Welcome, Patricia!
What was your inspiration for The Student in Classroom 6?
She never suspects the killer on campus might be one of her students.
Although a faculty member has been killed on campus and the murderer is still at large, English instructor Katherine Holiday never suspects the criminal might be one of her students. In fact, there’s a man in her adult evening class she wishes she could know better.
Seeing no need for a college degree, Tyler McHenry, a partner in his father’s successful tree service, writes fiction for his own pleasure. No one at the University needs to know his personal reasons for enrolling in a first-year composition course. Still, he finds himself fascinated by the pretty teacher, who believes his writing should be published.
I live on an historic street in Athens, Georgia, lined with old houses and old trees—some very old trees. One night we came out of our house to find the road and sidewalk in front of it completely blocked by gigantic magnolia limbs. Part of the ancient tree across the street had split off and fallen. The city cleaned it up, but a private tree service had to come and take down the dangerous remaining portion of the tree. On our porch we had a front row seat, watching the drama of the tree removal and the skilled men up in the bucket and at its base taking it down. That event inspired this novel about an arborist who was also a continuing education student at our nearby university.
What was the hardest/most unusual/interesting part of the story* to write/research? [*all of those things!]
My main character, Katherine Holiday, is an instructor at the University of Georgia as I myself had been, so that needed little research on my part. But what I did need to research was the occupation of being an arborist for the character of her sexy student, Tyler McHenry. I read articles on and watched videos about removing trees—and even read a multi-paged manual for operating one of those large bucket trucks.
These two photos are of the taking down of the ancient magnolia across the street from us--the event that inspired my novel.
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EXCERPT
“You know, Ms. Holiday,” Tyler said as he walked with her back to her porch, “it was against regulations to bring you up in the bucket. Only accredited personnel are supposed to go up.” He paused. “Just like it’s probably against regulations for University instructors to get too friendly with students in their class.”
“It is,” she said, feeling somehow bold. “But if you can break a rule, I can. Would you like to come in for a beer?”
“That may not be so wise. I am an owner of this tree business and an owner of the bucket truck. I was not worried about breaking that rule tonight. I knew it was safe for you when I brought you up in the bucket. That is not the way it is with you and the University. And you don’t know—” he hesitated.
“Know what?”
He smiled a little, as if joking. “Whether you’d be safe alone in your house with me.”
Two of my hobbies are photography and hiking. This photo was taken at Lake Herrick in Athens, Georgia.