When I learned my friend and author Allison Maruska wrote a new novella, a “historical mystery,” I immediately emailed her with questions. The Note sounds like a fascinating read, one about secrets and plot twists, and women’s lives. I’m there for it!
Historical Mystery
Is historical mystery something new for you?
Writing mysteries is my happy place. Even my books that aren’t specifically mysteries have mysterious elements to them, and I love using those elements to weave in a good twist. As for historical mysteries, my best-selling book, The Fourth Descendant, is a historical mystery, and like that story, The Note is set in present day but the characters are digging into an event that occurred sometime in the distant past. In both stories, the mysteries are rooted in true circumstances from American history, particularly women’s rights.
What was the inspiration for your novella?
It started with a simple prompt: what if someone found a note in an antique coat? Many would likely throw it away, but Ari, my main character, sees an opportunity. As the story evolved, so did my inspiration. I wanted the story to be one that gets readers thinking about the nuances of what women have endured in our country’s history and perhaps about the women in their own lives.
Tell me about the main character:
Ari is one of my favorite characters I’ve ever written. She’s a young teacher who is driven, tenacious, yet loves to have fun with her class and with her girlfriend, Celeste. As an elementary teacher myself, I enjoyed writing the classroom scene with different student personalities and watching Ari interact with them. More important, though, is the story is completely driven by Ari. If she hadn’t followed the note’s lead, she wouldn’t have discovered something she wasn’t meant to, and even though others go to great lengths to stop her, she keeps going. Even Celeste wanted her to stop at various points.
Timely subject matter
Readers have commented that you handled a sensitive topic, abortion, in an impartial way in your novella. How did you manage that?
It was tricky, for sure. It would be impossible to present the controversial subjects of women’s rights and abortion in a 100% unbiased manner, but my goal was not so much to persuade readers to think a certain way (though Ari does have her opinions). I wanted them to discover with Ari the depths of what women and their families faced in the pre-Roe vs. Wade days…and now that a similar reality has again taken hold in many states, what they may face today. The story follows a fictional (hopefully) worst-case scenario of what could happen to women who are desperate to control their health and their lives, and it explores the motivations of people on all sides. A couple of early readers who lean conservative mentioned getting their “feathers ruffled” in a few spots, but the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Even those more conservative readers said they liked the story overall. My focus throughout the process was on the women.
Putting this book out there right now is scary. I know it will get “hate reviews” based on personal viewpoints instead of on the story. I decided to go forward with it because I feel it’s important and has the potential to make a positive impact. As one of the conservative (and older) early readers said, “Maybe that’s the value in your book. The majority of the people who read it won’t have first-person memories of those times like I do. It’s good to be reminded of history so we don’t repeat it.”
I agree with you 100%. Writers have to do what’s right for the story as well. In my novel, In the Context of Love, the character has an extramarital affair at a low point in her life. Fearing that some readers might object, I spoke to a well-published author about my worries. She said it’s okay to let your readers get angry with your character, or even dislike her; the character is not you. Of course, as writers, we know some readers will get angry with us anyway, but we have no control over that. If we don’t offend a reader with one thing, you know it will be something else.
I just love the cover, too. Whose design is it, and in what way do you feel it represents the story?
I hired Damonza to design the cover. Being a “starving artist,” I opted for the budget cover, meaning no character likenesses could be used, but that ended up being the best case scenario. The red swing coat is just how I imagined it, and the note sticking out of the pocket just enough opens the mystery before the reader even opens the book. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.
Well, I’ve already ordered The Note and can’t wait to read it!
About Allison
Allison Maruska is a YA and mystery/suspense author, blogger, teacher, mom, wife, coffee and wine consumer, and owl enthusiast. Her blog includes humor posts, short stories, and posts on writing strategy, parenting, and teaching.
Allison’s Website
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Amazon Author Page
About The Note
Ariana Reyes loves finding treasures in thrift stores. Sometimes it’s a rare hat, vintage shoes, or a costume to wear for her second-grade class. But when she finds a gorgeous 1950s swing coat, she finds more than a piece of antique clothing.
Reaching into the pocket, Ari discovers a scrap of yellowing paper containing an address and a name. She doesn’t recognize the location, and seeing the chance to motivate her students with a good mystery, she investigates, expecting to find nothing more than an old building.
Instead, she finds a burned-down structure and a cellar secured with a shiny padlock. Her curiosity piqued, she breaks the lock and discovers not only a neglected space but decades-old secrets—secrets that some will do anything to keep hidden.
Maruska’s historical mystery novella checks all the boxes: entertaining characters, plot twists, and a perplexing puzzle. The Note is a quick read that will keep you turning the pages.
—Al Macy, bestselling author of Conclusive Evidence
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Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist.
Learn more about her multi-award winning novel, In the Context of Love.
Learn more about her picture book, Gordy and the Ghost Crab.
Learn more about her poetry chapbook, Security