SRP: Where did you come up with the idea for Damaging Secrets, and what can you tell us about the plot?
Carolyn: Rachel’s been sitting on my shoulder for a few years now. I knew who she was, what she’d been through, and where that would ultimately lead her. I just didn’t know what she’d do when she got there. For that, I worked with an excellent editor who helped me with the plot. I submitted several ideas and we molded them together into something I think turned out well.
SRP: You’re a bestselling cozy mystery author, what made you want to dive into writing grittier thrillers?
Carolyn: Writing is like everything else in life. If you don’t take risks, you’ll never discover what you can do. I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone. I love my cozy characters, but writing someone with a lot of strength and even more emotional baggage was a stretch for me, and I wanted to explore Rachel’s psyche.
SRP: What was the most difficult part of writing this book?
Carolyn: Self doubt and insecurity ad nauseum. I carry those emotions around with me with every book I write, but this new genre was a big step, and I’ve had to stuff a sock in my inner critic’s mouth and glue it shut. Once I got through the first few chapters, I felt that familiar groove set in, and it came a lot easier, but those first few chapters were brutal. My husband will tell you I didn’t think it got easier at the time, and he would be right. Hindsight is truly 20/20.
SRP: What’s your favorite characteristic of your protagonist, Rachel Ryder? Do you see any of yourself in her?
Carolyn: Rachel doesn’t have a filter. I love that about her. We share that trait to a certain degree. The only difference is she knows how to use it to her advantage. I’m usually trying to get my foot out of my mouth after spouting off something I never should have said in the first place. I envy her ability to stand up for what she believes, to fight for it, and not shed a tear because her principles are so rock solid. Everyone has baggage, but Rachel, as hard as she tries, struggles to move on from hers. She’s tied up in guilt and grief, and she uses those as crutches to stay emotionally disconnected. Thankfully, we don’t share that, but I will say, she’s working hard to detach herself from those negative characteristics.
SRP: What’s next for Rachel Ryder?
Carolyn: I can’t go into too many details because I don’t want to spoil the first book, but let’s just say her past comes back to haunt her, and like it or not, she’s got to deal with it!
SRP: What are you reading now and/or what good books have you read lately?
Carolyn: I have just re-read all of the Spenser mysteries by Robert B. Parker, and the last Sue Grafton book. Parker is my favorite author, and Grafton is a close second. I’m waiting for the next Robert Crais book to publish and when it does, I’ll be glued to that until I finish.
SRP: What’s your number one piece of writing advice for someone just starting out?
Carolyn: Most people think too much and struggle with every word. Don’t. Just write. The goal is to get the words on the page, even if they’re garbage. And honestly, that’s the easy part. Once you finish that first draft, that’s when the hard work starts. Get them on the page and let it flow. It will get easier as time goes by.
Damaging Secrets is out now. Buy your copy here.
Damaging Secrets, the first book of her newest crime thriller series, is an engaging story of corruption and cover-up that you won’t soon forget.
New to town and a little rough around the edges, Detective Rachel Ryder finds herself on the receiving end of a suspicious person’s call in Hamby, Georgia. When the call turns out to be a dead body, the medical examiner is quick to rule the death a suicide. But was it something more sinister?
Everyone in the small department believes the case is closed—except for Rachel. The sudden passing of a local politician during the mayor’s run for Congress strikes her as a little too coincidental, and Rachel is eager to follow her instincts. Her partner, Rob, a 30-year veteran, isn’t the type to disobey his boss or ruffle any feathers, but he can’t convince strong-willed Rachel to let it go.
Obsessed with finding out the truth, Rachel begins to examine the evidence and drags her reluctant partner along for the ride. But the clues are confusing. Nothing is adding up.
Puzzled and running out of time, Rachel and Rob rush to work every angle and bring the elusive killer to justice before someone else ends up dead.