Rebecca McKinnon, author of In Skein Sight, the latest novel in the Clear Creek mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Rebecca.

Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

In Skein Sight is the fifth book in the Clear Creek Mysteries, but like each of the other books in the series, it can be read as a standalone story. Each of the books takes place in Clear Creek, a tiny town in the Rocky Mountains. The main character is Jemma. She inherited a yarn shop from her grandmother in the first book of the series. She shares the pages with a supporting cast of friends and, of course, a swoony love interest.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

When readers tell me they love a character as much as I do, I like to bring that character to the forefront of a story. The basic concept for the story was easy — Leandro as a murder suspect! That was the beginning. From there, I had to figure out who was going to kick the bucket, and who the other suspects could be. Sometimes the stories come to me almost fully formed. Other times, I have to work for it. This one wasn’t easy, but I’m really happy with how it turned out.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

Underneath the mysteries, the heart of this series is about community. Friends. Found family. Characters who genuinely care about each other. Even the people who don’t get along are generally willing to set problems aside to help each other out. The real world has a way of dividing people, and I think we all dream of getting along with our neighbors, not just in spite of our differences, but because of them.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you

partial to them?

When I’m creating characters, I think of it as discovering new friends. I like to have a couple of goals for what each character needs to accomplish or represent, then write about them until they take shape. I don’t know that I could choose between my imaginary friends, but Leandro has to be one of my favorites.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

I like to treat my setting as another character. Clear Creek as it appears on the page spent a good year or so in my mind before I ever started writing about it, which gave me time to get all the little details worked out. It quickly became a place my readers have fallen in love with. I love every time someone tells me they wish they could live there — because I wish I could, too!

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

Research is an interesting thing. It usually looks like me falling down all kinds of rabbit holes and ending up in very different places than I intended to go. For instance, for this book I researched knives (the kind chefs use, not the weapon kind). But before I started writing the series, I did all kinds of research as I created the town and the characters. As a sneak peek at the next book of the series (the book hasn’t even been announced yet!), I learned way more than I needed to about poisonous plants.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?

I write the kind of books I love to read—mysteries where you care about the people, root for justice, and finish feeling good. If that sounds like your kind of story, I’d love for you to give In Skein Sight a try!

Thank you for answering my questions, Rebecca, and good luck with In Skein Sight, the latest book in the Clear Creek mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Rebecca McKinnon by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads pages.

The novel is available online at  Amazon 

Rebecca McKinnon: Rebecca enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere, but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.