Vett Brayborn is a character created by Dr. Sandra Tanner
Hello there, my dear readers! Ready to start another week? I'm doing an extra post today, for Ms. Vett Braybron, a fascinating cozy detective with a special gift. Tell us, Vett, what is your major strength while investigating
a murder?
I have a power from within. The easiest way to explain it is to say I
have a gift of sight. Some people in my community don’t like those words and
don’t understand what I can do. Nevertheless, I have a supernatural sight that
brings me knowledge and discernment far beyond what anyone else has admitted to
being able to know or discern. When I say knowledge, I mean having an uncanny
understanding of what is right and wrong in a situation or thing. The knowledge
is closely related to wisdom—knowing clearly how, when, where, and what to do
with the knowledge presented to me. The discernment gives me the ability to
look at a situation or environment and at some point know the truth. The truth
is not always plain as day or quickly revealed. But after removing layers, I
see it.
In my youth, I was afraid
of my gift because my friends could not do what I could do; I didn’t want to be
different. There were many times in my youth where my mother held my crying and
shaking body while consoling me and helping me to see that what I had was
nothing to be afraid of. She showed me that what I was able to do was my gift
from God and that other people had gifts that I didn’t have. By the time I was
in my early twenties, I was completely comfortable with it and knew explicitly
that my gift was given to me to help people.
That's quite a strength! And what’s your major
weakness while investigating a murder?
I’m a softy at heart. I tend to become
too involved with the interested parties; I empathize deeply with the people I
am helping. I share in their suffering and grief. I’ve tried to remain detached
because I think the knowledge and discernment would come to me quicker if I
did. You know the old adage “can’t see the forest for the trees.” I think I
become too involved with making the people I work for feel better or
comfortable that it takes a moment for me to see the situation outside of them.
But I eventually do. When I was working to find the name of the murdered victim
found buried on my deceased great aunt’s farm, I was so concerned about making
sure my great aunt’s name did not get tarnished that I had to stop worrying and
refocus on the main point at hand: There was a dead man who needed to be
identified and his killer needed to be found. So sometimes, I need to stop and
refocus myself. I don’t want to be un-emphatic. I just need to stay
better focused on the case in addition to recognizing and sharing the
perspective of the people I work for.
The human element is very important while wroking on a case. What’s
your daytime occupation? How does it relate to your investigations?
I own a
Southern food restaurant called Vett’s Place that I love. It
is open seven days a week. I am the full-time manager
and my Aunt Clove—my mother’s youngest sister—is the chef. She is the best cook
I know. My restaurant does extremely well and I am proud of it.
Since I am the owner and
manager, I can come in late or leave at any time to carry out my inquiries and
investigations. My strong people, leadership, finance, and creativity skills
helped make my restaurant the success that it is. These same skills assist me
in my investigations. The biggest of these skills is people skills. My
employees and clients trust me. I work hard to make sure they do.
Who do you see yourself closet to: Sherlock Holmes,
Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple or Sam Spade?
Definitely Miss Marple. I am not an
elderly spinster, but I am an amateur consulting investigator, just like Miss
Marple. Also, like Miss Marple, I solve crimes using my shrewd intelligence
(and in my case, my gift). I, too, have a remarkable ability to latch onto a
casual comment and connect it to the case at hand. I love the Miss Marple
stories and can relate to them wholeheartedly. Two of my favorites are The
Mirror Crack’d and a Caribbean Mystery.
The Mirror Crack'd is a favorite of mine too. Do you have anyone helping you in your
investigations? Tell us about them.
Unlike Miss Marple who has no regular
secondary character around her, I have my best friend Dimma Kirkland. Dimma and
I have been best friends since elementary school. She owns a successful real
estate agency. Dimma did a great job in handling the sale of my great aunt’s
farm and other properties. She does not always accompany me on my inquiries and
investigations, but we do meet to discuss my findings. She has a special knack
of asking questions that bring me enlightenment. Dimma has been married since
graduating college and has one child, Simone, who is my godchild.
Dimma is the yang to my
yin—up and down, respectively. When I am feeling down about a case I have yet
to solve, Dimma will inevitably say the right thing that will pert me right up.
Let's wrap it up with a quote. Do you have a favorite one?
I have two.
1. And
let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do
not give up. (MEV Bible, Galatians 6:9)
2. Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors
will open where you didn’t know they were going to be. (Joseph Campbell)
Some days when I feel like
I am getting nowhere in my inquiries and investigation, hearing or reading
these two quotes are just what I need to get me back on track. These two quotes
are so uplifting.
Thanks for the interview, Vett, and I hope to visit your restaurant soon!
A native of Pittsylvania County, VA, Dr. Tanner holds
a Ph.D. in Organization and Management (Leadership focus) from Capella
University, Minneapolis, MN, a Master of Science in Administration from Central
Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from
the University of Richmond, Richmond, VA.
At an early age, she developed a love of mystery and
suspense stories from reading popular detective novels and magazines. She
directed this love into writing her own whodunit murder mysteries. Her
published novels are Sundrenched Water, Secrets of Salmer Tawgg (So Now They
Know), and Sacks of Murder. Her short story Oh, My Dear God! won 3rd place prize in The
Writers Weekly 24 Hour Short Story Contest. She is currently seeking
publication for her fourth murder mystery novel—Stolen Four Minutes
Dr. Tanner
enjoys watching detective television shows, and she looks forward to solving
the crime ahead of the detectives. She considers herself to be an amateur
investigator and delights in formatting plausible whodunit scenarios.
She is a member of James River Writers. She is a past
president and past director of the Richmond chapter of ISM (Institute for
Supply Management). She served for 11 years as the president of the 23rd Investment Group, an
investment group she founded, which is currently in its 19th year of operation.
Dr. Tanner
lives with her husband in Richmond, Virginia, where when she is not writing,
reading, or attending writing seminars, she travels seeing the beauty of our
fifty states—eleven more states left to visit.
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Official website: https://www.drsandratannerbooks.com/