ABOUT THE BOOK
Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.
The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.
In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?
INTERVIEW WITH LAUREN CARR
Lauren, welcome back to A Blue Million Books! Kill and Run is your 16th book. What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
Oh, it’s the creative process — coming up with the plotline and figuring out how the murder is committed, who done it, how they are caught — all of that! For me, it is as close to being an amateur detective as you can get. They have the committed crime and work backward toward the beginning. I am at the beginning and working forward, through the crime, and right up to where the culprit is caught.
How long have you been a writer?
Let’s just say my whole life. I believe writers are born. If you’re a writer, even if you aren’t writing books, you’re a writer. You’re thinking up storylines in the shower instead of singing. If you’re late for work, you can’t just say traffic was terrible, you have to tell a whole story about it being a dark and stormy morning . . .
I remember rewriting The Bobbsey Twins when I was in grade school to make it more suspenseful. That’s what writers do.
For what would you like to be remembered?
For making everyone around me smile.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Introvert. Most writers are introverts — that’s what makes personal appearances hard for many writers. That’s why I love virtual book tours. I can do the whole tour naked!
TMI, Lauren! What is the most daring thing you've done?
Skydiving. I was nineteen years old and dating a great guy who had scheduled parachuting lessons for him and his buddy. Well, his friend backed out, so I asked to go. Thing is — I had never even been up in a plane before! When I told my mother, she said it was okay, but not to tell her what day I was doing it — instead, tell her that I was going on a picnic. So, a couple of days before the jump I asked her for eighty dollars for my picnic on Saturday.
On the day of the lessons, we had six hours of instruction before going up in the plane. Two hours was on how to jump and how to land. The next four hours were on what to do if something went wrong. One of the things they stressed was that when you hit the ground to stand up quickly so that they could see you were okay. If you don’t stand up, they’ll send out the ambulance.
So then, we went up in the plane for our jump. We were suited up with our parachutes and our reserve chutes and all of this equipment. Back then, I weighed about a hundred and ten pounds and I was wearing close to sixty pounds of chutes.
Then, we went up. Remember, I have never been in a plane before. I was more excited about that than the jump. Jon, my boyfriend, jumped out first. Then I jumped.
It was fabulous! I loved it. I could see Jon down on the ground waving and jumping up and down, and I was waving back.
Then, I hit the ground beautifully and rolled just like they told us to do. And then . . . I couldn’t stand up because I was wearing sixty pounds of chutes and equipment. I remembered them saying that I needed to stand up. So, I’m rolling on the ground in the field like a giant turtle on her back trying to get to my feet. In the distance, I hear the ambulance racing across the field and Jon yelling.
By the time I stood up I saw about a dozen people and an ambulance racing across the field toward me.
Jon told me that the whole time he was running across the field he was trying to think of how to tell my mother that I did great . . . until I hit the ground.
It was five years later before I went up in a plane and actually landed in it.
What is the stupidest thing you've ever done?
Recently or over the course of my life? Recently, I tried to install a new faucet in my kitchen sink by myself. I ended up breaking the garbage disposal and flooding the kitchen.
What is your most embarrassing moment?
Confessing to the plumber about how I broke the garbage disposal and flooded the kitchen.
What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
Deciding between calling a plumber or tackling that kitchen faucet on my own.
What would your main characters say about you?
There are two main characters in Kill and Run: Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton. An heiress, Jessica is Mac Faraday’s daughter. She would say that I was obsessive about my writing to the point of being a workaholic. The solution would be to spend a weekend at a spa without any Internet or technology.
On the other hand, Murphy Thornton would say that I had a brilliant mind — after all, I am the creator of three mystery series. However, it would do me some good to work on becoming more disciplined — especially when it comes to health and fitness. Cut out the chocolatey desserts and go to the gym more.
I'm liking Jessica much more! How long is your to-do list?
I don’t know. You need to ask my husband. He’s the one who makes it up and keeps track of it.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I am working on the eleventh Mac Faraday Mystery, Cancelled Vows. In this mystery, David O’Callaghan and Chelsea Adams’ wedding plans collide with one tiny little obstacle. David is already married . . . and didn’t know it! Now, with less than a week before his wedding day, David rushes off to get his wife to sign divorce papers. When she ends up murdered, it is up to David’s best man, Mac Faraday, and Gnarly, K9-in-waiting, to sort through the clue to get David to the church on time!
Lightning round:
Cake or frosting? Frosting!
Laptop or desktop? Laptop, because I’ll write anywhere. Desktops are just too awkward to carry in a case with a shoulder strap.
Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? Bill Murray. Ghostbusters is one of my favorite movies.
Emailing or texting? Emails. I tend to send long wordy messages (the writer in me) and the keys for texting are just too tiny.
Indoors or outdoors? Indoors with central air conditioning. I have seasonal allergies with every change of season.
Tea: sweet or unsweet? Sweet, of course!
Plane, train, or automobile? Automobile — with me driving. My husband and son claim I’m a backseat driver.
OTHER BOOKS BY LAUREN CARR
Joshua Thornton Mysteries:A Small Case of Murder
A Reunion to Die For
Fans of the Lovers in Crime Mysteries may wish to read these two books which feature Joshua Thornton years before meeting Detective Cameron Gates. Also in these mysteries, readers will meet Joshua Thornton's five children before they have flown the nest.
Mac Faraday Mysteries:
It's Murder, My Son
Old Loves Die Hard
Shades of Murder (introduces the Lovers in Crime: Joshua Thornton & Cameron Gates)
Blast from the Past
The Murders at Astaire Castle
The Lady Who Cried Murder (The Lovers in Crime make a guest appearance in this Mac Faraday Mystery)
Twelve to Murder
A Wedding and a Killing
Three Days to Forever
Open Season for Murder
Cancelled Vows (Coming January 2016)
Lovers in Crime Mysteries :
Dead on Ice
Real Murder
The Thorny Rose Mysteries:
Kill and Run
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learnt in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.
She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Connect with Lauren:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
