Volume 3, Issue 2 – April, 2000
Beverly Connor: the Archaeologist as Detective
(Photo by Charles Connor, courtesy of Beverly Connor)
While analyzing and reading bones in a sterile laboratory, or brushing centuries of dust off artifacts at a dig, archaeologist Beverly Connor dreamed of the romance and fantasy of her profession. Connor wanted to venture into the other worlds, the other times her work uncovered. In 1995, Connor took the first step to make those dreams reality by writing “A Rumor of Bones,” the first Lindsay Chamberlain mystery.
Lindsay Chamberlain, nicknamed “the Angel of Death” by her colleagues, uses her knowledge of the past and its relics to make difference in the present and future. Connor believes archaeology and detection intersect on this point. Both disciplines examine the remains of an event and use it to construct the whole story — a story which changes the way we view the world.
Crescent Blues: Who is Lindsay Chamberlain and what makes her special?
Beverly Connor: Lindsay isn’t based on anyone in particular. She’s kind of what I think an independent woman archaeologist ought to be like: competent, self-confident, self-possessed, brave, loyal, resourceful, logical, scientific and a little bit arrogant. I think what makes her special is the way she uses her brain to solve mysteries (and other problems). She’s a thinker, an analyzer. One of the most common comments I get about her is that people like to “watch her think.”
Could you tell our readers a little bit about Lindsay’s next adventure? Will it feature another unique site like the cofferdam in Skeleton Crew?
[The book] starts out with what for Lindsay would be her worst nightmare come true — she has lost her memory and with it her past. For the first few chapters, she has only her analytical ability on which to rely. The condition is temporary, and she tries to push the event in the back of her mind as she visits a 19th century historical site on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. As it turns out, that dig has a number of problems of its own that Lindsay (naturally) has to contend with.
I try to make each book a little different. Sometimes I go back in the past, as with Questionable Remains and Skeleton Crew. Sometimes she’s on a dig and sometimes not (Dressed To Die). [In the next book], although still employed by the University of Georgia (UGA), [Lindsay] is working on a site being excavated by a private company that does contract archaeology. I hope the site turns out to have unique features that the reader will enjoy. [Smiles.]
Will this book be the climax of the series, or does Lindsay have more adventures in store?
This book will end my current contract. I hope it won’t be the last of the series. Lindsay has many more adventures to have and mysteries to solve.
Do the Lindsay Chamberlain mysteries reflect specific experiences you had as an archaeologist, or do they just draw on your area of expertise? Could you share some of your most memorable moments as an archaeologist?
I no longer do active archaeological work as a profession. I left field work to pursue a doctorate in Instructional Design (finished all but the dissertation). I no longer go on digs, but Lindsay’s experiences are similar to some I had, only I rearrange and fictionalize them, and make them more exciting. I never encountered murder on any of the sites I worked.
It was all memorable to me. There is nothing like looking at evidence of the past. One of the most memorable things for me was not on a dig, but in my first archaeology course as an undergraduate. The professor brought in small fired clay bulls from Catal Huyuk (6000 BC range). The bulls still had fingerprints from whomever fashioned the bull. That fascinated me.
What kind of person becomes an archaeologist, and how does one know that’s the career for them? Are your books accurate depictions of the work and lifestyle?
A person who is curious and values history. A person who enjoys working outdoors or indoors alone, analyzing artifacts. A person who is fascinated with clues left by people from the past. I think my descriptions of the lifestyle are very accurate. They are obviously my experiences, and I’ve had archaeologists tell me that my descriptions are very similar to every site they have ever worked on.
What made you decide to use your expertise and experiences in archaeology to write mystery novels?
They go so well together. The archaeologist and the detective do the same thing. They both examine all that’s left of an event and construct the whole story. Besides, I love archaeology and mysteries.
When you began chronicling Lindsay’s adventures you were working at the University of Georgia. How did your colleagues at the University of Georgia view your mystery writing? Do you feel it helped or hurt your standing as an assistant professor? What kind of reactions have you had from other archaeologists?
I always worked in the field or in the lab, first as a graduate assistant, and later as a practicing archaeologist. However, I received a lot of support from the people I used to work with as well as from other archaeologists who have read my books. (I’ve also gotten some good mail from other types of academics — it seems Dressed To Die hit close to home with a lot of people in academia no matter what field they were in.)
An interesting side note — I’m not the only fiction writer to come from the University of Georgia’s Anthropology department. Greg Keyes also graduated from there and is a quite successful fantasy writer.
Since leaving the staff of the University of Georgia have you been involved in any archaeology projects, or helped local law enforcement with forensic anthropology or bone identification?
I’ve never worked with law enforcement. I come from a purely archaeological background. I’ve worked with both human and animal bone in that context. I also worked a while for a private company which did contract archaeology. I do have professional contacts among forensic and crime scene investigators as well as a wide range of related professions whom I use for my writing.
