One of my favourite mystery writers is Julia Spencer-Fleming. She’s the author of the fabulous Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne series. Set in Miller’s Kill in the Adirondacks, these wonderful books represent small-town mysteries at their very best. The complicated relationship between Clare, an Episcopalian priest, and Russ, the married chief of police, is a continuing story arc, but each novel features a self-contained mystery.

When Julia asked me if I’d be interested in participating in the blog tour for her latest book, One Was a Soldier, I jumped at the chance to interview her. Julia is also offering a signed ARC of her latest book to a random commenter. Details are at the end of this post.

Photo by Lisa Bowe

Julia, welcome to Monkey Bear Reviews. I love your Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne series and I’m looking forward to reading the next installment of their story. When did you start your writing career? Did you always plan to write mysteries?

Actually, I started out trying to write science fiction. I read sf voraciously in my teens and twenties and joined an on-line writers group as a lark. I got sucked into the writing–I had done lots of writing as an adult in my job as a museum fund-raiser and in law school, but I hadn’t done creative writing since Star Trek fanfic and angsty poetry in my teens.

Once I was in the group, I wrote about ½ of a novel. As science fiction, it was pretty cliched and highly derivative of better writers than I. But as a mystery, it worked just fine. I realized I was trying to plow the wrong field. I started In the Bleak Midwinter and never looked back.

You’ve created some wonderful characters in this series. What inspired you to choose a female priest as your protagonist?

Partly it was a case of “write what you know”–I’m a life-long Episcopalian, so I have a pretty good feel for the culture of the church. Partly it was to have a more realistic amateur sleuth–we expect clergy to be involved in the community, to know intimate details about members of their congregation, to be there during moments of crisis. But mostly, it was because I was interested in crime fiction from the point of view of someone who wasn’t interested in catching the bad guy as much as healing the damage caused by the crime. Clare is all about mending broken things–hearts, lives, integrity. Which becomes ironic, since she herself is broken in all those ways as the series progresses.

One of the elements in your books that I particularly enjoy is the realistic, warts-and-all depiction of small town life. I love how a minor character in one book might become vitally relevant in the next. Do you plan this in advance, or do these connections evolve as you’re writing?

The connections evolve as I write. I start thinking about the next book when I’m about half-way through, which gives me time to lay some of the groundwork. But often, a minor character stepping forward just… happens, in a way I don’t consciously plan. I love having a big cast of on-going, constantly changing characters to play with. One thing I try to do as a writer is to know much more about each character than I reveal. I suspect that comes from my training as an actress, where you have a whole back story for your character who only has ten lines in Act 2.

You like to play around with structure in your stories (e.g.: the 24-hour format in To Darkness and To Death and the parallel storylines in Out of the Deep I Cry). Does this stretch you as a writer?

Yes. I want to continue to grow as a writer, so I’m always pushing myself in a slightly different direction with each book. I also like to give readers a “same, but different” experience; that is, if you pick up a Julia Spencer-Fleming novel, you know you’re going to get crime, you’re going to get big emotions (usually unexpressed,) you’re going to get action and romance and what I hope are some very surprising plot twists. But you’re never–God willing!–going to get it the same way twice.

Clare and Russ’ story arc is beautifully told. I’ve recommended this series to so many people but a few have been resistant to try it due to the adultery theme. However, once they gave the books a shot, they all agreed you handled it extremely well. Do you get a lot reader feedback about this?

Most of the reader feedback has been along the lines of, “Russ’ wife must go!” Seriously, they’re baying for her blood.

When I started the series, I wanted to write a very realistic, very grown-up romance between two people who both have compelling reasons not to give in to their emotions. I didn’t want there to be a bad guy or good guy–after we get to spend some time with Linda Van Alstyne in To Darkness and To Death, I had readers complaining, “But she’s nice!” Yes. She and Russ and Clare are three fundamentally good human beings trying to make the best of what they’ve been dealt. It’s a painful and fascinating and revealing love story — and not something I could do in a million years if my books were shelved in the romance section.

The crimes in your novel are particularly chilling because they are so realistic. Where do you get your inspiration for the mysteries?

Don’t tick me off, that’s all I’ll say.

Newspaper stories. Following real crime is an excellent spur to the imagination. Sometimes I stumble across the crime while researching. I was reading up on the 20’s and 30’s in that part of New York state to prepare for Out of the Deep I Cry, when I came upon a history of bootlegging  in Washington and Saratoga counties. That led me to the crime at the heart of the story.

Sometimes, I simply ask myself, “What’s the worst thing I could do to this person?” Because in real life, the worst thing is never having a serial killer come at you with baling wire and a flenser. It’s losing your home, or your job, or a loved one.

Hadley Knox was an excellent addition to your cast of characters in I Shall Not Want. Will we be seeing more of her in future books?

Thanks, I love Hadley Knox. It was fascinating to introduce a character who wasn’t devoted to law enforcement and who only took the job as a cop because it had the best pay and benefits around. She continues as a major character in One Was A Soldier, as does her convoluted relationship with Officer Kevin Flynn, who declared himself in love with her in I Shall Not Want. She was holding him off at the end of that book because of their age difference (he’s eight years younger) and experience gap–Hadley’s been married, divorced and has two kids, while Kevin has scarcely been away from him home town. We get to see that gap narrow a bit in One Was A Soldier when Kevin returns from a year-long detached duty at two big-city police forces.

