Larissa Reinhart’s funny smart Southern mysteries introduce heroines who are sassy, strong and funny – and generally have an “ex” from some past disaster hanging around like “forbidden fruit.” Perhaps it’s not surprising then that when the award winning and Wall Street Journal best selling author started out, she thought she was writing romantic comedy.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Larissa talks about why she loves funny dialogue and redemption stories and why she's working on a paranormal series set in Japan  - when she gets a spare moment from her three mystery series.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why journalism didn't work for her as a career

How living in Japan' has helped her writing

Her secret 'paranormal project.

The big part humor plays in her mysteries

The writers she admires most

Why her favorite characters are 'tough dudes wishing to redeem themselves'

Where to find Larissa Reinhart: 

Website: https://www.larissareinhart.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larissareinhartwriter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larissareinhart/

Facebook Group: The Mystery Minions

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s  Larissa .  Hello there Larissa and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Larissa: Thank you so much Jenny, it's great to be here. Thanks so much for inviting me.

Larissa Reinhart - author

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning - was there a 'Once Upon A Time' moment when you decided you just had to write fiction - and if so what the catalyst?

Larissa: Well really as far back as I can remember, I've been creating stories mostly in my head. I can remember about the age of four writing lists of words that I knew, and in first grade I was putting together little books and then selling them in second grade to my neighbours. I've always been into this book business I guess! I won some awards for writing when I was younger, but then I never thought seriously about becoming a writer as a career. I worked from my local newspaper in high school, and I really hated interviewing people and calling them up.

I'm a little introverted, so that was really difficult for me. Thoughts of journalism that I'd been kind of toying with in high school disappeared with that, and I did take some creative writing courses in college but mostly I just focused on my major which was History and Art History. So I didn't really take it seriously.

But about seven or eight years ago, my family was living in Japan and I had been a teacher, but I was no longer teaching. My daughters were young, but they were in school for the first time all day. I've lived in Japan before, so I didn't need to take classes or anything like that.

I had this time that I'd never had before. I was reading maybe three or four books a week and enjoying that, but wanting to do more. Reading a popular series at the time, I was telling my husband how I would have written the fourth book differently because I wasn't satisfied with it. So he encouraged me  and said "why don't you get back into writing and just try?" So that's what I did! And spending those two years in Japan, I wrote one manuscript that I will probably not do anything with; it was kind of an experiment. And then the second manuscript I wrote was Portrait of A Dead Eye. I can't really remember, but I think I had it finished before we moved back to the US.

I came back with it, and showed it to a friend who was a writer and she encouraged me to look into different writing groups like Romance Writers of America,

USA Today best-selling author Kate Hewitt seems to have “done it all.” She’s a busy vicar’s wife raising five children, and “between meals” she’s also written more than 60 books in multiple genres – from classic romance to intensely emotional women’s fiction  and historical family sagas.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Kate talks about how life – and publishing – is constantly changing, staying ahead of the curve, and the mystery in her own life that might make a story sometime.

Six Things You'll Discover in this Joys of Binge Reading Episode:

How she adapts to the fast changing publishing scene

Why she likes to write in many different genres

Why women's fiction is her first love

Getting a start writing short stories

The mystery in her own life that could make a story

Writing more than 60 books while raising five children

Where to find Kate Hewitt (also writing as Katherine Schwartz) : 

Website: https://kate-hewitt.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katehewitt1

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Kate. .  Hello there Kate and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us

Kate: Thanks for having me Jenny, it's great to be here!

Author Kate Hewett

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning - was there a “Once Upon A Time" moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if there was a catalyst, what was it?

Kate: Well, I've always written something since I was quite small; plays, poetry, newspaper articles. Ever since I was about 6, I always wanted to be a writer of some sort. Probably a very early catalyst was my brother, who wrote a short story and got a lot of attention for it. I decided I wanted to write a story too! So I wrote a story when I was about 5- it was one sentence long. My father read it, and I think that was the beginning of it all!

