by Lorie Ham

Today at the Café we have with us mystery author Kit Ehrman, whose latest book is TRIPLE CROSS, which was released by Poisoned Pen Press in December of 2006. Grab a nice cool glass of iced tea in honor of Kit, and sit back and enjoy the interview.

Café:
Tell us a little bit about it?

Kit:
TRIPLE CROSS is a mystery/suspense/amateur sleuth/traditional mystery. Steve Cline is working at Churchill Downs for the Derby when a chance encounter triggers a series of events that spiral out of control and plunge Steve into the world of the ultra rich, where greed and revenge and ambition lead to a power play that culminates in a bloody triple cross ... TRIPLE CROSS is a 2007 Best Book of Indiana, a ForeWord magazine Book-of-the-Year medalist, an IPPY Award medalist, a BookSense Notable Book, a Great Lakes Book Award finalist and a Kentucky Literary Award nominee.

Café:
That's great. How long have you been writing?

Kit:
I began writing on July 22, 1996. I actually remember the date because I decided to keep a journal, as well.

Café:
When did your first novel come out? What was it called? Tell us a little about it?

Kit:
My first novel, AT RISK, was released in October, 2002 by Poisoned Pen Press. At the time, I didn't realize I was writing what would end up being the beginning of a series, but that's what AT RISK turned out to be. In some ways, AT RISK is also a coming-of-age story. In AT RISK, young barn manager Steve Cline is hijacked early one morning along with some show horses. His escape turns him into a killer's target in an environment where a complex scheme develops and everyone, no matter how innocent, courts risks.

Café:
Have you always written mysteries? If not what else have you written?

Kit:
AT RISK was the first thing I decided to write. I was very lucky. Of course, I've always been a fan of mysteries, so it was no surprise that that's what I'd choose to write.

Café:
What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book? Please tell us a little about the setting and main character.

Kit:
My latest book, TRIPLE CROSS, is set in Louisville and at Churchill Downs during the two weeks leading to the running of the Kentucky Derby. My series is set in the horse world, and one of my goals is to explore different equine venues. AT RISK is set at a hunter/jumper show barn in Maryland. DEAD MAN'S TOUCH takes Steve to a Maryland racetrack. COLD BURN is set in the dead of winter on a thoroughbred breeding farm in Warrenton, Virginia. The setting for TRIPLE CROSS came about by chance. My idea for book four in the series was rejected on synopsis, so I had to come up with something fast. Since Steve's father is a racehorse trainer, it was only natural that they'd one day end up at Churchill Downs. Researching TRIPLE CROSS was a blast. I fell in love with Louisville, and the Derby festivities added much to the story. Steve grew up privileged and wealthy, but his relationship with his father becomes strained and he leaves home and strikes out on his own. He's an interesting character to write because he doesn't really fit in in either world — the truly wealthy or the hardscrabble world of horse farms and racetracks. Also, his relationship with his father colors everything he does, though Steve doesn't recognize this most of the time. He's always trying to prove himself to his father, even though his father will not know much of what Steve's done.

Café:
I love that — I grew up reading horse books so this is a great combination of horse and mystery. What is the main reason that you write?

Kit:
I write to entertain, both the reader and myself because writing is a form of self-entertainment, despite the work involved.

Café:
Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to take away from your work?

Kit:
First and foremost, I want the reader to be entertained, but I also hope they enjoy getting a look at a world they might not be very familiar with. There are some underlining themes that run through all the stories that will hopefully add some texture to the mystery while remaining subtle.

Café:
Do you have a schedule for your writing or just write whenever you can?

Kit:
My schedule is all over the board, unfortunately. I do hate when I'm in plotting and research mode because I'm not "writing" writing, and that makes me nervous.

Café:
Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what's going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

Kit:
I outline and research like a maniac before I start to write. I begin with a story idea and start working on the outline, but I break from it a lot to research because often what I learn while I'm researching adds to or modifies the plot. I put everything that I've collected during research into one Word document, my plot as well, and relevant .jpg photos. The document usually grows to about four-hundred, singled-spaced, 8-font pages before I begin to write. But, once I start writing, I can write quickly because I don't have to waste any time wondering what should happen next because I know. I also know that the plot is going to work and that I'm not going to write myself into a corner.

