I’d like to welcome Steve Liskow, one of my fellow authors at Mainly Murder Press. Steve’s novel Who Wrote The Book of Death? came out in May from Mainly Murder Press, and “Stranglehold,” which won the Black Orchid Novella Award, appears in the summer issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. He is a member of both Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and has twice won Honorable Mention for the Al Blanchard Story Award. He and his wife Barbara live in Connecticut with two rescued cats.
When Steve shared his idea with me for the premise of his 25 Years Ago column, I was tickled as it involved a silver anniversary and a certain leading lady in Steve’s life. Tell us, Steve, what were you doing twenty-five years ago?
STEVE: During the summer of 1984, I drifted into community theater. By the end of that year, I had designed sound for three productions, acted in three, and produced two—sometimes simultaneously.
For the second play, the director cast a lead actress we had never seen before, and she was terrific. Unfortunately, about the same time we figured out how good she was, our male lead broke his foot. Over the next week, all six actors I invited to replace him turned me down, so I took over the role myself, even though I was already producing and designing the music and sound effects.
Things got even crazier a week later. That amazing actress came to my apartment to help me learn the lines. Seconds after she sat down, my cat climbed into her lap and refused to move. We spent the next three hours speaking over a purr that could drown out a military drum corps. When Barbara finally left, Pepper cried for two hours.
By the time the show closed, Pepper didn’t cry anymore because Barbara seldom left. By New Year’s, we were inspecting apartments, weighing calendar dates, and surveying reception halls.
Mystery writer Steve Liskow and his leading lady Barbara are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.
We married on Bastille Day. The director was best man, another actor ushered, and my daughter was the ring-bearer. Naturally, I picked the music.
Twenty-five years ago this week.
If you get a chance, please wish Steve and Barbara a Happy Anniversary in the comments. Their 25th anniversary is July 14, Bastille Day.
Also check out Who Wrote The Book of Death? on Amazon and at Mainly Murder Press. When PI Greg Nines agrees to protect a woman from death threats, he assumes that her name isn’t really Taliesyn Holroyd. Unfortunately, he also assumes she’s really a romance novelist with a book in progress. What else he doesn’t know could bury them both along with the book.
Learn more at www.steveliskow.com.