Jenny: How amazing, and how lovely that your dad took it seriously!

Kate: He did, yes! When I was about 6 I wrote a longer story, and put on a cover on it. I made it very official looking, and then I wrote on the cover "By the author of the Christmas Rose". Everyone kind of joked that I was into marketing at a very early age!

 

Jenny: You have a kicker line that you write “emotional stories in a number of genres” – and you’re not wrong – everything from women’s fiction to historicals, contemporary series, and classic Harlequin romance of the “wooed by a desert sheikh” kind. I guess they each appeal to you as a writer for different reasons . . . tell us a bit about the different challenges of  each one – and what aspect of your life they appeal to most . . .

Kate: I think I like writing different genres because I really like the emotional womens' fiction I do, although it's quite draining. So to be able to switch from that, to something lighter is kind of like a palate cleanser writing wise, so I enjoy that. I started writing classic Harlequin Romance because I read those when I was a teenager, but to be perfectly frank I really started writing those because I'd read that that was the best chance of a steady income as a writer, and that's what I wanted.

They have a little more of a "swept away" element to them, but I'd say my heart is more with the emotional womens' fiction; the Jodi Picault style of writing.

Jenny: Yes, and I was amused to see in one of your blogs that you were saying that investing the time in your most recent book I think- it was a bit like thinking like Jodi Picault for a change!

Kate: Yes.

Kate Hewitt - Harlequin Romance

Jenny: I can imagine Harlequins are fun though; they're probably only about 50,000 words are they?

Kate: That's right.

Jenny: You can get them done and have a sense of accomplishment.

Kate: Yes, that's what I did like.

USA Today best-selling author Kate Hewitt seems to have “done it all.” She’s a busy vicar’s wife raising five children, and “between meals” she’s also written more than 60 books in multiple genres – from classic romance to intensely emotional women’s fiction  and historical family sagas.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Kate talks about how life – and publishing – is constantly changing, staying ahead of the curve, and the mystery in her own life that might make a story sometime.

Six Things You'll Discover in this Joys of Binge Reading Episode:

How she adapts to the fast changing publishing scene

Why she likes to write in many different genres

Why women's fiction is her first love

Getting a start writing short stories

The mystery in her own life that could make a story

Writing more than 60 books while raising five children

Where to find Kate Hewitt (also writing as Katherine Schwartz) : 

Website: https://kate-hewitt.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katehewitt1

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Kate. .  Hello there Kate and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us

Kate: Thanks for having me Jenny, it's great to be here!

Author Kate Hewett

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning - was there a “Once Upon A Time" moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if there was a catalyst, what was it?

Kate: Well, I've always written something since I was quite small; plays, poetry, newspaper articles. Ever since I was about 6, I always wanted to be a writer of some sort. Probably a very early catalyst was my brother, who wrote a short story and got a lot of attention for it. I decided I wanted to write a story too! So I wrote a story when I was about 5- it was one sentence long. My father read it, and I think that was the beginning of it all!

Jenny: How amazing, and how lovely that your dad took it seriously!

Kate: He did, yes! When I was about 6 I wrote a longer story, and put on a cover on it. I made it very official looking, and then I wrote on the cover "By the author of the Christmas Rose". Everyone kind of joked that I was into marketing at a very early age!

 

Jenny: You have a kicker line that you write “emotional stories in a number of genres” – and you’re not wrong – everything from women’s fiction to historicals, contemporary series, and classic Harlequin romance of the “wooed by a desert sheikh” kind. I guess they each appeal to you as a writer for different reasons . . . tell us a bit about the different challenges of  each one – and what aspect of your life they appeal to most . . .

Kate: I think I like writing different genres because I really like the emotional womens' fiction I do, although it's quite draining. So to be able to switch from that, to something lighter is kind of like a palate cleanser writing wise, so I enjoy that. I started writing classic Harlequin Romance because I read those when I was a teenager, but to be perfectly frank I really started writing those because I'd read that that was the best chance of a steady income as a writer, and that's what I wanted.

