With a remarkable repertoire spanning various genres, they have co-authored an array of spellbinding mysteries, heart-pounding adventure/thrillers, and enchanting volumes of short stories. 

Their latest exciting work, On the Rails: The Adventures of Boxcar Bertie, is a testament to their storytelling finesse. 

Good day Rosemary and Larry, and thanks for taking part in our interview.

Norm: The transition from mystery and suspense fiction to historical fiction is intriguing. 

What inspired you both to delve into the 1930s era of the Great Depression for your most recent novel, On the Rails: The Adventures of Boxcar Bertie?

Larry: The Great Depression remains a vivid and fascinating era to me, having grown up in it some ninety years ago.

On the Rails is definitely a Mulligan stew of memories, history, and invention. I have lived in a great portion of the settings and researched the rest.

In fact, I grew up in New Haven. I remembered what was important to me then and I tried to fit that into the narrative. 

My inspiration was my desire to go back and take another look at the past. It’s what the elderly do.

Rosemary: I’m laughing at Larry’s last line here. I never think of him as “elderly.” He looks a lot younger than ninety! 

And his brain functions on a hundred cylinders all the time.

He’s still conjuring up plots for new short stories and novels. And he’s a retired engineer with his problem-solving skills intact.

For instance, I do all the driving. He’s my navigator with his keen sense of direction. Me? If we’re in a restaurant, I practically need a GPS to get from the ladies’ room back to our table. 

Norm: On the Rails features an unconventional and spirited protagonist, Bertie Patchet. How did you develop her character?

Larry: I can’t ever remember having a teacher quite like Bertie Patchet. I had to create her from scratch. To do the things Bertie did, she had to be strong, spirited and definitely unconventional.

She needed the happy home life—with her principled and loving parents of her early years—to build her strength of character.

But she also needed the abusive stepfather and drunken mother to supply the great push from house and home out into a strictly man’s world.  

Rosemary: With all of Bertie’s grit and her personal and physical strength, we’ve worked hard to still make her lovable and never preachy. 

Norm: On the Rails writing style allows readers to fully immerse themselves in Bertie's world. Could you share your collaborative process as co-authors in bringing her story to life?

Larry: I’m largely responsible for the plots in all of our books. Rosemary is the more polished writer—developing supporting scenes, fleshing out characters, and sharpening descriptions.

I actually write the first two drafts before turning the work over to her. We’ve developed a unified writing voice that makes it difficult to discern which of us wrote any given passage in the finished book. 

Rosemary: What I love most about working with Larry’s drafts is enhancing a gem of a scene. In Death Steals a Holy Book, Ivy tells Rivka about a disastrous date she had in a restaurant.

I thought, Wow, this is great food for drama, so I turned it into a real-time comic scene, where Ivy and another woman start arguing, slug each other, and get kicked out by the maître d’.

I bring both my own writing style and editing experience to Larry’s drafts. To streamline the pace, I do “judicious pruning,” a term I learned as an assistant editor at Harper’s Magazine.

My training at Harper’s was unconventional. My boss, a senior editor, picked up a manuscript, crossed off four words and replaced them with one strong verb. I got the message! 

 Norm: The setting of a railway boxcar and the idea of female hoboes are pretty unconventional for historical fiction. How did you develop this distinctive concept, and what significance does it hold in the narrative?

Larry: As a storyteller, I’m always looking for unique ideas to write about. That means putting a character in an unusual or dangerous situation and seeing what happens.

As a youth, I remember playing in an abandoned ice house next to the railroad tracks, where I saw hoboes hopping and riding boxcars.

I also remember hungry hoboes coming to our back door for a handout. Mom had a measured soft touch. Although the boxcars are taking Bertie farther and farther from her ultimate goals, she becomes strong enough to reverse her fortunes.

Rosemary: We’re excited to report that On the Rails has received a five-star rating from Goodreads.

Norm: Romance is on the horizon for Bertie amidst her challenges. How did you balance the elements of romance and adventure in the story?

Larry: Bertie meets two special men while riding the rails and develops strong friendships, but what comes of them? No spoiler here! I confess I’m being a tease. We conveyed the feeling that she wasn’t even looking for romance, but if Mr. Right ever appeared, she just might be willing. 

Rosemary: Larry is very sentimental and tender-hearted—and tough where the action requires it. He writes all the scenes involving romance or sex. I do better describing maggots eating away at the buried body.   

