Another murder, another mystery...

 

        An interview with C. Hope Clark

C. Hope Clark's latest novel, a mystery, Murder on Edisto, has been released via Bell Bridge Books, and is available wherever books are sold. Hope is also author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series, and she is the editor of FundsforWriters.com. She has been awarded Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best.com / www.fundsforwriters.com. Her newsletters reach forty thousand readers.

Linda O'Connell:

Welcome, Hope. Congratulations on your newest release. Please give readers an overview of your latest mystery novel, Murder on Edisto.

C. Hope Clark:

I’m in love with this book, though I wasn’t when I first started it. It’s made me grow like nothing else I’ve written:

When her husband is murdered by the Russian mob, Boston detective Callie Jean Morgan suffers a mental break and relinquishes her badge to return home to South Carolina. She has no idea how to proceed with her life, but her son deserves to move on with his, so she relocates them to the family vacation home.

But the day they arrive on Edisto Beach, Callie finds her childhood mentor and elderly neighbor murdered. Her fragile sanity is threatened when the murderer taunts her, and the home that was to be her sanctuary is repeatedly violated. Callie loses her fight to walk away from law enforcement as she becomes the only person able to pursue the culprit who’s turned the coastal paradise into a paranoid patch of sand where nobody’s safe. But what will it cost her?

 

Linda O'Connell:

You have an innovative approach to storytelling. Please tell readers a little about your writing process. Do you outline your novels? Do you have a feel for your strong female protagonists before you begin, or do you plot your characters and get to know them as you write?

C. Hope Clark:

I’m not sure that I’ve written any two books the same, Linda. Lowcountry Bribe was inherent, almost. It’s part autobiographical since I was offered a bribe in my once-worked federal capacity, and the ordeal was a stressful one. I drew upon what I knew, and I painted Carolina Slade as someone I wanted to be. Tidewater Murder had to become purely fictional, which was a challenge, but I chose to flesh out my characters more, get creative with the secondary players, and design the plot around them. The process worked well for that book. Palmetto Poison, however, made me realize I had grown into a deeper writer, with the capacity for more intricate plot. Since most of my characters were developed, I focused on plot, and became a little more of an outliner.

The new release, Murder on Edisto, however, became a completely different animal. Driven by location and a new protagonist (this is an entirely new series, the Edisto Island Mysteries), this character drove the story. She enters broken and shattered, and the book becomes as much about her regaining her strength and self-confidence as it does solving the crimes. Placing the whole story on Edisto Beach paints a sense of the romantic as well as the suspenseful with the gentle breezes and the roaring surf. She goes there to heal, only to face danger as bad or worse than any she’d faced as a detective.

The next book in the Edisto series is purely plotted, though that doesn’t mean the twists don’t turn into turns as I start writing a chapter. It goes where it goes, but I do have a mission plotted. If you’ll note, the first series is named after the protagonist. The second is after the location. That in itself tells you that it’s a different process . . . and focus.

Linda O'Connell:

What inspired you to write Murder on Edisto, and how did the premise come to you? Was it a voice, a character, an event, a location? Did you have any challenges along the way? Did you tap into your own life experiences, as you did for the Slade series?

C. Hope Clark:

Murder on Edisto was forced upon me, actually. While contracting for Palmetto Poison, the publisher asked me to diversify myself . . . write something outside of the agricultural arena. Not everyone appreciated rural life, they said. At the same time, however, they praised my writing abilities, saying I was talented enough to write in a new direction and stretch those unused muscles. To acquire a two-book contract, I had to agree to the new series.

I was given three general parameters: a law enforcement protagonist (no amateur sleuth), an attractive setting that could withstand all the books in the series (the Slade books are each set in a different rural SC locale), and a Southern family full of angst. I was scared to death at the challenge, and had no idea where to start: character, location or story?

After much tossing and turning, I chose a place I adore visiting. Now I could write off my taxes all my jaunts to Edisto Beach, an obscure beach south of Charleston, South Carolina. It’s secluded, very slow, devoid of franchises and neon. A family beach where nothing happens. The beach is its own island off the bigger Edisto Island, and the region is gorgeous with awesome history (think Gone with the Wind on steroids), ghost stories, and beauty to drop your jaw to your knees.

