murder.booklocker.com

I’ve been in email contact with a writer in Arizona named Jinx Schwartz. Her website mentioned that she lives in a 55+ community. I thought that she might be able to give me feedback on PARK RIDGE.

I wrote:

“I was particularly interested in the fact that you live in a retirement community (or what we here in my part of Illinois call a retirement community!). My first book just came out in September. Everyone in it is over sixty (killers and victims) except the detective and the Senior Center director.”

The curious thing is that we somehow miscommunicated over the words “senior center.” With my midwestern blinders on I just assumed that those words would be understood to mean a non-residential facility used for activities of senior citizens. [In self-defense this appears to be the general definition on the National Institute of Senior Centers' website.]

Anyway, I said something and Jinx wrote back:

“Here in Arizona, most 55+ communities are popular not for organized activities, but for the lack of noisy kids and neighbors. The center you describe sounds more like what they call ‘independent living’ where each has an apartment, with daily restaurant service.”

So I wrote back:

“The Senior Center that I describe is overseen by the Park District. They have their own building for daily activities (sometimes evening) — but nothing residential. We have all sorts of classes and activities — like a YMCA. I teach the writing classes.”

and it got straightened out. But I was really surprised at another comment that she made — actually an idea for a plot. 

“If you need an added angle, there is a long waiting list to get into these places, so maybe they need to off people to get their friend in.”