Today is a very exciting day for fans of Goldie-award-winning author Carolyn Elizabeth. Not only can you read this exciting interview with her, where she talks about how she started writing, how she creates her books and what sandwich she’d be… but she also has a book out in just a few days!! Kiss Shot looks absolutely thrilling, and very educational if you’re like me and have absolutely no knowledge of pool!!
Go and check out Carolyn's books today – and enjoy this interview!
Introduce yourself! Tell us a little bit about you - who are you, and what do you do?
I am a Goldie award winning author of romantic blend Sapphic fiction with Bella Books. I love crossing and mixing genres and have, so far, dabbled in romantic mystery, thrillers, paranormal and pirates. When I'm not writing, I'm a mom of two school-age boys in London, Ontario. I work in tissue banking for cancer research.
What made you want to sit down and write your first book?
Writing was always something I wanted for myself and my fist book, Gallows Humor, had been bouncing around in my head for over a decade. It's very easy to find reasons not to write--I do it all the time. Much harder was finding the time (and nerve) to put pen to paper and hit submit on that first manuscript. The catalyst for me was when a pipe in the ceiling above me burst and rained hot soapy water into my office. Turns out it was from the dishwashers that washed the trays from the rat cages on the 4th floor research labs (true story).
While my office was being cleaned and repaired I got disappeared into a little known available office where no one knew where I was or could find me. I took the opportunity to misappropriate my time and work on the book. And the rest is history.
How do you develop your plots and characters?
So far, my stories are very much inspired by events in my own life. The Curtis and Reynolds series from my time training and working in autopsy pathology. My ghost story from my time as a teenage nanny at a family summer community. The pirate adventure was inspired by my time sailing on the HM Bark Endeavour. And there's more where they came from. Apparently, I've had some colorful life experiences and an active imagination. The characters are often inspired by pictures of strangers, people I know or people I wish I knew, and they all contain pieces of me (some bigger than others) at different times from my life.
Which of your characters do you relate to the most, and why?
Hands down Corey Curtis from the Curtis and Reynolds series. She is the character I've spent the most time with and the one most heavily inspired by events in my own life. Her sense of humor, sarcasm, love of the 80's, questionable decision making and many other quirks are very much my own.
Has your own writing ever made you cry?
Absolutely! Parts of The Other Side of Forestlands Lake. Though I don't write a lot of angsty scenes there is a lot of heartache in that one.
Does anyone you know in real life read your books?
My parents! And sometimes they want to discuss them, too. Gah!
Imagine your book, or one of your books, was made into a film. Who would play the lead roles?
Oooh, good one. That's too hard for me to answer, but I had a reader fan cast The Raven and the Banshee and her choices are solid. Anya Chalotra as Branna Kelly and Florence Pugh as Julia Farrow.
When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax?
Relax? What's that? Did I mention I'm a parent of two boys? There's scooter parks, trampoline parks, Ninja class, badminton, baseball and swimming lessons. We like to travel either by plane or road trip. When I'm not doing any of that I watch T.V while folding laundry. When I'm able, I squeak in reading a book or two.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given with regards to being an author?
The same advice given to everyone--write the book you want to read.
How about in general life?
Always leave a party while you still want to stay.
What is a motto you live by?
Do one thing that scares you every day.
How can people connect with you?
Finally a light-hearted one. If you were a sandwich, what sandwich would you be?
BLT on toasted wheat with mayo
If you enjoyed this interview, then make sure you’re following my social media accounts (@kblakemanwriter on Twitter and @katherineblakemanwriter on Instagram) to get all the latest updates! And if you want to support my own Sapphic Fiction journey while you’re here, my new novel The Summer We’ve Had is available now!