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Nothing
mysterious about Greene County author’s success
By Alex Carrier
Read a review by Lou Page of Ann
Mullen's
first novel -
What You See
Read an interview with Ann Mullen at
Research Library
Ann Mullen's Blog
Ann Mullen's website
When Ann Mullen looks at Greene
County she sees red – blood red. As in murder,
mayhem and, lest we forget, mystery. Who’d have
thought to find so much amiss in this peaceful
country setting?
Mullen’s three novels What you See, South River
Incident, and A Crying Shame are set in Greene
County and are all part of the series featuring main
character Jesse Watson.
Setting her novels in Greene County is logical for
Mullen. “Most writers I have read write about what
they are familiar with – and mostly it is about
where they live. I find this place interesting. I
can make up a scenario just sitting at home or
walking in my yard or getting into my car and riding
into town.”
“Even fiction needs to be realistic, “adds Mullen. “Because I live here, I
am familiar with the area, the people and the
culture. I think the people who live here are going
to be my regional readers. They will probably love
reading about things happening in places they know
and can connect to. Otherwise, my book would be just
another mystery.”
 Although
writing is a second career for Mullen, it shares
similarities with her first. Mullen used her degree
in machine technology to work in the engineering
center of Phillip Morris. Her job included
rebuilding machines to make them work better, faster
and meet the demands of the consumer. Now, she
builds stories and works to make the characters,
location and plot mesh together and lead to a
conclusion that satisfies her readers’ demands.
Writing was something new for Mullen, who had never
thought of becoming a writer before moving to Greene
County five years ago. “I don’t know what sparked
the idea of becoming a writer, “says Mullen. “In
college, it was all I could do to write a short
story for a class. It once took me two days to write
a letter to the editor.”
Moral support from family and friends helped Mullen
get that first book out. “I used to have such vivid
and interesting dreams that my husband suggested I
just write them down, “she explains. “So, I sat down
one day and decided to see what I could do. I just
wanted to do something different and I was fortunate
that someone wanted to read what I had to say.”
The writing, and publishing process,
proved a surprise to Mullen. “I tried to write with
a paper and pencil and nothing happened. I was just
trying to write something of interest. But when I
sat down at the computer, everything started to
work. Writing was harder than I thought but if it
had been easy, I would have done it a long time
ago.”
“The biggest surprise was when I
tried to get the book published,” says Mullen. “I
wrote the manuscript in the wrong program and had to
change that. I had started writing with no idea what
I needed to do – what really happened after the
writing after the writing was finished and before
the book got to the reader.”
In the end, Mullen created
more than books. She created her own publishing
business. Although her plan has proved successful,
it has not been without its own set of problems.
“For me, publishing was a
step-by-step process while walking blind,” she
explains. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I made a
lot of mistakes with my first book and it cost me
money. But I learned a lot that helped me when I
published my second and then my third book.”
“It is just the oddest ideas that
come into my mind and get the process stared,” says
Mullen about work on her fourth novel in the Jesse
Watson series.
“Every book is a progression of
events that happen,” explains Mullen. “The main
character Jesse meets people. Things happen. People
become a part of her life, all within the process of
having this murder and mayhem going on around her.”
More of what her readers like will
be part of book four. “I don’t hesitate to kill off
characters, “says Mullen. “The story has to progress
just as it does in real life. All the books are a
continuation of Jesse’s story. I will do as many
stories as my brain can come up with. If readers
like your characters, they will follow them through
many books.”
Demand for Mullen’s work has been so
great that her first book is at the printer for its
first reprint. With her growing and passionate fan
base, reprints are inevitable on all the books that
follow.
To read more about Ann Mullen and
her books, to check her schedule for book singings
and other personal appearances and to order her
books, go to the Afton Ridge Publishing website.
Keep your eye on this page to find
out when Ann’s next book will be on sale and when
she will be signing books at the Greene County
Visitors Center and other local attractions.
Return to Ann Mullen Index
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