Collateral Damage

Saving my stories so I can recall them after my brain can't . . .

May, 1976. Monte Carlo. Tourist hotel.

The hotel was not fancy but it did have a restaurant, one with a maitre d'. A maitre d' who asked me if I wanted to share a table. In the midst of a solo trip across Europe with a Eurail pass, I was in the habit of chatting with strangers so I agreed.

I am not sure what I thought the maitre d's motives were. I probably did not think he had a motive. If I'd thought about it, I probably figured he was playing concierge or matchmatcher. It didn't take me long to figure out his game was fundraising. I was twenty-six and traveling with two outfits, so I can pretty much guess what I was wearing. I don't know what would have made him think I was a rich American, but maybe any American was seen as rich in those days. Even in Monte Carlo.

He led me to a table where I found a guy. Not a heartbreaker but he did have an interesting story. He was from Lebanon which was then in the throes of a civil war. He was living in the hotel and broadcasting back to Lebanon. He was on the Christian side. I enjoyed listening to his story all the while waiting for a request for a donation, which in the days of traveler's checks and no ATMs could not happen even if I wanted it to. It never came to that. A friend of his, newly arrived from Lebanon, joined us.

From then on, I was an eavesdropper on their conversation. I don't remember the entire story, but I do recall the gist of it.  My tablemate said he wanted to return to Lebanon. His visitor said that was impossible. And, this part I do remember very clearly. His visitor said, "If you come back, you'll never get out of the airport. They kill you as soon as you step off the plane."

Now I thought I only had one rule in life (never wearing white after Labor Day - well two if you count before Memorial Day separately), but I realized I did actually have another rule. Never eat dinner with someone marked for death by Arab terrorists, any terrorists actually. Since the situation hadn't come up often growing up in Philadelphia, avoiding dining with terrorists had never been a big problem in my life. I accepted that it could happen inadvertently, but from that day on I made it a rule. I finished my meal, excused myself, and returned to my room happy to be away from the man who was marked for death.

Back in my room, I settled in to read, happy to be away from the controversial duo. And then I heard them in the hallway. And then in the room next door. I spent the next hour or so conjuring images of my becoming collateral damage in the Lebanese Civil War. In the morning, I realized how silly that seemed. Worrying about being blown up just because I had the room next to a terrorist. Really. And then years later, I saw Munich.  I am not always paranoid.

Book Rush 2026 (Updated)

Update: As of March 24, 2026, all these books are available as paperbacks and ebooks via Amazon.

Throughout the first three months of 2026, I published books with alarming regularity. Alarming if I'd been writing these books with matching regularity. That is not the case. Some of these had been in the works for decades. 

Those three books (listed below in order of publication) have little in common besides their author, me.

NIGHTINGALE SONGS

I thought this book was a romance, but it turns out it doesn't adhere to the strict rules for novels categorized as romances. Nonetheless, NIGHTINGALE SONGS is romantic and, first and foremost, a love story. The question: two love stories or only one? The novel has a supernatural element, but I won't categorize it as paranormal. It has humor, but I wouldn't place it on the humor shelves. Maybe it's a Rom-Com. I think of it as NOTTING HILL meets SOMEWHERE IN TIME. In this case, 1944 intrudes on 1985.

A DEATH IN SCILLY

A traditional mystery that adheres to most cozy mystery rules--an amateur sleuth, no on-screen sex or violence, a small cast of characters--A DEATH IN SCILLY is set on an island with a permanent population under one hundred, a truly cozy setting. The reader has a couple of puzzles to solve. The plot is complex but not convoluted. The tone is more often light than dark, but it is a mystery so there is a murder. The setting on St Agnes, the smallest of the Isles of Scilly, during a night when a storm paralyzes the island adds to the suspense. It really is a dark and stormy night.

THE SECRET AUDIENCE

A historical mystery, THE SECRET AUDIENCE is set in the US Homeland during World War II. The heroine, a wise-beyond-her-years fifteen-year-old Philadelphian, is sent to live with extended family she doesn't know in a small town in Alabama where a camp for German POWs has been built. The events of 1944 serve as a backdrop for a murder mystery that unmasks not only the killer, but the societal barriers that divide us as well as the common humanity that unites us all.

All the novels can be read by young adult readers, but young readers might find THE SECRET AUDIENCE of most interest. 

© Jane Kelly 2026

Book Club Questions - A Death in Scilly

 1. Are you familiar with the Scilly Isles? If so, are any of your favorite spots mentioned? What other experiences do you think Fiona should experience in a follow-up book? 

2. Given the description of St Agnes, would you enjoy spending time there? How would you spend your day?

3. Modern technology has made living on an island a very different experience. Can you imagine what it was like pre-Internet? 

4. Living on an island offers many benefits. Can you see any downsides?

5. Did you spot any details that remind you of the book's setting i.e. Cornwall, England.

Being an Introvert

My latest Meg Daniels Mystery Weekender, LOST WEEKEND, was within days of being finished when I tripped myself and broke my dominant wrist. Thank heavens. Well, thank heavens only from the viewpoint that it put the novella on the shelf since I couldn't write. Literally--I couldn't type. By the time I could go back to typing, I had a new perspective on my amateur sleuth Meg Daniels's behavior. I realized I was holding her back.

Years ago when I took the Meyers Briggs personality test, my results were INTP. The "I" meant that I was an introvert. On the extrovert borderline but an introvert. Clearly, that was wrong. I was an extrovert. Anyone could see that. 

