New Books from Favorite Authors

 by Paula Gail Benson

As we are nearing the holiday season, I want to recommend some terrific books that have been or will be released soon by three of my favorite authors. If you are looking to add to your stack of “to be reads” or seeking wonderful gifts to share with friends, you can’t go wrong with these writers and their work.

Carla Damron

Carla Damron, retired social worker, who has her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a former blogging partner at Writers Who Kill, has just released her latest Georgia Thayer novel, The Weird Girl. Georgia, a hospital social worker who navigates the complex responsibilities of her work while coping with her own mental illness, has taken on an additional role as foster mother to a teenager who has just escaped a horrific past. While trying to give her charge a chance at normalcy, Georgia is plunged into a search for a missing girl that leads her to uncover a dangerous fentanyl trade and secrets hidden by men in political circles. A review calls The Weird Girl “a fast-moving and emotionally charged novel that plunges into the dark heart of opioid addiction, teen vulnerability, and the long shadows of power and privilege.”

Saul Golubcow

Ever since I discovered Saul Golubcow’s detective Frank Wolf, a Holocaust survivor who with his newly minted lawyer grandson Joel investigates crimes in 1970s New York City, I’ve always been eager to read the next adventure. According to Saul, the title of his new Frank Wolf book, Were the Angels Wrong?, comes from “a millennia-old commentary on the creation story in the Book of Genesis. When the angels learn that God has decided to give humans dominion over the earth, they are flabbergasted and angry. As my detective hero, Frank Wolf, describes the angels’ reactions, ‘they shouted that such frail, confused, and selfish creatures were both not worthy of receiving such a gift and incapable of maintaining and retaining such a treasure.’ . . .In this case, Frank strives mightily to challenge the angels, for the origin of the crime emanates from the Holocaust—one of humankind’s greatest evils.” Another element that challenges Joel is that the person accused of murder, who Joel must now defend, is the man dating Joel’s widowed mother. Joel must reconcile his personal concerns with a reasonable approach to resolving what actually occurred.

Yasmin Angoe

Yasmin Angoe, who has written the brilliant and critically acclaimed Nena Knight thriller series (Her Name is Knight, They Come at Knight, and It Ends with Knight) and the intriguing, suspenseful stand alone Not What She Seems, will have a new thriller, Behind These Four Walls, released on January 1, 2026. In this novel, sixteen-year-old Isla, an orphan living in a group home, plans to run away to Los Angeles with her friend Eden, except Eden disappears. Ten years later, Isla goes in search of Eden and discovers she did not know Eden at all. This novel has been described as: “A thriller that explores revenge, morality, corruption, and wealth as a woman sets out to uncover the truth behind her friend’s disappearance and expose the powerful family behind it.”

In March, Yasmin’s debut young adult novel will be released. She Drinks the Light is set on a private island off the South Carolina coast. Addae, an island resident, goes to the mainland when her friend disappears and one of the island’s Kin is found drained of blood which looks like the work of the Adze, the Ghanian version of vampires. However, on the mainland Addae discovers secrets that affect her family and could change her life.

Which of you or your favorite authors have holiday or New Year releases?

East, West, Home’s . . . Where the Mystery Is

by Paula Gail Benson

On Saturday, September 13, 2025, the Capitol Crimes Chapter of Sisters in Crime in conjunction with the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the Southeastern Mystery Writers of America held its first bi-coastal Crime-A-Thon. What is that, you may ask? It’s a gathering of authors, six from each coast, grouped in panels to discuss what makes the settings and characters in their novels unique.

Baron R. Birtcher

Many thanks to Karen Phillips, President of Capitol Crimes, and its board for providing the registration and Zoom forum for this meeting. Special thanks to Richard Meredith and Chris Dreith for their organization and help in keeping track of audience questions. Another grateful shout out to Penny Manson, who moderated the setting panel of West Coast authors Baron R. Birtcher, Robin Burcell, Audrey Lee and East Coast authors Yasmin Angoe, Linda Lovely, and Lynn Chandler Willis.

I had the privilege of moderating the character panel with West Coasters Bruce Borges, Vinnie Hansen, and R. Franklin James and East Coasters Carla Damron, Sally Handley, and Dorothy McFalls. (I also must admit that I was delighted the participants and audience sang “Happy Birthday” to me. I’ll always remember being serenaded coast to coast!)

