Nan S. Russell

Writing is how I take-in and process my world. All my life I've been a writer. As if housed in my DNA, writing helps me discover what I think or feel or dream. It helps me make sense of what happens or doesn't happen. Just like my musician father shared his soul through music, writing gives voice to mine. As an introvert, it enables me to express my thoughts and ideas. Being a writer isn't just what I do, it's who I am.

Along the way, I found my writer-voice with help. From an eighth-grade teacher who planted possibility seeds of what I could do, to my mother who painstakingly corrected my spelling and grammar as a child; from bosses and colleagues who gave me feedback and opportunities to develop my skills, to friends and family who believed in my dreams; from readers who encouraged me to my husband who picked me up after setbacks, I’m an author now because people helped me become one.

A difficult question. I love to read and my list of favorites ranges everywhere from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series to Mary Higgins Clark mysteries on the fiction side to Carol S. Dweck’s Mindset and Tara Westover’s memoir, Educated on the non-fiction side.

Staying in the fiction arena, some of my recent favorite reads from authors I always enjoy include: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, World Without End by Ken Follett, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse G. Sutanto, The Maid by Nita Prose, Coded Justice by Stacey Abrams, The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate, By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, and Her Perfect Life by Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Perhaps you have watched or know about the British crime drama Unforgotten. I became a fan a couple years after it launched, around the time my husband and I vacationed in Ireland where my encounter with bog bodies at the National Museum fascinated me. I discovered that those long-lost souls were still able to unveil information about the lives they lived. That sparked the idea of writing contemporary mysteries that solve long ago murders, gingerly woven with historical elements.

The Mallory Grayson Mysteries were born from that encounter. Today, I think about my mystery series this way: Think Unforgotten-lite meets a twenty-first century “Cabot Cove,” where a reluctant millennial sleuth receives help from a sometimes psychic, a group of middle school History Sleuths and their advisor, and uses historical context to figure out whodunit and why. My books are traditional mysteries with cozy elements.

As an introvert I am aware of two things: First, very few protagonists in mysteries are introverts which is why my favorite character, Mallory Grayson, is. And second, many people get introverts wrong thinking they’re shy. Some are, but not all. Generally, introverts have qualities like independent thinking, problem solving, leadership, independence, self-awareness, deep thinking, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. These are skills that make a great sleuth.

Since I decided I wanted to introduce readers to a different kind of sleuth, I chose an introverted one because I know what it’s like to be in the head of an introvert. We’re not the same, Mallory and me, but we’re alike enough that I can relate to her and anticipate some of her actions. I hope readers also find her relatable, or at least different and interesting.

My goal is to write the Mallory Grayson Mystery series for as long as there are delighted readers wanting to read them. I’m also considering potential character spin offs that might merit their own series down the road. But in short, I love to write and plan to write mysteries for a long time.