Café:
If you had your ideal, what time of day would you prefer to write?

Kit:
I'd like to start early in the morning and finish up around four o'clock, but I usually end up beginning around four and writing until one or two in the morning.

Café:
Well your dream of writing time is my nightmare — so not a morning person — and what you get stuck with would be my dream Day job?

Kit:
No, thank God. Except for mom-duties.

Café:
Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

Kit:
Not really. I was lucky.

Café:
Do you have a great rejection/critique or acceptance story you'd like to share?

Kit:
I always believed in myself, for some reason, but one event in particular, has stayed with me. I was attending a week-long writing workshop. We were all required to critique 25 pages of each other's work. When my turn came to be critiqued, I thought I'd do okay, but one of the first women who gave me feedback began with, "You don't have a voice." I was embarrassed and said nothing as I thought; every piece of work has a voice. It might not be a voice she likes, but there's always a voice, right?

Café:
What kind of promotion do you find most affective?

Kit:
That's difficult to say, really. I think that all promotion is cumulative, and you have to persevere to get results. I send out postcards and personal letters and brochure mailings to individuals, bookstores and libraries, and I'll focus mailings to target audiences depending on where the book is set or some feature that is specific to a particular title. But, I've decided that mailings are easily ignored. The best promotion is face to face. That said, when you're promoting, you're not writing.

Café:
So true. Most interesting book signing story — in a bookstore or other venue?

Kit:
The most fun I ever had at a book-signing was when I spoke to the Louisville Thoroughbred Club. This kind of specific targeting works well. My writing was an excellent match for them, and I sold a boxful of books.

Café:
Future writing goals?

Kit:
My number one goal is to improve with each book. My immediate goal is to get the next book done.

Café:
Heroes?

Kit:
Hmm, writing-wise: Dick Francis, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child.

Café:
We've had Lee here at the Café — he's a sweetheart. Person you would most like to meet dead or alive?

Kit:
Dick Francis. It's because of him that I got involved with horses in the first place. I discovered IN THE FRAME in 1978 and read everything he'd written at the time. I fell in love with the world he depicted and wanted to experience it for myself. So, I quit my government job and got a job on a horse farm. I worked with and owned horses for the next twenty-five years, all because of a work of fiction found quite by accident in a Reader's Digest Condensed Books edition.

Café:
What a cool story. What do you read?

Kit:
I read mysteries, generally by male authors since I'm writing a male character, and that's what I naturally gravitate to, anyway. I like dark, suspenseful books offset by the occasional Janet Evanovich. And, I read a lot of nonfiction as I research for future books.

Café:
What are your hobbies?

Kit:
Gardening, which I hate because I'm so bad at it, but I keep trying.

Café:
Favorite TV or movies?

Kit:
I don't watch TV. My favorite movies are Pearl Harbor, The Last Samurai, the Bourne movies, Disturbia, Stranger Than Fiction. Oh, I used to watch TV and still catch some series on DVD now and then. They are: Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek The Next Generation, and Star Trek Voyager.

Café:
Cool! A fellow Trekkie? Any pets?

Kit:
I have two elderly cats. One is my office kitty. She sits on a chair right next to mine and when she wants to be petted, she taps my arm. I have to pick her up and hold her and rock her and pet her; otherwise, she'll get on my keyboard until I do.

Café:
Family?

Kit:
I have two teenaged sons.

Café:
What part of the country/world do you live in?

Kit:
I'm originally from Maryland but currently live in Indiana.

Café:
Any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Kit:
Write to please yourself because it will show. Don't write for trends. They'll be outdated by the time you get published, anyway. Join a critique group. And most importantly, read A LOT.

Café:
Anything you would like to add?

Kit:
If you've read TRIPLE CROSS, you might enjoy viewing the book trailer located on my website, KitEhrman.com.

Café:
Where can people purchase your books?

Kit:
The Steve Cline mystery series can be ordered from any bookstore, and the titles are listed on all the online sites, too. You can order autographed books from The Mystery Company and have them delivered to your door with zero shipping charges. See the "Buy Books" page on my website for more information.

Café:
Thanks so much for joining us here today.

©2008 Lorie Ham. All rights reserved.