Bruce Borgos

Penny and I enjoyed taking a “Family Feud” approach with our panelists. We had terrific participation and an engaged audience, and we hope to repeat the coastal face-off again next year.

Some terrific authors were involved. If you haven’t been introduced to their work yet, I urge you to check them out. Here’s a little about each one.

WEST COAST PANELISTS

Baron R. Birtcher divides his time between Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. He is the author of the hardboiled Mike Travis series (Roadhouse Blues, Ruby Tuesday, Angels Fall, and Hard Latitudes), the Ty Dawson series (South California Purples, Fistful Of Rain, and Reckoning), as well as a stand-alone, Rain Dogs. www.facebook.com/BaronRBirtcher/

Robin Burcell

Bruce Borgos lives in Nevada, writes the Sheriff Porter Beck series, and also has written two stand-alone suspense novels. When in college, he took a course from the screenwriter of The China Syndrome, who complimented his storytelling ability by saying, “You can make a living at this.” Author Bruce Borgos

Robin Burcell, from San Francisco, California, is an FBI-trained forensic artist who has worked in law enforcement for nearly three decades as a police officer, detective and hostage negotiator. She has written thrillers, a mystery series featuring SFPD Homicide Inspector Kate Gillespie, and has co-authored books with Clive Cussler. www.robinburcell.com/

Vinnie Hansen

Vinnie Hansen lives in Santa Cruz, California, and writes the Carol Sabala, baker/sleuth mysteries. In addition, she has written two suspense novels published by Level Best Books and quite a few short stories (in four Guppy anthologies). Her second suspense novel, Crime Writer, has just been released. Vinnie Hansen – Author of ONE GUN and the Carol Sabala mystery series

R. Franklin James (also known as Rae) grew up in San Francisco and lives in Northern California. She writes three series about (1) Johanna Hudson, a genealogist; (2) Hollis Morgan, a white collar criminal who persevered to become a probate attorney; and (3) Remy Loh Bishop, who has been fired as a forensic technician for falsifying results. Author Rae James – Award-winning author of the Hollis Morgan and Remy Loh Bishop Mystery Series

R. Franklin James

Audrey Lee lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and received two degrees (including her master’s in education) from UC Berkeley. Her debut novel, The Mechanics of Memory, was nominated for the Edgar, the Anthony, the Silver Falchion, and the Lefty Award. Never to be Told will be released in May 2026. Author Audrey Lee

Audrey Lee

EAST COAST PANELISTS

Yasmin Angoe

Yasmin Angoe lives in Columbia, S.C. She grew up in Northern Virginia and is a first-generation Ghanaian American. She received the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Emerging Writers of Color from Sisters in Crime. Her Nena Knight series has been optioned for a TV/Film adaptation. Home - Yasmin Angoe, Author

Carla Damron lives in Columbia, S.C., writes the Caleb Knowles and Georgia Thayer series about social workers who become involved in criminal investigations, and also has written The Stone Necklace, women’s fiction that features interconnected stories (one of the last books published for the Pat Conroy imprint of the University of South Carolina Press). Carla Damron

Carla Damron

Sally Handley lives in Mauldin, S.C., and writes the Holly and Ivy series about sisters who garden and solve mysteries. She also has written a stand-alone novel, Stop the Threat, about school security. Home - sallyhandley.com

Linda Lovely lives by a lake in Upstate South Carolina. She has written the HOA mysteries, the Brie Hooker humorous mysteries, the Marley Clark traditional mysteries, a romantic suspense series called “Smart Women, Dumb Luck,” and a 1938 historical mystery. Author Linda Lovely | mystery and suspense author

Sally Handley

Dorothy McFalls (who also writes as Dorothy St. James) lives in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, has written romance, mystery, fantasy, and romantasy, and has three mystery series featuring (1) a White House gardener, (2) the proprietor of a Southern Chocolate Shop, and (3) a librarian operating a secret book room of real books. Cozy Mystery Books | Cozy Mystery Author Dorothy St. James

Lynn Chandler Willis lives in a little cottage on a minifarm in the heart of North Carolina. She has written true crime as well as the Ava Logan mysteries and a Death Doula novel. In 2013, she was the first woman in a decade to win the St. Martin’s Press/Private Eye Writers of America Best First P.I. Novel competition. https://lynnchandlerwillis.com/

Linda Lovely

All these fabulous authors made the event a great success. Many thanks to you all!