Edisto is where I go to mentally regroup, sometimes taking worries there to toss away on the surf. From that location, I began to see my character. I broke her to bits in the opening chapter, ruining her life. She heads home to South Carolina only to regret moving in with her domineering political parents. She’s closer to her father, however, and in a bit of fatherly wisdom, he hands her the deed and keys to the family’s beach house on Edisto, so she can have a place of her own and heal at a place where nothing could go wrong. Then before she can take a deep breath of those ocean breezes, murder happens.

Did I tap into my life experiences like Slade? Not really other than I knew the place to take a broken person.

Linda O'Connell:
Was it difficult to leave Carolina Slade, the main character who readers have come to know and love in your three book mystery series?

C. Hope Clark:

Oh, you have no idea. Ultimately, I backed the editor and publisher in a corner until they agreed to continue with Slade. They, however, want to see the Edisto series promoted first. They are super proud and confident about the Edisto series. I’m sure they envision Slade being done. I assured them she wasn’t, because if they didn’t publisher her, I was sure someone else would. But for now, we’ll focus on Edisto. Slade is taking a breather.

Linda O'Connell:

Directly above my computer, is a tiny little monkey cut-out hanging upside down holding a small seashell. That image encourages me to write, to quit monkeying around, and is a reminder that publication will lead me one step closer to the next beach vacation. Do you have any habits, addictions, superstitions you engage in as a writer? For me, it's barefoot and a cup of tea when I write. You?

C. Hope Clark:

Sweet iced tea and bedroom slippers. A map of Edisto Beach hangs on my wall full-time now, to keep me in the story. But I must admit I’m an ADHD writer. I write a paragraph then read an email. Write another paragraph and check Facebook. If the thought is flowing, I write. If I stall, thinking of a new word, up pops the email. I have to keep moving forward. Busy, busy, busy. But that’s often why you see me online late at night. I write most of my fiction when the world has gone to sleep . . . because nobody is bouncing around on my email and Facebook page.

Linda O’Connell:

How long did it take you to develop and publish your first mystery, Lowcountry Bribe?

C. Hope Clark:

Oh, you don’t want to know, LOL. The first should always take the longest, because you are not only learning how to write, how to plot, how to develop a character, and how to sit your butt in the chair for long periods of time, but you are most importantly seeking confidence. Second most importantly you are seeking voice. Lowcountry Bribe took about 12 years from thought to publication. Of course there was down time in there (four years at one stage) when I questioned whether or not to be a novelist. If I crammed all the active months together and added it up, I’d say six years.

Linda O’Connell:

Do you have a favorite writer quote? A favorite book? Which authors inspire you?

C. Hope Clark:

Funny you ask. I have a new favorite quote I’m toying with painting on a canvas, framing and hanging. It’s so appropriate for my life right now:

The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea. ~ Isak Dinesan

My other favorite quote is:

Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. ~ Howard Thurman, an influential African American author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader.

Favorite book? I cannot say because my tastes change, books change, authors come and go. Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy comes closest to my favorite. It dug deep into the author and you can read it in every line.

Which authors inspire me? Neil Gaiman and Stephen King, though I am not a fan of most of their works. I am inspired by their work ethic and wisdom that continually profounds me.

Linda O’Connell:

What do you do when you need to escape?

C. Hope Clark:

Go outside. Touch trees. Plant and get my hands dirty. Sit on the edge of water and watch it play. I’m a huge Mother Nature fan, having lived in the desert, on a lake, on the beach, in the foothills, at the foot of a mountain. I cannot get enough of Mother Nature. It’s the closest I can get to God. It’s where I know my spirit will return when my time is done on this planet.

Linda O'Connell
Tell us something we might not know about you.

C. Hope Clark:

I used to play 4.0 tennis, and miss it terribly. And I’m putty in the hands of a little one-year-old named Jack. Wednesdays are my days with Jack, and we pretend like we rule the world.

Linda O'Connell:

Please leave us with a little bit of "Hope."

C. Hope Clark:

The advice I’ve adhered to from day one as a writer is this: I will write through it all. That’s the best prescription I can hand to anyone. My second most important adage is: Write daily. Cannot emphasize that one enough.

Linda O'Connell:

Hope, thank you so much for sharing with readers. I sincerely appreciate your time. You have been an inspiration to me and many others. Personally, it is a relief to know you are a bit ADHD when you write. I have always imagined you hyper-focused on your projects, not at all distracted. It's nice to know you're much like the rest of us. Wishing you every success with your new series, especially your latest release. I can't wait to read Murder on Edisto.

