Giveaway, Guest Post

Guest Chick Marjorie McCown

We’re so happy to have Marjorie McCown, author of the Hollywood Mystery series, visiting us today–and there’s a giveaway involved! Read on for details…

Playing for Keeps

My thanks to Ellen Byron and the other talented authors of this terrific blog for hosting me today!

Star Struck coverTo celebrate the release of STAR STRUCK, book #2 in my Hollywood Mystery series featuring movie costumer Joey Jessop, I’m giving away a signed copy to one lucky commenter who answers the question I’ll ask below.

I spent almost 3 decades working in Hollywood as both a costumer and costume designer for movies. In a lot of ways, it was the perfect job for me because I’m still a big kid at heart. I’ve never outgrown my deep love of stories and make believe. So for my “second act” I’ve chosen to write murder mysteries set behind the scenes of the film industry that take readers on an insider’s guided tour through the everyday working world of movies in production. You see, I’ve thought for a long time that a big movie would be the perfect setting for a murder mystery because a movie company is its own unique community, like a very specific kind of small town, with its own set of relationships — and invariably plenty of drama.

One question I get a lot now is, “How did you make the transition from costuming to writing?” To be honest, the two crafts have a lot in common. That’s because costume design is really all about storytelling. That’s what makes it different from fashion design. The goal in fashion is to satisfy the tastes of the marketplace. But the goal of costume design is to use clothing to help tell a story about a particular set of characters in a particular situation at a particular point in time.

My creative North Star has always been to keep a sense of play in mind, whatever I’m working on — whether that be costumes for a feature film like FORREST GUMP or the plot of my cozy murder mystery FINAL CUT in which costumer Joey Jessop stumbles across the body of a murdered coworker on the first day of shooting for a superhero movie. And I try to stay connected to some of the playful touchstones that were among my earliest influences. I still collect toys, games, paper dolls, and pop-up books, things I’ve loved and that have inspired me ever since I was a child. I know they played a part (pun intended) in drawing me to work in two professions where imagination is my most valuable tool.

I create a series of inspiration boards filled with images that I find compelling for every book I write, just as I did for every movie I designed. But I also bring a few whimsical items from my collection of playthings into my workspace to remind me to relax and have fun. So in that spirit and just for fun, I’m going to share some pictures of my favorite treasures with you here. Even though some of them — especially the paper dolls — are older than I am, they never fail to make me smile, make me think, and help me dream. When I was writing STAR STRUCK, Book #2 in my Hollywood Mystery series, I dressed up some of my paper dolls and set them up next to my inspiration boards representing the different worlds in which costumer Joey Jessop lives and works — the studio back lots, the costume rental houses, the carnival atmosphere of Hollywood Boulevard, the serenity of the beach in Malibu. I’ll post a picture of the inspiration boards I made for STAR STRUCK, too.

Question to enter the giveaway: What was your favorite toy from childhood and how does your love for that toy manifest in your adult life?

Marjorie McCown spent 27 years working on movies such as Forrest Gump and Apollo 13. Her cozy mystery FINAL CUT, set behind the scenes of a Hollywood movie, was an Amazon Editors’ Pick in the best Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense category. STAR STRUCK, Book #2 in her Hollywood Mystery series publishes May 7. Marjorie is a member of Sisters-in-Crime and Mystery Writers of America.

54 thoughts on “Guest Chick Marjorie McCown”

  1. Hestia here,

    favorite toy? I didn’t have too many toys as a kid. I was more into books. But it probably would have been my Easy-Bake oven. We weren’t allowed in the kitchen as children, so that was the extent of me cooking.
    but, as a young adult, the first thing I did learn to cook was making cupcakes, from scratch. That’s all because of me being interested in figuring out how in the world a light bulb could bake a mini cake. Baking was the only thing I did in the kitchen until I was like 25. I learned baking was relaxing for me.
    so now, if I need some alone time, I bake. That’s me time.

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    2. Hi, Hestia, I was always fascinated by my Easy-Bake oven, and that light bulb situation was puzzling to me, too. Thank you for sharing that memory, and the way it’s carried through to your life today.

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    3. Hestia, I wasn’t allowed in the kitchen either. I didn’t even get the EZ Bake Oven (or the Creepy Crawlers goo factory) which I wanted very badly. My hubby prefers that I let him do the cooking as well.

