The real setting to a fictional tale

I’d toyed with writing fiction for many years, and was drawn to creating a mystery for two reasons.

The first is it’s a genre I love. I favour mysteries grounded in a real place, that through reading the book I feel I learn something about. I gravitate to mysteries and thrillers that have a protagonist who has interesting things to say. (Two authors who regularly accomplish both are Louise Penny and James Lee Burke.)

The second is that in my (many) years of visiting people’s homes, I’ve seen far more works of genre fiction on shelves and coffee table than I have books of sermons, or of philosophy or theology.

Writing a book is one thing, and writing one people might read is something else altogether.

I thought a murder mystery set in a church would allow me to write about a world that I know something about, and also give me a chance to say, or have the characters say, some things about that world.

I began the novel when I was the pastor at Trinity United Church, a wonderful congregation in a suburb of Toronto called Oakville.

It seemed to me if I was setting a mystery in a church, in a community I know well enough to describe, it had better not be the church I served.

With that thought, I visited Walton Memorial United Church in Oakville’s Bronte Village and chatted with my colleague, the Rev. Jim Gill. When I told him what I had in mind, he was generous with his time, and encouraging words. He even loaned me a history of the congregation and its building, and told me some stories that sparked my writer’s imagination.

For August, I’ll donate half the royalties from sales of The Book of Answers to support the ongoing ministry of Walton, which is a great congregation, and home to many spiritual seekers.

https://www.waltonmemorial.com/

(I made a similiar pledge in June-July and was able to donate over $300.00 to the United Church I currently serve in Harrow, Ontario.)

https://www.harrowunited.org/

If you have not yet ordered your e-book, paperback, or hardcover copy of The Book of Answers, or you perhaps want to gift it to someone, this is a great time to do it.

If you decide you want it autographed (a thing I’ve been asked to do lately!) email me your mailing address, and I’ll send you a signed bookplate.

revdww@gmail.com