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A: In the 6th grade, for the first time, it struck me that real people wrote books. Not a particularly precocious breakthrough, true. But that was when I knew I wanted to be a mystery writer. I ran home, all a-twitter with excitement, and told my mom of my newly identified goal. “That’s nice, dear. Now, it’ll be important to find a way to support yourself.” That was very good advice indeed. But in supporting myself (as a lawyer and a college professor), I’ve also found plenty about which to write.

Q: You have a law degree and work in higher education. How have you incorporated your education and your work experience into your mysteries?

A: I’ve had pre-published writers say, “Oh, you have such an advantage, being a lawyer and writing mysteries.” True, I’ve had courtroom experience, but I practiced on the opposite side of the courtroom from where Avery sits. And I’ve never done criminal law (except the occasional pro bono work). So I have to do my research, the same as any other writer. Every writer is encouraged to “write what you know.” I take that to mean write about the human condition in a way you are uniquely qualified to do. That doesn’t mean, though, that you can’t add to your knowledge. In fact, that constant learning is one of the wonders and pleasures of being a writer. Part of what attracted me to the practice of law is also what attracts me to writing: fascinating cases. I’ve used real cases as a jumping off place for my fiction. For instance, cases against drug manufacturers for side-effects from antidepressants such as Prozac interest me. In addition, I’ve presented at national conferences and was even invited to speak at a joint NIH/FDA hearing on human subjects research. Those experiences and interests came together in Done Gone Wrong, which has Avery heading to Charleston to help another lawyer with a case involving a spree killer on an antidepressant and a drug company gone bad. As to my experience at a professor: Since being introduced to Dorothy L. Sayers’ Gaudy Night when I was in college, I’ve loved reading “murder on small college campus” mysteries. However, as long as I’m teaching at Queens University of Charlotte (my working home for the last 20 years), I likely won’t be writing in that subgenre. Oh, but I have some wonderful material.

Q: In your Avery Andrews’s series, you capture the feel of the south. Avery enjoys Moon Pies. Where did you grow up and what inspired you to write the series?

A: I grew up in the upper corner of South Carolina, in a little town called Walhalla. My family has lived in Upstate South Carolina (and later in western North Carolina) for almost 300 years. I love the South. It’s much maligned and misunderstood, I fear. Lots of people want to move here for the weather, but I’m not sure they always know what this part of the country is really all about. There’s a long history here, a history of which we’re proud. Particularly in the Piedmont and in hill country, very little of that history had to do with slavery or the Civil War. In fact, many don’t realize that the Carolinas were, in effect, the battleground for two civil wars; this part of the country saw much decisive fighting in the Revolutionary War, much of it brothers fighting brothers in some bloody, cruel conflicts. When I heard Margaret Maron talk about convincing her agent of the wisdom of setting her Deborah Knott series in Piedmont North Carolina, I knew I could go home in my books. Margaret’s agent said, “But there’s no beach, no mountains, no big city.” To her, it really wasn’t anywhere. But to Margaret, it was home – and that why her readers love those books. I never found a way to “go home” to South Carolina hill country to live and still teach at Queens, which I also love. So writing the books gave me a way to imagine what it would be like to live close (sometimes too close!) to family, to go back home. My novels are love letters to a part of the country I’m proud to call home. I refuse to lose my Southern accent, even if some people think I sound like a hick. I love fried food and hiking and white-water rafting. I’m a small-town girl. One of the nicest comments I’ve gotten is that the books depict Southerners in all their quirkiness without being condescending. I’ve also learned something important: small towns are alike, no matter where they are. Someone from Iowa told me, “Your books remind me of my hometown.” Charlotte, delightfully enough, still has its small-town sensibilities. We should cherish that.

Q: What is next for Avery? How many books will be in the series?

A: In Hog Wild, the third book in the series, Avery has decided to stay in Dacus, after her sojourn in Charleston in Done Gone Wrong. She runs smack into one of the downsides of small town life: that your business is everybody’s business. Someone is writing poison pen letters, and Avery’s newest client is a woman whose husband uses his headstone to accuse his widow of poisoning him. How many books? As many as people want to read. Series don’t last forever. Some are strong for a few books. Some, like Miss Marple, are never quite long enough. Avery’s got lots of stories yet, and I hope readers will want to go along with her.

Q: What has been the response from readers to your novels?

A: That’s been one of the most fun parts, comments from readers. I learn a lot, hearing how a story that’s played in my head now plays in others’ imaginations. Whether a reader says, “It kept me in stitches” or “It helped me get through a difficult time” or “I learned some important information about drug testing that helped a family member” or “It reminded me of my family,” I love hearing how readers see the stories. It’s also fun when they start making suggestions for Avery’s love life – which currently is nonexistent. The only disappointed readers I’ve heard from are the ones who want to know where the recipes are. The books all have food on the cover, so they expect recipes. Fortunately, Avery knows where to find good food, but she doesn’t cook!

Q: Could you ever see yourself writing anything other than mysteries?

A: Never say never. I’m currently finishing a walking tour of Charleston, South Carolina for History Press. That grew out of an older magazine project and research I did for Done Gone Wrong, set in Charleston. The tour takes you to the scene of crimes, hauntings, and disasters – all great fun. I also have a nonfiction crime project in mind that I hope to get to soon. Any fiction I write will likely fit into the mystery category. Fortunately, the genre is so flexible, that could include a courtroom thriller as well as a traditional whodunit. I imagine I’d have trouble writing a poignant or sad book, though. Even some things that shouldn’t be funny tickle my funny bone.

Q: Do you have a favorite book or author? What kinds of books do you read for enjoyment?

A: Another tough question. Tons of favorite authors. All-time favorite? To Kill A Mockingbird is such a perfect book, and so Southern. I love Margaret Maron’s Deborah Knott series. Nancy Pickard’s newest The Virgin of Small Plains is a terrific read. Perry Mason is a perennial favorite of mine; I love that he fights for the underdog against such incredible odds. I like everything from James Lee Burke to Carl Hiassen to Dorothy L. Sayers to Susan Dunlap to Claire Matturo. I’ve also become addicted to historic true crime accounts, particularly the ones written before the days of CourtTV, when our understanding of the criminal mind was recounted in books and articles. The details in those stories feed my writer’s imagination because they give a deeper look at the criminal’s motivation than a report on the evening news can give.

Q: If you were to give a fledgling writer some advice, what would that be?

A: Persist. I’m fond of saying persistence trumps talent every time. Read. Read good books. Read bad books. Read about writing – there are loads of good advice books written for writers, no matter what you want to write. And write. No one is a born writer. For every writer I know, writing is hard work. It requires discipline and a willingness to continue learning. Writing is a life-long process, a seeking after perfection you’ll never attain. But all you need to start the journey is a pen and some paper.

Q: Besides reading and writing, what are some of the other passions in your life?

A: My family and my faith. My parents, my three sisters, and brothers-in-law are all close. And I have five nephews, who are great guys. Now that I’m writing, I’ve had to give up lots of other things in order to make time for writing. I love hiking in the mountains, and my husband and I travel a great deal, both for work and for fun. It’s amazing how it all comes back to writing, though.

Interview Date: May 2007
Profile and questions compiled by Megan M., Main Library