Investigative and Inquisitive

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Created on Friday, 25 October 2013 19:13

Written by John Kazar

Vermont- Beth Kanell is the independent author of six published books based in Vermont and other New England states. She recently held a book signing event at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum featuring her fictional novel "Cold Midnight", which centers around a historic murder of a Chinese laundry owner in St. Johnsbury.

Currently residing in Waterford, Kanell hasn't always lived in Vermont. Growing up in New Jersey, she experienced the beauty of the Green Mountian State through camping trips at a young age, and ultimately realized that it would be the ideal place to live.

Kanell has been telling stories since she was only 10 years old. One of her earliest memories on her road to becoming a writer came when she was telling a story babysitting. That story was one her mother had always shared, but Kanell forgot the ending and decided to make up her own. She started officially writing at age 25, and came to her own understanding on what it takes to be a genuine author.

"I knew that really good writing came from loss, that people had to have experience of deep things", Kanell explained.

Loss is something Kanell understands. She lost two marriages and had her house burn down. Internally, these unfortuinate events have helped her develop into becoming a better author.  Her husband Dave, who owns Kingdom Books in St. Johnsbury added, "She's inquisitive, and that's usually the driving force for people who want to be dedicated in their writing."

Kanell also spoke about the structure of her writing that helps prevent mental road blocks. 

"It helps me to keep going if I braid several strands together.  One braid, for example, is history because I find it to be investigative.  If I braid Vermont history with a situation of injustice, and the third strand being a character who has faced something I know, then I can have those three things interact."

Kanell sees no end in sight as an author.  In fact, she already has plots worked out for her next five books.  Her currently published books can be seen along with other information on her website.