Interview
with Mindy Starns Clark
Interview by Lonnie Cruse
Mindy Starns Clark is the author of two mystery series, the Million Dollar
Mysteries and the Smart Chick Mysteries. She's worked as a
copywriter, marketing/PR specialist, technical writer, and documentation
supervisor.
Her first published book, A Penny for Your Thoughts, launched her
Million Dollar Mysteries and was released in 2002. Clark lives with her family
in Pennsylvania. She was recently interviewed by
author Lonnie Cruse. Says Cruse, "I've enjoyed reading all of her books and look
forward to the new one coming out this year. If you haven't read Mindy's books,
you are missing a treat."
Please tell us a bit about your books.
My first series, the Million Dollar Mysteries, features Callie Webber, a private
investigator who works for a mysterious philanthropist. Callie investigates
charities and if they are on the up and up, she gets to give them lots of her
boss' money. Of course, there's always a murder somewhere along the way, so she
usually ends up knee-deep in that investigation as well. Books in the series
include A Penny for Your Thoughts, Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels,
A Dime a Dozen, A Quarter for a Kiss, and The Buck Stops Here.
My second series debuted July 2005 with The Trouble with Tulip. A mystery
with a "chick lit" feel, the Smart Chick Mystery series features Jo Tulip, a
household hints expert who uses her knowledge of household hints to solve crime.
The next book in the series, Blind Dates Can Be Murder, will be released
March 2006.
You recently ended one series and began a new one. Was
it difficult switching to new characters and story lines?
Yes! It was even more difficult than I had expected. What threw off my
creativity at first were all the hundreds of little "questions" that had to be
answered before I could start, like where does she live, what's her family like,
who are her friends, what's the layout of her house. It had been so long since I
made such fundamental decisions about a main character that I had taken for
granted the ease with which subsequent books in a series were written. With Jo
Tulip, from the very beginning I knew her personality, emotions, and occupation,
but the other details of her life took quite a while to flesh out.
Do you have an agent? If so, how did you find your
agent?
Yes, I love having an agent because I'm no good at any of the stuff he does for
me (submitting, negotiating, etc.). I gladly let him handle all of that!
I went about my agent search very systematically. First, I wrote a book that was
good enough to get published. I don't mean to sound vain, but you'd be surprised
how many people waste their time pursuing publication on projects that aren't
ready. It's a sad waste of time when a few more years of learning and polishing
could've made their efforts much more fruitful. I didn't even attempt to sell a
novel until the book was finished and fully edited and thoroughly marketable.
(Trust me, I've got a few that never made it that far, stuffed in boxes in my
closet!)
Once I reached that stage, I put together a packet that included a cover letter,
a one-page synopsis of the book, a one-page synopsis of the entire series, and
the first chapter. I went through the Guide to Literary Agents, found 37
who handled Christian mystery, and sent the packet out to all 37 at once. In my
cover letter I explained that the query was a simultaneous submission but that I
would offer exclusive reading rights of the book on a first come, first served
basis.
Of the 37 agents, ten responded with a request to read the book. Of those ten,
five asked to represent me. Of those five, three wanted money up front, so of
the two that were left, I chose the one with the better-known clientele.
How did you find your publisher?
The agent found them for me.
What is the toughest part of writing for you?
Kids! I have a hard time entering fiction mode when there's a chance I might be
interrupted-- but, of course, with kids around, constant interruptions are a
given. I have learned different coping techniques, but when I have to get
serious about a book, I usually check into a hotel or borrow someone's vacation
home and sequester myself. Sometimes, that's the only way I'll get it done.
How do you research your books?
The usual: Library books, online, and interviews. I have a huge business card
file, and whenever I meet someone with an interesting or unusual occupation,
I'll ask if they would consider being an expert for me, should the need arise.
No one has told me "no" yet! I'll get their card and file it away, and when the
day comes that I need to speak with a toxicologist or a crime scene cleaner or a
sailboat salesman, I know who to call. Most people simply love to talk about
their work. It's not hard to get the info I need.
Your write for a Christian audience, using no bad
language, overt sexual scenes, or graphic violence. The Hollywood mentality
tells us the public isn't interested in "clean" books or movies. Would you
discuss that for us?
The Hollywood mentality tells us a lot of things that aren't true! If you talk
to the average person, they'll say the exact opposite; that they're tired of all
the sex and language that they are bombarded with in the media. For example, I
love the beautifully-written-and-acted show "The Sopranos," but I finally had to
quit watching it. The language was so foul I felt like I needed a shower after
every episode.
The truth is, the market is wide open for clean books, especially those that
contain a redemptive message. My books don't avoid the grittier parts of life--
it's hard to do that when you're dealing with murderers-- but nothing is
in-your-face. I think the work is stronger for it, not weaker.
How do you promote your books?
Speaking engagements, book signings, website, networking, conferences, reviews,
radio interviews, local television, press releases, etc. All the usual stuff. It
never ends!
What future plans do you have for your writing?
The third and final Tulip book, as yet untitled, will be coming out in January
2007. After that, I have a nonfiction guide to cleaning for the
"housekeeping-impaired," called The House that Cleans Itself. I've
learned so much doing household research for the Tulip stories that I've had an
epiphany about housecleaning; now I'm ready to put it into a book!
After that, I'll be coming out with my first stand-alone mystery, a darker,
gothic story-in-a-big-creepy-house, a lá Phyllis A. Whitney. I used to love
reading those; now I can't wait to write one.
Anything else you'd like [readers] to know about you or
your books?
Just that I hope they enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. I
know some writers who sweat blood over every page (and I guess I've had days
like that), but overall, the writing process to me is like one big "let's
pretend" session. When I was a little girl, I used to dream that my dolls would
come to life and play with me. Now that I'm an author, that's exactly what
happens. My characters really do become my friends. From what my readers tell
me, they become their friends as well.
Thanks, Mindy! I like the idea of collecting cards for
an "expert file." Great interview. Best of luck with all of your books. Check
out Mindy's website at:
http://www.mindystarnsclark.com/mindy.html
Lonnie
Cruse writes the Metropolis Mystery series set in the real city of Metropolis,
Illinois. Her fictional sheriff solves the murders she dreams up. She is
currently beginning a new series with a female protagonist. Visit Lonnie's blog,
Cruse'n with Lonnie, to
discuss writing and reading mysteries. For more about Lonnie and her books,
visit her at http://www.lonniecruse.com/.
