Guest Author - Carolyn Chambers Clark

Been chatting with Judy Clemens, author of TILL THE COWS COME HOME.

Carolyn Chambers Clark: Tell me about your new mystery, Judy, where it's set, what it's about, who's publishing it.

Judy Clemens: TILL THE COWS COME HOME is set in southeastern Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia, where farmland is diminishing at an alarming rate. My protagonist, Stella Crown, is a dairy farmer (and Harley-Davidson enthusiast) who lives day-to-day, desperately trying to hang on to her family farm. At the same time, neighbor children are dying from an illness with an unknown origin, and she is determined to find the cause. Poisoned Pen Press will be publishing it this April.

CCC: What obstacles did you have to overcome to write this story and how did you do it?

JC: The main obstacle for me as I wrote the first draft was that I had an infant son who was my full-time boss...uh, I mean, responsibility. Fortunately, he took naps, and fortunately my husband gave me some breathing time, too. During the past year, with re-writes and such, I also had my one-year-old daughter to care for, so I spent a lot of very late nights at the computer.

CCC: How do you breathe life into your characters and make them seem real?

JC: My characters are alive to me. Sometimes I almost believe that I could get in my car and drive to their houses. I know it sounds bizarre, but they really do take on a life of their own. Entire conversations happen that I never planned for. Entire scenes, even. Or a new character will suddenly appear and demand to be a part of the story. So I just let them have their way -- and then go back and edit them.

CCC: What is it about writing mysteries that appeals to you?

JC: When I read a book, I like for there to be a question. A question that drives the story. It doesn't have to be a murder to please me. Just some conflict or underlying tension that needs to be resolved. That's what's fun about writing mysteries -- even I don't always know how my books are going to turn out until I get to the end.

CCC: What else would you like to tell readers about your book?

JC: One of the main reasons I wrote this book was to bring a character to life that was a biker. Almost every book I've ever read that contains bikers portrays them as the bad guys. I wanted to show a world where the bikers -- the people with tattoos who wear black leather -- are the good guys. That's been my personal experience.

CCC: Do you have a web site where readers can find out more about you and your book?

JC: Yes. www.judyclemens.com. Please feel free to visit and send me an e-mail!

Judy Clemens
TILL THE COWS COME HOME (Poisoned Pen Press, 2004)
http://judyclemens.com