The 4-1-1 | nancyellenhird

Nancy Ellen Hird loves a

About Writing the Series

--from My Edinburgh Files

Shepherd House

Yum !

On my first trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, I was shown to a room high up in the house of a large Bed and Breakfast. From the moment the door swung open and I glimpsed the cheerful, cozy room that was to be my home away from home, my imagination was on fire. A young girl--I was sure of it--would love this room.

The window had a fabulous view of the street below and the school beyond. From here a girl could observe all kinds of goings on! The seagull perched on the roof tiles seemed to agree with me. Then he flew off to rejoin his friends in a noisy game of tag.

Then I thought, what if the young girl were an American and only just arrived from California? Enter Libby Carlsen who is nearly twelve and "big" sister Mags. Downstairs is their grandmother and their aunt who run the B&B. From her window Libby can see Mr. MacLeod's bakery van parked in Gran's car park. Does he think someone has tampered with his van or did she just imagine his concern in the conversation she overhead? Why would anyone want to hurt the baker's business?

As a college student I worked in a bakery so having a bakery be part of I Get a Clue seemed a natural. Besides, the pastries in Edinburgh looked scrumptious and if I wanted to do right by my novel--I know, sometimes my life is so hard--I should do research.

We All Get a Clue grew out of my love for visiting museums and restored old houses.

In Scotland, many of the old houses have fabulous collections of books, art and antique inventions. The original owners were gentlemen scientists and intellectuals.

What if Libby, my scientist-in-the-making, could visit such a house? But not as a tourist. What if Lord Blackford, the owner of the house (I named it Lintwhite), were having a party? He could hire Malcolm's father, the baker from I Get a Clue, to cater it. What if Malcolm's father asked Libby to be on his crew?

When I had visited the country manor houses, I had noticed the security measures they take. It reminded me that there are people who might want (and try) to leave the grounds with more than a souvenir brochure. Enter a thief.

Replica of William Herschel's 7 foot telescope on display at the

William Herschel Museum, Bath, UK

Lintwhite

About Nancy Ellen Hird

My questions never like to stay in the box. They keep pushing against the lid. They demand that I take them out, investigate and find answers. I guess that's why I love reading and writing MYSTERIES.

But I'm not just interested in solving a puzzle of who-did-it, though that is part of the fun. I want a story that has characters with great hearts and I want to learn something new. I want to go on a journey and learn about the world where these characters live. Those are the kind of novels I try to write.

If you're a pre-teen (or even if you're an adult looking for a clean, fun read), I hope you'll come with me to Edinburgh, Scotland. There are some great people I would like you to meet and some exciting adventures to be had.

Find me on Facebook and read other interesting info about me and about Scotland.

Nancy Ellen Hird