A retired librarian gets back to the books—and into a devilish murder case
A Cryptic Clue
A Hunter & Clewe Mystery Book 1
by Victoria Gilbert
Genre: Mystery
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Thinking this offered a good opening to further prove my worth as an employee, I slid to the front edge of my chair. “I know the cataloging comes first, but I’d be happy to help any of your guests with research, since that’s another one of my skills.”
Cam drummed his fingers again, this time against the other sleeve of his ivory sweater. “Thanks. I’m not sure that will be necessary, but I’ll keep it in mind. Anyway, I’m sure you won’t get any requests for research assistance this weekend. Everyone’s focused on the fundraising gala happening on Sunday evening.” Perhaps sensing my surprise, Cam added, “Two friends of mine are actually hosting it. I’m just supplying the space, because their homes aren’t big enough. It will be rather a large crowd.” Cam grimaced, as if the thought pained him. “Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll have Lauren give you a tour of the house and property.”
In other words, I was being dismissed. I rose to my feet and crossed to him, extending my hand. “I really am delighted to be here, Cam. It’s a librarian’s dream to get to work with such fascinating materials.”
Cam examined my outstretched fingers for a moment before placing his own hands behind his back. “I’m just glad you’re so enthusiastic about the job. I hope that attitude won’t change when you have to dig through stacks of dusty boxes.”
“You really think I haven’t done that before?” I dropped my hand and offered him a rueful smile. “As I mentioned in my cover letter, we took in a lot of gifts at the library, and one of my duties was to examine and inventory those materials. Trust me, I’ve dealt with dust. Mold too,” I added, wrinkling my nose. “I doubt your collection is in as bad shape as many of those donations.”
Cam stared down at his expensive leather loafers. “That’s right. It’s one reason I put your résumé on top of my consideration pile. Along with your knowledge of cataloging and research, of course.”
I tugged down my slightly rumpled jacket. “I hope I can live up to your expectations.”
As he raised his head to meet my gaze, the ghost of a smile flickered over Cam’s handsome face. “Honestly, that would be a first,” he said.
It’s Never Too Late!
I’m sharing my story about achieving an important ambition later in life because I know there are many people who’ve had to give up dreams due to circumstances beyond their control. Life often requires a sacrifice of personal goals in order to provide for a family, to be able to make our own way (and not be a burden on others), or to support those we love.
But sometimes, deferring the dream goes on for so long that it’s easy to convince yourself it’s impossible. I’m here to tell you it is not.
I’m definitely a late-bloomer when it comes to my professional writing career. I always created stories, plays, and poetry, but didn’t actually complete a full-length book until about eleven years ago. I always swore I was going to write a novel, but somehow life, and perhaps my own insecurities, intervened. Instead, I earned a degree in theatre and worked as costumer for a few years. Then, needing a steadier career due to family circumstances, I went back to college to earn my Masters in Library Science. This launched my library career, which lasted for over 30 years.
It wasn’t until late 2012, when I was 56, that I decided I was going to finish writing one book, just to accomplish that life goal. Initially, I didn’t even consider publication, which is good, since my first two books weren’t “ready for prime time” (at least at that point). It was only after writing my third book, a YA Fantasy called CROWN OF ICE, that I seriously queried and landed an agent and publisher. I was 57 years old.
CROWN OF ICE, a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.” was first published in September 2014, the same month I turned 58. I then wrote a YA scifi, FACSIMILE, which was released in the spring of 2016. (This book is now out of print).
But in the summer of 2016, after my new agent and I decided to pull my rights from my first publisher, I was at a point where I wanted to make a change. With the support of my wonderful agent, I finally decided to try out a new genre. So there I was, already 60, taking another big chance! But by this point I’d learned the value of leaping into the unknown, and wrote my first cozy mystery, book one in my Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. The submission process for that book started in early 2017, and I obtained a 3-book deal from Crooked Lane Books soon thereafter.
In the meantime, in the spring of 2017, I reissued CROWN OF ICE with my author co-op, Snowy Wings Publishing, along with its companion book, SCEPTER OF FIRE – a mash-up retelling of “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” and “The Ugly Duckling.”
Then, in December 2017 (when I was 61) my first mystery, A MURDER FOR THE BOOKS, was published. Today, at 66, I have seven books published in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, with an eighth book releasing in November, and a ninth book under contract. I also have three books published in my second cozy mystery series, the Booklover’s B&B series. Two additional books in that series are under contract. Of course, A CRYPTIC CLUE, the first book in my Hunter and Clewe traditional mystery series, is out now. Book two, A KILLER CLUE, will be released in 2024.
My point is – if you’d asked me eleven years ago whether I would have written 17 books by the time I was 66, and would’ve had 15 of them published (or soon to be published), I would’ve sworn that was an impossible dream. But it wasn’t. It took a lot of work, and required help from others – like my agent, critique partners, editors, and publishers – but I was able to make it happen. Not without some stress and tears and disappointment, of course, but still – the books exist and people can read them. That’s all that really matters.
So if you have a dream deferred, here’s my challenge – give it another try. Don’t worry about how old you are, or if it seems improbable. Forget the odds and reach for that dream. If I could do it, so can you.
I’ll be cheering you on!
Raised in a historic small town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Victoria Gilbert turned her early obsession with books into a dual career as an author and librarian. Now retired, she’s worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and university library director.
Victoria writes the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, the Booklover’s B&B Mystery series, and the Hunter and Clewe traditional mystery series for Crooked Lane Books. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching TV and films, gardening, or traveling. A member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, Victoria lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and two very spoiled cats.
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Thanks so much for spotlighting A CRYPTIC CLUE and posting the excerpt and guest post!
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