Yolanda Shoshana Talks to Linda Curnyn, the author of Killer Summer

Imagine yourself partying hard in your summer share only to find out that someone in the house has been murdered. That would certainly take the “life” right out of the party.

Popular chick-lit writer, Lynda Curnyn, has written her first murder mystery, Killer Summer. The backdrop of the book is a Fire Island summer share. I recently caught up with the busy writer to ask her about Fire Island and writing in a new genre.

YS: You have gone to Fire Island for the past four summers. Why Fire Island and not the Hamptons?

LC: Fire Island is more laid back than the Hamptons.  No Pradas or Jimmy Choos required in Fire Island--it's flip flops and tee shirts all the way. And I'm more a flip flop and tee-shirt kind of gal. Fire Island is also more rural. There are no cars, not that many restaurants or stores. It's pretty much you, the beach, your best buds and a lot of good vibes. 

YS: What are the dynamics like at your share on Fire Island? Have there ever been major dramas or fights between the housemates?

LC: I've never really been entangled in a summer share conflict myself, but I've witnessed a few humorous ones from the sidelines.  Like the "who drank the last of my Tequila" conflict. Or the "that's your dog's poop on the living room rug not my dog's!" debacle.   Most conflicts, I've discovered, come from the fact that you living like family with people who are not necessarily your family, or even your friends. 

YS: How did the summer share provide inspiration for the characters and setting for Killer Summer? 

LC: The set up in my summer house mirrors the set up in the summer house in Killer Summer in that in both cases, the house is run by a married couple and the shareholders are singletons.  But that's where the comparison ends (for the most part...).  I was inspired by the situation, but also by the attitudes of shareholders on Fire Island. Imagine this: you are in your thirties, you are unmarried and you have no kids and no responsibilities except to make sure you get to the market and the liquor store before closing. Pleasure is your biggest pursuit. Now imagine someone getting murdered in the middle of that.   Does the party stop? I mean, what if you didn't even like, much less know the person murdered? The premise was just too intriguing and too funny for me to resist.

YS: Did you find it difficult to write a chick-lit mystery?

LC: I enjoyed the chance to broaden my scope. My characters in previous books obsess about relationships, men, their mothers. I thought it might be fun to give them something new to worry about--like staying alive!

YS: What do you enjoy the most about spending time on Fire Island?

LC: Since I live in Manhattan, the chance to see the ocean or even a view unencumbered by buildings is restorative for me. Also, the beach relaxes me.  Gives me a good reason to sit around and read all day, or shoot the breeze with my friends.  Not that you need a reason to do those things, but sometimes when I'm caught up in the hectic pace of city life, I forget to do the things I love to do most.

YS: Are you working on a new novel?

LC: Yes. I have started a new novel.  The new book will be a return to my earlier themes, but with a twist: the upcoming book will be about pushing forty and being single. It's due out in the spring of 2007.  You can get a sneak preview in the summer of 2006 as I'll have a story in Red Dress Ink's Girl’s Night Out collection, which features the characters from the upcoming book.

For more information about Lynda Curnyn: www.lyndacurnyn.com