Hard Boiled, Soft Boiled, or Something In Between

© Misa Ramirez 2010 all rights reserved

Thank so much to Marta, and the rest of the gang at Murder by 4, for having me guest with them today. It’s an honor to be here and to be able to talk about my new release, HASTA LA VISTA, LOLA!

When I first decided to write a mystery, I had no idea there were so many actual categories. In fact, I wrote my first book, LIVING THE VIDA LOLA, sold it to Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Minotaur, and was well into book two HASTA LA VISTA, LOLA!, which comes out Feb. 2nd, before I realized there were such classifications. And once I looked into the mystery categories, I struggled with trying to figure out just where Lola Cruz Mysteries fit.

A cozy mystery is chock full of secrets, but it’s not action-oriented. There’s usually an accidental or amateur sleuth, and it takes place in a small town. This does not fit the bill for Lola Cruz Mysteries which take place in Sacramento and has plenty of action, and has a more zany cast of characters than a typical cozy.

But then neither does hard-boiled define Lola Cruz Mysteries. Lola is not a toughened, hardened detective, nor is the story dark. She is not Sam Spade, or Kinsey Millhone. She’s got a definite feminine side, is sassy and sexy, and doesn’t have a drinking problem (though she certainly enjoys a good margarita: recipe to be found on my web site!! http://misaramirez.com/salsa-borracha-and-margaritas/ ). Sure, she’s a black belt in kung fu and has an edge, but she also loves yoga and salsa dancing. No, hard-boiled she’s not.

There are numerous police-procedurals out there, but LIVING THE VIDA LOLA and HASTA LA VISTA, LOLA! are not among them. This is not Law and Order, and though Lola plays by the rules, the rules don’t reign supreme.

Lola Cruz is not an amateur detective, either. She’s a fledgling detective, fresh off an internship (required before a PI license can be issued in the state of California), and she follows her intuition just as much as she follows clues (though each book will show an increase in her detecting abilities), but she gets paid to detect and solve crimes.

What I came to realize is that Lola Cruz Mysteries defy definition. I guess they are what you’d call Soft-Boiled, with romantic elements, but really, they don’t fit neatly into a box. There are secrets and puzzles and crimes in the stories, and it’s up to Lola (with a little help from her friends) to solve the cases. She struggles with balancing her drive and ambition with the cultural expectations of her very traditional Mexican family. She wants love and a family, but not at the expense of her dreams.

I like to say that Lola Cruz is my alter-ego if I were a sexy, sassy, Latina detective. I love the ‘ripped from the headlines’ and Lola-fied mysteries, but really, I love Lola and her family. I’m okay that she doesn’t fit into a category; she’s in a class by herself, and she’s special.

Here’s my question for you: How do you like your mysteries? What is your all time favorite?

Thanks again Murder by 4!

Visit Misa and learn more about Lola Cruz Mysteries at http://misaramirez.com/, Chase Heroes with her at http://chasingheroes.com/, and dish mysteries with her at http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com/.

About the author

Misa Ramirez is the author of the Lola Cruz mystery series: LIVING THE VIDA LOLA (January ’09) and HASTA LA VISTA, LOLA! (2010) from St. Martin’s Minotaur. A former middle and high school teacher, and current CEO and CFO for La Familia Ramirez, this blonde-haired, green-eyed, proud to be Latina-by-Marriage girl loves following Lola on her many adventures. Whether it’s contemplating belly button piercings or visiting nudist resorts, she’s always up for the challenge. Misa is hard at work on a new women’s fiction novel, has developed a middle grade series, is published in Woman’s World Magazine and Romance Writers Report, and has a children’s book published.

You can follow Misa on her tour at the following sites:

Mon Jan 18 BronzeWord Latino Authors http://www.authorslatino.com/blog
Tues Jan 19 Book-Lover Carol http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/
Wed Jan 20 Latino Book Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-6309-Latino-Books-Examiner
Thur Jan 21 Julia Amante http://juliaamante.blogspot.com/
Mon Jan 25 Murder By 4 http://www.murderby4.blogspot.com/
Tues Jan 26 Book Journey http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/
Wed Jan 27 Mama Latina Tips http://www.mamalatinatips.com/
Thur Jan 28 Caridad Piñeiro http://www.caridad.com/blog
Fri Jan 29 Literary Feline http://literaryfeline.com/