Interview: Mystery Scene Magazine Interview. . . a long time ago:
Q: What made you choose to write in the mystery/suspense genre?
A: The three Dees. Every plot that came to mind had to do with something Diabolical, something Dark, something Dead.
Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: From real life. Of course, I must tone it down to suspend the reader’s disbelief. Who would swallow a story about a famous football player icon who dons a wetsuit, commits a grisly double murder, flees to his home nearby where he takes a quick dip in the swimming pool (still wearing the wetsuit) before changing clothes and catching a plane? Ridiculous and far too melodramatic, don’t you think?
Q: Are you affected by what you write?
A: I visualize menace in every corner. I’m not the person someone would want for company if they were alone and frightened. I scare myself.
Q: Can you give an example:
A: True story. A few years back someone gave me a bunch of helium balloons. The balloons roamed the house, upstairs and down, seeming to follow me–to seek me out. If I passed too close, they drifted out and gave me a static shock. I got rid of them the night I awoke at 2 a.m. to find them in my bedroom, over my bed, eerily bobbing above my head, the metallic skin of their sinister faces rubbing together…whispering…plotting…
These balloons became the villains in my short story Carnival Balloons, in the anthology BROKEN JUSTICE
Q: How much research do you do for your novels?
A: Whatever is needed. About five years ago I had to know what effect acid had on living tissue. First I dropped acid on the skin of a piece of raw chicken. When nothing happened, I warmed the chicken to body temperature. When that failed to produce the desired results, I put the acid on the back of my own hand. What? Oh that…well, yes, but it’s hardly noticeable anymore.
Q: Have any of your novels been made into movies?
A: Optioned, yes, but not produced. Not yet, anyway. The closest a novel of mine came to being embraced by greatness was when my nephew Greg, a cameraman on a shoot for Steven Spielberg, thrust his own personally autographed copy of my novel, NIGHT STALKER, at Mr. Spielberg as he was leaving the studio and asked him to please consider it for production. Greg, fearing the worst, discreetly followed Spielberg and his entourage down to the lobby to the awaiting limo, checking each and every trash receptacle as he went.
Q: Is there a conclusion to that story?
A: I’m happy to say the novel was read, then returned. I had the distinct honor of being rejected by one of the best.
Nonfiction publications include two articles for Writer’s Digest. One article, “Writing Suspense That’ll Kill Your Readers,” was recently reprinted (second edition): The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing 2010 (Writer’s Digest Books).
All novels can be purchased in e-book/electronic format at: Amazon.com – See Novel Descriptions
You can also find several of my books at Barnes & Noble
NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author--- Carol Davis Luce 
Hi Carol! I’m digging the background you used for your site! 🙂 Lizzy
Thanx Lizzy. I like big and bold!
Your site looks lovely. Good job!
Thanks, Barbara, for dropping in and commenting.
You did a great job getting your site up. It works! Looking forward to downloading your new book. Your cousin Laura
Hi Cuz. Thank you.
Hi Carol, your site looks good so far. I’ll suggest you add a link to your FB page and/or twitter account. WordPress has widgets for twitter, and linking to FB isn’t too hard either. Don’t be afraid to experiment with it. You know you can change it back if you don’t like the way it looks! Also, a subscribe by email if you can squeeze it in there somewhere. Good luck!
Jolea, thanx for the great suggestions. Every day I learn something new. I just found the missing comments today LOL. Check back in a month and see if I’ve progressed.
I think it’s a perfectly wonderful blog! I enjoyed reading your interview and I’m looking forward to reading ‘Night Widow’.
You’re a sweetheart, Christine. Thanks for popping in.
Carol,
You did a great job on your new blog site! Bravo!
Keep it up!
Fred
I love your books – I just finished skin deep and night stawker before that. I have the others my kindle waiting to read.
Cheers
Jason (from victoria, australia)
Thanks, Jason. All the way from Australia! Happy to have you drop in. Hope you enjoy the other books as well.
I have just completed book # 3 of yours, Carol, and I am very happy to have “discovered” you! Didn’t think I would like a Kindle and am so surprised to find self published authors, such as yourself. I wlll be buying everything you write and recommending to friends and family! I am also checking out some of the other authors on this blog so thank you for that ahead of time. Keep up the great work!
Nancy, I am thrilled that you found my books and liked them. Thank you for taking the time to post your kind comments on my blog. Please come back and visit again. Carol
Thank you for writinng this