Norm: The Great Depression serves as a significant backdrop for your novel. How did you approach the challenge of capturing the atmosphere and emotions of that era within your storytelling?

Larry: One of my talents is an ability to envision, in detail, where I’m going from where I’ve been. I have trouble with names, but I can describe quite a lot from my past. 

Adding pertinent movies, books and television tidbits to the memories allowed me a pretty good grasp of the atmosphere. Oh yes, there were a bunch of things we had to research. 

Rosemary: Writing On the Rails dredged up memories for me, too. Larry incorporated FDR’s “Fireside Chats,” with a family sprawled out in the living room, listening intently on the radio—which I recall in my own family, even as an eight-year-old. 

Norm: The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and its connection to President Roosevelt’s New Deal initiative play a role in your story.

How did you weave this historical context into Bertie’s experiences, and what research did you undertake to ensure accuracy?

Larry: Inadvertently, Bertie finds herself in the all-male world of the CCC. I had to create a special solution for her to even exist, let alone remain there.

The basic Bertie is a very adaptable protagonist. What would the era be like without the CCC, the National Recovery Act, the 25-cent haircut, a bit of poverty, and at least one fireside chat? I had to weave them all in. 

Rosemary: The Internet helped a lot with our research. I used it to figure out what Bertie’s clothes would look like in the thirties and even looked for photos of newsboy-type caps from that era. 

The challenge always is to be sure the Internet “research” is authentic. 

Norm: Your previous works, such as the Dan & Rivka Sherman Mysteries and the Paco & Molly Mysteries, showcase a knack for mystery and suspense. 

Did any elements from your mystery writing background find their way into “On the Rails,” even though it’s a historical novel?

Larry: On the Rails is also an adventure novel with plenty of good old-fashioned suspense. In short, suspense is denying readers what they really want to know. Mostly every chapter ends with Bertie’s current situation turning into dire conflict. The reader must turn the proverbial page to find out if and how that conflict is resolved. Suspense evolves slowly to a single climax in the mystery, a totally different technique, but with the same purpose. 

Rosemary: Every fiction genre requires suspense, whether it’s mystery, adventure, cloak-and-dagger, historical, sci-fi, or romance. In a mystery the purpose is solving the crime. 

For Bertie it’s finding a teaching job. Creating suspense means placing the protagonist in situations with almost insurmountable obstacles. 

Solving them, extracting themselves from danger, and reaching their goals: that’s the common element. I must add that Larry and I make sure we keep our promises to our readers. 

We never throw in an off-the-wall ending with a totally unprepared-for resolution. We work hard to always provide a logical, satisfying ending that leaves the reader happy.  

Norm: Where can our readers learn more about you and your work?

Larry: You are very welcome to visit our WEBSITE:  or to email us at roselarry@magicile.com.

We’ve published nineteen books with two more in the works. Rosemary has written four memoirs; her newest is In My Next Life I’ll Get It Right.

I’ve also written my autobiography, No Place To Be But Here. Our website tells quite a lot about the two of us.

Rosemary: We’re always learning to improve our craft. Stephen King said, “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” Yes! (Sigh. They’re so tempting.) 

A Maryland Writers Association newsletter had a marvelous cartoon of a large meeting. On the wall behind the speaker was a sign: “Adjectives and Adverbs Anonymous.”

Norm: What is next for Rosemary and Larry Mild?

Larry: My second draft of Kent and Katcha, a spy novel full of espionage, spycraft, and romance is now in Rosemary’s hands.

Currently, I’m working on the second draft of The Moaning Lisa, the fourth Paco & Molly murder mystery in the traditional cozy manner.

Rosemary: Cozies, in the Agatha Christie mode, involve lots of intrigue and suspense, but no graphic gore or sex. With Molly, our gourmet cook, we add a heaping platter of humor.   

Norm: As we wrap up our interview, you coauthored several series and novels. What’s your secret to maintaining a successful writing partnership while blending your creative voices?

Larry: The partnership starts with a solid marriage. You have to like and respect one another. You debate frequently, argue some, and most important, you negotiate. 

We each know we have a certain job to do and what we can do to promote a better end product. We keep working at it.

Rosemary: I’ll drink to that: a chocolate shake, plantation tea, or mango smoothie. 

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your endeavors

Follow Here To Read Norm's Review of On the Rails: The Adventures of Boxcar Bertie