Local author has two mysteries published
One local author uses her nursing knowledge to create a unique character for her two mystery novels and novella.
Sharon Keathley is the author of the Olivia Samuels Mystery series, which so far includes “Colors of Deceit,” “Colors of Trust” and the short story “Colors of Chaos.”
Originally from the small town of Blackrock, Keathley lived in Benton for five years before moving to her current home in Hot Springs Village.
Keathley describes her main character, Olivia Samuels, as a young, strong vibrant woman who was blessed with the sense of synesthesia when she received a head injury at age 16.
“She is blessed to be able to read people,” Keathley said.
Synesthesia is a neurological condition that can affect person’s perception, such as causing affects such as “seeing” music as colors or “tasting” textures when they eat.
For the character, Samuels’ syn
esthesia give her the ability to ready what Keathley calls people’s “auras” as colors that surround them. Those colors tell her how a person is feeling, such as the color yellow tells her they are not telling the truth. The intensity of the color helps distinguish the intensity of how they feel.
Originally, Samuels was pursuing a degree in law when her synesthesia helped her spot her mother’s breast cancer. She returned home to care for her mother and entered the police academy. She eventually became a detective where she uses her unique sense to solve crimes.
The inspiration for Samuel’s unique ability came form Keathley’s own life.
She has been a nurse since 1978. She has been an operating room nurse and a rehab nurse.
“I have just done all kinds of different things,” she said.
In 1997 she became a case manager for worker’s compensation and in 2003 opened her own company, Medcomp South where she is CEO and president.
She had a case where a young man was hit on the head. He only needed a few days off and seemed physically fine, but his family became worried when his personality changed. He became withdrawn and would not speak to people.
Keathley was surprised when the young man spoke to her some on her first visit and more on the second. He told her it was because she “didn’t have colors.”
She learned he saw colors around many people, though not all, and that scared him so he didn’t talk to them.
He told her he knew the red around his mother meant love, but it still frightened him.
At the time, she had never heard of synesthesia. She did research and spoke to doctors. She found him a doctor who could help him understand, cope and channel what he saw.
This occurred long before she decided to write, but even then, she thought a detective with synesthesia would be interesting. She pointed out Samuels’ version is embellished for her story.
Keathley didn’t have plans to become an author.
She was selling skim care products along with running her business. She really wanted to educate users about all aspects of caring for their skin, such as hydration and exercise. She decided to write a blog.
She is a member of a group called Women Influencers. When another member started a group to help writers, Keathley thought joining would help her created a better blog.
“It was a lot of fun,” she said.
She also met another member named Kim Mcpherson who was starting group for writers to help each other.
In the group, Mcpherson asked “If you could write anything you wanted to write, what would you write?” The members were encouraged to write their concept.
Keathley wrote the concept for her series.
“(Mcpherson) thought it sounded pretty good,” she said.
Mcpherson helped her and other members. Now Mcpherson is a writing coach who helps writers write, publish and market their work. Her company is Best Seller Bound. The group now has five published authors that have come out of it.
The first of Keathley’s books, “Color of Deceit,” was published in March of 2020, followed by the Novella that July and the second book in November. She is working on her third.
The book is self published. Mcpherson is helping her market it.
I write these for entertainment, but I also write them for information,” she said.
She hopes people find someone to relate to. She uses her medical knowledge to include characters who may have medical conditions to show people they are not alone, such as having a character with diabetes who talks about the aspects of living with it.
“I want to make it mean something to the reader,” she said.
Keathley has done two virtual and two in person signings. She said COVID19 has made it a struggle to into local stores and hold signings. She hopes to get it into more local places to make the books more accessible.
“I would love my books to be local,” she said.
For now they are available on her website, www. sharonkeathley.com, on Amazon and through links on her Facebook page www. facebook.com/mysterwriter2020.
Her third novel is expected in July.