Q&A with C.S. Challinor

Author of Christmas is Murder
A Rex Graves Mystery

  Interviewed by Julie Obermiller

American C.S. Challinor was educated in England and Scotland and resides in Florida . From Christmas is Murder , her first Rex Graves Mystery, the reader gets the sense that the author is equally at home on both sides of the pond. Another talented writer from Midnight Ink Books, Challinor is well on the way to a long-running series with Scottish Barrister Rex Graves. Challinor's website promises “ Each volume in the new Rex Graves Mystery series will feature a unique, exotic setting and diverse characters from around the globe.” I've got my passport ready for Murder in the Raw !

Q. “Christmas is Murder” takes the very classic elements of intriguing characters and a sleuth on holiday and throws them into a hotel blocked off by a snowstorm. Instead of cliché, the result is captivating! Fans of this genre can never get enough of the classic elements. Do you see yourself continuing in the quaint, cozy and humorous fashion? 

The next three novels in the series continue in the same vein, but the fourth, "DARK SIDE OF THE MOOR," which takes place at Rex's converted hunting lodge in the Highlands of Scotland, is the most similar to CHRISTMAS IS MURDER, in that the guests at his housewarming party are stranded by a summer rainstorm. Ipso facto , the killer must be under the same roof. I like mysteries where there is a limited pool of suspects!

Q. We'd like potential readers to know their purchase will help rehabilitate wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans through “Soldiers' Angels.” What would you like to add about the program?

Thank you for asking this question. Soldiers' Angels is a non-profit veterans' charity that I've supported for four years. In addition to sending letters to deployed service personnel who have no one writing them from home, the program incorporates everything from sending equipment to help make armored vehicles safer to providing voice-adapted laptops for those who have lost the use of their hands. The war in Iraq is a hotly contested issue right now, but whatever one's feelings about it, young men and women are risking life and limb for our country.

Q. Do you write what you, as a reader, enjoy? What makes your own personal reading list? 

I enjoy reading drama. Period. The classics, mystery, romantic suspense—anything well-written with good drama. Before I started writing mysteries, I cut my teeth on romantic suspense. I have a New York agent taking a look at my magnum opus , which took ten years to write and which went through three titles and three hundred rewrites—well, perhaps not that many, but it feels like it! Anyway, fingers crossed… 

Q. When writing a story, do you have a beginning, a plot and an end before you put it down, or does it evolve as you go?  

I write a synopsis first. An agent required one for the first three books in the Rex Graves series and I got into the habit, but as anyone knows who's tried one, they are T-E-D-I-O-U-S to write. My novel doesn't necessarily adhere to the original plot—that is the wonder of creative writing!—but a synopsis helps keep the book on track. Otherwise, it's like driving to a destination without proper directions. You'll get there eventually if you keep going, but you may take a few time-consuming wrong turns in the process and end up feeling pretty frazzled!

Q. What made you choose this setting for your story? Is there a lot of ongoing research for authenticity or just your own experiences?

I spent the latter part of my childhood in East Sussex, the setting for CHRISTMAS IS MURDER, so I'm familiar with the location, though Swanmere Village is made up. I spent three weeks at a nudist resort (!!) in the French West Indies and kept a journal while I was there, which provided wonderful material for MURDER IN THE RAW. The college campus setting in PHI BETA CORPSE (#3 in the series) is based on Jacksonville University , Florida , which my son attended in his freshman year, so, again, that was helpful. The setting for the fourth novel, DARK SIDE OF THE MOOR, is my most imagined, although I lived in Scotland for seven years. Authenticity, whether from research or experience, is vital to atmosphere in a book, in my opinion.

Q. What's a typical writing day like for you?  

I get up, make breakfast, go back to bed with my cat, mull over what I'm writing at that point, make notes, and even write pages of the next scene or chapter in a notebook. Then I shower and hit the computer and keep tapping away at the keys until Fred starts clamoring for his lunch. After lunch, it's back to the computer until 5:30 or 6. When I'm two-thirds of the way through a novel, I take off somewhere quiet to take stock of where I'm at in the book and immerse myself in it for about ten days.

Q. Is editing harder than writing the actual novel, as some suggest? How hard is it to edit, and cut, your own work?  

I love editing! It's like clearing clutter out of the cupboard. The hard work for me is the writing. When it comes to revising and editing, I can relax a bit. I have the story, and now I can concentrate on making it the best that I can.

Q. What is it like to read, review or even edit another person's story? 

Hard! Editing someone else's work? Forget it! If I read a friend's book and I like it, I love writing a glowing review.  Of course, the reverse is true…

Q. What's next for Rex Graves? Will Helen make a reappearance or will he remain a solitary sleuth? 

Principled as he is, Rex likes women too much to remain solitary for long. In MURDER IN THE RAW, he definitely gets it on (or off--whatever)!

Q. What's your opinion of the current mystery/suspense offerings? Do new writers have a chance to break the ranks of prolific best-selling authors? Do you think "brand name buyers" are reluctant to "go generic?" Does that make it tough for new authors?

No question, it's tough. I don't blame readers for sticking with what they know and like. Books are expensive, for one thing. I go by recommendation usually, occasionally by a catchy title and premise. All a writer can do is write the very best book that's in them, rewrite it as necessary, and believe in their vision—and hope the end reader is as enamored of their product as they are! There is a LOT of competition out there and limited shelf space. You have to market. Promoting one's work is an anathema to many writers, myself included, but unless you received a huge advance, making it in the publisher's interest to recoup, you're going to have to do much of it yourself. Having said that, my publicist at Midnight Ink (Courtney Kish) had been super cooperative and even sent two free cases of my book (56 copies) to Walkers Shortbread for their promotion. (Shortbread fingers are featured in a scene in CHRISTMAS IS MURDER.) Reciprocally, Walkers sent me two cases of shortbread (300 packs) for my bookstore signings.

Q. Do you have any final cautions or advice for the hopeful beginner? 

Persevere. Don't go POD. You don't NEED an agent, especially a scammy one. Take constructive advice. Keep writing. Keep reading. Persevere.