They have a little more of a "swept away" element to them, but I'd say my heart is more with the emotional womens' fiction; the Jodi Picault style of writing.

Jenny: Yes, and I was amused to see in one of your blogs that you were saying that investing the time in your most recent book I think- it was a bit like thinking like Jodi Picault for a change!

Kate: Yes.

Estelle Ryan took a big risk creating Dr Genevieve Lenard, the brilliant body language expert and international investigator who’s the lead character in her art fraud mystery series - because she also registers on the Autism spectrum..

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Estelle tells us she needn’t have worried. Readers love Genevieve’s honesty and vulnerability, and the series has grown strongly to 12 books with a 13th coming soon.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why readers say they love Dr Genevieve - her autistic lead character

How she chooses the artists who showcase the series

Her passion for music and how its reflected in her work

Why she's a 'coffeshopaholic.'

Writing Afrikaans romance -when its her second language

The writers she admires most

Where to find Estelle Ryan: 

Website: http://estelleryan.com/books.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstelleRyanAuthor/

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/estelle_ryan

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: And now here's Estelle.  Hello there Estelle and welcome to the show, it's great to have you with us.

Estelle: Thank you so much Jenny, it's lovely being here visiting with you.

Estelle Ryan - Mystery author

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning - was there a “Once Upon A time moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if there was a catalyst, what was it?

Estelle: Yes- I do believe in my life there was more than just one moment that led up to this. There was a defining moment for me when I was in Grade 4. We were finished with our syllabus for the semester and the teacher asked me to tell a story.

So I got up in front of the class and I told them about how the aliens landed in our backyard the night before, and all the conversations and stories I had with them! I described all of them, and the kids loved it.

After this, the teacher told me that if I didn't write children's stories one day, I'd be making a huge mistake. And it stuck with me. I'm not writing children's stories because my imagination is not quite in that direction, but I think that opened up my mind to more suggestions from different people, different situations that led me to this point where I'm now writing fiction.

Jenny: Yes, that's a great story and it sounds like you were made for fiction, doesn't it!

Estelle: Yes, I really remember the story about the aliens and thinking; where did I get this from?! But it also kind of explains when I'm not reading crime, I am reading science fiction- it might explain that too, me and my aliens!

Jenny: Your Genevieve Lenard mysteries have reached to Book 12 – a feat in itself! But am I right in thinking you began by writing romance?

The Gauguin Connection - Book One in the series

Estelle: That is correct, yes. I wrote for a South African publishing house and I wrote in Afrikaans, which was an incredible challenge for me because it's not my first language. The language itself, the vocabulary is not as extensive as English. It was an incredible learning curve for me and very valuable.

I had to learn how to describe things when I didn't have the right vocabulary, and I gained an incredible respect for romance writers, because I realised how incredibly hard it was to write a romance that was light enough to enjoy and silly enough in its own way- yet also one that is emotionally engaging.

I wrote seven very short romance novels, and then I thought no, this isn't my genre. This is not what I want to write. This is not my language; it was really hard. When I wrote the first Genevieve book, it was like coming home. It just felt so comfortable, but I had learnt so much writing the romance novels. It was fun too.

Jenny: What made you move on from romance to mystery? Why not science fiction with your attraction to aliens?

Estelle: That's a very good question,

Estelle Ryan took a big risk creating Dr Genevieve Lenard, the brilliant body language expert and international investigator who’s the lead character in her art fraud mystery series - because she also registers on the Autism spectrum..

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Estelle tells us she needn’t have worried. Readers love Genevieve’s honesty and vulnerability, and the series has grown strongly to 12 books with a 13th coming soon.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why readers say they love Dr Genevieve - her autistic lead character

How she chooses the artists who showcase the series

Her passion for music and how its reflected in her work

Why she's a 'coffeshopaholic.'

Writing Afrikaans romance -when its her second language

The writers she admires most

Where to find Estelle Ryan: 

Website: http://estelleryan.com/books.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstelleRyanAuthor/

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/estelle_ryan

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: And now here's Estelle.  Hello there Estelle and welcome to the show, it's great to have you with us.

