Hi Carol,

NG: It’s great to talk to you today about your books and your writing life.

CP: Thanks for having me here today. I’m happy to share things about myself with your readers.

NG: What book or books have you read that inspired you? How?

CP: My favorite book is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I love how she just took control of her life and hit the Pacific Crest Trail to prove she could do it. I was kind of like that when I started writing. I wanted to prove to myself that I could write a book.

NG: How do you come up with your story ideas?

CP: Many ideas have come from news stories, and I just changed a few things. I have a file on my computer where I keep ideas for future books.

NG: What do you do when you hit a wall in one of the books you’re writing?

CP: Unfortunately, that happens too often, and that’s when I take a little time away from writing. I’ll pick up a book and read for a few days and then, with a fresh mind, I can go back to writing.

NG: Your latest is a mystery, Witch Hunt: A Nathan Perry Mystery (Book 3). What inspired you to write this story?

CP: I’m a big fan of the late Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series. I thought I’d give a shot at writing something similar to that, and it seems to have worked. You can find Witch Hunt in both ebook and paperback at:

Amazon – https://amzn.to/3H6oArD

Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/3p6fK77

Kobo – https://bit.ly/3sj6E9b

Apple Books – https://apple.co/3s8bSEh

NG: Nathan is a detective in the fictional town of Mystic near Salem, Mass. Why did you choose this setting for his mysteries?

CP: I knew from the start of the series that I wanted to eventually write about the witchcraft in the area. The topic is just fascinating, but I wanted to wait before I introduced that into one of the books. It’s mentioned in the first two, but I waited until the third before I had a whole plot about it. Mystic is actually modeled a little after Salem, but with my own spin on a few things.

NG: Tell us a bit about Nathan and why you choose to write about him.

CP: In my younger days, I was interested in becoming a police officer, so I’ve always had an interest in law enforcement. Because of that, I wanted my main character to be police detective. He’s also a veteran of the Afghanistan war and in the first book you find out he was injured while there, and had to overcome those injuries to become the new detective at the Mystic PD.

NG: Is there something about your personal life that might surprise readers?

CP: I’m a total sports nut. In the winter, I follow NFL football and college basketball. During the summer months, I love going on photography trips. I love nature photography the most, and I’ve had a few of my photos published in a local newspaper and one national magazine.

NG: Writing is solitary work. How do you connect with other writers?

CP: I don’t know how my writing would have turned out if it wasn’t for social media. Besides connecting with other writers online, I have belonged to a few writers’ groups that met in person before the pandemic hit. Then, thanks to Zoom meetings, my main group, the Sisters in Crime chapter out of Louisville, Kentucky, we have been able to keep in touch. We’re hoping to start meeting again in person soon.

NG: Is there a myth or two about writing you’d like to dispel?

CP: I think the biggest myth I found was that once you finish your book, you’re done. That’s not even close to being true. There are usually a couple rounds of edits to go over with your editor. Then, the biggest thing to do is market your book. Unless you’re established enough to hire a publicist, you are responsible for the majority of your own advertising.

NG: You have written over ten books, both non-fiction and in the romance and mystery categories. Folks can learn more about them here: https://www.carolpre.com/

Thank you for taking the time for this visit. https://www.carolpre.com/

CP: Thank you for hosting me today. I’ve enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for more Nathan Perry mysteries soon.