6 behind-the-scenes tidbits about Naigle and Browning's The Granny Series
Kelsey Browning and Nancy Naigle, co-authors of The Granny Series, share some info about what it's like to work together and some of their granny inspirations …
—
Nancy and I are often asked how we co-write The Granny Series, cozy mysteries about the adventures of four over-50 gals.
Where do you write?
Do you disagree with one another?
What about your individual voices?
Where do you get your ideas?
Honestly, some of these issues simply haven't been a problem for us. Nan and I hit it off when we first met at the 2009 RWA in Washington, D.C. Besides, two Southern girls chatting about the places we love most in the world and the crazy antics of these grannies is a hoot and a half!
So to celebrate this week's release of the second book in the series, Fit to Be Tied, we want to share a few behind-the-scenes glimpses into The Granny Series:
• Kelsey's mom was the inspiration for The Granny Series. You'll find the whole story on our website, but the short story is Kelsey and her mom were debating about who should (hypothetically, of course) order a hit on an ex-family member. Her poor mom decided she'd take the fall because Kelsey looks horrible in orange.
• Maggie is a little bit like Nancy. Maggie Rawls hails from Virginia, which is Nan's home state. She's also a down-to-earth, good-hearted gal, just like Nan. That being said, Maggie's hair isn't as poofy as Nan's, and she might be better with duct tape.
• Abby Ruth is a little bit like Kelsey. Abby Ruth Cady is a dyed-in-the-wool Texas gal whose bark is worse than her bite. Kelsey isn't tall, but she sure likes to talk a big game. ;-) One of Abby Ruth's obsessions is her custom cowboy boots. Kelsey would love to have a pair made by Lisa Sorrel over in Oklahoma, but for now, she settles for her Dan Posts and Tony Lamas.
• The books are fast-drafted. After a weekend plotting session where we work out the main points of the book, we get back together and write like mad for several days. In a single day, we normally produce 12,000+ words in a rough draft. We normally have a (completely unreadable) story in four-ish days. Yes, the editing is a completely different issue. :-)
• The Grannies aren't quite as straightforward as they seem. The beauty of writing a multicharacter series is the opportunity to get to know each character a little better with each book. Lillian is the one hiding a secret in the first couple of stories, but believe us, all the Granny Series characters have some skeletons in their closets!
• The Granny Series is spinning off three contemporary romance novellas starting in December. Once Sheriff Teague Castro was born, Kelsey knew immediately he needed a woman. And with her penchant for sweet-and-spicy contemporary romances, she knew we needed to write it. Look for Always on My Mind, the first part of Teague and Jenny Cady's story, in early December!
These behind-the-scenes bits are some of the reasons Nancy and I have such fun writing The Granny Series books. Just when we think we have a handle on the Grannies, they surprise us, and we fall in love all over again.
—
As a reader, do you like having a peek into the inner world of the stories you love?
Here's the blurb about Fit to Be Tied:
Honey, these are not your momma's grannies…
Lillian Summer Fairview is settling right nice into the federal pen. She's even making peace with Big Martha, the toughest broad on the cellblock.
After hearing Lil's granny friends recently took down a swindler, Big Martha asks Lil for a favor. Her niece has fallen for a guy she met online, and Martha's convinced Mr. Too-Good-To-Be-True is up to no good. All Lil's friends have to do is a little look-see on the guy and report back. But when they poke around, they find the guy doesn't really exist, and that triggers a wild ride through the world of online dating.
Meanwhile, a cantankerous septic system on Lil's family estate in Summer Shoals, GA has the grannies fit to be tied. If Summer Haven isn't in shipshape before the historic society's inspection, they'll be in deep you-know-what.
Big Martha sweetens the deal by promising to fix what ails Summer Haven if the grannies can find the elusive Romeo.
Will the grannies track him down before the inspection, or will they find themselves in trouble right up to their granny panties?
Find out more about Nancy and Kelsey and their books at www.NancyNaigle.com and www.KelseyBrowning.com.