Estelle: Thank you so much Jenny, it's lovely being here visiting with you.

Estelle Ryan - Mystery author

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning - was there a “Once Upon A time moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if there was a catalyst, what was it?

Estelle: Yes- I do believe in my life there was more than just one moment that led up to this. There was a defining moment for me when I was in Grade 4. We were finished with our syllabus for the semester and the teacher asked me to tell a story.

So I got up in front of the class and I told them about how the aliens landed in our backyard the night before, and all the conversations and stories I had with them! I described all of them, and the kids loved it.

After this, the teacher told me that if I didn't write children's stories one day, I'd be making a huge mistake. And it stuck with me. I'm not writing children's stories because my imagination is not quite in that direction, but I think that opened up my mind to more suggestions from different people, different situations that led me to this point where I'm now writing fiction.

Jenny: Yes, that's a great story and it sounds like you were made for fiction, doesn't it!

Estelle: Yes, I really remember the story about the aliens and thinking; where did I get this from?! But it also kind of explains when I'm not reading crime, I am reading science fiction- it might explain that too, me and my aliens!

Jenny: Your Genevieve Lenard mysteries have reached to Book 12 – a feat in itself! But am I right in thinking you began by writing romance?

The Gauguin Connection - Book One in the series

Estelle: That is correct, yes. I wrote for a South African publishing house and I wrote in Afrikaans, which was an incredible challenge for me because it's not my first language. The language itself, the vocabulary is not as extensive as English. It was an incredible learning curve for me and very valuable.

I had to learn how to describe things when I didn't have the right vocabulary, and I gained an incredible respect for romance writers, because I realised how incredibly hard it was to write a romance that was light enough to enjoy and silly enough in its own way- yet also one that is emotionally engaging.

I wrote seven very short romance novels, and then I thought no, this isn't my genre. This is not what I want to write. This is not my language; it was really hard.

Catriona McPherson’s 'Scottish Downton Abbey' Dandy Gilver series serves up a hedonistic mix of history, black comedy and murder in elegant prose certain to appeal to fans of Evelyn Waugh, Agatha Christie and Nancy Mitford.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Catriona talks about why she loves the Golden Age of British mystery and how her new heroine Lexy Campbell views the California dream through Scottish eyes.

But before we talk to Catriona, just a reminder that the show notes for this Binge Reading episode can be found on the website, The Joys of Binge Reading.com

That’s where you’ll find a full transcript of our discussion, plus links to Cat’s books and website, as well as details about how to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss future episodes.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why it's important to write what you love

How being unhappy at work got her started

Her passion for the mythical world of Golden Age mystery

The etiquette of leaving - and how Scots and Yankees do it differently

Seeing the California dream through Scottish eyes

What she'd do differently second time around

Where to find Catriona McPherson: 

Website: http://catrionamcpherson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Catriona-McPherson-171725286218342/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatrionaMcP

Blogs: Seven Criminal Minds:  http://7criminalminds.blogspot.com/

Femme Fatale Blogspot:   http://femmesfatales.typepad.com/

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Catriona. .  Hello there Catriona and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us

Cat: Thanks for having me Jenny

Author Catriona McPherson

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning - was there a “Once Upon A Time" moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if there was a catalyst, what was it?

Catriona: There was a time when I was a young teenager, when I was thirteen or fourteen when I wanted to be a writer, that what I wanted to do for a job  But it was frowned upon but I had a careers adviser who told me it was daft, that it wasn't a good idea, So I shelved that idea and it was only when I was 35 and I had a job that I hated that I came back to it and by then there wasn't anyone who could tell me I couldn't do it....  so I had a long, long hiatus.

