The featured author for October is Carolyn Haines.
Carolyn is the writer of the Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery Series, Pluto’s Snitch Mystery Series, Fear Familiar Series, and the Familiar Legacy Series. She has also written some books under the name R. B. Chesterton (I like that name it sounds distinguished).
We have mostly reviewed her Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery Series. I remember when my mom was reading the series as she started around the same time that I started this blog back in 2014. She wasn’t doing reviews for me back then, but I remember us talking about the books. It was like she was suddenly living in the Mississippi Delta instead of Montana. Since I convinced my mom to write reviews for my blog, she and I rarely read the same books. I tell myself that one day I am going to read this series too.
Ok, I know enough about me. On to…
My interview with Carolyn Haines
Below you will find the questions and Caroyln’s responses. These are broken into three categories.
Personal
Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know.
I was a journalist for ten years, working in Mississippi and Alabama. A lot of my adventures for the newspapers gave me ideas for the books I write today.
What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always been a big reader, and I loved telling ghost stories when I was a kid. I wrote short stories just for me while I was a journalist, never really believing I’d one day be a published author.
Who would you say has most influenced your life?
My parents. They encouraged me to be independent and to dream big. They told me I was special and had talent. That goes a long way for a kid.
Who is your favorite author?
I have so many! But the author who impacted me is James Lee Burke. I loved so many mystery writers, but Burke’s language touched me.
What is the first book that made you cry?
Black Beauty. It almost killed me. To this day I won’t read a book or watch a film if an animal is in danger. My heart just can’t take it. But I LOVE horror films, and as you know, there’s always a lot of carnage, often teenagers. It just doesn’t hit me the same way.
How did the Good Fortune Farm Rescue get started?
My friends and I wanted to do something to help local animals and animal owners. There are so many people who can’t afford vet care. And I have a terrible habit of picking up stray animals and working to bring them back to health and a good life. Since I have the farm, I have the space to try to help them.
Does Good Fortune Farm Rescue only take in farm animals?
Horses, cats, and dogs. Not as many as I would like. I am maxed out now since I do the work and care.
Do you have a favorite pet? If so, which one?
Each animal in my care is special to me. I couldn’t pick just one, and there have been so many in the past. They all live in my heart. Each one is unique.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
I used to say to vaporize people who were mean to animals. Nothing left but smoking shoes! But I think I’d really like to be able to talk to animals.
Where is one place you want to visit that you haven’t been before (real or imaginary)?
Costa Rica. I would love to go there. I’ve been in Central America, but not Costa Rica.
Writing Style
What do you love most about your writing process?
I love the initial process of telling the story. It’s messy and frustrating, but it is the joy of finding the story and telling it.
Do you like music or silence?
I can’t write with any noise. I wish I could. But I have to really force the concentration, so silence is best.
Do you have goals of certain # of words a week or when inspiration strikes?
I have three on-going series, so I write every day. Of course, some days are much better than others. But if I don’t write, I can’t make any progress. I recently retired from teaching fiction writing at a local university. I ran the graduate and undergraduate programs and worked with students on thesis projects. I learned a lot—but I am glad to be able to write full time now.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
My characters are horrible. They take over. They do things I don’t want them to do. They behave just like my friends—incorrigible.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Trying to diet. I am a grazer, and I find myself getting up and going in search of something to snack on when I’m stuck. Chewing seems to make my brain work! This is a deadly habit!
Do you use a computer, pen & paper or a dictation device?
Always a computer. I started writing back in the days when there were only typewriters. I have to say, computers have made the process of editing and refining so much nicer.
What comes first when writing the mystery, the murder or the victim?
It depends on the story. Sometimes it is the victim, and sometimes the murderer. And as I’m fond of saying, “Some men just need killing!”
Do you have a picture of Sarah Booth Delaney that you use when writing, such as an actress, friend or just someone that you saw?
Sarah Booth is her own person. I have a clear mental picture of her. When people ask me who I’d cast to play her, that’s really hard for me. I’ve been writing her for 20 years, so many of the actresses who once would have been perfect have now aged out. (Kind of like me!)
Book/Series
What is your favorite book in the Sarah Booth Delaney series?
