Interview with Carole Price

Author of SOUR GRAPES

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio.
I now live in Livermore, CA, in the San Francisco Bay Area.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

My husband was offered a job at Lawrence Livermore National Labs. We’ve been here since 1980.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I’m a huge reader. I thought plotting a mystery would be fun and
challenging, but I waited until I retired to take the book business
seriously. Thanks to my critique group and their encouragement, I was on
my way to being a published author.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

Definitely suspense with a touch of romance. My protagonist, Crime analyst Caitlyn
Pepper, inherits a vineyard and two Shakespeare theaters in northern
California from an aunt she’d never heard of. With the help of Navy
SEAL, Royal Tanner, Cait uses her skills to investigate the death of her
aunt.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

According to Publishers Weekly, “regional theater fans would welcome this
Shakespeare in the Vineyard series.” Anyone who loves mysteries would
appreciate the unexpected in this series. There are two Shakespearean
theaters. As you can imagine, there is competition among the actors. My
protagonist, a crime analyst from Ohio, has chances to exercise her
investigative talents.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

When our daughter moved to Ashland, Oregon, home of the famous Shakespeare
Festival. I had the opportunity to see many plays. To my surprise, I
fell in love with the Bard and thought it would be fun to bring
Shakespeare to the Livermore valley. My Shakespeare in the Vineyard
series was born.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Don’t procrastinate and wait for “the perfect” time to start writing. I wish I
had started writing way before I retired. Stop thinking about it and do
it. I was shy and lacked confidence. Was I good enough to expose myself
and my book to the public? Remember this: “Don’t put off what could be
done today.” I have similar sticky notes around my desk.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I strive to entertain, with twists and turns and the unexpected, and hope
other mystery readers would love reading my books…all thousands of
them.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

As much as I’ve tried, I am not a plotter. At times I write myself into a
corner and have to find a way back, but that’s where the unexpected
often happens. An idea I hadn’t considered pops into my head, adding
depth to the story. What fun when the killer isn’t who I thought it
would be. This usually happens towards the end.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Definitely writing. I’ve been a police volunteer for almost twenty years and have
been fortunate to be able to question the officers about police
procedures, go on ride-a longs, and role playing. This opportunity has
added credibility to my writing.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Marketing has been difficult and is my least favorite thing to do. I do go to
conferences and use social media, but I need to do a lot more. Like a
book tour.

When do you think you will write your next book?

The good news is that I just finished writing the first book in a new
series. Now comes the editing process. I thought this book would be a
cozy, but it turned out to be suspense. No sex, no swearing, but maybe
borderline cozy. It will be interesting to see what a publisher decides.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

Small press Five Star published the first two books in my Shakespeare in the
Vineyard series before they dropped their mystery line. Black Opal Books
picked up Vineyard Prey, the third book in the series. I will write at least one more in this series to tie up all loose ends.