Castles in the Air

I write fiction. I write murder mystery fiction. I draw on the world around me to write fiction. A very small part of that world began when I, as a child, read "Grimms'' Fairy Tales.' I so dreamed dreams. I believed in Castles in the Air. I believed in Princes and Princesses who were good and destined to be saved by fairies and godmothers. These stories allowed me to fantasize. The settings of these stories were other worldly to me although in reality, their settings were only a continent away.

Slowly, I entered the reality of everyday living with responsibilities which included rising early in the day; studying or working; offering to help before being required to assist; noticing how some others struggled; realizing I was luckier than many in my life; and understanding fairy tales are fiction.

Simultaneous to reading fairy tales, I read murder mysteries called then, 'Who dunnits.'
My new heroes were not princes or godmothers or fairies. They were rough detectives or pretty detectives or police captains. I've read over two thousand murder mystery novels over the years; some bordered on non-fiction while others bordered on fantasy. I most loved the ones with serious plotting involving clues to build on in order to discover the culprit or Perp or murderer.

Reading these 'Who dunnits' allow my brain to rest from my real life. They allow me to plot with no risk. They allow me to discover aspects of character without any requirement for me to accept or reject a person. They are my mental R & R. I read. I read every day. I need the balance.

K. B. Pellegrino