The Capitol Crimes Chapter has now posted the video on YouTube. If you would like to watch, here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4UCnoQara8&feature=youtu.be

What do you think? Which coast produces the best mystery protagonists and villains?

Dorothy McFalls/Dorothy St. James

Lynn Chandler Willis

Catching Up with Carla Damron

 by Paula Gail Benson

Carla Damron

Not so long ago, Carla Damron was one of our blogging partners here at Writers Who Kill. Today, she’s retired from a career as a social worker and is writing full time, which is great for all of us who love her work.

How Carla Spends Her Spare Time

I first met Carla as a member of a local writing group. Together, we’ve critiqued each other’s stories, served in leadership positions with the local Sisters in Crime chapter, and had some terrific times with extraordinary people.

Literary Titan described her recent novel on human trafficking, The Orchid Tattoo, as an “emotionally charged crime mystery filled with suspense and thrilling twists. It is a story that will stay in your mind for a long time after reading and will force you to question why we aren’t discussing the atrocities of human trafficking more often.”

I thought it was time to catch up with our friend and find out more about her life and work. Welcome back to Writers Who Kill, Carla!

What drew you to study psychology in college and how has that benefited your writing?

I’ve always been fascinated with how the mind works, so psychology was the right fit for me. As a writer, I love to explore the complexities of relationships and family dynamics, which draws from my social work and psychology backgrounds.

At what point did you decide to become a social worker?

Right out of a college, I got a job at a small mental health clinic where I worked with several social workers (my salary was a stunning $9,900 a year!!!). These clinicians taught me so much—I especially loved how the social work field views the person within the systems that affect them, including families, communities, and cultures. So I soon realized this was the right career path for me.

In your social work career, you served in various capacities and venues. You worked directly with clients then later shepherded an association and planned conferences. What were some of your most memorable moments?

I’ve worked with some fascinating clients who taught me more than any textbook ever did. Mostly they showed me the power of resilience and recovery, which I love to explore in my writing.

Later in my career, when I worked for the National Assn. of Social Workers, I spent time doing advocacy, which meant spending time with other advocates and policy makers.

I also visited the statehouse watching the “sausage” get made. I remember sitting in the gallery when legislators were debating the removal of the Confederate flag from the statehouse grounds. One elderly representative fighting the removal kept proposing ridiculous amendments to delay the process. It was exhausting. And annoying. Suddenly, out of the blue, my phone decides to speak—Siri says, loudly, “I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE SAYING!” in the middle of the Representative’s rant. I thought for sure they would kick me out, but instead we all just laughed.

What drew you to work with human trafficking victims?

I never did direct practice with survivors except for one mental health client. But during my advocacy work for stronger anti-trafficking legislation, I met survivors, advocates, law enforcement officers involved in combatting this crime. I heard story after story of how this crime ruins lives. I learned how common it was, right here in South Carolina, and how certain groups (like foster kids) are especially vulnerable. Emotionally, I needed to write about it. As an advocate, I needed to tell people what I’d learned.

Did it surprise you how pervasive human trafficking is?

Absolutely. There are 40.3 million human trafficking victims globally, and it is a 150-billion-dollar industry. In the US, there have been 40,000 cases reported to the Human Trafficking Hotline over the past ten years—and that’s a huge undercount. In South Carolina, the state human trafficking task force reports 277 known victims in 2022. Imagine what we don’t know about. It’s stunning. People can read more about it at www.polarisproject.org or www.a21.org.

Your protagonist in The Orchid Tattoo, or perhaps I should call Georgia Thayer one of your leading characters, is a social worker who is determined to find out what has happened to her missing sister. While strong and resilient, Georgia must cope with her own mental illness. How did you develop Georgia? Did she come to you as your mystery series protagonist Caleb Knowles did, a complete person, or did she evolve?

Georgia has been knocking around in my brain for several years, it just took a while to find her story. I wanted a protagonist who is feisty, smart, and struggling. Georgia hears voices but doesn’t let her mental illness define her. I thought it was important for a character in the mystery genre who has mental illness to NOT be a villain, but is a hero. Or rather, a shero! She’s also very flawed, or rather, very human, which makes her fun to write.