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      1. Oh, my gosh, Lisa!! I forgot all about the Creepy Crawlers factory! Of course, my brother had one and I played with his — I loved that toy and hadn’t thought about it in decades. Thanks for jogging that memory loose, it really made me smile!

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  2. Thanks for asking, Cynthia and Marjorie. My favorite toy was the Gilbert Erector Set from the 50s. So many moving parts. A brute of an A/C motor drove all the many combinations: truck, Ferris Wheel, and gears — lots of gears! A maker’s dream come true, and I still love building things. Now my love manifests in creating a unique writing system. A personalized writing process that tracks how to intertwine all those moving parts (e.g., narrative details and writing techniques) and write a book readers will love.

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    1. Grant, that sounds like an awesome toy! And so incredibly interesting how it connects with your creativity today! Thank you so much for sharing that with us!

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  4. Marjorie, I love your toys! And that vision board… wow. My favorite toys were dolls. I still have a box of them – the ones that haven’t fallen apart. I tried to pass this love onto my daughter and displayed the dolls in her room, but she said they gave her nightmares, hence the box. She was never into dolls like I was. Guess who was more excited when the American Girl catalogue showed up at our house?

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    1. Oh, Ellen, I loved dolls too! (Of course I did!) I remember (really dating myself here) being completely awestruck by Chatty Cathy, that I could pull a string and the doll actually talked. Felt like pure magic to me.

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      2. My mother collected Chatty Cathy dolls and when she died, we sold them to a collector. I never had one. It may have been after my time.

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    2. Ellen, you and Marjorie and I would have had a great time getting together with all of our “children.” No smokes and bridge, though. Just Hawaiian Punch and Fudgetowns.

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  5. Congratulations on your new release, Marjorie! I remember having a G.I. Joe that I loved. That was in the days when action figures were full sized, not the little ones that are so common today.

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    1. Hi, J.C., and I remember that G.I. Joe because my brother had one. I loved my own dolls so much, I thought it was really nice that boys could have them, too. Thanks for sharing that.

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    2. My son had the Power Ranger versions of those larger action figures, JC! His favorite, though, was a blue rubber Intergalactic Zen Ninja Warrior (1990s). It came in a little plastic baggie with a stick. (Based on a comic, I think?) I plucked it out of a bowl at Toy Fair in NYC because I felt sorry for the lonely vendor, lol. Zen Guy, as my son called him, didn’t have any cool gadgets–but he was a HIT with my son.

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  6. Yay, Marjorie–glad you’re here! And congrats on the new book! Thanks for sharing your inspirational toys and boards with us.

    My favorite plaything? I think the earliest one I had was a colorful xylophone. The poetic, imaginative side of me wants to say that now I translate music into words for a wonderful reading experience. The practical part of me says that because I made so much unskilled racket in music, I needed a more suitable creative outlet: writing!

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    2. Jennifer, I love the mental image of you as a young girl playing that rainbow-colored xylophone. But you found the perfect outlet for your creativity — and I so enjoyed your latest book, “Ill-Fated Fortune!”

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  7. Hi! Thanks for profiling/interviewing/introducing author Marjorie McCown! Love anything to do with Hollywood, and Hollywood mysteries are the best! Would love to see you profile/introduce/interview author Elizabeth Crowens (SIC-LA, SIC-NY), who has just released her “Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles” which is a fun mystery-caper set in 1940’s Hollywood (email from her website is “greatyear111@gmail.com”). Also, just finished David Putnam’s Bruno Johnson Thriller series (set in Hollywood/LA, but more gritty). Would love to see David Putnam interviewed too! Thanks for the great newsletter! Love seeing you gals at SIC-LA meetings! You’re all awesome. 

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  8. My favorite toy as a kid was a plush Steiff pony with a red saddle that I got on my fifth birthday, and which I’m looking at on my desk as I write this. I used to think I wanted to be a horse rancher when I grew up, but that dream soon gave way to wanting to marry Paul McCartney, which in turn gave away to wanting to be a rock star in my own right, which in turn gave away to wanting to write about other people’s hopes and dreams–and murder.

    Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today, Marjorie–I have your new book in my TBR pile right now! Love the paper dolls!

