I have always been told, write about what you know. But when I first started writing, I  didn’t listen. I began my writing career with my central character as a wedding planner. ‘How hard can it be to write about a wedding, and all the little details that go into planning one? I thought. WRONG. The more I researched weddings, the more I realized how daunting, time-consuming and over-whelming they were.

So what did I do? I decided to become an actual wedding planner…for research purposes only, I told myself. But what I didn’t count on, was falling in love with the job, and all the delightful people I got to work with, if only for a short time.

Everyone from my friends, to my family, to my author friends, told me, “You must have so much material to work with, it must be so easy to write your books.” Yes and no. I found myself becoming so protective of my couples that it’s actually harder for me to write my books, because I shy away from anything that might betray professional discretion.

Above is one of my favorite brides and venues.

Does that mean I never use real-life experiences in my books? No. If they are charming and harmless events, I “change the names” but do use a version of some weddings.

The exception is one bride.. She was charming on the phone and throughout all our planning interactions…until her wedding day. She just plain drank too much, as did most of her family and bridal party. She was sadly belligerent. Two weeks after the wedding, she asked for a full refund, or she would write a ‘one-star review’ for me. I responded, “I won’t refund your money or be extorted.” She wrote the promised negative review, but eventually, the service I used took it down.
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My love of weddings has only grown through the years, as well as my love of writing. My husband has begged me to ‘slow down,’ but I don’t think I can. Last season, my team and I planned and ran thirty-eight weddings!
  
Below is one of my favorite cakes of the season!

If you love weddings and a good mystery, try the WEDDING PLANNER MYSTERY SERIES.
Book # 1 – WEDDING BRIDE AND DOOM
Book # 2 – SAVE THE FATE
Book # 3 – UNVEILED SECRETS

Mary Karnes, a college English major and former teacher, is the mother of four who raised her family through six corporate moves. She always dreamed of being an author and dabbled with writing throughout the years. Once the children were grown and out of the house, she started a wedding planning business, while simultaneously chasing her dream of being a traditionally published author. Her ‘Wedding Planner Mystery Series’ was born, with her business providing delicious subject matter for her books.

Mary resides in New England with her husband, Ken, and her mini-dachshund, Lucky. She is hard at work on something a little different, a stand-alone domestic thriller. Her door is a revolving one, with her children and grandchildren visiting frequently.

“The job at Marco’s restaurant seemed a godsend. Best of all was the dapper piano player who entertained diners on Friday and Saturday nights. Smitten by his panache, talent, and sleek good looks, Lizzie flirted with him shamelessly. But although he was friendly enough, he never encouraged her affection. It took her longer than it should have to figure out why.” – Running in the Shadows
           
When I started writing Never Try to Catch a Falling Knife, the first book in my Lizzie Crane Jazz Age mystery series set in the mid-1920s, I decided to make the pianist in my protagonist singer’s band gay. That would enable them to work together companionably, without the complications of a romantic relationship. I also saw this as an opportunity to depict a close friendship between a gay man and a straight woman, especially in Running in the Shadows, the fourth book in my series in which the pianist’s former lover is murdered and he’s a suspect. Additionally, I enjoyed creating tension between Lizzie’s beau and her friend, showing the two men’s initial suspicion of each other and their jealousy, but not in the ordinary sense.
 
As the series evolved, I became interested in how people at that time viewed homosexuals–– men and women both––and what challenges they faced. During the early part of the Roaring Twenties in Manhattan, where my characters live, the subject of homosexuality gained popularity in novels, plays, and nightclub acts. Rockland Palace’s Hamilton Lodge in Harlem hosted elaborate drag balls that drew thousands of attendees including high-society notables. New York’s prestigious Savoy, the Astor Hotel, and Madison Square Garden held drag beauty contests. Cross-dressing men and women performed in Times Square and Greenwich Village as well, during what was known as the “Pansy Craze.”
 
Then in 1927, the State Legislature banned the appearance and discussion of gay men and lesbians onstage. Musicians, actors, and others risked having their careers ruined if their sexual preference became known. Anti-sodomy laws had been on the books in all states in the US since the end of the Revolutionary War, but now police earnestly enforced those laws. People found guilty of engaging in non-reproductive sex were sentenced to prison––up to ten years in New York, twenty in Massachusetts. The laws weren’t repealed nationwide until a Supreme Court decision in 2003.
 
When I began writing my fifth book in the series When the Blues Come Calling (scheduled for December 2025 release from Level Best Books), I learned that on June 11, 1926, police raided a Greenwich Village teahouse known as Eve’s Hangout, owned by a lesbian couple, Eva Kotchever and Ruth Norlander. Popular with artists, writers, and intellectuals including Anais Nin, Henry Miller, and Emma Goldman, the nightspot had become a haven for lesbians and counterculture types. Supposedly, a sign at the entrance said “Men admitted, but not welcome.” Police confiscated a self-published book of stories written by Kotchever (aka Eve Adams), titled Lesbian Love. She was arrested, found guilty of obscenity, and imprisoned in Welfare Island’s workhouse. Seventeen months later, she was deported to her native Poland, and in 1943 she died in an Auschwitz concentration camp.
 
Her story became part of my book, for surely if my characters had been real people they would have known Eve Adams and frequented the teahouse. Not only did relating her sad fate allow me to share a story of discrimination unknown to most people outside Manhattan, it also gave me a chance to depict a friendship between my straight heroine and a notorious lesbian, at a time when such relationships could be dangerous.
 
