Glenda Carroll is the author of the Trisha Carson mystery series that is set in the San Francisco Bay area from Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, to the natural beauty and expensive real estate found in Marin County to the swimmable chilling lakes in the Sierras. Glenda is a writing professional with a long career in journalism. Starting with a column for her middle school paper, she’s been an editor and writer/reporter for sailing, surfing, and travel publications and a communications professional with Kaiser Permanente.
Her emergence as an author of mystery thrillers came from her experiences and observation as an open-water swimmer and event organizer.
Her stories are based on her open-water swimming adventures.
Better Off Dead (BOD) is the fourth Trisha Carson mystery series book. In it, a gruesome boating accident in the cold waters of San Francisco Bay kills a prominent financier training for an open-water swim. Amateur sleuth Trisha Carson hunts down the killer and locates more than one person seeking deadly revenge.
What brought you to writing? As my bio says, I’ve been a journalist since my pre-teen years, never once thinking of writing fiction. Someone once asked me if there was a novel in my head. I arrogantly answered, “How could I write about something that wasn’t true.” It was followed by a toss of the head, I’m sure. Well, now I can kill off people without a twinge of regret.
Who is Trisha Carson? As the protagonist of the series, she is … ah … complicated. Some readers don’t like her, and that’s okay with me. I wanted her to be real, someone who screws up, loves her family and has a fierce sense of determination. Trisha is a woman reaching her late 40’s, overweight when the series begins, about as athletic as a wet sponge, no fashion sense, no college diploma, and dealing with the effects of a husband who walked out the door and never returned. So many times, I’ve read mysteries with a female private investigator who runs around in designer suits and the highest of heels or a brazen, whip-smart perfectionist policewoman who makes everyone else look stupid. That’s hard for me to relate to. I need someone with a real heart who knows how to pick herself up when she makes mistakes and keeps on keeping on.
What kind of research do you do? In Better Off Dead, I dug into financial fraud, something I didn’t know much about. I read everything I could about financiers who took their clients’ money and spent it on themselves. I talked to financial advisors, accountants, bookkeepers, and victims of fraud. I spent time researching the supreme fraudster/financier, Bernie Madoff. I’d heard the name Madoff in my family growing up. When I remembered that my aunt was one of the “Madoff girls” to whom she was referred, I had to talk to my cousin, her daughter. Was I/we related? My cuz said we were very, very distant relatives. I’m still not sure how to process that.
How long did it take to write your first book? Probably about three years. That’s not only for the first book; there are two to three years between all my books. It’s not that I write slowly, but I take months off, and nothing gets done. I’m not proud of that, but sometimes, other things in my life take priority, and the book sits in a file on my computer, patiently waiting for me to return. I promised myself I’d start book five immediately after completing BOD. I did. I wrote about one thousand words and became immersed in working with editors, the cover designer, and my publisher. When I returned to the new manuscript, I didn’t remember what I was writing about, why I did that particular scene, and what was supposed to come next.
Do I outline, or am I a pantser? Based on my answer above, it’s clear that I’m a pantser. I don’t know what will happen until I write it. I’m as surprised as the characters when the scene plays out. I did try to create an outline for book two, Drop Dead Red. With the outline sitting in front of me, I started to write. By the time I reached the second chapter, the outline was on the floor, and I was off in another direction.
Advice for new writers? One step in front of the other. One word after the next. Keep going, no matter how awful you think your manuscript is. Keep writing no matter how long it takes you to finish. If you like your idea, someone else will. I used to work the baseball games for the San Francisco Giants. I often saw the pitching coach walk out to the mound to talk to the pitcher, who threw the baseball everywhere but over the plate. I always wondered what the coach said. I eventually found out. He said, “Trust your stuff.” In other words, you can do this. That’s what I would like new (and older) writers to internalize. You’ve got this. Trust your stuff.
Glenda Carroll is the president of the NorCal chapter Sisters in Crime, a member of NorCal Mystery Writers of America, and SinC Guppies. She can be found on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and Indies United Publishing House, LCC.
Better Off Dead is available in paperback and eBook on Amazon.com.
The audiobook can be purchased on Spotify, iTunes and Audible.
Glenda’s website is glendacarroll.com.
Email: ggcarroll43@com
“Available on Audible, ITunes, and Amazon.”
Here is the link to Amazon for the paperback and ebook: https://tinyurl.com/4kuznvhv
Excellent, informative, and inspiring interview
Glad I come from a family of writers. Thanks to my cousins, Joan and Charlee for all your support. We’re spread out. I’m in California, Charlee is in Pennsylvania and Joan Carol is in Amsterdam.
Love “Trust your stuff”!
Isn’t that just the best!
g.
Hey, Glenda, keep up the good work. There’s a long history of journalists who turned to writing fiction so you’re in good company. Best of luck to you.
Being a journalist helped me with word count and deadlines. Now I get to use my imagination.
g.
I’m gonna carry that one with me. “Trust your stuff.” LOVE IT! Thank you, Glenda and George.