By Michelle G. Lyerly
Kannapolis Citizen
How is it possible that husband and wife team Joyce and Jim Lavene manage to write so many mystery novels together? It’s a mystery.
Best-selling mystery authors, the Lavenes came to Kannapolis Branch Library Thursday evening to reveal the mystery of “our work, our books, how we work together and our new projects” Joyce Lavene said. “She’s saying it all,” Jim Lavene added.
The event was sponsored by the Friends of the Library. “It’s a privilege for the Friends to be able to offer these series that fit under the category of the arts. We’ve had authors, musicians, pottery,” among others, said Mabel Brown of the Friends’ Hospitality Committee.
The Lavenes, the husband and wife team from Midland, co-authors of more than 40 novels, began their joint writing career by telling stories to their three teenagers during a three-week power outage resulting from Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
“We had to keep them (our children) occupied, so we started telling stories. We enjoyed doing it so much we decided to try our hand at writing together,” Joyce Lavene said.
In 1995, the Lavenes sent their first manuscript off to Silhouette, titled “A Family for the Sheriff,” a romance novel inspired by the election of the first female sheriff in North Carolina.
“We were just talking about what it would be like and thought ‘Wow! We could write a mystery about her!’ ” Joyce Lavene said.
“A Family for the Sheriff,” written under the pseudonym Elyssa Henry, debuted in February 1999.
That same year, the Lavenes published five other titles: “If Not for You,” April; “A Time for Love,” June; and “Only You,” October, all Avalon Romance novels written under the name Joye Ames; “Flowers in the Night,” November, an Awe-Struck Books-Enoble Romance, and “Last Dance,” the first in the Sharyn Howard Mystery Series in December, a Thomas Bouregy and Company-Avalon book.
“Flowers in the Night” was nominated for the Frankfort Book Award and “Last Dance” won a Master’s Choice Award for best first mystery novel.
In 2000, the Lavenes followed with three more: “Save Your Heart for Me,” an Avalon Romance written as Joye Ames; “Mask of the Stranger,” an Awe-Struck Books-Sci-Fi Romance, and “One Last Goodbye,” book two of the Sharyn Howard Mystery Series.
From there, the list goes on.
Amy Moorhead of Concord, described by Joyce Lavene as “our very first fan,” brought along their first book, “A Family for the Sheriff,” to have signed. “I have seen and heard them before and just thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Moorhead.
Moorhead also brought along “Poisoned Petals,” the third book in the Peggy Lee Garden Mystery Series, for the Lavenes to sign.
Avid book collector Lynn Harrington, originally of Kannapolis, just moved back home from Dallas, Texas, after 45 years. “When I left this library, they had everything catalogued on 3-by-5 cards,” Harrington said.
Harrington has a special interest in meeting North Carolina authors, especially mystery authors. “I’m here to hear the authors speak. It looked interesting.”
Every July in Dallas, Harrington looked forward to attending Clue Fest, a popular festival featuring mystery authors.
Sisters Doris Heim and Pat Murphy, both avid mystery fans originally of New York, were excited when they found out the Lavenes were coming to town. “We want to know everything we can know about the state so we can be part of it. We don’t want to be outsiders,” said Murphy.
The Lavenes also spoke about the trials and tribulations of the publishing world. “You have to find your own voice; that is the one thing they cannot take away from you,” Joyce Lavene said.
She reminded everyone that the publishing world “is a very tight market” where you are basically “trying to write to please this (or that) group,” but you have to realize “you’re not going to get it perfect” so you “must have a level of confidence in yourself.”
The Lavenes wrote “The Everything Guide to Writing a Novel” in 2004 to help first-time authors get their careers under way.
Fan and new mystery author D.L. Wallace knows a little about the trials of the publishing world.
After 16 years, he finally published his first mystery novel, “Scaffold,” a wrestling mystery set in Charlotte. “I found it interesting hearing the stories about how they got it developed. I can relate to the trials and tribulations about how they got started,” Walker said.
Walker is working on the sequel, which will be set in Kannapolis. “I basically didn’t have much incentive to finish out of fear of rejection. That was my major problem,” Walker explained.
Dottie Arnette was impressed by the Lavenes. “Oh, I loved it! It was very good. How open and friendly they are!” Arnette exclaimed.
Mildred Turner of the Friends of the Library Hospitality Committee was impressed, as well. “It was very well received and we even had a budding author in the audience; people interested in reading and writing and the new series they’re working on,” she said.
Upcoming titles include “Perfect Poison” (May 2008), book four of the Peggy Lee Garden Mystery Series, “The Taletale Turtle” (July 2008), a pet psychic mystery published by Midnight Ink, and “Wicked Weaves” (September 2008), a Renaissance Fair mystery published by Berkley Prime Crime.
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Contact Michelle G. Lyerly at mlyerly@kannapoliscitizen.com or 704-932-3336.