Barrett Gruber sits down with Steven Jacobs — South Carolina author, former WWII historian, and the creative mind behind the Lake Murray mystery series — for a warm, engaging conversation about storytelling, local inspiration, and what keeps a writer coming back to the page.
Steven's path to mystery writing isn't a straight line. He spent years immersed in historical fiction and WWII research before discovering that the lakes, towns, and characters of South Carolina had mysteries of their own worth telling. The transition from historian to novelist is a thread that runs through the entire conversation — and it turns out the skills aren't as different as you might expect. As Steven puts it, "most of my books are based in history," and that grounding gives his Lake Murray mysteries a texture and authenticity that purely invented settings can't replicate.
The conversation digs into Steven's creative process — how he outlines his novels, why he gravitates toward shorter, tightly plotted mysteries, and how the Lake Murray area specifically shapes his characters, settings, and storylines. Local landmarks, community history, and the particular feel of South Carolina's Midlands region all find their way into his work, and Steven talks candidly about how engagement with local readers and social media has become an increasingly important part of keeping a book series alive and growing.
For aspiring writers, there's plenty of practical wisdom here too — about committing to a process, staying authentic to place, and what it means to build a readership one book at a time. And for fans of the Lake Murray series, Steven offers a look at what's coming next. His philosophy on the future is simple and generous: "as long as people keep asking for 'em, I'll keep writing."
Topics Covered:
- Steven Jacobs' background as a WWII historian and transition to mystery writing
- The influence of South Carolina and Lake Murray on his storytelling
- The creative process behind outlining and writing short mystery novels
- Local history and authenticity as foundations for fiction
- Community engagement and social media for book promotion
- What's next for the Lake Murray mystery series
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