Kitten, the trafficking victim in The Orchid Tattoo, incredibly combats some truly tragic situations. How did you find the strength to write about her ordeal? How did you manage to keep readers engaged with her story?

Kitten never gives up. That’s what readers connect with. She is determined to escape the traffickers and never lets that awful life take her soul. You are right, she undergoes several challenging ordeals, but her quest for freedom is what keeps her going. I didn’t want her to be a tragic figure, I wanted her to be, in her own way, a warrior.

Why did you feel it was necessary to include a point of view from Lillian, the former victim who now works for the traffickers?

Because that happens in trafficking organizations. Some victims identify with the trafficker as a survival technique, and I wanted to explore that. Lillian is a victim who ends up running a brothel—and her evolution becomes an important engine in this story. Readers seem very fascinated with her.

As you’ve learned about human trafficking, you’ve worked with organizations that support victims. Could you tell us about those groups and how proceeds from The Orchid Tattoo are helping victims?

Doors to Freedom, a low-country organization, helps survivors of trafficking by giving them housing, counseling, rehabilitation, and job skills. I’m donating part of my royalties to them. Also, the survivors make jewelry!! I’ve been selling their bracelets at book events for them. 100% of money made goes to the artist. Folks can order them here: https://www.doorstofreedom.com/herbracelets

What’s on the horizon? Anything new planned for Caleb Knowles or the characters in The Orchid Tattoo?

Caleb is BACK!!! The fourth in this mystery series comes out later this year. In  Justice Be Done, Caleb tries to solve a murder that happens during race riots spawned by a hate crime.

I’m also drafting the sequel to The Orchid Tattoo—those characters stayed with me and wanted to be heard from again. Funny how that works!

 

 

Carla, thanks for visiting and feel free to join us anytime!

Brief Bio:

Carla Damron is a social worker, advocate and author whose last novel, The Orchid Tattoo, won the 2023 winter Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence. Her work The Stone Necklace (about grief and addiction) won the 2017 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award for Best Novel and was selected the One Community Read for Columbia SC.

Damron is also the author of the Caleb Knowles mystery novels, including Justice Be Done, the fourth in this series. She holds an MSW and an MFA. Her careers of social worker and writer are intricately intertwined; all of her novels explore social issues like addiction, homelessness, and mental illness.

Catastrophe Kit by Carla Damron

I’ve written before about my excellent catastrophizing genes. Our DNA carries a “expect the worst and plan for it” marker. It seems to be tied to the X chromosome, though my brother has some of this trait. If there’s a hurricane that is predicted to hit anywhere near SC, I assume it will hit us directly, so my “hurricane survival kit” is always kept up-to-date. It includes flashlights, power banks, water containers, battery operated fans …. The list is lengthy. I even fill our tubs for toilet flushing, in case we lose water.

When meteorologists predict we’ll get a half- inch of snow, I make sure the cupboards are full and we have plenty of batteries, in case ice brings down a tree limb that knocks out our power. You never know when the “big one” will hit us (we had a blizzard in the 1970s).

My catastrophizing genes let me down this year. I did not, in my wildest imaginings, predict a pandemic. Not until February, when word of an outbreak in China made the news. By March, the gene was in overdrive. The pandemic was imminent, and I was behind in my preparations. Though a little late, I began assembling my pandemic kit. I bought gloves. I scored a few masks and started reading about how to make my own (a project that never went well). I bought medicines we needed and medicines we might need. I emptied freezer space so that we could stock-up, in case getting groceries became impossible.

By April, I was obsessive in my assemblage. Toilet paper? Check, though I didn’t overdo it. There’s a difference between “preparing” and “hording”. Hand sanitizer? Some, but I also had the ingredients needed to make my own. Lysol? Yep, but I wish, to this day, I’d bought more. Bleach? Definitely, but not for drinking. Wipes? Of course. Dog poop bags? Plenty.

You’re probably wondering about that last item. I didn’t want to run out of rubber gloves, so we used them on our hands when touching possibly contaminated surfaces, like ATMs and credit card devices. 

Our pandemic groceries included enough coffee to last till the next Ice Age, milk (we freeze it), rice, beans, and, just in case, wine. I bought plenty of flour and yeast, in case I turn into a colonial prairie woman and have to make my own bread. Dog and cat food aplenty.

