(We are participating in the 24 Read-a-thon so this week’s post is on Friday instead! Sharon writes fantastic quirky mysteries…I think you’ll enjoy what she shares and check out her books!)

Books have been my good friends from an early age. I grew up in the country so if I didn’t want to play with my sisters, I could read. I remember being a first grader in our small country school; the teacher had a room devoted books. I thought I had been given the secrets to the universe when the teacher told me that not only could I read the books at school, I could check one out and take it home.

I don’t remember the title of that first book, but it was the story of a family who bought a really neat Model A car and drove it around. The illustrations were line drawings with three colors of ink: red, green and black. At home, I placed the book on a coffee table with sun shining through the window. I was eating a pickle for a snack and some pickle juice dripped on the book. I felt so bad for doing such a terrible thing to such a precious gift like a book.

I think the seeds were planted early for me becoming a mystery writer. In the fifth grade, I picked up my first Nancy Drew and read through the whole collection our little country school had. They had beautiful pink hardback covers. Nancy was so smart, glamorous and had a cute boyfriend.

Once I discovered Agatha Christie, my destiny was in place. Miss Marple as the older sleuth was delightful and when I devised my own older sleuth, Ginger in my Bargain Hunters mysteries, I described her as “Miss Marple meets suburbia.” When my husband and I were first married, we frequently went camping. I read many of Agatha’s best by firelight or flashlight. When we took a four month motorcycle trip around Australia, we made a habit of picking up and exchanging books (not much space on the motorcycle) at used book stores. Agatha was always a safe bet.

I no longer live in the country. In fact, our house is about five blocks from the library. My kids and I go there frequently. I am so glad I can give them the rich heritage of reading. I always tell then to take a book with them wherever they go, they will never be bored and they will never be lonely.

Sharon Dunn is the author of five humorous who-dun-its with the final installment of the Bargain Hunter mysteries Death at a Discount scheduled for release in January 2009. Recently her first Bargain Hunter mystery Death of a Garage Sale Newbie was given a second place award for Book of the Year by ACFW. Read more about Sharon and her books at www.sharondunnbooks.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 17th, 2008 at 12:36 am

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