All three of these characters have much more life experience to bring to the table that has colored their perspectives and created a strong personality. 

They’ve had their fair share of ups and downs in life already.  They’re used to dealing with the unexpected in many cases, which makes them decisive and strong-minded (for better or worse!). 

They don’t have a problem speaking their minds, and they rarely back down from what they think is right. 

In surveying the current books on the market, many of them contain much younger characters.  The typical premise is that they are thrown into an unexpected situation in their twenties that shapes their lives.  The idea is that it hits them when they are young and still “green.”

But this leaves lots of missed opportunities to throw older heroes and heroines into the mix.  Despite their age, they’ve not only got a lot of life to live, but they’ve got a lot of wisdom to bring to the table.  And there are plenty of unexpected situations to throw them into (I’m not sure about you, but I’ve never investigated a murder and I’m well over my twenties!). 

The fun part is seeing how they react to the unexpected when they’ve got experience to handle surprises and not back down. 

I’ve really enjoyed bringing these characters to life, filling in their back stories, and using it to color their view of the world.  Sprinkle in a few later-in-life surprises, and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for a mystery with a confident heroine! 

I still enjoy writing all my younger characters (variety is the spice of life, right?), but I’ve had a blast with the older ones.  I think there’s something really appealing about knowing that there is still adventure to be had once you’re no longer “young” and that there’s still lots of life to look forward to and things to do. 

There’s a shift in perspective and each generation changes the idea of what’s considered “old.”  I love that my characters can be middle aged and still living life to the fullest, experiencing new things, and discovering their place in their changing worlds.

So, if you’re looking for a mature heroine’s perspective, hop into Middle Age is Murder and join Ellie as she transforms her life after 50!

Thank you for sharing this with us, Nellie, and good luck with Moving is Murder, a Middle Age is Murder mystery.

Readers can learn more about Nellie H. Steele by visiting the author’s website and her blog, as well as her Facebook, Goodreads, and Instagram pages. Readers can also follow her on Twitter.

The book is available online at  Amazon

About Nellie H. Steele: Award-winning author Nellie H. Steele writes in as many genres as she reads. Addicted to books since she could read, Nellie escaped to fictional worlds like the ones created by Carolyn Keene or Victoria Holt long before she decided to put pen to paper and create her own realities. When she’s not spinning a cozy mystery tale, building a new realm in a contemporary fantasy, or writing another action-adventure car chase, you can find her shuffling through her Noah’s Ark of rescue animals or enjoying a hot cuppa (that’s tea for most Americans.)