Jenny: You’re extremely versatile - you've successfully  proven yourself in three different genres - historical mysteries, dark “stand alone” thrillers, and your latest book Scot Free which launches a new  California laugh out loud funny mystery series. But let’s start with the Dandy Gilver, and your Scottish mysteries set in the 1920’s and 30’s in a big country house . . - the "Scottish Downton Abbey"

You’re up to Number 12 in this series now. They’ve gathered an armful of awards and a dedicated following - Tell us about writing # 1 “After the Armistice.”  I presume this was your first completed MS?

After the Armistice Ball - Dandy Gilver # 1

Catriona: Well no actually it's not, the first MS I finished was a modern literary novel  - or anyway a novel - and after I got 40 rejections, I was feeling a bit glum, and I put it in a drawer, and my husband Neil suggested that I should write something I loved as a "palate cleanser" just for fun.

And what I loved was the Golden Age of Mystery - it's not really a historical period, because it's a cultural space - a bit of history and a lot of writing tradition...  and he said write of them just for fun, because everyone who writes them is dead, so just for fun I wrote the first Dandy Gilver story, because I love Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh and Michael Innes and Josephine Tey and all that lot .  . and as you say I am up to Number 12 now, so my palate cleanser went very well indeed.

Jenny: It really feels as if you  knew the time,

Catriona McPherson’s 'Scottish Downton Abbey' Dandy Gilver series serves up a hedonistic mix of history, black comedy and murder in elegant prose certain to appeal to fans of Evelyn Waugh, Agatha Christie and Nancy Mitford.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Catriona talks about why she loves the Golden Age of British mystery and how her new heroine Lexy Campbell views the California dream through Scottish eyes.

But before we talk to Catriona, just a reminder that the show notes for this Binge Reading episode can be found on the website, The Joys of Binge Reading.com

That’s where you’ll find a full transcript of our discussion, plus links to Cat’s books and website, as well as details about how to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss future episodes.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why it's important to write what you love

How being unhappy at work got her started

Her passion for the mythical world of Golden Age mystery

The etiquette of leaving - and how Scots and Yankees do it differently

Seeing the California dream through Scottish eyes

What she'd do differently second time around

Where to find Catriona McPherson: 

Website: http://catrionamcpherson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Catriona-McPherson-171725286218342/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatrionaMcP

Blogs: Seven Criminal Minds:  http://7criminalminds.blogspot.com/

Femme Fatale Blogspot:   http://femmesfatales.typepad.com/

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Catriona. .  Hello there Catriona and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us

Cat: Thanks for having me Jenny

Author Catriona McPherson

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning - was there a “Once Upon A Time" moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if there was a catalyst, what was it?

Catriona: There was a time when I was a young teenager, when I was thirteen or fourteen when I wanted to be a writer, that what I wanted to do for a job  But it was frowned upon but I had a careers adviser who told me it was daft, that it wasn't a good idea, So I shelved that idea and it was only when I was 35 and I had a job that I hated that I came back to it and by then there wasn't anyone who could tell me I couldn't do it....  so I had a long, long hiatus.

Jenny: You’re extremely versatile - you've successfully  proven yourself in three different genres - historical mysteries, dark “stand alone” thrillers, and your latest book Scot Free which launches a new  California laugh out loud funny mystery series. But let’s start with the Dandy Gilver, and your Scottish mysteries set in the 1920’s and 30’s in a big country house . . - the "Scottish Downton Abbey"

You’re up to Number 12 in this series now. They’ve gathered an armful of awards and a dedicated following - Tell us about writing # 1 “After the Armistice.”  I presume this was your first completed MS?

After the Armistice Ball - Dandy Gilver # 1

Catriona: Well no actually it's not, the first MS I finished was a modern literary novel  - or anyway a novel - and after I got 40 rejections, I was feeling a bit glum, and I put it in a drawer, and my husband Neil suggested that I should write something I loved as a "palate cleanser" just for fun.

And what I loved was the Golden Age of Mystery - it's not really a historical period, because it's a cultural space - a bit of history and a lot of writing tradition...  and he said write of them just for fun, because everyone who writes them is dead, so just for fun I wrote the first Dandy Gilver s...

