| Helen Barer is a native of New York City, leaving | | | | Tyler: I understand while Nora is trying to solve |
| only to attend Bennington College in Vermont. | | | | the mystery, an ex-lover shows up. Will you tell |
| Even her graduate degree (an MA in English | | | | us if this is a rekindling of romance, or is he a |
| Literature) was from New York University. She | | | | murder suspect as well? |
| now divides her time between the Upper West | | | | Helen: Nope. Won't tell. You'll have to read the |
| Side and Water Mill, New York. Helen spent many | | | | book to find out. |
| years as a writer of nonfiction material, ranging | | | | Tyler: What did you find to be the most difficult |
| from cookbooks to television documentaries, | | | | part of writing a mystery? |
| before writing "Fitness Kills," her first in a | | | | Helen: Integrating the plot with the characters and |
| proposed series of Nora Franke mysteries. | | | | story line was really tricky for me. There was so |
| Tyler: Thank you, Helen, for joining me today. | | | | much to keep track of. I love to write character, |
| First of all, I absolutely love the title for the book. | | | | and found it relatively easy to do so: I could see |
| Would you tell us why the title is appropriate? | | | | each person quite clearly in my mind's eye, knew |
| Helen: Not for the reasons you might think! Men, | | | | their names, where they lived, what they wore, |
| especially, tend to think of the title as saying | | | | and could even hear their voices. I also knew how |
| something lethal about exercise. And, curiously, | | | | the story began, and how it would end, but |
| are delighted if it's true. More prosaically, the title | | | | getting there...wow. |
| refers to the fact that the book takes place at a | | | | I tried doing plot lines, made charts, and talked it |
| fitness ranch, and two guests die there. My first | | | | through to myself. The problems didn't end when |
| title, still preferred by my husband, was 'Death on | | | | I finally worked out the sequence of events: then |
| the Spa Plan.' But I wanted something punchier. | | | | I had to figure out how and where to drop in a |
| I'm glad you like it. | | | | few red herrings and clues. |
| Tyler: Tell us a little bit about the main character, | | | | Tyler: Although you have an MA in English |
| Nora Franke. I understand she looks forward to | | | | literature, your previous writing was nonfiction |
| going to the health spa for a couple reasons? | | | | rather than fiction. Did you always want to write |
| Helen: Nora is a New York City food writer, single, | | | | fiction? |
| in her mid-thirties. She's just ended a relationship | | | | Helen: Always. When I was a little girl, and |
| with her soul-mate, and is now overweight as well | | | | unselfconscious about writing, I wrote stories for |
| as heartbroken, having eaten her way through | | | | my class assignments. I still have-somewhere-a |
| the breakup. She and her ex-boyfriend, Max, | | | | story called "My Life in the Wilderness." It was far |
| were crazy about each other but couldn't seem | | | | more interesting to me to invent a family and |
| to live together. They were so very different-in | | | | their problems and pleasures than write a factual |
| temperament, lifestyle (he's prestigious upper east | | | | report on the American frontier. I think I was |
| side doorman building, NY Philharmonic and NY | | | | eight or nine. Somewhere along the way, I |
| Mets; she's funky upper west side walkup, pop | | | | became very self-critical, and lost my spontaneity. |
| standards and NY Mets), even eating choices | | | | When I graduated from college, I thought writing |
| (painful for a foodie!). She is devastated by his | | | | fiction was a secret, special talent that I couldn't |
| loss and wants to 'get out of town;' as a | | | | aspire to. I knew I didn't want to (and |
| freelance food writer and baking instructor she is | | | | undoubtedly couldn't) write 'the great American |
| able to do this. | | | | novel.' But it finally dawned on me, many decades |
| Tyler: What about the character of Nora Franke | | | | later, that I didn't have to: I could write an |
| do you feel appeals to your readers? | | | | entertaining, readable novel without pretensions of |
| Helen: I think it's easy to identify with Nora (at | | | | 'greatness.' That's not to say that I didn't want to |
| least I do). She's quite attractive but not beautiful; | | | | write the best novel I could. |
| she's round rather than model-thin; she's short; | | | | Tyler: What do you find is the most fun about |
| she's funny; and she's smart (sometimes | | | | writing fiction instead of non-fiction? And what are |
| smart-alecky). And she doesn't take herself too | | | | the greatest challenges? |
| seriously. | | | | Helen: In truth, writing nonfiction for me was |
| Up to that point, I've drawn on my own | | | | great fun. It meant doing research, and I love to |
| experiences and personality. But Nora's also more | | | | do research. I can immerse myself deeply in |
