FEATURED AUTHOR: SALLY CARPENTER

ABOUT THE BOOK

38-year-old formal teen idol Sandy Fairfax is a guest panelist on a TV game show–and the first category is murder! When his brother, a college professor, is framed for the murder of one of his students, Sandy investigates, in between fighting with his ex, visiting his kids, wooing his new girlfriend, and presenting a concert at a black tie gala to save his father’s orchestra. Sandy’s ready to tear out his long blond hair as the game points and suspects pile up.

INTERVIEW WITH SALLY CARPENTER

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
Revisions, when the characters begin to develop, the writing smooths out, I streamline the plot, and it all pulls together.

Do you write every day?
No, but I try to write most days, and it’s not always on a book. Sometimes I’m writing a blog post (like right now) or my newspaper column. Sometimes I’m spending the time researching for the book. And occasionally it’s good to take a “vacation” day or two and just read or catch up on life’s chores.

How often do you read?
Daily. I read as part of my day job at a community newspaper. I read to do research for my writing. I try to include “fun” reading at the end of the day if I’m not too exhausted.

What books do you currently have published?
I have four books in the Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol mystery series: The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper, The Sinister Sitcom Caper, The Cunning Cruise Ship Caper, and The Quirky Quiz Show Caper. I wrote chapter three of the group mystery novel Chasing the Codex. I have a short story each in the anthologies Last Exit to Murder and Plan B: Omnibus.

Do you have any marketing tips you could pass on to indie authors?
Find your niche. For my first book, I did a guest post on every blog I found and joined a number of online writers’ groups. Most of that was wasted effort. Since then I’ve focused my efforts toward cozy readers only. I’ve joined cozy reader Facebook groups and limited my guest posts to cozy-focused blogs. This has worked better than trying to reach every possible person. I also had good success with a recent Goodreads giveaway. I caution authors at paying for ads and listings in “mass mailing” blogs. That hasn’t worked for me; I didn’t earn back what I paid. But some authors swear by paid ads/listings, so that must work for some writers. And don’t get so bogged down in marketing that you forget to write the next book! I spent an entire year doing nothing but marketing. I had few sales, no new book, and my previous publisher dropped me. So I got smart, wrote another book, and found a new publisher.

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
That’s easy: TCM. I love old movies. Many of them are still “new” to me, and the ones I’ve seen I watch again. In those days the storytelling/writing was superior to now. The acting (except for B movies) was better too.

What’s one thing you never leave the house without?
House and car keys. Duh. I have to lock the house and start the car.

That's two things! You can lock you house, but you can't go anywhere. :) What do you love about where you live?
My cats have a big outdoor area where they can lounge, prowl, and catch mice. And I have a detached cottage, no adjoining walls with any neighbors.

What's your favorite treat for movie night?
Popcorn and chocolate (separate, not together).

What drives you crazy?
People who lie to me.

What’s your least favorite chore?
Taking the car to the garage, as car repairs generally end up taking a great deal of my time and money to get them fixed.

Would you rather be a movie star, sports star, or rock star?
Movie star.

Do you procrastinate?
I’ll answer that question late.

What would your main character say about you?
That I need to give him more sexy love scenes and fewer deathtrap scenes.

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
I’ve never “used” this library as a patron, as it’s too far away, but once I went on a group tour of the Los Angeles Central downtown library. It’s a massive building full of incredible artwork, paintings and sculpture. Lots of things to look at and endless stacks to wander in. And it has over a million books! A person could check out books weekly and still not read everything.

Who is your favorite fictional character?
I have two: Lt. Columbo (best detective ever) and Ernest Pratt, dime novelist in the Old West from the TV show Legend.

How do you like your pizza?
Pizza Hut veggie pizza.

What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop?
A goofy looking bird is staring at me and saying, “Is the book done yet? Is it? Is it? How about now?

What’s your biggest pet peeve about writing?
That it takes so long. I’d like to be able to finish a novel in a week instead of a year. Think how many more books I’d have!

What is your favorite movie?
The Trouble with Angels with Haley Mills and Rosaline Russell.

What are you working on now?
I’m starting a new mystery series, a retro cozy set in 1967. Still working on the details. It will have a cat.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sally Carpenter is native Hoosier now living in Moorpark, Calif.

