VERMONT MAGAZINE Winter 2022 | Page 47

a number of positions at various community agencies since arriving in Vermont ,” says Mayor . “ I ’ ve been an emergency responder for over three decades , including as a police officer , and I now work for the medical examiner ’ s office as a death investigator . The spontaneous emotion and organizational complexity that I ’ ve witnessed through much of this work provide me with a greater understanding of human experience in a way that I otherwise would never have seen . There ’ s an old writers ’ cliché that says , ‘ write what you know .’ I like to think it ’ s better to ‘ write what you find out ’. That only comes with a willingness to get out of your comfort zone and truly experience life .”
As a trained photographer , Mayor was able to capture the rustic beauty of Vermont ’ s small towns and natural
landmarks through a series of haunting photographs that serve as the covers for many Joe Gunther novels . “ I don ’ t just think in terms of words ,” says Mayor . “ I think visually , so I write what I see . I will often encounter objects or places in Vermont that inspire significant parts of my novels . For example , the spillway at the Harriman reservoir in Whitingham is an astonishing piece of architecture . It ’ s part of a large earthen dam that was built in the early 1920s . It ’ s historic , massive , and very atmospheric . When I first saw it , I knew that it could serve as a location for a chapter in one of my novels .”
Mayor ’ s newest novel , Marked Man , weaves a complex narrative that spans multiple states , and features intriguing plot elements that involve Mafia members from Providence , Rhode Island . “ Marked Man was fun to write because I was able to take some of the observational skills that I have employed over my time in Vermont and apply them to Rhode Island . It ’ s a different world with different cultural dynamics , and there are plot lines that interweave in the novel in interesting ways as a result . It is complicated , though . I actually put charts in the book to show how the characters relate to one another , so that the readers can keep track . I took a few creative risks with Marked Man , and it ’ s been nice to see the book get positive critical feedback .”
As Mayor gears up for the upcoming release of his next novel in the Joe Gunther series , Fall Guy , he remains grateful for the creative lessons that he has learned during his time in Vermont . “ People sometimes wonder why I write all my books about Vermont when I ’ m not a native Vermonter . I feel that Vermont has truly embraced me and welcomed me , and I ’ m thankful to live here . Vermont is a
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