I’ve never met CJ Shane, but we’ve come to know each other through our membership with Sisters in Crime Guppy branch, where she’s a frequent contributor on the digest. I also know that she’s a very talented artist, and jewelry maker, in addition to being a prolific writer. It’s my pleasure to introduce you to her today.

When I was six years old, my first-grade teacher gave our class an assignment. “Write and illustrate a poem.” My poem about rain was illustrated by a raindrop with arms, legs, and a smiling face. One of the raindrop’s arms was holding an umbrella. My teacher took me and my illustrated poem to the office to show the principal. This scared me because I thought I was in trouble. I was surprised to learn that my teacher, and the principal, too, thought my work was really good. This event encouraged me to frequently combine art and writing.

I was warned against getting a degree in art. (“You won’t be able to support yourself,” everyone said. “You shouldn’t say things like that to a child,” say I.). I earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. I worked for a while as a news reporter and also as a freelance magazine writer. Then I went back to school and became a reference librarian. All the while, I continued with art: drawing, painting (oil, acrylic, pastel), relief prints, mixed-media collage, and artist’s books.

In 2017, after having published nonfiction books, I decided to try writing fiction. I write mysteries, thanks to my school librarian who introduced me to Nancy Drew Mysteries. I began with the private investigator series Letty Valdez (4 books so far) and then the cozy mystery series Cat Miranda (3 books so far).

What about the art? Where does art fit with writing? About the Letty Valdez series, several reviewers have commented positively on the setting: southern Arizona, the Sonoran Desert, the Tohono O’odham reservation (Letty is a tribal member), and places such as Agua Caliente Park or the San Xavier del Bac mission church (founded in 1692). A lot of mystery writers focus on the plot and some on characterization, but too often setting is minimized. The artist in me describes the setting so the reader can see what the protagonist is seeing. Letty likes to sit in her office and watch the late afternoon sunlight “run hot and sweet” on the Santa Catalina Mountains. (quoting Barbara Kingsolver who lived in Tucson for a long time). The setting keeps Letty and the reader grounded.

Desert Rain by CJ Shane

Cat Miranda is an art gallerist and graphic designer in Bisbee, Arizona, on the border. Cat mystery plots often involve some aspect of the art market. A character in the Cat Miranda mysteries has the opportunity to explain, for example, how art fraud is committed, and how a painting can be identified as the original or a forgery. Setting is important in Cat books, too, as Bisbee is a lovely mountain town that has become an arts destination in the past 50 years.

ABCs to Live By (a miniature artist book) by CJ Shane

Here’s another way that art interacts with writing. I saw a premade cover offered by a graphic designer with the title, “Kissed.” I bought the cover, but instead of telling the designer to change the title, I kept it and went on to write a cozy mystery titled “Kissed: Cat Miranda Mystery #1.” Many people expect writing to be illustrated by art. In this case, I illustrated the art with a book. I intend to continue doing this. I’m planning new series: another contemporary cozy series and a historical series, both set in Tucson, and maybe a time-travel series. You can see more of my art and read about my books at www.cjshane.com.

Note from Judy: Kissed is currently featured on BookBub in Canada, UK, and Australia for just .99 but for a very limited time. Don’t miss out! PS: Kissed was a Finalist for Best Cozy Mystery. New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards, 2021