| feisty than I am, and more courageous as well. | | | | reference books, newspaper files, old manuscripts. |
| Maybe too courageous for her own good. | | | | I really like interviewing people, finding out what |
| Tyler: Where did you get the idea to have a | | | | makes them tick: what do they love, hate, fear, |
| murder happen at a spa, and what was the | | | | find funny. It seemed very natural to me...after all, |
| advantage of it? Were the depictions of the spa | | | | I did it for more than 30 years. |
| intended for a sort of comic relief from the | | | | Writing fiction certainly is a different craft. You |
| murders? | | | | can't rely on external facts and background. It's |
| Helen: Not at all. I love spas. I was actually in an | | | | got to come from your head and heart. However, |
| exercise class at a fitness ranch when I got the | | | | it is lots of fun to create characters, as I've |
| idea for the book. I looked around and realized | | | | described above. |
| that since all of us (mostly women) had arrived | | | | The real challenge for me is to ask 'what if?' |
| on the same day, and would leave on the same | | | | That's the center of a mystery story for me. |
| day, it was like being on a cruise ship. Trapped | | | | What if someone doesn't arrive at the right time? |
| together. We all spent time in each other's | | | | What if a letter isn't delivered or a phone |
| company at meals, in the lounge or pool, or | | | | message given? What if he never realizes that |
| waiting for body treatments, and shared stories | | | | she loves him, and she is sure he knows? What if |
| about our lives and our aches and pains that | | | | the murderer slips up and leaves an enigmatic |
| might have otherwise taken years to reveal. We | | | | clue? |
| became instantly intimate. I wondered what would | | | | Tyler: Helen, will you give us a hint about what |
| happen if there were a crisis-a crime-at the spa, | | | | kind of situation Nora will face in your second |
| and how we would all handle it. | | | | novel? |
| There were indeed advantages to the setting. So | | | | Helen: My next book finds Nora back in New |
| many places for 'accidents' to happen; so many | | | | York, with a death threat hanging over her head. |
| experiences that are intrinsically scary; so many | | | | While trying to resurrect a romantic life, continue |
| people who are slightly (or more than slightly) | | | | her column for MetroScene magazine, and teach |
| eccentric. | | | | baking classes, she finds herself enmeshed in a |
| Incidentally, I should clarify that when I say fitness | | | | family crisis, with all of the passion and tension |
| ranch, or fitness spa, I mean a destination where | | | | that entails. Who is not familiar with such personal |
| exercise, nutrition and health are primary; being | | | | drama? Hurt feelings, accusations of betrayal, |
| pampered is not the main goal, although it's a | | | | fights over money. The tentative title is "Families |
| welcome adjunct. | | | | Are Murder." Or, if it's not too cutesy, "Families |
| Tyler: As a former writer of cookbooks, how did | | | | Kill." |
| that experience lend itself to depicting Nora as a | | | | What's your opinion? |
| chef at a spa? | | | | Tyler: Both titles are good, but I definitely like |
| Helen: Writing recipes for cookbooks is a very | | | | "Families Kill." It has the same ironic note as |
| kinesthetic experience: you have to really focus | | | | "Fitness Kills." Thank you so much, Helen, for |
| on the texture, appearance and smell as well as | | | | joining me today. Before we go, would you tell |
| the taste of food. And in describing how to cook | | | | our readers your website address and what |
| something, you literally have to walk yourself | | | | further information about "Fitness Kills" they can |
| through the process in your head: What did I tell | | | | find there? |
| the reader to do with that sauté pan? Is it | | | | Helen: Thank you, Tyler, I enjoyed it. Please take |
| still on the burner? Is there liquid in it or will the | | | | a look at where I've posted some reviews of the |
| bottom be history? Did I give the ingredients the | | | | book, and a schedule of my forthcoming |
| reader will need to deglaze the pan? It's really fun, | | | | appearances. I'm even leaving New York! |
| but it's like juggling: you can't let go of one of the | | | | Tyler: Well, I hope you don't run into any |
| balls in the air or you'll do your reader a disservice. | | | | mysteries on your travels, but that your mystery |
| Cooking is a very personal, sensory and sensual | | | | books continue to sell well. Thank you again, Helen. |
| activity. And fine-tuning a menu, as Nora has to | | | | Today, Tyler R. Tichelaar of Reader Views is |
| do, is a wonderfully creative act. The menu items | | | | pleased to be joined by Helen Barer, who is here |
| in this book have to be low in fat and calories; | | | | to discuss her new mystery novel "Fitness Kills," |
| taste fabulous; and represent the 'philosophy' of | | | | Thomson-Gale (2007), ISBN 9781594145858. |
| the ranch. | | | | |