Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Interview with mystery novelist Harlow Coban


Today's guest is mystery author Harlow Coban as she does a virtual book tour for her new mystery, Life in Death.

Harlow is giving away a prize at every tour stop, which may include (but isn't limited to):

Amazon Gift Cards
Book Lover Note Cards
Journals
Kindle Cover
Book Tote
Hunger Games Trilogy

So, you'll want to enter a comment and leave you're email address in order for a chance to win something. You can also follow her the tour and comment on other blogs. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

Bio:
Author Harlow Coban was born in Kansas City, MO, but grew up in Denver, CO. She relocated to North Carolina five years ago with her husband, two dogs, and 16-year old twins.

She shares a birthday with the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. In keeping with his legacy, she is currently working on taking over the world. Harlow’s positive attitude and fresh take on life are her tools and conquest is certain.

She spends her free time writing, dancing, traveling, and defending mailboxes from her 16-year-old twins’ driving.

Her debut novel, Life in Death, is a murder mystery which pulls from real-life situations from her own family history. She felt compelled to share her story with the world while offering a thrilling and entertaining escape for readers.

In keeping with her commitment to improving the lives of children, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her book will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club in her home state of North Carolina.

Welcome to Reviews and Interviews, Harlan. Please tell us about your current release, Life in Death.
When a girl that social worker Kari Marchant places in foster care is brutally murdered, she’s compelled to learn why. Her quest for the truth pits her against friends and coworkers. As Kari works to solve the horrific plot, more people die. How far should she go to learn the truth—even if it threatens her life?

When homicide detective Rance Nicolet meets Kari, his attraction to her is powerful—and the feeling is mutual. But things between them go terribly wrong when Kari’s old lover is found murdered with a letter from her in his pocket. The evidence against Kari is damning. Rance’s personal and professional lives collide. Does he blindly believe the woman he’s falling in love with or follow the evidence no matter where it leads?

What inspired you to write this book?
I looked into a personal family tragedy and learned a lot about police procedure and the case itself. I felt like I could tell a compelling story using what I learned.

What exciting story are you working on next?
The second book in this series is entitled, Apparition in Death. I’m still working on narrowing down the premise.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
About a three years ago when I started my first novel, which is still unfinished. Life in Death is technically my second novel.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I work for the government by day and write at night.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I do my best writing late night with the TV blaring in the background. Also, some of my best ideas come to me as I’m dozing off to sleep, so I’ll jump up, switch on the light, and jot down what occurred to me. This used to irk my husband to no end, but he’s gotten used to it now.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A flight attendant. I even landed a job interview with United Airlines and was flown to Chicago first class. I wasn’t selected and in hindsight, I’m very thankful. I didn’t have the temperament for that job.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Life is short. Take risks. Challenge yourself. Buy the ticket, take the ride.

Great advice. Thanks for joining my blog, Harlow!

Readers, don't forget about all the giveaways Harlow is offering. Comment for a chance to win something.

7 comments:

Mary Preston said...

I once had thoughts of taking over the world, but then I decided it would be too much of a headache. A wonderful interview thank you.

marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Goddess Fish Promotions said...

Thank you for hosting Harlow today.

Harlow Coban said...

Lisa, thank you so much for hosting me!

@Marybelle, hahahaha!!! Thank you for your comment! If you had to write a story about one aspect of your life, what would it be and in what genre?

Lisa Haselton said...

Happy to be a host for Harlow's tour.

I like your question to Marybelle, Harlow, and put it out to folks on my Facebook pages. Hope some people come on over and reply to it!

MomJane said...

I always wanted to be a writer, and I have written a few things. However, since I am generally a happy go luck person, all my writing ends up being very sad, so I quit writing. Now I am glad I did. I would rather other peoples stories. Yours sound really good.

Catherine Lee said...

Congratulations, Harlow, on your debut. I'm glad to see you're donating a portion of the proceeds to the Boys & Girls Club. I work at one of North Carolina's wonderful community colleges and we've had the good fortune to collaborate with our local Boys & Girls Club on some literacy programs. They do such good, important work and we always have so much fun when we get the kinds onto our campus!

catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

Harlow Coban said...

MomJane, thank you for your kind words. I sincerely hope you enjoy my book.

Catherine, how incredibly fun to have kids on campus! They say the darndest things. I hope I'm able to send some of them to camp this summer.