The seventh Clare and Russ mystery, One Was a Soldier, will be released in April. Could you tell us a bit about this book?

Okay, I’m terrible at describing my books in anything under than, say, 50 pages. Can I toot my own horn and give you the starred Booklist review instead?

“Reunited after 18 months, Episcopalian priest Clare Fergusson and police chief Russ Van Alstyne seek a future together. But Clare’s extended tour as a National Guard helicopter pilot in Iraq has left her needing booze and pills to get through the night, a dependence she’s unable to admit even in her counseling group of Iraq veterans that includes a teenage double amputee, a cop with anger issues, a doctor with short-term memory loss, and a bookkeeper, Tally McNabb, who’s soon found shot to death. As in her previous novel, I Shall Not Want (2008), Spencer-Fleming explores a serious societal issue­the reentry problems of soldiers home from combat­that extends even to small-town Millers Kill, NewYork, while concocting an absolutely irresistible combination of crime fiction and romance. Despite some potentially confusing play with chronology early on, this is a surefire winner, taking the linchpin Fergusson–Van Alstyne relationship to a new level, probing the personal lives of other members of the town’s police department, and personalizing the toll taken by war. Spencer-Fleming’s fans who have been waiting anxiously for her latest won’t be disappointed; this series, as intelligent as it is enthralling, just keeps getting better.”

And if you need more, you can read an excerpt at www.juliaspencerfleming.com.

Are you planning to write more stories featuring Clare, Russ and the people of Miller’s Kill?

Yes! I recently signed a contract with St. Martin’s Minotaur for three more Millers Kill books. I’m already working on the next in the series, tentatively titled ‘Seven Whole Days.’ The story picks up about two months after the end of ‘One Was A Soldier’ and takes place–you guessed it–within one very eventful week. It’s going to be another ‘cold’ book–Loads of snow and ice deadly weather. Since we’re going through a bitter cold spell in Maine right now, I’m feeling very inspired!

Yay! I’m thrilled to know there’ll be more Millers Kill books to look forward to in the future. Thank you, Julia, for a fun an informative interview.

For a chance to win a signed ARC of One Was a Soldier, simply leave a comment below. All commenters on the interview will automatically be entered into the draw. The contest ends on Saturday 29 January at 23:59 my time (CET/GMT+1). Best of luck!

One Was a Soldier can be pre-ordered from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million, IndieBound, Powell’s and The Book Depository.

The contest is now closed.

I read Fade to Black, Leslie Parrish’s first romantic suspense, last week and loved it. When I e-mailed her to gush, Leslie very kindly agreed to stop by and answer a few questions about her Black CATs series.

Welcome, Leslie! Thanks so much for agreeing to an interview, especially at such short notice. You’ve written numerous contemporary romances for Harlequin under the name Leslie Kelly. What drew you to the romantic suspense genre?

I have always loved reading thrillers and horror and envisioned myself writing in that genre one day. I happened to sell to romance first (my other genre love) but I always knew I would eventually have to try my hand at something dark. When I lost my contract writing single title length contemporaries for Harlequin, and found myself looking for someplace else to land, it just seemed like the right time to give this a shot.

Although I have yet to read the next two Black CATs books, Fade to Black is heavy on the suspense and has a definite crossover appeal to fans of mysteries and thrillers. How would you define your brand of romantic suspense?

I actually intended for all three of these books to be different from what I saw other authors doing, as well as from each other. While my favorite authors of romantic-thrillers are Karen Rose, Allison Brennan and Lisa Jackson, I wanted my Black CATs books to be just a little lighter, with a bit of that Leslie Kelly banter and flirtation I’ve always loved writing. A lot of people have been talking about how dark the books are, and I suppose in terms of the stories, they are. But many of the darkest elements take place “off the page” and I think traditional romance readers might be surprised by what they find here.

I think Fade To Black probably has the most crossover appeal, as the next two books do focus more heavily on the romance. Not that they’re still not dark suspense novels, but, as I said, I wanted each book to be a little different, so you’re just not going to get the exact same reading experience each time.

Can you tell us a bit about the books in the Black CATs series?

The FBI really has what are called “Cyber Action Teams”—small groups of agents and IT specialists who travel around the world to fight Internet threats. I took this concept a step further and created a team tasked to solve Internet-related murders. In book one, Fade To Black, the team has just come together under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Wyatt Blackstone. The first case his new team confronts involves a series of murders by a killer who lurks in a cyber playground and “auctions off” means-of-death to his cyber friends. But the murders are very real. Special Agent Dean Taggert follows the leads to the small town of Hope Valley, where he enlists the help of the very sexy and capable Sheriff Stacey Rhodes. (Stacey was my favorite heroine, I just loved her!)