Currently, I’m working on the seventh book in my Lizzie Crane mystery series, which centers on NYC’s fashion industry in 1927. As my tale unfolds, I expect to discover more about the prejudices LBGTQ+ individuals faced a century ago and how some of those problems still exist today.
 
About the Author
 
Skye Alexander is the author of nearly fifty fiction and nonfiction books. Her stories have appeared in anthologies internationally, and her work has been translated into fifteen languages. In 2003, she cofounded Level Best Books with fellow crime writers Kate Flora and Susan Oleksiw. So far, her Lizzie Crane mystery series includes four traditional historical novels set in the Jazz Age: Never Try to Catch a Falling Knife, What the Walls Know, The Goddess of Shipwrecked Sailors, and Running in the Shadows. The fifth, When the Blues Come Calling, is scheduled for release in September 2025 and she’s working on the seventh book now. After living in Massachusetts for thirty-one years, Skye now makes her home in Texas. Visit her at https://skyealexander.com 

​A Short History of the Long Road to Decriminalizing Sexuality in the US

Trailblazing: A History of Gay Rights in New York

In the Early 20th Century, America Was Awash in Incredible Queer Nightlife

My debut novel, Blaze Orange, came out in January through Level Best Books. Truly, a dream come true, and I couldn’t be more grateful. After years of writing and submitting multiple manuscripts to agents and publishers—I wrote about this saga in a previous blog on this site—I finally had a manuscript that became a reality.
 
As I reflect back on these past ten months as a newly minted author and realize how many aspects of my life have changed, I am struck by both the highs and the lows.
 
There are many more positive facets, with the drawbacks few and far between, and instead of saving the best for last, so to speak—you may not read that far, anyway—I want you to know the honor upfront.
 
Below are just a few of the experiences for which I’m amazed and grateful.
 

• Getting to know the Maine writing community. The support I’ve received has been remarkable—invitations to events, welcomed into the fold, tips on improving sales, sharing of contacts—one of my best advocates is a fellow Bestie, Matt Cost, but note, Matt was good to me BEFORE either of us were a Bestie. I met him six years ago at a writers’ conference. That’s how you know someone is genuine!
• Being able to finally wear the Author badge. I’ve been writing since I was seven. Having a published work is a validation I craved.
• Knowing that future ideas actually have a home. I find I’m now writing future books in the series with more purpose than simply writing “in the dark” and hoping someone will read them one day.
• Having confidence in additional projects. Besides having my first six novels still sitting “in a drawer,” unsold, waiting for possible rewrites, I also have outlines for completely new works too that I’m excited to start. Being published has only increased my ideas.
• Realizing I can juggle more than I thought. I do still have another “day” job along with writing Book Three and other works, and marketing Book One and the upcoming Book Two. It’s a good problem to have, and who needs sleep anyway?
• Seeing the excitement on friends’ and family’s faces and hearing their kind words. I’m especially awed by friends, both local and away, who have championed my book, securing speaking arrangements and book club invitations, and approaching libraries and bookstores on my behalf. One said to me, “I knew you when you were just ‘Allie.’”  I am still just Allie. I’m grateful they are as enthusiastic for me as I am.
• Having incredible experiences with readers. One person came to an event and whipped my book out of her bag. “I saw in the ad you’d be here. I read it, and loved it. Will you sign it for me?” I was touched. Others have come to speaking events to hear more about my writing process. Without readers, I would be nowhere. I know now more than ever people have to be extra careful on how they spend their money. To everyone who has purchased or read my book, a boatload of gratitude to you all.
• Being asked to be a subject matter expert. I’m now a contributor on a writers’ blog that I’ve admired for years as well as a participant in other events to give writing advice. Yes, I guess I’ve learned much along the way, and I’m happy to pass along what I can. Writing is a craft that can be taught. Patience, tenacity, and the joy of editing also have to be groomed.

 
Now to address the downside of this new author experience. It’s hard to believe there would be any lows, but sadly, some folks have vanished from my life since Blaze Orange came out. Yes, I considered some of these folks my friends. It’s hard to believe that some people actually didn’t want me to succeed. Perhaps they had me pegged to play a certain role in their own life, or they’re not seeing changes for themselves, and thus, they can’t witness someone else’s change. I need to point out that none of these people are fellow writers. All of the writers I know have been amazing.
 
The last note to add, although it’s not a deep low, does gnaw at me. Most people only see the end product. They may not know the struggle to write a novel, and submit it, and then to have it actually be accepted for publication, and then to appear on a bookshelf.  It may look to some like I’m an “overnight” success when it has taken decades of work to get to this place.
 
Overall, however, I am happy with this year beyond words. Thank you, Level Best Books, for being the home that you are for me and many other writers.  I look forward to next year “on the circuit” with two published books, more to juggle, and more ideas to bring to life.
 
 Allison Keeton lives in Maine with her muse, Tom, and their two dogs. 
She has twice been accepted into Rutger University’s invitation-only writers’ conference and is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. Additionally, she received an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University.
Besides writing mysteries, she has written numerous business articles and published a book on job hunting called Ace that Interview. She also writes a creative non-fiction blog, Largest Ball of Twine.    
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