I have not been compensated in any way for this post. I am grateful for this interview.

 

I'm no Yankee, but...

Yesterday I picked up a used copy of Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch, by Haywood Smith (2002)

I live smack dab in the Midwest. I don't consider myself a Northerner or Southerner, and I am certainly not a Yankee, but when I read the back blurb quote, I laughed and knew I had to have this book.

"Strong characters and...irrepressible wit...snapshots of Southern living will charm even the hardest-hearted Yankee." ~Publishers Weekly

I can't put it down. It is such a fun read. I get tickled at Southern humor. Maybe it's because I know some other real Southern belle authors: Cathy C. Hall, Lisa Ricard Claro, and C. Hope Clark, whose warm, witty writings trip my trigger.

Haywood Smith lives on the shores of Lake Lanier, near the small town of Buford, Georgia.
This line in her book made me think of "all y'all."

"You'd have thought I'd just slapped his mama and accused his daddy of working for the IRS."

 

Woo-Hoo!

I am enthused, enthralled, exhausted this morning after three days at the Missouri Writer's Guild Conference, JUST WRITE! I was C. Hope Clark's assistant when she presented at workshops. If you don't know who I am talking about, check out Funds for Writers. Hope is the founder; she puts out three newsletters packed chock full of information, call outs, contests etc.

I pitched my woman's ficton, The Hot Mess Chronicles, to two literary agents. One of them (a big name in the industry) asked me to send her the first thirty pages. I had a tear in my eye!

The other agent, who was closer to my age, asked, "Why would I want to read that? I lived in that era, I certainly don't want to relive it."

Obviously, we were not a good match. That's the way it goes; you can't take those comments to heart.

I am very realistic and know that chances are slim that my novel will be picked up. It is set in the 1980's but they want contemporary ficiton. I am hopeful that there might be a baby boomer market for it one day. I am patient.

I attended a workshop, An Agent Reads Aloud from the Slush Pile. The slush pile (stack of queries on an agent's desk) is where most work ends up if it survives the trash can. Writers submitted the first two pages of their work, (I did not) and as the work was read aloud, she dissected it, commented frankly why she would or would not read on. Few works made it past a few sentences. It's a brutal industry. But,in a very professional and friendly manner she made us aware of glaring errors that many writers make.

"She scurried down the hall." MICE SCURRY.
"Her ears pricked up." Did you really ever see ears prick up!
"His voice came through the wall." REALLY, let's rephrase that.

And so it went as she slashed flowery words; too many descriptors slows the story.

I met lots of nice people, and hugged presenter and inspirational writer, Linda Apple. She and I are running neck and neck with Chicken Soup books. Our stories are in many of the same books.

Elaine Viets, was keynopte banquet speaker. She has a fun, twisted sense of humor; she had us laughing out loud. She is St. Louis's hometown sweetheart, a former columnist for the local newspaper. She was fired from the Post-Dispatch for insubordination. Everyone knows that her humorous columns were the main reason why most people bought the newspaper. She's laughing in their faces, living in Florida in a beach condo, writing books.

Some day ...

Did you ever consider yourself an answer to a prayer?

When the elderly neighbors on either side of us passed away, I asked God to send me a good neighbor, a woman friend with whom I could share my joys and sorrows. He sent me two wonderful Bosnian speaking families, a couple our age to our left and a family with children on the other side. We smile and say hello, we in their language and they in English. Hubby is jovial and thinks the louder he talks the more they understand because the men laugh and gesture with him about their gardens and such. He is a talker and a joker. We share food with one another; it's a cultural experience and fun, but we have limited verbal exchanges.

Recently, I lamented the fact that I didn't get an answer to my prayers. If only I had a neighbor lady to talk to, like when my kids were young and my next door neighbor and I shared every detail of our lives.

If you are reading this, I consider you a coffe klatch 'neighbor' no matter how far away you are, whether you are male or female. Your supportive comments on my previous post demonstrated that God does answer prayers; he sent me each of you! I appreciate your friendship and was deeply touched by your positive comments.

