Lee Hollis is…On the Writing Block!

Sherry Ickes

Aug 18

4 min read

I don’t know about you, but Maine is so pretty any time of the year! And after hearing about a new cozy mystery series taking place there, I was delighted when fellow author, Lee Hollis, said “yes” to being on my blog! Without further ado, let’s hear more from the author himself…

Lee Hollis is the bestselling author of nearly 50 mystery novels, including the Down East Maine Mysteries. Before turning to fiction, he enjoyed a successful television career, writing for The Golden Girls, Wings, Scooby-Doo, Teen Titans, and The Brady Bunch Movie. He is also the co-creator and writer of the hit web series Where the Bears Are, which has been viewed more than 70 million times on YouTube. Whether writing for the screen or the page, his favorite goal is the same: entertaining audiences with memorable characters, humor, and satisfying mysteries.

What is your ultimate goal as an author?

My ultimate goal is simple: to entertain. I want readers to disappear into one of my worlds for a few hours and have a great time. Whether it's the seaside charm of my hometown of Bar Harbor, Maine, the glamorous chaos of Palm Springs and Hollywood, or one of the other settings I've explored, I want each book to feel like a place readers can't wait to revisit. If they finish one of my mysteries eager to spend more time with the characters and counting the days until the next book, then I've done my job.

Who are two authors that have inspired your writing?

Without question, Agatha Christie and Franklin W. Dixon. I devoured the Hardy Boys books growing up, and they sparked my lifelong love of mysteries. Agatha Christie taught me the art of constructing a puzzle, planting clues, and surprising readers with a satisfying ending. In fact, I even had the opportunity to play Dr. Armstrong in a stage production of And Then There Were None, which made me appreciate Christie's brilliance on an entirely different level. Between the adventure of the Hardy Boys and Christie's intricate plotting, I found the perfect recipe for the kinds of mysteries I love to write today.

Do you have a writing schedule, or do you write whenever you can squeeze it in?

I'm definitely a morning writer. Every day starts with coffee, catching up on the morning news, and then I settle in to write from about 8:30 until noon. That's when I'm at my most creative. Afternoons are usually reserved for editing, revisions, outlining future books, answering emails, or working on other writing projects. Having spent years writing for television, I'm used to deadlines and routines, so I treat writing like a full-time job. Showing up consistently every morning is what keeps the books coming.

How much is based on real life versus made up?

Every series is a different blend of reality and imagination. The Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mysteries are set in my hometown of Bar Harbor, Maine, so local readers often recognize bits and pieces of real people, places, and small-town life woven into the stories.

My Poppy Harmon Mysteries were inspired in part by the late actress Francine York, who played my mother on the web series Where the Bears Are. Francine appeared in countless television shows over her remarkable career, including Batman and Lost in Space, and she had incredible glamour, wit, and style. Those qualities helped shape Poppy's larger-than-life personality.

In my Father/Daughter Mysteries, Jarrod Jarvis is probably the character with the most of me in him. While I don't have children, I understand his love of old Hollywood, his sense of humor, and his perspective on life. His daughter, Liv, is entirely her own person, which makes writing their relationship so much fun.

And in my Down East Maine Mysteries, Maggie Holbrook is my tribute to the strong, intelligent women portrayed by Barbara Stanwyck, one of my favorite actresses. So while the mysteries themselves are fictional, they're often rooted in people, places, and experiences that have meant something to me throughout my life.

What is The Chowder House Murder about?

Ever since Halibut Cove's popular eatery, The Chowder House, started serving matriarch Maggie Holbrook's famous clam chowder it's been in high demand. Cooked up at the restaurant by Maggie's ambitious nineteen-year-old granddaughter, Audrey, the dish even has a regular nightly customer, retiree Chips Hogan . . . until one fateful Sunday night.

After serving Chips his chowder, Audrey rushes off to Maggie's hilltop home for the weekly family dinner with the rest of the Holbrooks—her three uncles, and her mom, Jill. But before the meal's end, Jill, a police chief, gets an alarming call. Chips has been found in the street—dead. Jill races out to investigate . . . and is shocked to learn Chips's chowder was poisoned.

When a Chowder House server recalls seeing local diner cook Waldo Duggan in the alley that same evening, he becomes a suspect. And when it's uncovered that Waldo bitterly believed the Holbrooks stole the lucrative chowder recipe from the Duggans in the 1930s, he's only further implicated. Despite everything, Maggie can't believe Waldo would murder anyone. For fair-minded Maggie, to keep an innocent man out of jail, and to ease Audrey's guilt over serving the chowder, there's no choice but to team up to crime solve. Soon grandmother and granddaughter are immersed in a stew of rivalries, long held feuds, and looming threats.