Today I’m a guest on Jungle Red Writers. If you read mysteries you will recognize the individual Reds. A stellar group!

It was an honor to guest blog for them, but not a complete surprise because that’s how the mystery/thriller community is. A real community. Supportive and – now that I think about it – inclusive. After all, the ‘community’ extends from cozy mysteries to traditional, up the chain of chills to police procedural and suspense before landing at thriller.

Think about the elements of cozy. I’m not the Webster definer of the type, but sex and violence are typically ‘off the pages’ with the reader learning about it peripherally. That’s doesn’t mean cozies are without tension! Tension is at the heart of moving the story forward. But hopefully not tension that will make the reader keep their lights on all night. (I am reminded of Susan Breen’s Maggie Dove series. Her books are a ‘puzzle’ built around interesting characters. And at the end you are pulling for Maggie, hoping that her search for truth won’t mean a bad end for her! (She’s had some close calls….)

Bruce Coffin’s John Byron Mysteries are police procedurals, and boy does he do it right! Bruce is a retired detective so the details are spot on. There’s more reality, more grit. You might even witness a murder!

Suspense your thing? Then you likely are a fan of James Patterson or Robert Dugoni.

Moving toward the ‘keep the lights on’ end of the mystery continuum and you will eventually get to Stephen King. Never, ever turn your lights off again.

What do these folks share? A love for the puzzle created by what happens when we humans break the law. What happens when someone is killed or kidnapped, or when a bomb is planted and you only have 12 hours to find it and cut the wires? We love people in jeopardy – from the small crime to worldwide intrigue (think Dan Brown)!

The writers in this community must get all of their penchant for violence out in their writing because one-on-one they are the nicest bunch of people you will ever meet. Not a bad group to spend even virtual time with.

What’s been your experience in the writing community?