Wish me luck as I head off to meet up with NY agents at the Mo. Writer's Conference. I am pitching my women's fiction novel, The Hot Mess Chronicles, or perhaps I should title it, One Hot Mess After Another. It is a not a genre romance, although there are elements of romance. It is a realistic, engaging tale of four women: next door neighbor housewives, Trish, a goody-two-shoes all of her life and Meg, a former go-go dancer/wild child, who has settled down and been a good wife. Sally her older sister is in a long-term, loveless marriage, and Racquel returns as a blast from Meg's past. Twenty years later she is wilder than she was when they were in school.

The four women experience simultaneous divorces, affairs, and conflict. Three of the women are married to jealous, cheating, controlling husbands. This novel details their playfulness, silliness, (think Lucy and Ethel escapades) their insecurities, imperfections and growth. There are elements of drama, suspense, conflict, humor, major twists and tragedy. The ending is inspirational and spiritual and has made some early readers cry. As a result of their friendships, these four women with distinctly different personalities are able to endure their unhealthy marriages, escape from them, and to evolve into emotionally healthy individuals.

Thanks again to all of you for your friendship. I'm off and running. Last night I had dinner with Hope Clark, Funds for Writers who is presenting at the conference. She is so down to earth and fun. I am quite blessed to be her go-fer, also known as writer's shepherd.

Micro fiction and real life

If a pebble in the two-timing king's shoe can cause him a teeny bit of aggravation, imagine what this rock will do to his cheating sole.

Micro Fiction Monday over at Susan's Stony River Please visit Susan and comment on the other Micro Fiction writers, or give it a try.

The news that I have been holding close to my heart is that I will be assisting C. Hope Clark at the Missouri Writer's Guild JUST WRITE! Conference. Yes, it is THE Hope Clark who has provided a wealth of information to writers across the globe. I am honored to assist. Check out Hope's blog and web site, Funds for Writers. She has an interesting observation about black dogs. Our humane society did a story on this topic a while back.

My writing has been like the weather, tornadic. I rip through one essay and am on to a poem or two or three. Last night we headed to the basement as the wind whipped and hail pelted and the tornado siren blared. The storms came and went rather quickly. The meterologists are claiming tornadoes touched down several times, damaging roofs and snapping light poles. Took out the movie theater sign and hop scotched across town. We didn't have any damage.

I would love to hear from YOU today.

SNEAK PEEK MO. Writer's Guild Conference Lineup

Yes! It's true. In the next few days www.missouriwritersguild.org will list information about the Spring 2011 writer's conference to be held in St. Louis, MO at the Sheraton Hotel in Westport Plaza.

I have the scoop! Remember, you read it here; please tell others about my blog.

C. Hope Clark, yes THE Hope Clark from Funds for Writers will present a 90 minute Early Arrival seminar on Friday afternoon, as well as the break out on Saturday and Master's Class on Sunday. Elaine Viets (former St. Louis Post-Dispatch humor columnist) will be the keynote speaker for the awards banquet on Saturday night, and Mary Troy is the keynote for the luncheon. Four agents, six (possibly eight) editors are on the list. Linda Apple, who has published over 200 Chicken Soup for the Soul stories will be presenting,(and you all thought I was the chief chickie because I laid a dozen CS eggs). Also presenting are award nominee, Morley Swingle, and a 2010 International Book Award winner as well.

One more scoop, Early Bird Registration will begin August 15th, so sign up early. You know this conference will fill quickly.

I am not being compensated in anyway to promote this event, I simply feel like one of those TMZ or National Enquirer reporters giving you the breaking news.

What changes will you make? Be your own editor.

Only I can change my life. No one can change it for me. ~Carol Burnett

This quote certainly has a ring of truth. To illustrate, let me tell you about a woman I met on the cruise. Debbie is a nurse in an OB/GYN office. She said the doctor she works for used to be a veterinarian. How about that for a change? When he got bored tending animals he went back to medical school and became an obstetrician. He is much happier.

You must be the editor of your own life. What would make you happier? If there is something you have always wanted to do, why wait? If you have fences to mend, essays to write, a new creative pursuit, realize that you have the ability to make the changes.

I am so excited that C. Hope Clark, of Funds for Writers will be the keynote speaker at the next Missouri Writer's Guild conference. Check out her website and take time to listen to her interview. You will be amazed at the wealth of information she provides on the many unexpected ways to obtain funds for writing.