She has a master’s degree in theater from Indiana State University. While in school her plays Star Collector and Common Ground were finalists in the American College Theater Festival One-Act Playwrighting Competition. Common Ground also earned a college creative writing award and Star Collector was produced in New York City.

Carpenter also has a master’s degree in theology and a black belt in tae kwon do.

She’s worked as an actress, college writing instructor, theater critic, jail chaplain, and tour guide/page for Paramount Pictures. She’s now employed at a community newspaper.

The Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series is comprised of: The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper (2012 Eureka! Award finalist for best first mystery novel), The Sinister Sitcom Caper, The Cunning Cruise Ship Caper and The Quirky Quiz Show Caper.

She has short stories in two anthologies: "Dark Nights at the Deluxe Drive-in" in Last Exit to Murder and “Faster Than a Speeding Bullet” in Plan B: Omnibus.

Carpenter penned chapter three of the Cozy Cat Press group mystery Chasing the Codex.

To atone for her sins of killing fictional people, she also writes the monthly "Roots of Faith" column for the Acorn Newspapers.

She blogs at http://sandyfairfaxauthor.com and ladiesofmystery.com.

She’s a member of Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles.

Connect with Sally:
Website  |    
Facebook  | Goodreads 

Buy the book:
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Featured Author: Sally Carpenter

About the book:

It’s been years since Sandy Fairfax was a teen idol and starred in his hit ‘70s television series Buddy Brave, Boy Sleuth, but he still has his fans. Now it’s 1993 and many of his grown-up fans see a leisurely cruise as the ideal vacation. So, when Sandy’s agent finds him a pleasant gig aboard the SS Zodiac, he jumps at the chance. And, when the offer includes a spot for his musician sister, Celeste, who is blind, Sandy sees an opportunity to re-engage with his estranged sibling. However, the brother-sister duo are barely aboard the ship, when Sandy finds a singer from another shipboard show murdered in his dressing room. When the ship’s security officer does little to investigate, Sandy feels obligated to jump in, even though he isn’t a detective––he just used to play one on TV. Soon he’s grilling potential suspects, including a burnt-out piano bar player, a Southern-fried magician, a blackmail victim, a ventriloquist with a sassy dummy and even a former flame. Will Sandy unmask the killer before the cruise ends? Will he connect with the girl of his dreams? Will he have time to enjoy the sights of Nassau? Or will he end up sleeping with the fishes in the Atlantic Ocean, another victim in this killer’s Cunning Cruise Ship Caper?

Interview with Sally Carpenter

Tell us about your series. Is this book a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order?
The Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series is about a former ‘70s pop star that has been out of the business for too long, but now at age 38, he’s quit drinking and making a comeback. He’s also making amends with his estranged family. There’s a development arc over the series as Sandy regains his confidence on stage and deals with family issues. It helps to read them in order, but each book stands on its own as well. A new reader can pick up the story at any time.

Where’s home for you? Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Princeton, Indiana, a county seat town of about 10,000. I lived in various cities in the Midwest until 2000 when I moved to Southern California. Now I reside in Moorpark, which is considered “small” even thought it has about 34,000 people.

What do you love about where you live?
No snow to shovel and not driving on icy streets. 


Do you have another job outside of writing?
I work a full-time job to pay the bills. I work at a weekly community newspaper, but I’m not a reporter. I use my writing skills for headlines, and photo cutlines, and in editing articles.

What would your main character say about you?

“Stop putting me in so many deathtraps! I also lose my life in every book!”

How did you create the plot for this book?
Research. The plot points arise from what I know about the subject matter. For this book, I took a cruise years ago and saved every scrap of information and took tons of photos from that event. In writing this story, I went through all of that and built my story from there.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people? 
My protagonist, Sandy Fairfax, was inspired by The Monkees. I did plenty of research into teen idols of the 1960s/70s, including reading several autobiographies by various real life pop stars. Sandy is a mash-up of the guys I read about, but he doesn’t represent any particular person.

Is your book based on real events?
It was based on the cruise I took and the fact that some of the older teen idols have performed on cruise ships.
 
Are you like any of your characters?
I’m a little like Bunny McAllister, Sandy’s biggest fan, and Celeste Farmington, Sandy’s sister. There are a few of my traits in these women, but they are not exactly like me. The fact that Celeste can sing and play keyboards is not a skill I have!

Who are your favorite authors?
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (naturally), Robert Levinson and William Link, Rod Serling. 