Whenever info came out about something that might be useful to prevent/combat the coronavirus, I was likely to get it. So I have zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3. I’d get a voodoo doll if I thought that would help.

Now that we’re five months into pandemic life, I’ve made adjustments to our kit. Dog poop bags are less necessary—keeping hand sanitizer with us always works just as well. I’ve added face shields and have collected quite the range of masks in lots of different colors. Yep, that kit is loaded. I am prepared.

Except… there is one aspect of this crisis for which I wasn’t prepared. Not at all. I wasn’t ready for the most inevitable effect of the pandemic: what to do about the sameness of my days—the boredom? How do I manage the feelings of unreality and grief for the way life used to be? How do I take care of my emotional health? Trust me, there’s nothing in my kit that helps with this.

Through trial and error, I’ve figured out how to manage. I need routine. I get up, read for an hour or so, dress in clothes that aren’t pajamas, then get to writing. I touch base with friends and my family. I get out of the house when the weather allows it. I make sure to exercise every day. 

And then I read some more. I’ve also been careful about the books I choose. I can’t seem to handle ultra-serious or too-sad stories. I put aside a few literary novels and picked up some wonderful mysteries—the perfect escapism literature. Lately, I’m plowing through Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series. I imagine that I live in Three Pines, Quebec, and that the quirky residents are my neighbors. There’s a fluffy blanket of snow in front of my house and I’m sipping cider at the bistro. While the real world may not be a fair place, I can trust that the culprits in Penny’s novels will not escape Gamache’s justice. This is my much-needed sanctuary in a world spun off its axis.

As a writer, I want my work to be a sanctuary. I want readers to embrace my characters the way I embrace Gamache. Maybe that’s grandiose thinking—I’m nowhere near her caliber or popularity, but we writers need to have goals.

My goal is this: may my words be a refuge, my settings an escape. May I take you away from the hard reality of today and give you a few hours of respite. May the adventures in my pages help you forget our new dystopian reality and perhaps even give you hope.

Better times will come. We must be patient.

One last thing: this is my last regular blog on this site. Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings. If you want to stay in touch, my website is www.carladamron.com and my email is carladamronwriter@gmail.com.

Peace and be well.

           

Hello Freedom by Carla Damron

Hello Freedom, the Facebook ad read. In the first photo, a scantily clad woman arches her back, as nimble as Gumby. In the second, she twists sideways, lithe and graceful in her midriff-baring cotton top. She is maybe my age, but thinner, like some of those gym gazelles I envy. You know the ones—they complain about buying a size FOUR at Anthropologie last week, so they’re adding spin classes to the seventy-five hours they do on the treadmill.

I hate her. Also, I want to be her. 

Hello Freedom. I imagine the ad is for a diet miracle that will make me as slender as she is. Or maybe it’s an energy drink—never tried one, but hey, if I could stretch myself into laws-of-physics defying yoga poses and look like her I’d give it a shot.  Or maybe it’s for an arthritis pill. Like many women my age, I creak and groan in the mornings, my joints protesting even a short venture to the kitchen. I’d love freedom from that.

But no. Hello Freedom, the targeted ad on my Facebook feed, is for PEE-PROOF UNDERWEAR. Is this the demographic where I now belong? Does that poor flexible woman have to be careful lest she mess herself during Bikram Yoga?

I don’t want to disparage the problem. It happens, and the day will come when I complain about it. And it’s sure not something I want brought up on Facebook: “Hey, I just bought pee-proof panties! How many likes can I get?”

It worries me what targeted ads will appear next. Gingko Biloba to help with memory issues? Funeral home specials?

I prefer ads for river cruises in Europe or Alaska. Give me pics of cotton flowy dresses that I can imagine myself wearing without looking like a mattress that escaped its fitted sheet. Or pet products—show me that latest litter box miracle, or the dog toy that can’t be dismembered in fifty seconds.

But please, Facebook, I’m begging you. No more ads with this woman in my feed:

 Hello Freedom my ass.

How do you handle annoying ads on your social media feeds? 

