Murder in Duplicate by Fran Orenstein

(World Castle Publishing, June 15, 2013)

Amazon

Blurb:

Romance mystery writer, Lily Aaron is a young woman looking for a forever love and inspiration for her popular books. On a lunch break from her job as a magazine editor, she meets a sexy, gorgeous man in a coffee shop, and falls hard. Is Ken Braun’s image as a successful attorney and charming companion all a façade, or is he the man destined for Lily’s future? Meanwhile, Ted Warren, an obsessed computer geek starts stalking her, calling her Laurel. She can’t get rid of him and before she can figure it out, Ted is murdered and Lily is now in first place as the killer. Lily struggles to prove her innocence, and deal with the enigma of a new man in her life and the secret behind Ted’s obsession and death. In a harrowing climax, Lily discovers the truth, but it may not be in time to save her own life.

Fun With Characters

Have you ever thought about what could happen when your main character leads a double life? Is it possible to write about them as separate entities or will the plot line twist them together like the rope in a hangman’s noose? Consider Superman and Clark Kent who lead very different lives, but are entwined forever, especially in love. So it is with beautiful, smart Lily Aaron and success-driven Lillyann Allon, one and the same, but not. By day Lily Aaron is a magazine editor working for a large publishing house in New York City. She is caught up in the vibrancy of New York, looking for love, and keeping her other identity a secret except for a select few. By night and on weekends, she is Lillyann Allon, a successful mystery writer who hides behind scarves and dark glasses for photos, and whose true identity is hush, hush at work, known only to her immediate boss, and a select few. When one life intrudes upon the other, the mayhem, murder and mystery begin.

I decided to choose this particular character because I was once an acquisitions editor and writer for a national magazine, I also write books, and I grew up in New York. I didn’t plan out the character, she evolved. The double identity led directly to the development of the storyline and works as a trompe l’oeil for the reader.

For the primary male character, I chose someone charming, handsome, and sexy, but with a hint of mystery. To add a little spice I made him a lawyer with a secret history that leaves the reader wondering who he really is. The other characters serve as a backdrop to the story, giving support to the protagonist, and adding humor to what is actually a murder mystery, with a twist.

About the Author