Guest Blogger Interview with Laura Childs

Interview with Laura Childs,
author of the Scrapbook Mysteries

There are lots of "cozy" mysteries out there. How do you make your Scrapbook Mysteries stand out?

I try to keep my stories true-to-life and add a generous dollop of humor. My main character, Carmela Bertrand, has a husband who skipped out on her, and a group of wise-cracking friends who hang out at her French Quarter scrapbook shop and lend lots of support. She's smart, curious, and just happens to have a knack for solving murders. But Carmela also does volunteer work with the Children's Art Association and helps create "memory scrapbooks" for seniors with Alzheimer's. So Carmela is caring and socially conscious, as well. She's not just tripping from one merry adventure to another.

Why did you choose scrapbooking as the underlying theme?

Actually I weave rubber stamping, card making, and crafting into my mysteries, too. But scrapbooking in general is such a wonderfully creative outlet. And it inspires friendship and camaraderie among women. Of course, scrapbooking also pulls together family photos, memorabilia, and old news clippings - so I figured a scrapbook would be a darn good place to discover clues!

Why did you choose New Orleans as the locale for the series?

New Orleans is one of those cities that is eccentric and fanciful, and just naturally has a dark side. You've got the French Quarter with its great architecture and bad behavior, the above-ground cemeteries, wild Mardi Gras celebrations, and lots of old families with skeletons in the closet. New Orleans is also highly atmospheric - deteriorating mansions, live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, fog-shrouded bayous, that sort of thing.

You often use comedic elements in your mysteries. How does this add to the story?

I grew up watching The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Remember the lady who clubbed her husband with a leg of lamb and then cooked the murder weapon? Horrifying but strangely whimsical, too. For every serious moment in my story lines, I try to add a quirky counterpoint that helps balance things out and remind readers that most things in life are laughable.

Why do you include recipes in all your Scrapbook Mysteries?

I think recipes add to the authenticity of the book. When you read about Crawfish Gumbo or Mississippi Mud Cake, you're just naturally curious and want to know more. In fact, a good portion of the e-mails I receive are readers asking for more recipes!

Your main character, Carmela, seems to be fairly independent and entrepreneurial. Tell us about that.

When I was in marketing, I ran into dozens of women who longed for more focus in their work lives. These were very smart women - ad managers, product managers, administrators, etc. - who wanted to dump the corporate life and open a scrapbook store, tea shop, needle craft store, or antique shop. I think most women are natural born entrepreneurs. They don't always want to build a Fortune 500 company but they do want to create an environment that is nourishing and rewarding.

How many Scrapbook Mysteries have you written?

Seven mysteries. Keepsake Crimes, Photo Finished, Bound for Murder, Motif for Murder, Frill Kill, and Death Swatch. Tragic Magic, the seventh Scrapbook Mystery, will be out this September.

***Just to avoid confusion, this was a prepared interview provided by the author and not my own interview.