Okay, I didn't like to call attention to myself, but I was perfectly fine if I found myself the center of attention. I might not seek to dominate a conversation, but there were times I did. I worked as a trainer. An extroverted trainer. I came to understand that if I was the designated center of attention, I was comfortable. If I wasn't put in charge, I found it hard to speak. And, if I did? I worried, second-guessed what I said. Mulled it over. Brooded. Perhaps, I was more of an "I" than I thought.

That didn't mean my amateur sleuth had to be an introvert as well. I was once on a panel with thriller writer, Brad Parks. The theme of the panel was how we differed from our characters. We were encouraged to respond as our characters.  Brad had told a very funny story at the banquet the night before about singing a speech. As Meg, I sang (to the tune of "Maria") "Brad Parks. I'm sharing a stage with Brad Parks." I added that the difference between Meg and me was that I would never do that, but she would.

In LOST WEEKEND, Meg's fiancé, Andy, goes missing. It is perfectly reasonable for a thought to flit through her mind that, if there is a simple explanation for his absence, he might not be happy that his name and face are plastered all over town. Flit is the key word. Meg wouldn't let that stop her.

You learn a lot about your characters from readers. One told me what she liked about Meg was she never gave up. She wouldn't let introvert tendencies stop her. He's missing. Of course, she wants to call attention to her search for him. 

It took a broken wrist for me to figure that out. The search begins in January! Make that February!

Book Club Questions - NIGHTINGALE SONGS

1. There are two stories in Nightingale Songs. The live action is in 1985. The memories are from 1944. The characters are living in times with different moral codes. In what ways do the characters demonstrate the values of their time?

2. What values remain the same from 1944 to 1985 to today?

3. Cate is a skeptic regarding all things paranormal. Are you a skeptic? If so, have you ever had an experience that caused you to question your skepticism. If not a skeptic, what are the experiences that have made you a believer?

4. In what ways does Tom's life shape Jonathan's behavior?

5. Do you believe that Kitty has been with Cate through her entire life? What evidence would indicate she was?

6. The last of the World War II generation are approaching the end of their lives. Do their youthful experiences seem like ancient history?

My Backlist Project

My backlist project flies in the face of everything I was ever taught about publishing. I developed the project by trying to figure out why I write. Certainly, as the vast majority of authors would say, not to make money. Some authors experience fame and glory. Most do not. Yet, they labor tirelessly creating. Maybe they do it for the reason I do. I just like writing.

I am lucky enough to have a publisher that I enjoy working with. Plexus Publishing of Medford, NJ, publishes my traditional mysteries featuring amateur sleuth Meg Daniels. That is an ongoing relationship that focuses on Jersey Shore settings. Over the years, however, ideas have popped into my mind for books that fall outside their focus.

NIGHTINGALE SONGS - a story of cross-generational love with a touch of the supernatural

A DEATH IN SCILLY - a traditional mystery featuring an amateur sleuth visiting a scenic British Isle

THE SECRET AUDIENCE - a historical mystery set in the US World War II homeland

Conventional wisdom would be to find an agent who might be interested in these areas, who would then contact appropriate publishers.  Even at best, that could turn into a lengthy process. 

There are a few publishers who will accept unagented manuscripts. I have had a few great experiences (which did not lead to publication) with a couple of these publishers. If a book isn't what they are looking for, it doesn't matter how much praise they heap on it. If it doesn't fit their market niche, they won't publish it. 

All aspects of this process take time, and time is a luxury I no longer feel I have. I'm not breaking any bad news here. I am simply old. I am not about to launch into a lengthy effort to get these additional titles published. I would only want to submit to publishers that accept manuscripts directly, review them in a reasonable amount of time, do not require the completion of a lengthy questionnaire, and promise to respond. (See note below.) Depending on the publisher's focus, those numbers can vary--from zero to a few. Independent publishing gives authors--and readers--more options. And, it allows titles to become available much more quickly.

I like these books. I am proud of these books. They're not doing anyone any good lying around on my hard drive. I'll try to inform potential readers about them in case they might enjoy them. Maybe I'll even become proficient at more of the steps that independent publishing requires. If readers find these books and like them, I'll be very happy. And if they dont? Doesn't matter. I'll just keep writing.

NOTE: I hear many tales of authors waiting for responses on submissions they sent to either publishers or agents and receiving no response at all. Ever. Often, the recipients have noted that because of the volume of submissions they get, they might not respond to every submission. Most often, these manuscripts were required to be submitted through an electronic system. I wonder how limited an organization must be that it can't manage to include in its system a single button that generates a standard rejection letter--not to show appreciation for the writer's effort, God forbid--but for the practical reason that the author can move on. I know publishers hold all the marbles--and as long as people dream of being writers will continue to--but what's up with that? 

© Jane Kelly 2025

Maybe it's my attitude

If you don't define a social life as dating, I've always had a great social life. If you define having a social life as dating, not so much. 

I didn't usually bemoan this situation, but for some reason when I lived in New York, I reacted when the newspapers featured stories about a new anchorwoman who came to town. I read an article about how she was dating John Heard (the father in Home Alone). Now, I never had a thing for John Heard. I didn't want to date John Heard. Nonetheless, I mumbled to myself that I'd never meet John Heard. It was the principle that annoyed me. 

I put down the newspaper and headed to LaGuardia to catch the Eastern Shuttle to DC. I wasn't an early boarder but I could find an aisle seat about five rows back, my usual spot.  It was Sunday. The plane wasn't full. There were only two people in my row. Me in the aisle seat and, across the aisle, a man in the window seat. John Heard.

That was when I realized perhaps fate wasn't what was holding me back.

© Jane Kelly 2025