MONROE - Bill Ross is at it again and has just released his sixth book in the Monroe Mystery Series, titled "Murder for Malice."
Although the backdrop of Monroe and Green County stays the same in each of his books, Ross said each welcomes a new murder, crime scene and the unfolding of events in how police step in to solve the corruption.
Ross began writing with the hope of bringing more tourism to Monroe by luring people through interest in his writing. He's sure none of his characters have ever had birth certificates, despite many in town who claim they know who he's writing about. However, other facets of life in Monroe are prominent on purpose.
"There's always someone who insists they know what I'm writing about," Ross said. "These are just people I invent through my imagination. I can't take a real person and fit them into a fictional story."
"Murder for Malice" takes place in 1970 Monroe when familiar detective Samantha Gates is thrown into the murder case of a Monroe businessman, Ray Puls. The case gets bogged down once the suspects narrow to five, but Puls' shady business practices bring the family to the forefront and leave looming questions for Gates and the police chief, Brandon Johns.
"Even though it's fiction, there are nonfictional details," Ross said, noting that the food eaten and the languages spoken around the Square during that time frame are very much based on how things were, according to his research.
Ross said he often comes up with ideas for his next book while he's writing his current one, but there is a method to his madness. He said by the time he finished "Greedy Vengeance," his plot for "Murder for Malice" was already done - he just needed to get it on paper.
"Then it's just a matter of finding my fictional characters," Ross said. "It was the same thing for each of the books. I don't consciously think about it - it just starts to evolve."
He uses landmarks in Monroe when choosing his crime scenes - but always OKs it first with the building's owner. So far, everyone has agreed. In his latest book, the murder scene happens at what used to be a carriage shop in town.
"My intent was to breathe some life back into the building," he said.
Ross, who served as Monroe's mayor for nearly two decades and now serves as a docent here, is fascinated by the history the city holds. He loves incorporating it into his books and characters.
As a people-watcher, Ross said he does take certain characteristics of strangers and sometimes uses them in his novels, making his characters seem as real as possible.
"I think human behavior is interesting, but relationships are complicated," Ross said. "I like to explore those two things."
Ross said his wife, Marilyn, is a good critic and is often the first person to read his novel before it's sent to his publisher.
When the couple visited Nova Scotia, Canada, several years ago and saw people there solely because of the book "Anne of Green Gables," it motivated him to want to do the same for Monroe. The self-taught writer said he made it his mission to put Monroe on the map - and his ultimate dream is still for a call from someone hoping to turn his books into a movie or even a mini-series.
"That's still my goal," Ross said. "If it happens, tourists will flock here."
But until Hollywood calls, Ross plans to keep on doing what he loves - writing about the historic town that surrounds him. He said it's not likely he'll run out of ideas anytime soon.
"I'll just keep writing these until it's no longer fun," he said.
It usually takes Ross about a year to complete a book. His next one, "Who Killed Fritz Zuber?" is well in the making and will likely be finished around November. Ross will be speaking in Monticello at the library as the featured writer in August and at a Monroe chamber event likely to be held in the near future.
His books are all available at the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, the National Historic Cheesemaking Center and on Amazon.
Although the backdrop of Monroe and Green County stays the same in each of his books, Ross said each welcomes a new murder, crime scene and the unfolding of events in how police step in to solve the corruption.
Ross began writing with the hope of bringing more tourism to Monroe by luring people through interest in his writing. He's sure none of his characters have ever had birth certificates, despite many in town who claim they know who he's writing about. However, other facets of life in Monroe are prominent on purpose.
"There's always someone who insists they know what I'm writing about," Ross said. "These are just people I invent through my imagination. I can't take a real person and fit them into a fictional story."
"Murder for Malice" takes place in 1970 Monroe when familiar detective Samantha Gates is thrown into the murder case of a Monroe businessman, Ray Puls. The case gets bogged down once the suspects narrow to five, but Puls' shady business practices bring the family to the forefront and leave looming questions for Gates and the police chief, Brandon Johns.
"Even though it's fiction, there are nonfictional details," Ross said, noting that the food eaten and the languages spoken around the Square during that time frame are very much based on how things were, according to his research.
Ross said he often comes up with ideas for his next book while he's writing his current one, but there is a method to his madness. He said by the time he finished "Greedy Vengeance," his plot for "Murder for Malice" was already done - he just needed to get it on paper.
"Then it's just a matter of finding my fictional characters," Ross said. "It was the same thing for each of the books. I don't consciously think about it - it just starts to evolve."
He uses landmarks in Monroe when choosing his crime scenes - but always OKs it first with the building's owner. So far, everyone has agreed. In his latest book, the murder scene happens at what used to be a carriage shop in town.
"My intent was to breathe some life back into the building," he said.
Ross, who served as Monroe's mayor for nearly two decades and now serves as a docent here, is fascinated by the history the city holds. He loves incorporating it into his books and characters.
As a people-watcher, Ross said he does take certain characteristics of strangers and sometimes uses them in his novels, making his characters seem as real as possible.
"I think human behavior is interesting, but relationships are complicated," Ross said. "I like to explore those two things."
Ross said his wife, Marilyn, is a good critic and is often the first person to read his novel before it's sent to his publisher.
When the couple visited Nova Scotia, Canada, several years ago and saw people there solely because of the book "Anne of Green Gables," it motivated him to want to do the same for Monroe. The self-taught writer said he made it his mission to put Monroe on the map - and his ultimate dream is still for a call from someone hoping to turn his books into a movie or even a mini-series.
"That's still my goal," Ross said. "If it happens, tourists will flock here."
But until Hollywood calls, Ross plans to keep on doing what he loves - writing about the historic town that surrounds him. He said it's not likely he'll run out of ideas anytime soon.
"I'll just keep writing these until it's no longer fun," he said.
It usually takes Ross about a year to complete a book. His next one, "Who Killed Fritz Zuber?" is well in the making and will likely be finished around November. Ross will be speaking in Monticello at the library as the featured writer in August and at a Monroe chamber event likely to be held in the near future.
His books are all available at the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, the National Historic Cheesemaking Center and on Amazon.