You’ve said your expertise, like Lindsay’s, is in bone identification. Can you elaborate on that? Is it a skill that is difficult to learn — and would you be willing to share some of the trade secrets?
I’ve worked analyzing both animal and human skeletal remains in an archaeological context.
With animals the procedure is to identify what animal a bone comes from, from there derive the minimum number of individuals at the site. The idea is to discover the relationship of human populations with the animal populations in their environment. For example, when the human inhabitants hunted, how they hunted, what they hunted, and how much protein they derived from hunting.
With human skeletal remains, you want to know something about the population demographics of the site, what kind of nutrition did the population have, what diseases were present in the population, what killed the individuals — disease, warfare, old age? You also study the burial goods. Sometimes, what an individual was buried with tells the archaeologist what a particular individual may have been in life — rich, poor, in a position of authority, etc.
Nowadays, the analysis of Native American burials is severely restricted. Current Native Americans, quite understandably, don’t want their ancestors dug up. By the way, my first expertise was in lithic (stone) material.
What other similarities do you feel you share with Lindsay?
I’m really not very much like Lindsay. She is very brave, not at all shy, she’s tall, and she’s sticking with archaeology, not abandoning it to become a mystery writer.
Was A Rumor of Bones, the first book of this series, your first novel? Had you published other fiction before that? What about academic writing — are there any journal articles or dissertations your fans might want to ferret out?
A Rumor of Bones is the first book in the series. It was not my first novel. I have written several novels that never found a home with a publisher. That’s what writing is like. The race goes to the persistent a lot of the time.
I do have professional writing in both of my academic careers (archaeology and instructional design). Most of the archaeological writing was in the form of site reports. I did see one of my early site reports on sale at an Internet bookstore not long ago. I thought that was a hoot.
What have you learned about writing novels since Rumor of Bones? How has that affected the later novels?
I hope I am becoming a better writer. I have learned more. I do more studying and learning about writing now than I ever did before I was published.
Anything you would do differently if you could start this series over or start your writing career again?
No. I can’t think of anything.
Will we see more of Lindsay’s entertaining brother, Sinjin? Sinjin is such an unusual name, how did he acquire it?
I think so. I liked Sinjin and so do a lot of readers. (He shows up briefly in the book I’m currently writing). I always liked the name. That’s why Lindsay’s brother has it.
Sinjin is the pronunciation of St. John. It’s a more common name in Britain. Normally, you write it “St. John,” and people know to pronounce it “Sinjin.” Since it is not that common a name in the U.S., I decided to spell it Sinjin. I also wanted some of his relatives to pronounce it Saint John, so I had to use the different spellings to convey that.
And what about Derek, Lindsay’s handsome dance partner/long-time friend and fellow archaeologist? Is he out of the running for love interest? You’ve said this has been a difficult storyline for you to write. Would you mind sharing with our readers the reasons you find it difficult?
Derrick is a good friend of Lindsay’s and one of the great loves of her life. In the first book, they married, but the publisher didn’t want a married sleuth, so I changed it.
Is he out of the running? I don’t know, so I guess that means no. I wanted Lindsay to have a normal life outside her career, but in a mystery I think the important part is the mystery itself, and a love interest often interferes with the story. I try to strike an even balance. John West (Lindsay’s current love interest) started out as a minor character. However, as minor characters sometimes do, he wrote himself a bigger part.
In Skeleton Crew, it was interesting to see Lindsay struggle with a new skill, in this case, scuba diving. You demonstrated Lindsay is not perfect, but gutsy. Will her character continue to evolve in this series? How will she grow or change in the upcoming novel?
I think a character that continues to change and develop is more interesting and more realistic. In the new novel, Lindsay learns to deal with temporarily losing her memory and all the problems that entails. Lindsay’s brain is very important to her, so the event is very traumatic and she must overcome the effects if it.
When you set the third novel, Dressed to Die at the University of Georgia, what kind of reaction did you get from administration and colleagues? Based on your experience, would you recommend using real places as settings in fiction, or does this present complications?
The reaction I’m getting from everyone I talk to who works at the university — or any university for that matter — has been very positive. Academia can be tough, and almost everyone in it has had difficult experiences at one time or another. My husband Charles is on the faculty in the College of Education at UGA. (He’s the Coordinator of Distance Education for the College.) And no, he hasn’t had any problems at all. Both of his last two deans read it and like it.
Using real places as setting is a lot of fun for the writer as well as the reader. People who live here, get a real kick from reading about places they’re familiar with in a mystery plot. I’ve had people tell me they went around campus pointing out to friends where various things in the book happened. So far, there have been no complications. I did create a building (Nancy Hart) that is not actually there. I mention that in the author’s note in the book. That’s also the fun of writing fiction — making up stuff.
Some mystery writers lament the problems of keeping each novel fresh and individual for those readers who haven’t kept up with the whole series. It must be difficult to keep redundancies at a minimum for fans of the series, while providing necessary background for first-time readers. How do you manage this?