Cara Black is a New York Times and USA Today best selling author whose chic Parisian sleuth Aimee Leduc has been praised by Lee Child as “one of the best heroines in crime fiction today.”

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Cara talks about her eighteen Murder in Paris mysteries,  working with the chief investigator in the Princess Diana enquiry, and why she chose a natty dressing, whip smart dwarf as Aimee’s right hand man.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

How P D James convinced her to write mysteries

The heart-breaking true story that got her started

Her passion for all things French

The writers she admires most

What she's done that's the secret of her success

How recordings of French street music inspire her

Where to find Cara Black: 

Website: http://carablack.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaraBlackAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carablack

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/carablack51/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carablack51/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/chamaret1

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Cara.  Hello there Cara and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Cara: Thank you for making this happen, I really appreciate it.

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning - was there a “Once Upon A time moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if there was a catalyst, what was it?

Mystery author Cara Black

Cara: Well I think beginning at the beginning, it was about being readers in the family. My dad was a huge reader. I read all the time which I think as you've touched with other writers- we're all readers first. Maybe I thought "Oh, it'd be great to write some day", but it wasn't until I heard a story in 1984 when I was in Paris visiting my friend.

She told me about her mother who was a hidden Jewish girl in the Marais. It really struck me, because her mother was 14 years old, came home from school one day and her family were gone.

It was 1942, and of course they didn't know what we now know. She stayed hidden in the apartment thanks to the concierge, and later I found out thanks to the concierge that his son was a French policeman who contrary to many, actually helped her hide there until she found out her family had gone to Auschwitz.

I found a lot of that out later; but I never forgot that because I grew up in California and I never had to worry about food on my plate or clothes to wear.  So I remember 1984, when I came back to San Francisco and I told my father about it. I'd never really met anyone, but I met her mother as well. I'd never really been that affected personally by World War II, but fast forward to 1993 - about ten years later- we were back in France.

I had a young son, and we stayed one night in the Marais because we were coming back. I remember I put my son to bed and I went out on the street; I was looking for that apartment my friend had shown me in the Marais where she'd stayed. I think I found it, I'm not sure.

But I stood in that street- it was 17th century and I thought about my friend's mother and I thought; what if I had been a mother in 1942? What would I have done to put food on his plate, a roof over our head, and to save him? What if what I did then came back to bite me fifty years later, because it was basically fifty years later.

Le Marais - Historic Parisian district

I really was struck by that. So I came back, and talked to my dad about it, and he said "you know you've always talked about that. You need to write about that, you need to write that down". So there you have it! That started my life of crime.

Jenny: Your Aimee Leduc series has been a total hit - a USA Today and New York Time best selling series and now up to 18 books. . .

Cara Black is a New York Times and USA Today best selling author whose chic Parisian sleuth Aimee Leduc has been praised by Lee Child as “one of the best heroines in crime fiction today.”

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Cara talks about her eighteen Murder in Paris mysteries,  working with the chief investigator in the Princess Diana enquiry, and why she chose a natty dressing, whip smart dwarf as Aimee’s right hand man.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

How P D James convinced her to write mysteries

The heart-breaking true story that got her started

Her passion for all things French

The writers she admires most

What she's done that's the secret of her success

How recordings of French street music inspire her

Where to find Cara Black: 

Website: http://carablack.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaraBlackAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carablack

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/carablack51/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carablack51/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/chamaret1

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Cara.  Hello there Cara and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Cara: Thank you for making this happen, I really appreciate it.

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning - was there a “Once Upon A time moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if there was a catalyst, what was it?

Mystery author Cara Black

Cara: Well I think beginning at the beginning, it was about being readers in the family. My dad was a huge reader. I read all the time which I think as you've touched with other writers- we're all readers first. Maybe I thought "Oh, it'd be great to write some day", but it wasn't until I heard a story in 1984 when I was in Paris visiting my friend.

She told me about her mother who was a hidden Jewish girl in the Marais. It really struck me, because her mother was 14 years old, came home from school one day and her family were gone.

