Interview with Karen R. Wilson

 Coyote Kill: A Carol Ward Mystery
Karen R. Wilson
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595442713
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (2/08)

Today, Tyler R. Tichelaar of Reader Views is pleased to be joined by Karen Wilson, who is here to talk about her new Carol Ward mystery novel, "Coyote Kill."

Karen Wilson, a member of Sisters in Crime mystery writers, is the author of "For Just Claws" and "Coyote Kill," first and second installments in the Carol Ward mystery series. Karen uses the experience she gained showing Quarter Horses in hunt seat and dressage, and her journalism background, to create the realistic world of her mystery novels. She lives in southeastern Michigan with her husband, two horses and eight cats.

Tyler:  Welcome, Karen. I'm glad you could join me today. To begin, will you tell us a little bit about your heroine, Carol Ward? I understand she is an amateur sleuth.

Karen:  She doesn't specifically start out to be an amateur sleuth, but she is a chain-reaction-type of person, and things sort of "happen" to her. The manner in which she chooses to react (some might call it bumbling) sets other factors in motion. Being an abstract thinker, there are times when even she questions why she did what she did.

Tyler: I understand "Coyote Kill" is Carol's second mystery. Will you tell us briefly what happened in the previous novel and if readers should read that book first?

Karen:  In the first book in the series, “For Just Claws,” Carol's young neighbor, Julie, a college student who Carol employs to mow her lawn and occasionally care for her animals, goes missing.
Though they are part of a series, the Carol Ward mysteries each stand alone, in that they can be read out of sequence or in sequence. Some characters are in both books; others are in one or the other.

Tyler:  How did Carol get herself caught up in the mystery of “For Just Claws”?

Karen:  In “For Just Claws,” Carol, who nearly always is simply trying to do the right thing, volunteers to team up with her friend Denise, in searching for the missing girl. They saddle up their horses and comb the trails of the nearby equestrian park, where Julie has gone to research a college ornithology project. Carol ultimately finds Julie, with a gunshot wound to the back.
Carol's nosier side takes over, however, and she doesn't leave the investigating to the police. That's when the trouble really starts!

Tyler:  And how does Carol get involved in the mystery for “Coyote Kill”?

Karen:  Carol is the inquisitive sort, which in this case is really just a nice way of saying she’s nosy. So, when three women in the vicinity are murdered, her interest is naturally heightened. Then, when her horse falls into the shallow grave of the fourth victim, she’s not about to step aside and leave things up to the local Sheriff, with whom she isn’t on the best of terms with anyway.

Tyler:  Karen, why did you decide to name the book "Coyote Kill"?

Karen: I always use a working title, which is really just a short identification tag, and in this case, it just stuck.

Tyler:  I understand that after a little investigating, Carol realizes the killer is watching her. What happens that makes her come to this realization?

Karen:  Mostly it's the two frightening messages written on her bathroom mirror and the delivery of a gift-boxed snake. Then Carol gets a real scare when, while holed up with her horse in the deep woods during a thunderstorm, she inadvertently spots whom she thinks is the killer.

Tyler: What makes Carol think the murders are linked to rain? Is it always raining when someone is murdered?

Karen:  After the third woman is murdered, the link with rain is mentioned in the local newspaper. It has the entire town on edge, of course, every time the weather report calls for rain.

Tyler:  Karen, our reviewer at Reader Views remarked that the novel includes female bonding. Will you tell us more about this relationship between female characters?

Karen: The "Lucy and Ethel" relationship between Carol and Denise, who is Carol's long-time friend, is expanded to a triangle in this case, to include Carol's elderly neighbor, Marge. The ties of friendship go back a long way between Carol and Denise, and what holds them together is their mutual love of horses and their horse ownership.

Strong women, all of them, Marge is the glue that keeps the other two from careening out of control, since Carol is the "Let's do this..." sort and Denise is usually agreeable to go along with Carol's sometimes harebrained ideas. However, Carol and Denise are also physically strong. Having been around horses all of their lives, they are used to the heavy lifting and physical labor involved with horsekeeping on small acreage farms. These ladies are not cupcakes, but neither is Marge, who, since becoming a widow, has learned to be self-sufficient also.

This self-sufficiency on Carol's part is the very point of contention in Carol's marriage, where Jack, her husband, feels he isn't needed and, in a sense, wants to force Carol into becoming needful by choosing to keep a job that means he is consistently out of town. Rather, this has the opposite effect on Carol, who then surmises, what do I need him for–he's never home anyway.

Tyler: Would you say, as a result, that the novel will appeal primarily to female readers, or have you found male readers as well?

Karen:  If you had asked me this question six months ago, I would have told you that I thought the book would appeal more to female readers. But surprisingly, I am getting feedback from male readers who have not only loved the book, but have even taken the time to contact me through my website to tell me. This has been an unexpected pleasure, and quite frankly, I think it's wonderful!

