WWR: Carolynn, your first book has been released from Avalon Books! Are you excited to finally see A Summer Sentence in print?
Carolynn: Absolutely! Even as a writer, it's hard to find the words to describe the feeling, and it's something I wish for all of my unpublished writer friends.
WWR: You used to write historical novels and it was only after your switch to contemporary that you were able to get your work published, despite finaling in the Golden Heart from RWA. Do you have any plans to return to historical novels or do you think you've found your place in contemporary?
Carolynn: As they say, "Never say never," so I won't, but at this point in my life, I have no desire to return to writing historical novels. On the other hand, I'm not throwing away my research, just in case!
WWR: Your book was called "wholesome" by one of our reviewers. Is this something you strive for in your writing or did it just come out of the story itself?
Carolynn: A little of both, I think. Because I was targeting Avalon, I wanted to maintain a wholesome tone, but the characters also felt "wholesome" to me. After all, he was a sheriff and her goal was to teach disadvantaged children. I regarded these characters as good people with high ideals, and I hope this came through in the book.
WWR: I know it's taken you many years to reach publication. Were there times when you wanted to give up or are you the kind of person who plows ahead, regardless of the obstacles in your path?
Carolynn: I quit writing for long stretches of time, but I don't think I ever gave up. I always believed that at some point in the future, perhaps after my "batteries recharged," I would go back to writing, and I always did. I don't see how I could ever completely quit.
WWR: A Summer Sentence is about a small town sheriff and a wannabe big city girl. Why don't you tell us more about the book? What gave you the idea for the story?
Carolynn: I was born and raised in a small town and I'm familiar with the joys and occasional frustrations of life when surrounded by an extended family. I thought it would be fun to transplant my only-child heroine from her city life to a small town where she meets the hero and learns that getting acquainted with him involves dealing with his many relatives also.
WWR: Without giving too much away, can you tell us a little about your favorite scene in the book?
Carolynn: My favorite scene involves a cookout and a hammock in the hero's back yard. It's my favorite for a couple of reasons. One is because it involves humor, which I love to write, and two, it contributes to the hero's and heroine's mutual affection.
WWR: Would you tell us about your other projects? Have you sold your next book? If so, when can we expect to see it in stores?
Carolynn: My next book, entitled Falling for Dallas, is based on two of the secondary characters from A Summer Sentence. I've sent the manuscript to my editor, Erin Niumata, at Avalon, and it's on her desk waiting to be read right now.
WWR: Is there anything you think is special about your writing process? Do you consider yourself a fast or slow writer, and would you mind telling us a little about what a typical writing day is like for you?
Carolynn: There is no typical writing day for me. I write when I can, which varies from day to day because I have a full-time job, along with all the other responsibilities that everyone faces every day. Some days carving out time for writing is impossible but I still write when I can. Fortunately, I've learned over the many years I've been working at this craft that I don't have to possess huge blocks of time in order to be creative. Some days I do little more than plot while I'm driving to work, but I've learned that this time can be as critical to the success of a project as sitting at a keyboard. I also carry a little voice-activated recorder with me at all times in case a scene or some dialogue starts playing through my mind while I'm driving. It helps to get it recorded because I'll never remember everything I was thinking until I reach a place where I can write it down.
WWR: In A Summer Sentence, the hero Daniel cooks. Where'd you get your recipes for him? Are they your own special recipes?
Carolynn: They are family recipes. For example, my Aunt Jane brought the Special Baked Beans recipe into the family when she married Uncle Allen, my mother's brother. That dish has been a staple at family gatherings ever since.
WWR: Did you have to interview any real-life sexy Sheriffs to write A Summer Sentence?
Carolynn: Unfortunately, no.
WWR: What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? Any piece of advice--it doesn't have to be writing or reading related, just something you've always wanted to pass on to someone else. :-)
Carolynn: My father was a very down-to-earth (and earthy) individual who liked to say, "Don't shit on the rungs of the ladder on your way up, because you may have to come back down again someday." That's a piece of advice I value for its bluntness and its validity.
WWR: Would you care to give us a peek into your reading? What are your favorite books? Who are your favorite authors? What book would you save if every book in the world were destroyed and you could only pick one book (fiction, that is!) to save?
Carolynn: I read mostly romance but also enjoy all popular fiction. I rarely read for any purpose other than enjoyment or escapism, so I read a wide range of authors. But if I could only save one book of fiction, it would have to be To Kill a Mockingbird. That book, to me, so clearly juxtaposes good and evil, strength and weakness, kindness and cruelty, tolerance and bigotry. And has there ever been a hero more admirable than Atticus Finch? Not to me.
WWR: What's the one reference book you couldn't live without?
Carolynn: A good dictionary.
WWR: And finally, if you were only allowed to create one more character, ever, who or what would he/she/it be and why?
Carolynn: You saved the hardest question for last, I see. Asking a writer to limit her future characters to one is almost asking the impossible. Since I can't envision a character without a setting and without interaction with other characters, I'd have to create one who has been marooned on an island or other location that can sustain life but where no one else lives. If this were my assignment, I fear I'd not be very successful, so I'm thankful there's no limit to how many characters I can create.
WWR: Thanks so much for participating in our interview Carolynn! We loved visiting with you and taking a peek into your world, and we hope to see many, many future books from you!
Carolynn: Thanks for allowing me to share some thoughts with you. It's been fun!
A Summer Sentence received a 4 STAR review from WWR reviewer V.H.! This is our highest rating. Read the review here.
