Becky Clark is an award-winning fiction and nonfiction author, the seventh of eight kids, which explains both her insatiable need for attention and her atrocious table manners. She likes to read funny books, so it felt natural to write them. She writes the Mystery Writer’s Mysteries, the Sugar Mill Marketplace Mysteries, the Crossword Puzzle Mysteries, and “Eight Weeks to a Complete Novel—Write Faster, Write Better, Be More Organized.” Visit BeckyClarkBooks.com for free books and short stories.
SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory – how did you come to be a contributor? (Or if an editor is responding: How did you choose your contributors and construct the anthology?)
Becky Clark: I’m the editor of the Sisters in Crime Colorado chapter short story anthology “Colorado Mystery Merge—Crime Fiction Collection 1.” I was a contributor to an anthology a few years earlier that had a similar premise to it, but when I saw the final product, I thought about some ways to do it differently to make the book flow better.
UNDERWRITTEN BY
Each week, The Colorado Sun and Colorado Humanities & Center For The Book feature an excerpt from a Colorado book and an interview with the author. Explore the SunLit archives at coloradosun.com/sunlit.
The unique aspect of this anthology is what I call the merge story, which I wrote. It sets up the mystery in Denver of local celebrity Dr Dictionary, who hosts the Knowledge Bowls for kids. Then all the subsequent short stories — even though they’re standalone stories — drop a clue into their stories about Dr Dictionary’s murder.
You know how when there’s a big local news story you hear about it everywhere? That’s how this is. All the stories take place in Colorado during the same week, so characters in every story hear some aspect of the investigation about his murder, whether it’s on TV news, radio, social media, or just gossip among friends.
Sisters in Crime is a national organization of mystery writers. The first 20 people in our chapter who told me they wanted to play in this sandbox were in. We range from multi-published authors to pre-published, in all crime fiction genres. When I had my 20 contributors, I doled out a clue to each of them to drop however they wanted into their stories as they wrote them. Each one hit it out of the park!
“Colorado Mystery Merge”
Where to find it:
- Prospector: Search the combined catalogs of 23 Colorado libraries
- Libby: E-books and audio books
- NewPages Guide: List of Colorado independent bookstores
- Bookshop.org: Searchable database of bookstores nationwide
SunLit present new excerpts from some of the best Colorado authors that not only spin engaging narratives but also illuminate who we are as a community. Read more.
SunLit: Place the excerpt in context. How does it fit into the anthology as a whole?
Clark: My story, “Murder at the Twelve Mooses Ballroom” sets forth all the suspects in Dr Dictionary’s murder and ends with the line, “What a stupid way to die, he thought.” I write cozy mysteries, which are typically funny and require a bit of suspension of disbelief. I knew I needed my characters to have memorable names and be set apart from anything anyone would be writing in the subsequent stories.
The reader would need to be alerted to the fact the story they were reading was talking about the mystery merge story. Careful readers can solve Dr Dictionary’s murder. The final story in the anthology is the denouement of “Murder at the Twelve Mosses Ballroom.”
SunLit: What did the process of organizing and/or assembling this anthology add to your knowledge and understanding of your craft?
Clark: I’m not really a short story writer. I’ve published less than 10, I think. And I’ve never edited an anthology, or really anything, other than my own work. I was scared — partly because I was editing my friends — but also because I knew I didn’t know what I didn’t know! Could I do it? Could I learn while I did it? Would I get a nice mix of genres? Would everyone truly understand the assignment?
The answer to each, I’m thrilled to report, was a resounding “Yes!” I get asked about how I assembled the anthology, which always makes me laugh. The stories are alphabetical by author’s first name simply because that was easiest for me. Like I said, the contributors are all friends of mine from our Sisters in Crime Colorado chapter, which by the way, after 10 years in existence, we finally named: Rocky Mountain High Crimes chapter.
SunLit: What were the biggest challenges you faced in writing your contribution?
Clark: I needed to have enough suspects and to set the stage — in 3,500 words — for at least 20 clues and red herrings. That’s hard!
SunLit: What do you want readers to take from your piece?
Clark: We would love for readers to get a sense of all the different styles, POVs, and genres involved in this anthology, under the crime fiction umbrella. If they enjoyed a story in a genre they’ve never read before, we hope they seek out more. If they liked a particular story, maybe they’ll contact the author or find more of their books to read.
And we’d love to have any aspiring or current writer, librarians, booksellers, or avid readers join our Rocky Mountain High Crimes chapter of Sisters in Crime. We just launched a spiffy new website — SistersInCrimeColorado.org — and a newsletter about our members, our books, our events, our appearances, and other fun stuff that anyone can subscribe to. We’re wiggly with excitement about it!
SunLit: Tell us about your next project.
Clark: Funny you should ask! My next project is editing “Colorado Mystery Merge — Crime Fiction Collection 2!” The deadline to have stories to me was December 1, so I’m diving in.
This one is set at a music festival in the mountains. We had a brutal schedule for the first anthology because we needed it ready for the Left Coast Crime Convention that was held in Denver in March 2025. From idea to books-in-my-hand was only six or seven months. We’re taking it easier this time around!
A few more quick items
Currently on your nightstand for recreational reading: I read magazines before bed so I have a big pile: Smithsonian, Sun Magazine, Time, Travel & Leisure (because sure, that might happen), and AARP (because that actually did happen!)
First book you remember really making an impression on you as a kid: Nancy Drew, for sure. Couldn’t get enough of that girl and her exotic adventures. She had a sporty roadster! I didn’t know anyone with a sporty roadster!
Best writing advice you’ve ever received: Never read your reviews. They’re not for you. Oh, and outline.
Favorite fictional literary character: Any dog from a K9 unit.
Literary guilty pleasure (title or genre): I don’t believe in guilty reads. Ask me about doughnuts, on the other hand …
Digital, print or audio – favorite medium to consume literature: Print
One book you’ve read multiple times: “A Girl Named Zippy” by Haven Kimmel. I own three copies and lend them out very reluctantly. There are contracts involved.
Other than writing utensils, one thing you must have within reach when you write: I write a few different cozy mystery series, so I must have my series bible out for reference, lest I forget aspects of characters or lose the thread of story/series arcs.
Best antidote for writer’s block: I’ve never had writer’s block. Writing is my job. People don’t get mechanics block, or Uber-driver block, or dentist block. Sometimes I don’t write, but that’s a choice I make because I’m being lazy or unmotivated. Or because I’m out eating doughnuts.
Most valuable beta reader: Someone who understands what I’m trying to do and is unafraid to tell me the truth. I have fairly thick skin, and I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I know what my readers want and what I’m good at. But I listen and chew over comments to decide if they have merit. But if someone tells me something isn’t funny, but it’s still making me laugh, then it stays in. I write for my readers, but I write for myself too.