Have you ever noticed how certain experiences seem to come full circle?
Recently, while working on one of my Cooking Club Murder Mysteries, I found myself creating a florist shop and a character who knows far more about flowers than the average person.
As I was writing, I realized something interesting.
Years before I ever published a mystery, I spent my days growing specialty cut flowers.
Not just a few flowers in the garden, either. I grew armloads of them—calla lilies, snapdragons, freesias, peonies, tulips, hydrangeas, and more. There is something magical about watching a tiny bulb, corm, or seed transform into a bloom that can brighten someone’s entire day.
Back then, I never imagined those flowers would someday find their way into a mystery novel.
And then I remembered something else.
It’s been about a year since my trip to the Netherlands.
If you’ve ever seen photos of the Dutch tulip fields, you know they’re breathtaking. Endless ribbons of color stretching across the landscape. As a former flower grower, I was fascinated by every minute of it. I took far too many photos and probably asked far too many questions.
Yet here I am, a year later, writing about flowers.
It made me realize how often our lives work this way. The things we learn, the hobbies we enjoy, the trips we take, the jobs we’ve had—they don’t disappear. They simply wait for the right moment to show up again.
Sometimes that knowledge becomes a character.
Sometimes it becomes a setting.
And sometimes it becomes a clue in a murder mystery.
Writing often feels a bit like gathering flowers for a bouquet. You collect experiences over the years without knowing exactly how you’ll use them. Then one day you’re working on a story and suddenly a memory, a place, or a skill you’ve almost forgotten becomes exactly the detail you need.
Have you ever had something from your past unexpectedly become useful years later?
I’d love to hear about it.
Happy sleuthing,
💙 Emmie and Tango
P.S. If you could visit one famous flower destination in the world, where would you go? The Netherlands? A rose garden? Cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C.? I’d love to know! 🌷🐾
A note from a Small-Town Detective Dog (from the Cooking Club Murder Mysteries)
Hello,
Tango here.
I have been informed that flowers are very important.
Apparently people spend months growing them.
Personally, I prefer things that grow bacon.
Still, flowers do have one important detective use.
If someone walks through a flower bed, they leave tracks.
And tracks lead to clues.
My Detective Tip of the Week: Pay attention to the little details. A missing petal, a bent stem, or muddy paw prints can tell quite a story. (Trust me on the paw prints.)
—Detective Tango 🐾
P.S. If you want to check out all of Emmie’s books, click here. Most are FREE if you have kindle unlimited. The only thing better than free is a sunny day in the garden keeping the squirrels away.
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