Coffee with Carol Higgins Clark
Rob Holden: Carol Higgins Clark, welcome back to ReadersRoom.com. It’s a pleasure to have you back with us today.
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: It's great to be back in the ReadersRoom!
Rob Holden: Let's start this off talking about your latest novel, LACED, which I believe was released yesterday. Can you tell our readers a bit about it?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: LACED takes place on my character Regan Reilly's honeymoon trip to Ireland. The first night she and Jack are there she thinks she sees a ghost at 4 in the morning, then the fire alarm goes off.
Rob Holden: After which, the fun begins. So, let's start this off with Ireland, where I believe you set one of your previous novels. Did you travel there to research this book?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: Of course! I stayed in a castle in western Ireland. I always go to the places where I set my books. My friends tease me that I only set my books in fun spots to visit.
Rob Holden: Well, I suppose that is one of the perks of being a best selling author -- you don't have to set your books in Debuke! Carol, you really bring the people and landscape of Ireland alive in this novel. How much time did you spend there researching this novel?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: I was there for about a week but I've been to Ireland many times. I
took notes, bought books about Ireland, started thinking about what LACED would be about, then came home and wrote it.
Rob Holden: One of the things that I really enjoyed about LACED was the fact that it started the DAY that the previous novel in the series, HITCHED, ended. Was LACED already in your mind, as you were writing HITCHED?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: I knew that I wanted to set LACED on Regan's honeymoon so I already had that in mind. Just the other day I realized that HITCHED and LACED both take place in less than two weeks of Regan's life! April 2nd to April 15th!
Rob Holden: While we are on the subject, can you tell our readers a bit about HITCHED which, I believe, is just out in paperback?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: Sure. HITCHED begins when Regan goes to pick up her wedding dress a week before her wedding. She finds the designers tied up -- her gown and three others have been stolen which makes for a lot of unhappy brides!
Rob Holden: Carol, after nine novels with Regan Reilly as a single, reasonably strong, independent female character, did you find it difficult to marry her off in the last novel and then "write her" married in LACED?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: No because Jack is a great guy and they can work together. He is the head of the Major Case Squad of the NYPD and they met when Regan's father was kidnapped in the book my mother and I wrote together, DECK THE HALLS.
Rob Holden: Let's move on to the series that you have been doing with your mother, Mary Higgins Clark. You have, I believe, done four of them – one every Christmas. How did the idea for that project come about, and do you and your mother intend to continue writing them?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: My mother's editor suggested it. Three of the books have had Regan
and my mother's character Alvirah Meehan, a cleaning woman who won forty million dollars in the lottery, solving crimes together. We plan to write more of them.
Rob Holden: Continuing the Christmas theme?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: Yes. It makes them a little different from our regular books and we enjoy using the background of the holidays.
Rob Holden: Carol, you have now done 10 Regan Reilly books. Do you intend to keep the series going for a while, or are you thinking about taking your writing career in other directions?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: I'm going to stick to Regan Reilly for a while! I look at Sue Grafton -- she's making her way through the alphabet which means 26 books!
Rob Holden: Can you give our readers a clue as to what is next for Regan and Jack?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: They'll return from their honeymoon and the next mystery will be in New York City. I'm playing around with some ideas now but nothing is set yet.
Rob Holden: And your readers can keep up with what is happening at your website?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: Yes. I post the schedule of signings and appearances and well as letting the readers know what I'm working on and when it will be released.
Rob Holden: Finally, Carol, is there anything you would like to say to your fans who might read this chat at ReadersRoom.com?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: I want to say thank you to everyone who reads my books. It's such a pleasure to chat in ReadersRoom.com -- a great room for Readers and Authors! I'd love to hear from you -- e-mail me through my web site at carolhigginsclark.com
Rob Holden: Carol Higgins Clark, thank you for being with us this evening, and best of luck with LACED, and all your future projects!
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: Thank you. I enjoyed our visit!
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: It's great to be back in the ReadersRoom!
Rob Holden: Let's start this off talking about your latest novel, LACED, which I believe was released yesterday. Can you tell our readers a bit about it?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: LACED takes place on my character Regan Reilly's honeymoon trip to Ireland. The first night she and Jack are there she thinks she sees a ghost at 4 in the morning, then the fire alarm goes off.
Rob Holden: After which, the fun begins. So, let's start this off with Ireland, where I believe you set one of your previous novels. Did you travel there to research this book?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: Of course! I stayed in a castle in western Ireland. I always go to the places where I set my books. My friends tease me that I only set my books in fun spots to visit.
Rob Holden: Well, I suppose that is one of the perks of being a best selling author -- you don't have to set your books in Debuke! Carol, you really bring the people and landscape of Ireland alive in this novel. How much time did you spend there researching this novel?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: I was there for about a week but I've been to Ireland many times. I
took notes, bought books about Ireland, started thinking about what LACED would be about, then came home and wrote it.
Rob Holden: One of the things that I really enjoyed about LACED was the fact that it started the DAY that the previous novel in the series, HITCHED, ended. Was LACED already in your mind, as you were writing HITCHED?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: I knew that I wanted to set LACED on Regan's honeymoon so I already had that in mind. Just the other day I realized that HITCHED and LACED both take place in less than two weeks of Regan's life! April 2nd to April 15th!
Rob Holden: While we are on the subject, can you tell our readers a bit about HITCHED which, I believe, is just out in paperback?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: Sure. HITCHED begins when Regan goes to pick up her wedding dress a week before her wedding. She finds the designers tied up -- her gown and three others have been stolen which makes for a lot of unhappy brides!
Rob Holden: Carol, after nine novels with Regan Reilly as a single, reasonably strong, independent female character, did you find it difficult to marry her off in the last novel and then "write her" married in LACED?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: No because Jack is a great guy and they can work together. He is the head of the Major Case Squad of the NYPD and they met when Regan's father was kidnapped in the book my mother and I wrote together, DECK THE HALLS.
Rob Holden: Let's move on to the series that you have been doing with your mother, Mary Higgins Clark. You have, I believe, done four of them – one every Christmas. How did the idea for that project come about, and do you and your mother intend to continue writing them?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: My mother's editor suggested it. Three of the books have had Regan
and my mother's character Alvirah Meehan, a cleaning woman who won forty million dollars in the lottery, solving crimes together. We plan to write more of them.
Rob Holden: Continuing the Christmas theme?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: Yes. It makes them a little different from our regular books and we enjoy using the background of the holidays.
Rob Holden: Carol, you have now done 10 Regan Reilly books. Do you intend to keep the series going for a while, or are you thinking about taking your writing career in other directions?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: I'm going to stick to Regan Reilly for a while! I look at Sue Grafton -- she's making her way through the alphabet which means 26 books!
Rob Holden: Can you give our readers a clue as to what is next for Regan and Jack?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: They'll return from their honeymoon and the next mystery will be in New York City. I'm playing around with some ideas now but nothing is set yet.
Rob Holden: And your readers can keep up with what is happening at your website?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: Yes. I post the schedule of signings and appearances and well as letting the readers know what I'm working on and when it will be released.
Rob Holden: Finally, Carol, is there anything you would like to say to your fans who might read this chat at ReadersRoom.com?
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: I want to say thank you to everyone who reads my books. It's such a pleasure to chat in ReadersRoom.com -- a great room for Readers and Authors! I'd love to hear from you -- e-mail me through my web site at carolhigginsclark.com
Rob Holden: Carol Higgins Clark, thank you for being with us this evening, and best of luck with LACED, and all your future projects!
CAROL HIGGINS CLARK: Thank you. I enjoyed our visit!