Guest Author: Carolyn Hart + Giveaway

Carolyn Hart, author of the Death on Demand series, has been kind enough to stop by Reading with Tequila to tell us about writing a long running series.

LAUGHED ‘TIL HE DIED is the 20th in my Death on Demand series. Although only a few years have passed in fictional time on my sea island of Broward’s Rock, the first Annie Laurance (later Darling) adventure was written 25 years ago.

Jennifer asked how an author keeps a series fresh after so many books. My answer is the same when I am asked, "How do you plot?" My reply is always, "If I knew, I would bottle and sell it."

More seriously, if there is a secret, I think it is this: Annie comes to life for me every time I start to write about her. I see her clearly, flyaway sandy hair, brown eyes, a good humored, happy face. She moves fast, she thinks fast, she cares about the people around her. I love Annie because she is patterned after my daughter Sarah, who always tries to do her best, is unfailingly thoughtful and generous, and adds joy to the lives of everyone around her. Whenever I think of my daughter, I hear her laughter. Sarah always has fun and so does Annie. So I love to spend time with Annie.

And Max? Hey I’m writing fiction, so why not a tall, blond handsome guy who is rich? But Max is also honorable and he loves his wife. I wanted to make the point that love exists, that two people can care for each other and want the other person’s happiness. In fiction, there are many dysfunctional relationships. But I believe in love and that’s why Annie and Max are together.

Each title in the series tells a distinct and separate story. There are recurring characters, but each mystery is individual. And there is the other secret to freshness. Pretend you are in a room filled with people, possibly most of them strangers. Perhaps you are in a committee meeting or a doctor’s waiting room, or a voting precinct. Each person in that room is unique. If you knew each of those persons, no matter what their age or background or race or experiences, each one would have a fascinating story - if you really knew them, really listened.

A book is like that committee meeting or waiting room or precinct. The people in those pages start out as strangers and then you learn their stories, the disappointed lover, the desperate job seeker, the selfish sister, the indulgent mother, the vengeful employee, the impossible voice. Their stories come together and their voices are raised and they clamor for their space in the story and as long as you hear them and seek them out, individual, unusual, and compelling, the book will be fresh because they are fresh.

In LAUGHED ‘TIL HE DIED, I once again met new characters and they took me in surprisingly directions. I enjoyed following them and telling their story and I hope readers will find them fresh and engaging.

About the Author

An accomplished master of mystery, Carolyn Hart is the author of twenty Death on Demand novels. Her books have won multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. She is also the creator of the Henrie O series, featuring a retired reporter, and the Bailey Ruth series, starring an impetuous, redheaded ghost. One of the founders of Sisters in Crime, Hart lives in Oklahoma City.

About the Book

Intrigue and foul play are no strangers to the idyllic South Carolina sea island of Broward's Rock. Mystery bookstore owner Annie Darling and her husband, Max, who specialize in solving problems, plunge into a startling web of danger and deceit when a trio of deaths is linked to the island's youth recreation center.

With the evidence mounting against her, the center's director seeks out Max to clear her name. When it comes to intrigue, where Max goes, Annie isn't far behind. To save an innocent woman, the pair scrambles to unravel three complex interlinked puzzles: the mystery of three guns, the pulled-out pant pockets of one victim, and the disappearance of a teenager whose stepfather always had the last laugh—until he died.

Laughed 'Til He Died on Amazon

Carolyn Hart's website 

Reading with Tequila's review of Laughed 'Til He Died

Giveaway

I have one brand new hardcover copy and one softcover ARC of Laughed 'Til He Died to give away. There will be 2 winners!

Deadline for entry is Monday, April 12 at 11:59pm EST. US only.

To enter, leave a comment telling me why you like cozy mysteries.

Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact the winner.