Tyler:  Karen, do you have plans for more Carol Ward mysteries? Will you give us a preview of what is to come?

Karen:  Yes, a third mystery is in the works as we speak. It is going to involve horse racing, and some major upheavals in Carol's life.

Tyler:  Karen, I mentioned earlier your interest in horses. Will you share a little bit about your interest in horses and why you decided that Carol would share your interest?

Karen:  Everyone has heard the old adage about writing what you know. Seriously, though, there is something to be said for feeling comfortably knowledgeable with your subject matter and I do feel comfortable with horses.

On a personal level, I wanted to merge two things that I love:  horses and mysteries. When I found the Rita Mae Brown “Sneaky Pie” mysteries, I thought what a fun idea, to incorporate the two. It seemed only natural that my protagonist, Carol, would be an equestrian and that she would share relationships with other horse enthusiasts.

Tyler: What do you most enjoy about writing mystery novels?

Karen: The ability to change things as the story unfolds. I cannot work off of an outline, as I find this restricts the story's natural movement. I want my characters to do things I didn't plan.
I've been accused of being a control freak, and while I dispute having earned that title, I must admit I do like the ability to change the lives of my characters, if only on paper.

Tyler:  What do you find most difficult about writing mystery novels?

Karen: Dealing with the publishing industry!

Tyler:  What would you say has been your biggest learning curve in dealing with the publishing industry?

Karen:  Everything! I knew nothing about publishing when I started on “Claws.” My sister was a published author, but in non-fiction only, and the way one goes about publishing non-fiction is entirely different from fiction. Not only that, but the face of publishing has changed so dramatically in the past fifteen years. With the emergence of print on demand and our access to technology, publication is within the grasp of just about anyone. I know I would have had serious reservations about writing two mysteries if every draft had to be retyped on an old platen and roller typewriter! That is why I have such a deep respect for the great writers of the past like Poe, Hemingway, Faulkner, and all the rest of them.

But getting back to your question, I had to learn it all. I had to learn about agents and query letters and rejection and forming a tougher exterior. The way the state of publishing is now, you’d better have a really deep-seated desire to write, for your own reasons, or you will be swallowed up by the difficulties. It’s hard, time-consuming work for very little return, if all you are in it for is the money. Would I rather be watching television or reading a book, rather than writing? Probably about ninety percent of the time, yes, but only because it’s easier. When I come home after work, it’s late, I’m hungry, I’ve got stalls to clean, animals to feed; there are lots of other ways I could spend my time. But it’s like physical exercise–you always feel better after you do it. It takes discipline.

Tyler: Do you read lots of mysteries yourself, and who are your favorite mystery writers?

Karen:  Yes. Susan Albert-Wittig, Nevada Barr, Lillian Jackson Braun, Rita Mae Brown, Sue Henry, Mary Stewart, Dorothy L. Sayers, I could go on...

Tyler: What made you first want to be a writer of mystery novels?

Karen:  Ten years ago, while reading a very poorly written mystery by a very famous mystery writer, I realized that I probably could have come up with a more engaging plot myself!

Tyler: What kind of response did you get when you told people you were going to write a mystery novel?

Karen:  For the first one, “Claws,” they were like, “Yeah, yeah…and the Pope is Baptist.”  But by the time I started the second one, friends and family were beginning to take me seriously.  (However, not too seriously, as my husband has yet to read “Coyote Kill”!)

I think because I also work full time at a law firm, manage a small stable, and have serious health issues to boot, they all thought it wasn’t ever really going to happen.

Tyler:  Do you have any advice to give to other would-be authors who are starting to write their first mysteries?

Karen:  You’d better really love the writing for your own reasons, and not expect that your first book is going to be a runaway best seller. Of course, there are exceptions, but they are very rare. I’m finding that most people’s ideas of what an author is like differ dramatically from reality. In reality, the writing of the book–the plot, characterization, dialogue–all the things that make up the actual book, those are the easy parts.

The hard part comes when the book is done and now it’s time to start looking for an agent and/or publisher. So I guess bottom line is, don’t expect to be rewarded; don’t expect fame and fortune. It’s an uphill battle, and along the way, like I mentioned earlier, you’d better grow a thicker hide, because rejection comes at you from every angle.

Tyler:  Thank you for joining me today, Karen. Before we go, will you tell our readers about your website and what additional information they can find there about "Coyote Kill"?

Karen:  There is a synopsis on the home page http://karenrwilson.com/index.htm for “Coyote Kill,” as well as the first three chapters of the book. Clicking the Reader Views award ribbon links to the Reader Views review posted at Amazon.com. Similarly, the “For Just Claws” home page also has a link through to sample chapters and Amazon.com.

There is a page where readers can see photos of my husband and my animals and the book display. An events page notes upcoming book events, signings or discussion meetings, and a contact link will send an e-mail directly to me.

Coming soon, I will have a “Coyote Kill” downloadable study guide for book groups.

Tyler:  Thank you, Karen, and good luck with your future mysteries.