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    1. Leslie, thank you so much for hosting me — I start all my mornings with you Chicks, so it’s a real delight and honor to be your guest! Your comment makes me remember how much I wanted to BE a horse when I was a girl — I used to gallop around pretending I was a palomino. But I so love that you have your favorite toy with you still — and that your pony with the red saddle has a place on your writing desk. I want you to know how much I enjoyed “Molten Death!” Congratulations on your wonderful new series!

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      1. Ha! Me, too! My best friend and I would prance around the playground in elementary school pretending to be horses, and all the cool kids would laugh at how goofy we were. Their loss, I’m thinking now. And thanks for your kind words about “Molten Death”! So looking forward to “Star Struck”!

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        2. Leslie, the kids who were “horsies” on our playground used to kick the cool kids, lol! Because they were horses.

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  9. I just recently saw Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, the wonderful Edith Head’s last movie as costume designer. What fun! Choosing a favorite toy is pretty difficult but I’ll go with the Etch-A-Sketch. Hours and hours of fun drawing, while working within the limitations of only being able to draw straight lines in 2 directions. And the frustration on only being able to draw squiggly lines diagonally. I always loved to doodle as a kid and still do while waiting on hold or keeping my hands busy while watching TV so I don’t snack. Your books a sound like a lot of fun.

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    1. Sue, I never gave up on the idea that if I kept trying just one more time, the Etch-A-Sketch would draw in other directions or on a curve. Oddly, never happened…

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  10. Sue, your comment so vividly recalls my own delight/frustration with Etch-A-Sketch — which I confess I haven’t thought about in years! I just love all these wonderful memories of favorite toys. Thank you for sharing and also the mention of the most renowned costume designer of all time — Edith Head. An icon in the industry, for sure!

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  11. Hi Marjorie, We’re so delighted that you’re visiting Chicks today! Looking forward to hanging out with you in person soon (Bouchercon?). Congrats on Star Struck and I will soon be reading Final Cut as well!

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    1. Lisa, yes please! Let’s hang out at B’con! And congratulations — so looking forward to the publication of “The Jig is Up!” I’ve preordered my copy!

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  12. Congrats on the new release, Marjorie, and thanks for being here and sharing the joy and fascinating tidbits of your former career and your latest chapter!

    I can see I’m in good company here with my love of Books and Easy-Bake. I also adored Lite Brite, even though I was never very good at it!

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  13. Thanks so much, Kathleen! You ladies are such a lovely, fun group! I appreciate how kind and generous you’ve all been to me today!

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  14. My favorite toy was a plush gray French poodle. He was my forever toy. My sister (4 years older) pulled him away from me and popped his back. I sewed a pink patch on that area. I do not know what happened to him and I am surprised that I do not know as I have many of my old toys. But I loved my Barbie from 1959 (which I still have) and Prince Valiant’s Castle (which I do not have). I also had a great metal house with furniture. The house is gone but I have some of the furniture. So many memories that you all have brought up. It manifests me in that I now collect all kinds of things from my youth. I love you authors and reading these comments as they make me remember things that I had forgotten. Thank you. Also, this book is fabulous because my father managed movie theatres throughout my childhood. This started me on my movie collectibles. Can’t wait to read this one.

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    1. Thanks for sharing those memories and your gray French poodle sounds like a grand old fellow. I had a stuffed elephant that I adored, named Dumbo, naturally — I have to admit that I slept with him until I left for college — and then I was sad I’d left him at home!

      Thanks for your kind words about my book — I do hope you may enjoy it!

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      2. I won your first book–A Fatal Cut and will be reading it soon as I love movies. Can’t wait for your other one to come out.

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  15. Hi Marjorie – Love meeting you at LCC! I had a lot of paper dolls growing up too, and though I doubt I have any of them still, I have fond memories.

    My toys growing up were books too. 😉 So I guess my favorite toy was my imagination, which, of course, I still use now!

    ❤

    Rosalie

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    1. Rosalie, I loved meeting you, too, and I’m really looking forward to “Death at the Spring Fling!”

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  16. I don’t know if I had a favorite. I do remember being really excited when I got a tape recorder for Christmas one year!

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  18. Oh, I do love that you colored your own paper dolls! How fun! I wish I’d thought of that way back when (though I did draw and color outfits for my paper dolls — no surprise there, I guess.)

    Thanks for your kind words and generous hospitality — I truly enjoyed my visit with all of you!

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