It was 1942, and of course they didn't know what we now know. She stayed hidden in the apartment thanks to the concierge, and later I found out thanks to the concierge that his son was a French policeman who contrary to many, actually helped her hide there until she found out her family had gone to Auschwitz.

I found a lot of that out later; but I never forgot that because I grew up in California and I never had to worry about food on my plate or clothes to wear.  So I remember 1984, when I came back to San Francisco and I told my father about it. I'd never really met anyone, but I met her mother as well. I'd never really been that affected personally by World War II, but fast forward to 1993 - about ten years later- we were back in France.

I had a young son, and we stayed one night in the Marais because we were coming back. I remember I put my son to bed and I went out on the street; I was looking for that apartment my friend had shown me in the Marais where she'd stayed. I think I found it, I'm not sure.

But I stood in that street- it was 17th century and I thought about my friend's mother and I thought; what if I had been a mother in 1942? What would I have done to put food on his plate, a roof over our head, and to save him? What if what I did then came back to bite me fifty years later, because it was basically fifty years later.

Le Marais - Historic Parisian district

I really was struck by that. So I came back, and talked to my dad about it,

Kristan Higgins is the Queen of warm and funny small town romance - hers is a world of "real life, true love and lots of laughs." And her readers love her for it.

Hi there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Kristan talks about staying true to what you know when the 'market' is screaming another message, and why she's ruthless with her own work.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why Kristan ditched her first attempt at writing

Why small town romance suits her perfectly 

Ignoring the market - Yes or No?

The benefits of being a good listener

The writers she admires most

The one thing she'd done that's made her success

Where to find Kristan Higgins: 

Website: kristanhiggins.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristanHigginsBooks/

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kristan_Higgins

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Kristan.  Hello there Kristan,  and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Kristan: Thank you so much for having me Jenny!

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning - was there a “Once Upon A Time moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if there was a catalyst, what was it?

Romance author Kristan Higgins

Kristan: You know, there wasn't a moment  like that. I wish there were, because it sounds great being knocked on your side wanting to do something. I really wanted to be paediatrician, and I still think that would be great except I have no aptitude for maths or science.

I never thought about being an author until I was 36, and my son was three years old at nursery school. The day was approaching where he would be at school all day. I thought- I've got a couple of years before that happens, and I really would love to stay home with the kids, and be the person to get them off the school bus, and be around for other events and everything because I had been a stay at home mum until that point.

My husband was working two jobs, so I knew that it wouldn't really be fair for the kids to go off to school and for me to be alone for 8 hours and not contribute to the family finances. So I thought, ok; I can bartend, or maybe I could write a book! I loved reading; if anything knocked me on the side of the head with a baseball bat, it was the love of reading from an early age.

I learnt to read when I was four, and books made up a huge part of my life. So I felt qualified in one respect, in that I had just read thousands of romance novels. And I thought: I think I can write one, I think I can understand them well enough to write one. And why not? I had worked in advertising, so I had been a professional writer. I actually had advantages there, and I sat down to give that a try.

Fools Rush In - Kristan Higgins

Jenny: Your first novel was Fools Rush In, a contemporary romance, published in 2007. Was romance a natural genre for you – and was “Fools” the first ms you ever finished?

Kristan: Well, it was. I had started another manuscript which is now sort of a joke to me; it was a historical romance set in Ireland during the Potato Famine. So if you're familiar with my books, you'd think "it was what Kristan?!"

So I started to write that book, and for some reason I thought it was a really good idea and then I went to a writer's conference and  I realised I had no knowledge of this era.

I was just kind of making things up as I went along. It was really depressing, as you can imagine, stuck in the Potato Famine.

So I thought, what I should really write is a romantic comedy set in contemporary time, set in a small town because that's what I loved to read. That's where I lived- I lived in a small town, so then I thought I'd be writing about what I knew. So Fools Rush In started at that conference, and finished about six months later in terms of the first draft.