Book 2, Pitch Black, was actually supposed to be the first in the series. I wrote the opening of that book and had my agent submit it, and it was that proposal that got me the offer of publication from NAL. But my new editor thought it would be a good idea to start the series outside of Washington, to introduce the team members in an outside venue, make them easier to keep straight. In this book, a reclusive divorcee, Sam Dalton, realizes she was the last person to hear from a teenage boy who, with his friend, was lured to a cruel death in an icy pond. The FBI comes to her for help, and leading the case is Special Agent Alec Lambert, a former profiler trying to reclaim his shaky career. Sam and Alec work together to stop The Professor, a monster who is luring his victims with the latest Internet scams.

The final book, Black At Heart, is a little different still. It’s a slower-paced book, the first half focusing heavily on the hero, Wyatt Blackstone, and his quest to find out whether a former member of his team has become a vigilante killer. The themes of this one are pretty disturbing—someone is brutally murdering pedophiles. But in terms of content, it’s probably the most introspective and quiet of the three books.

Must the books be read in order, or can they stand alone?

I would definitely say the first two books can stand alone (though, if you want to read Fade To Black, you probably should read it first since the villain of that book is mentioned by name in Pitch Black.) The final book hinges on events that take place in the second one, so I would strongly recommend reading Pitch Black before Black At Heart.

Did you have to do a lot of research into the FBI and CAT teams before writing them?

I did a lot of Internet reading and read some books that helped a lot. Texts for writers on setting up crime scenes, plus a really interesting book by the guy who started the profiling program in the FBI. I have always been a true crime fan, so that research was no problem at all!

When I was reading Fade to Black, I was delighted to see you avoided many of my pet peeves in romantic suspense and mysteries. The book is high in tension, low in melodrama. The heroine does not require rescuing. There’s little to no sequel-baiting. Did you consciously strive to avoid these clichés?

I absolutely did! My biggest pet peeve in romantic suspense is a TSTL heroine. I can’t stand reading romantic suspense where the heroine puts herself in danger and therefore puts everyone else in danger, too! I don’t like “feisty” heroines or “spunky” ones…blech. I like smart, strong women and I absolutely loved creating ones who lived up to my personal standards.

And you might reserve judgment on whether there’s sequel baiting until after you’ve read Pitch Black…lol…that one has a pretty major plot point at the end that should (hopefully) have you dying to read Black At Heart!

As someone who is definitely into instant gratification, I was delighted to see the series was released back-to-back from July through September. With the publishing industry hard hit by the economy, it’s a tough time to break into a new genre. Do you think releasing the books over three consecutive months has helped you to build a solid readership base?

I think the “buzz” these books have gotten has helped tremendously. I have gone the route of slow-build with another publisher and have seen my career completely derail. In this business, you have to catch readers’ attention right out of the gate and a back-to-back release schedule seems to do that. I had to work very hard to get these books done in time to make that schedule, and it would be really tough to do it again. But I think (I hope!) it did what I wanted it to—make Leslie Parrish a name readers would be talking about. And hopefully they’ll remember that name until next summer when my next book comes out!

Your next romantic suspense series is called eXtreme Investigations. What’s it about?

I had actually hoped to write more Black CATs books for NAL, and in fact proposed another trilogy. But at the time, my publisher really wanted to wait and see if the first trilogy did well. Luckily, they had enough confidence in me to go ahead and contract me for something else, anyway. They wanted something  similar—dark romantic-thrillers, but asked if I could possibly come up with a paranormal concept.

I’m not a big paranormal fan in terms of vampires or werewolves or urban fantasy. But let me tell you, I am the biggest X-Files and Supernatural fan around. So that’s where my mind immediately went. I came up with a group of private investigators who’ve been brought together to solve cold cases using their special abilities. The agency is owned by a former cop and her silent partner…he’s really silent, because he’s dead. She’s  the only one who can see him, and the over-arcing story in this series will be her quest to solve his murder and resolve her own romantic feelings for him.

The first book, tentatively titled Cold Sight, comes out next August, and is about a psychic who once specialized in finding lost kids. Being burned out and accused in a high-profile case that went wrong, he’s laying low, until a reporter shows up his door, asking for his help. She’s noticed a series of disappearances in her town and wants his help to prove these missing teenage girls are the victims of a serial killer.

I am really enjoying working on this book, and am really excited for the next one, Cold Touch, about a team member who can touch a corpse and see, hear and feel every sensation that person felt in the last 130 seconds of his or her life. It’s a dark, vicious gift, one she hates to use, but it is undeniably one that is invaluable in solving cold murder cases. Really looking forward to writing it!

Meantime, I am really hoping the Black CATs books are doing well enough for my publisher to give me the green light to continue the series. I should know something soon…keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?

Thanks so much for having me, Sarah, I really appreciate it!

Today is the official release day of Black at Heart, the third title in the Black CATs series. To celebrate, Leslie is offering a free copy of Fade to Black, the first book in the trilogy, to a lucky commenter. If you’re interested in winning Fade to Black, just leave a comment and I’ll pick a number using Randomizer. The contest closes on Thursday 03 September 2009 at Midnight CEST (Central European Summer Time – UTC + 2). Good luck!

Update: The contest has now closed!