I never construct a plot that depends on events that happened in a previous book. Obviously, to follow all the details of Lindsay’s private life, you have to read the other books, but I make each book stand alone in terms of plot. If I bring in a character from a previous book, I simply explain who they are without giving a detailed account of his or her history with Lindsay. Sometimes I refer to some past event with another character, and though readers might be curious about it, they don’t have to have read the other books to understand what’s going on in the story.
What is your writing method? Do you know whodunit before you start?
I don’t outline. Often I don’t know who committed the crime, or who gets murdered, or why. I start with place — the site where Lindsay is working. When I know where she is and the kind of site, I start filling it with characters.
Usually I start Lindsay acting and “watch” who she meets and how she interacts with them. Obviously I do have some idea which way the plot is going and what the book is about, but any initial ideas are subject to change. After all, characters will do what they will do. I also surround my workspace with maps and pictures of the sites where Lindsay is working.
What authors and books do you read for pleasure? Do you have a particular favorite or someone that has inspired your writing?
I like many kinds of books. One of my favorites is Kathleen Neville (The Eight) and Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose). I’ve read and enjoyed most of the classical mystery writers (Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Arthur Conan Doyle). Mary Roberts Rinehart is a favorite. My all time favorite mystery series is Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series. I love the banter between Wolfe and Archie — often more than the plots.
I’ve been introduced to many new mystery series by meeting the authors at signings. I love Virginia Lanier’s bloodhound series. Judy and Takis Iakovou (who are friends of mine, by the way) are also on my favorite list. Not because they are friends, but because I love the quirky sense of humor of their two main (married) characters.
I also like science fiction, though I haven’t read any in a while. I also like the Tarzan series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Other favorites are Jane Austen. I love Pride and Prejudice. I can read anything Mark Twain wrote over and over. I like John Steinbeck, especially The Winter of Our Discontent. I also read romances. All the books I’ve read have been inspiring in one way or another.
Could you tell our readers something your preparation and where you look for information to make your novels so authentic and interesting?
I read professional journals and texts in the field. I fortunately live close to UGA Library. I also do a lot of research on the Internet. One of the things I try to do to make the novel sound authentic and not sound like a text is to weave the research into the plot. I don’t use nearly the amount of research I do for each book, so I do a lot of cutting. I also talk to experts in a particular subject.
Lindsay Chamberlain has some interesting hobbies such as ballroom dancing, horses. Do you share the same hobbies? What do you do for fun?
I don’t dance at all. Wish I did. I do have a horse (a three-quarters Arabian) and have ridden (for pleasure) most of my life. I’ve never shown horses like Lindsay has, however.
What do I do for fun? Besides writing? I read, teach my dog to track, go places with my husband, watch TV. Normal stuff.
How has your life changed since you began publishing Lindsay’s adventures?
It has changed a lot. Most of the publicity for a book is on the author’s shoulders. I’m lucky in that my publisher (Cumberland House) does a lot more than most publishers. But for the book to sell, I have to go a lot of places, do a lot of signings, mailouts, give a lot of talks, and meet a lot of booksellers. It was really hard in the beginning, because I’m a very shy person. However, I’m blessed with a shameless husband, and that helped tremendously. Both our lives are significantly busier now because of the books. We used to stay home more. Now we travel and I’m not quite as shy as I was.
Most writers seek solitude. How do you feel about book signings and tours that force you to deal with large numbers of people for extended periods of time?
I prefer solitude. But I’ve also found I enjoy meeting people. (Especially people who like my books!) In a way it’s like being a shape-shifter. I pretend not to be shy for long periods of time. It’s sometimes tiring. All in all, it’s not a bad life by any means. However, sometimes it’s hard to find time to write when so much time has to be spent publicizing the book.
What advice would you give an aspiring writer on writing and publishing?
Learn to write well. Work on it. Never think you don’t need to learn more about writing. Don’t ever give up, ever. A well-written book with an interesting plot and characters will get published. Even if you hate getting rejections (no one likes them), don’t stop trying and don’t take rejections personally. They aren’t intended that way. Also read. I think good writers are also good readers.
Is there anything you’d like to add? Soap boxes provided free of charge.
OK. Great. How about some more advice and some promotion. First find a writer’s group, one that is willing to work hard with you and you with them. You don’t need one in which everyone tells you your work is great, nor do you need one where vicious criticism is allowed. The object of a writer’s group is to help your writing. The group needs to be able to develop the critiquing skills that assist to that end.
Go to writers’ conferences and meet editors and agents, as well as authors and other pre-published writers. Treat your writing, even if you aren’t yet published, as your job, and act professionally. My husband puts on the Harriette Austin Writers Conference at the UGA Athens, Ga., every year. This year it’s July 14-15. He’s in the process of putting up the web site. He doesn’t have all the presenters yet, but some of the conference faculty are listed.
Dawn Goldsmith
A multi-published writer of non-fiction and short stories, Dawn Goldsmith also reviews mass market books for Publishers Weekly and writes for a variety of publications including Christian Science Monitor.