I always love the book I’m writing. This series has given me a chance to explore my home state of Mississippi, and I love throwing in little tidbits of history and the past. I couldn’t pick a favorite. It would be like saying which kid is your favorite.
Is anything in the series based on real-life experiences or purely all imagination?
What I hope is that the sense of place is real. Mississippi is a complex and often misunderstood state. There’s plenty that needs to change, but many of the people are incredible, and I hope I show that. The characters are all fictional. Some of the incidents are very loosely based on past history. For instance, the Lady in Red in SMARTY BONES is a real grave site.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
I love beginnings. And as much as I want to get to the end of the book when I’m writing, I find myself dragging my feet. It’s like a visit with old friends is over. It makes me kind of blue.
If you could spend time with a character from Zinnia whom would it be and what would you do?
Jitty, of course. I have my own questions about my loved ones in the Great Beyond, and I would do my best to force Jitty to tell me more!
Is there a little bit of you in Sarah Booth? Or are you more like Tinkie?
Definitely Sarah Booth. I’m a tomboy through and through. I was never a Daddy’s Girl, though I have come to admire many of those traits. But I love the farm and the horses and pets. Sarah Booth and I share a deep love of the land. I’m not as smart as she is, but I keep trying.
Do you think that Harold will find his someone special? (This person would have to like Roscoe)
He absolutely will! I’m sure of it.
What project are you working on now?
A GAME OF BONES, set for release in May 2019. I’m working on the edits, heaven help me!
To learn more about Carolyn Haines brilliant books, check out these links:
Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery Series
Check out these reviews:
The Newest Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery is
A Gift of Bones by Carolyn Haines
Release date: October 16, 2018
Christmas comes to Zinnia, Mississippi—Sarah Booth Delaney must solve a case as the holiday approaches, in this new cozy mystery from Carolyn Haines.
Christmas is just around the corner and Sarah Booth and Tinkie are preparing for a festive holiday season. After a turbulent season of solving cases, they’re ready for some holiday cheer. Sarah Booth and Sheriff Coleman Peters have finally gotten together, and this is the first holiday they’re celebrating as a couple. Sarah Booth busies herself with decking the halls and daydreaming about romantic Christmas nights with Coleman.Then her friend Cece Dee Falcon shows up needing Sarah Booth’s help—right now. She shows Sarah Booth a box that was delivered by courier and left at Cece’s front porch. It contains a lock of hair, a photograph of a pretty young woman, very pregnant, and a note demanding ransom for the return of the teen. Cece reveals that this is her cousin’s daughter, Eve Falcon, and that she’d lost touch with this part of her family years ago. Eve and Cece had been close, until the family had a terrible falling out, and banished Cece from their lives. The countdown begins as the kidnapper pushes for payment—or else, he threatens, Eve will meet her maker. It’s up to Sarah Booth and her friends to find the girl before something terrible happens on what should be the merriest day of the year.
Carolyn Haines’s trademark humor and lovable characters are back, in a heartwarming Christmas story that will enchant and delight readers looking for a suspenseful mystery wrapped in joyful holiday merriment.
Carolyn Haines’ Books
Here is the list of Sarah Booth Delaney Books if you would like to start the series in order.
1) Them Bones
2) Buried Bones
7) Ham Bones
8) Wishbones
9) Greedy Bones
10) Bone Appetit
12.5) Shorty Bones
13) Smarty Bones
13.5) Bones on the Bayou
14) Booty Bones
15) Bone to Be Wild
15.5) Guru Bones
15.75) Jingle Bones
16) Rock-A-Bye Bones
16.5) Bones and Arrows
17) Sticks and Bones
18) Charmed Bones
18.5) Clacking Bones
19) A Gift of Bones
20) A Game of Bones (coming in May 2019)
To see a complete list of Carolyn Haines books go to: The List
Giveaway
Don’t forget to sign up for our Giveaway of A Gift of Bones by Carolyn Haines.
If you haven’t already you should check out Carolyn Haines’s books as she is a fabulous author and her Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery Series is so great, and her characters are quirky, charming, and personable.
I would like to thank Carolyn Haines again for taking the time to answer some questions for us. I truly appreciate your time.
Until the next time. Happy Reading!
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