Deckle Edge, a New Literary Festival by Paula Gail Benson

Several times in WWK, I’ve written with enthusiasm about the South Carolina Book Festival, which originally was held in February and later moved to May. Organized by the Humanities Council of South Carolina, the Book Festival was a highly anticipated event for folks who loved reading and writing. A WWK blogging partner, James M. Jackson was a panelist one year. In the past, the Book Festival has featured Jeffrey Deaver, Harlen Coben, Scott Turow, Robert Dugoni, C.J. Box, Hallie Ephron, and Pat Conroy. So, when it was announced last year that the Book Festival would be no more, the news was met with despair.

Fortunately, a group of reading enthusiasts took up the mantle and organized a new festival that will take place this coming weekend. Called Deckle Edge, after the deckle frame used in manual paper making that leaves a ragged or feathered edge as the paper comes through the machine, it promises a terrific three-day celebration of all things literary.

Hank Phillippi Ryan

The local organizers welcomed our Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime’ request to be involved and our chapter was delighted when Sisters in Crime National gave us a grant to bring Hank Phillippi Ryan to participate. Not only will we be celebrating Hank’s latest Agatha nominated What You See, but also the reissuance of her first Charlotte McNally book, Prime Time, which won the Agatha for best first novel. Hank will be involved in two events on Saturday, February 20, the first at 9:30 AM moderating a panel of mystery authors that will include Palmetto Chapter members C. Hope Clark and Sasscer Hill and the second at 12:30 PM being interviewed by former Sisters in Crime National President Cathy Pickens. Since Hank also is a former SinC National President, it will be wonderful to have two “goddesses” from National’s pantheon to enthrall us with tales about their work and experiences in publishing.

Cathy Pickens

On Friday, February 19, I’m excited to be teaching a workshop called “Plotting Strategies for Short Stories, Novels, and Plays.” Another member of the Palmetto Chapter, J.E. Thompson, will have a segment about children’s mysteries on Saturday. On Sunday, the Richland County Library is hosting a local author showcase featuring some of our chapter’s members.

C. Hope Clark

The Palmetto Chapter is especially delighted that our member Carla Damron, a WWK contributor, is being honored for her new book The Stone Necklace. As Carla has mentioned in her WWK posts, her novel is being published by the University of South Carolina Press’ Story River Books, Pat Conroy’s imprint. It has been selected for the “One Book, One Community” program (where the folks in Columbia are urged to read and discuss The Stone Necklace), so Carla has been making lots of personal appearances and many folks have been reading the beautiful work where she has carefully crafted four intertwining, compelling stories. Carla’s panel will close out the Deckle Edge Book Festival on Sunday.

Sasscer Hill

If you can attend the festival this coming weekend in Columbia, SC, you’ll hear great authors and have the opportunity to view a number of historic venues. My workshop will take place in the Woodrow Wilson Family Home, where the future president spent his boyhood years. Hank’s events will be in the Columbia Museum of Art.

So wish us well as we embark upon this new endeavor. Do you have a book festival in your community? Have you thought about initiating one?

Carla Damron

An Interview with Carla Damron

by Grace Topping

The Stone Necklace

Clawing chest pains and a fiery car crash take one life and change the destiny of four others. The Stone Necklace braids together the stories of a grieving widow, a struggling nurse, a young mother, and a troubled homeless man, reminding us of the empowering and surprising ways our lives touch one another and how, together, we can recover from even the greatest of losses.

http://carladamron.com/books

It’s not often that a writer has someone like Pat Conroy for an editor, but that’s exactly what happened to Carla Damron. Carla recently said that she hoped she lived up to the faith Pat Conroy and Story River Books have put in her. Anyone who reads The Stone Necklace will agree that Carla more than lived up to their faith in her. Here's what Pat Conroy had to say about her:

“Ms. Damron takes full ownership of Columbia in a way no writer ever has, capturing the flawed soul of the city and the weight of its past hanging albatross-like on the throat of the present, yet she also shows us the glimmering hope of redemption in the lives of its citizens if only they will stand together as one family, one community.”

Carla is a member of the Writers Who Kill family of bloggers. It gives me a great deal of pleasure to interview her about The Stone Necklace.  

Grace Topping

Welcome, Carla.

Carla Damron

The Stone Necklace is told through multiple points of view, which made each person’s story come alive. What was your biggest challenge having so many points of view? Or was it a challenge?