What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?
I don’t have a Kindle/ereader. Looking at a computer screen all day strains my eyes, so I go with paper for pleasure reading. I’m re-reading the entire Sherlock Holmes canon in order. I’m enjoying those stories more now than when I was younger. On my next-up list is “Granny Snows a Sneak" by Julie Seedorf.

What’s one pet peeve you have when you read?
I usually read before I go to bed, but by then I’m generally too tired to cover more than a few pages. And if I take too long in reading a book, I forget what I read days ago.


Do you have a routine for writing?
First drafts are always handwritten. I can’t compose fiction on a computer. It feels too much like a job, and I stop constantly to make corrections. I’m trained as a touch typist, so I can’t look at my fingers or the screen when I’m composing. Handwriting helps the story flow better onto the paper. I have a refillable pen I use only for writing. Then I type up the draft into the computer and revise from there.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
At home. I work a day job, so my writing time is limited to evenings and weekends.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?
That I made the reader laugh.

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?

I’ve lived in various towns, and one of the first things I did after settling in was to get a new library card. I’ve been in many libraries but the most memorable was in the town where I grew up. During the summers mom dropped me off at the library while she shopped, instead of leaving me at home. The library was an old-fashioned brick building with a couple of “nooks” where one could get lost among the books and some chairs for reading. It was quiet, not like modern libraries where people are talking. No computers or activities going on, just paper books to read. In eighth grade, I won the summer reading contest for taking on the most books. I’m sure that library is much different now—-I haven’t been in it for years. But I have fond memories.

Why did you decide to publish with Cozy Cat Press?

Like most authors, when I started out with my first book I wanted an agent and a big advance and nice contract. Reality is, agents/large publishers won’t touch an unknown/unpublished author. Publishers won’t take a chance on an author until she’s a celebrity who will guarantee huge sales. After several agents turned me down, I queried small presses that do not require agents. My first book was with another publisher. After two years, that publisher put my book out of print. Many publishers won’t pick up a series that started with another press, so I was fortunate to find Cozy Cat Press. The publisher, Patricia Rockwell, liked my series and was willing to publish the second book. I got the rights back on my first book and self-published an ebook version to keep it in print.

Are you happy with your decision to publish with CCP?

I have cats, so I love the name! CCP is very encouraging of its authors. Patricia works hard to get books on the market promptly as soon as they’re finished. CCP doesn’t set deadlines so authors can take as much time as they need to write. Authors can give input regarding book titles, book covers, and the promotional copy—-large publishers handle these areas with no regard to the author’s wishes. The other CCP authors support and promote each other.

How did you find them, and how long did your query process take?

I Googled “mystery publishers” and eventually found a list of various small presses; CCP was on the list. The query process went fast—-I think Patricia responded to my query in just a few days! Large publishers take months because they pass queries through several layers of readers, editors, marketing directors, etc.

What are you working on now?

The next Sandy Fairfax book, number four, The Bloody Black Tie Benefit Caper. Sandy’s taking part in a fundraiser to help save his father’s orchestra, and he’s also appearing on a TV game show. He’s handling some serious issues with his kids, and he’s trying to woo his girlfriend. And of course, there’s a corpse or two. I’m also starting on a new cozy mystery series set in the 1960s. I’m still working on the details, but it should be groovy and fab!

About the author:

Sally Carpenter is native Hoosier now living in Moorpark, California.

She has a master’s degree in theater from Indiana State University. While in school her plays “Star Collector” and “Common Ground” were finalists in the American College Theater Festival One-Act Playwrighting Competition. Common Ground also earned a college creative writing award and Star Collector was produced in New York City.

Carpenter also has a master’s degree in theology and a black belt in tae kwon do.

She’s worked as an actress, freelance writer, college writing instructor, theater critic, jail chaplain, and tour guide/page for a major movie studio. She’s now employed at a community newspaper.

Her initial book in the Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series, The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper, was a 2012 Eureka! Award finalist for best first mystery novel.

Her short story, “Dark Nights at the Deluxe Drive-in,” appears in the anthology Last Exit to Murder.

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet was published in the Plan B: Vol. 2 e-book anthology.

Her short story “The Pie-eyed Spy” appeared in the Nov. 23, 2013, issue of Kings River Life ezine.

Connect with Sally:
Blog  |  Facebook