It was definitely a challenge. I wrote from the third person intimate perspective, so it felt like I climbed inside each character. I ended up writing them in separate files, then braiding the stories together after I’d fleshed out each individual story arc. This meant multiple (and I mean multiple) rewrites. Keeping the stories balanced was the tricky part.

Your characters deal with problems such as addiction, anorexia, bullying, greed, homelessness, and unfaithfulness—to name just a few. How has your work as a clinical social worker enabled you to address these issues?

As a clinical social worker, I’ve been fascinated by the process of recovery. I’ve watched it happen in so many people, and that was what I wanted to write about. Lena’s marriage recovers from her affair. Sandy faces a tremendous struggle in her recovery from addiction. Becca’s dealing with her eating disorder issues, with grief, and with simply being a teenager. For each, recovery is not a linear process but a winding one.

How do you keep from getting depressed yourself writing about the challenges your characters face?

I have great empathy for these characters. In a way, each of them represents some part of me. But it’s the same as in my other job. I have to have boundaries so that I don’t absorb the pain of others as my own. That’s a formula for burnout. Also, in writing, I know how things will progress in each story. That helps me explore the inner struggles without becoming too immersed in them.

Many of your characters are transformed by their experiences. Was this your intended message?

Exactly! That transformation is what I wanted to show. It’s an amazing gift we have as human 

beings—we are all works in progress, capable of change. Of recovery. This was the soul of my novel. I’m glad you got that.

Who is your favorite character in The Stone Necklace? Which one do you identify with the most?

When I was writing the novel, whichever character’s story I was working on was my favorite. Lena was the hardest character for me to get to know, but once I did, I really liked her. I definitely identify with her struggles. Joe, though, has my heart. While he’s not based on any client I’ve worked with, his struggle was familiar to me. People like him have very difficult lives, but they manage—I have great admiration for them.

You are known for your Caleb Knowles mystery series. What prompted you to write something different?

I wanted a new and different challenge. I wanted to deepen my writing. I love Caleb and plan to get back to him, but this was something I had to undertake.

Once I started this project, I realized my skill set was not what I needed it to be. This prompted my returning to school. When I completed an MFA in Creative Writing, the first two hundred pages of this novel was my thesis.

Now that you’ve published several books, what advice do you have for unpublished writers? Something you wish you had known when you started writing?

Be stubborn—persevere in finishing your novel, then in pursuing publication. Learn to accept feedback. If someone who knows about publishing tells you something is wrong with your manuscript, or something needs to be strengthened, use that feedback to shape the next draft.

What was it like having writer Pat Conroy as your editor?

He wasn’t my hands-on editor, but he was the yay-or-nay vote. He has been unbelievably kind and charitable. He loves this project, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me.

What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?

“Dig deeper.”

What do you read when you are not writing? Which writers have influenced you the most?

I am loving a brand new novel by Ashley Warlick, The Arrangement. It is so beautifully written I feel like I’m savoring each sentence. I also love Elizabeth Strout, Lauren Groff, and the short story writer Steve Eoannou (a fellow grad school student). For mysteries my list is long: Sue Grafton, Tana French, Mary Kubica, Carl Hiaasen, Janet Evanovich, and every one of my fellow Writers Who Kill authors.

Now that your book is out, what will you be doing to promote it? Will you be making public appearances?

An amazing thing has happened. The Stone Necklace was chosen to be the “One Book, One Community” read for Columbia S.C. I’m already getting tons of appearances booked. Story River Books, my publisher, has come up with some very creative ways to promote the event—including a jewelry making class where we’ll make stone necklaces.

Another remarkable thing: we have an audio version coming out with the novel. It was recorded locally by an amazing actress, Vicky Saye Henderson. I had the great pleasure of sitting in on some of the recording.

What are you working on now? Will we be seeing anymore of the Caleb Knowles mysteries?

I’m putting the finishing touches on a women’s suspense novel about human trafficking (something I’ve learned a great deal about in the pesky day job). Then I’m anxious to get back to Caleb. He’s getting himself into all kinds of trouble.

Thank you, Carla, for joining us today on Writers Who Kill. 

To learn more about Carla and her books, visit www.carladamron.com. 

To obtain a copy of The Stone Necklace, visit your favorite book store. It is also available at http://www.amazon.com/The-Stone-Necklace-Novel-Story/dp/1611176190